This is not a suggestion to remove random number generated loot drops. I don't think that would ever be a realistic solution to issues that are supposed to be complex beyond user control. Namely the gathering of materials from destroyed ships which is not quite a surgical disassembly, and gathering of materials from mining which also interacts with complexities beyond our full understanding.
Instead we could use some overlays to make the choice to go look for materials a bit smarter. Essentially a way to schew the roll in our favour.
For mining and gathering of materials on planetary surfaces, that would include fleshing out the prospecting game a bit. Using a scanner (detailed surface scanner comes to mind), one could receive an overlay map with hot spots for materials of choice, maybe with menus similar to the galactic map to show which materials are most likely to occur where. Meteorites might still be mostly random, but outcrops and perhaps a future surface mining ability would benefit from having a connection to local geology. The initial search could be guided by different colours on the spectral scanner and/or different coloured PoIs.
This would not mean that the wanted drop would automatically be found in these hot spots. But the chance would be a lot higher.
For gathering of materials from blowing up ships: It is my impression that descriptions are already containing hints. But maybe we need more hints there? One addition could be a market for these things. However, as they are generally dropped from destroyed ships they are not gathered by friendly means. The Black Markets could be the place to look for and/or sell these components. But as part of the background simulation rather than as an Auction House model. The latter puts the player in centre again, which is not what this game is about. The NPCs may have uses of the components as well, so it may be that availability of components are influenced by players selling them at Black Markets, but it is not 100% controlled by it: A local demand may cause sold items to not appear for sale. And there could be a delay between sale and availability.
A few ideas. I like this expansion generally, but think that it has added yet more things to the game that need a bit of fleshing out.
S
Instead we could use some overlays to make the choice to go look for materials a bit smarter. Essentially a way to schew the roll in our favour.
For mining and gathering of materials on planetary surfaces, that would include fleshing out the prospecting game a bit. Using a scanner (detailed surface scanner comes to mind), one could receive an overlay map with hot spots for materials of choice, maybe with menus similar to the galactic map to show which materials are most likely to occur where. Meteorites might still be mostly random, but outcrops and perhaps a future surface mining ability would benefit from having a connection to local geology. The initial search could be guided by different colours on the spectral scanner and/or different coloured PoIs.
This would not mean that the wanted drop would automatically be found in these hot spots. But the chance would be a lot higher.
For gathering of materials from blowing up ships: It is my impression that descriptions are already containing hints. But maybe we need more hints there? One addition could be a market for these things. However, as they are generally dropped from destroyed ships they are not gathered by friendly means. The Black Markets could be the place to look for and/or sell these components. But as part of the background simulation rather than as an Auction House model. The latter puts the player in centre again, which is not what this game is about. The NPCs may have uses of the components as well, so it may be that availability of components are influenced by players selling them at Black Markets, but it is not 100% controlled by it: A local demand may cause sold items to not appear for sale. And there could be a delay between sale and availability.
A few ideas. I like this expansion generally, but think that it has added yet more things to the game that need a bit of fleshing out.
S
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