I already had some suggestions/ideas in my head for awhile, but because I played a bit the last week I got some new ones that might improve the game!
Balance changes Suggestions:
Patents:
Cold Fusion 60 Chems -> 40 Chems
Nanotech -> Returns 50% of Resources
Transparent Aluminum (IO) -> remove for something else
Factions:
Scientific Free Goon -> Free Coresample every upgrade.
Robotic upgrade 20/40/60/80 -> 15/30/45/60
Starting Resource prices:
Glass Starting Price 80 -> 70
Power Price 40 -> 30
Blackmarket:
Always have 9 Blackmarket Items
Reasoning:
Cold Fusion 60 Chems -> 40 Chems.
Patent isn't used that often because other patents are much more worth it for the same price.
Nanotech -> Returns 50% of Resources.
Too overpowered at times, especially on Ceres where prices go crazy lategame. you will often see 400$+ elecronics
Which is if you have 2 Optimization Centers already 400*80= 32000, add steel/carbon/Silicon with that you can already be at an easy 50k total for only 2 Optimization centers.
Transparent Aluminum (IO) -> remove for something else.
Because of Very high Aluminum and Elevators that cost 600 aluminum, Transparent Aluminum is super strong if you can get it early. I have seen people upgrade 2 HQs level in span of less than 20 seconds multiple times just because of this patent, with that snowball they can also can easily get an elevator with it.
Scientific Free Goon -> Free Coresample every upgrade.
Founding last (or third for that matter) as Scientific gives you an early free Claim + Goon + Blackmarket Item.
In result Scientific have a too easy early game that can snowball them to the lategame. I also think giving them Coresamples would give them a more creative way to play the faction.
Robotic upgrade 20/40/60/80 -> 15/30/45/60.
Before the nerf it was 10/20/30/40, I think a median would give them a stronger chance to deal with other factions more frequently. Especially in games where starting prices are starting mostly low, and they struggle setting up power & income it will help them a bit.
Glass Starting Price 80 -> 70.
This is mostly for the Green 160 starting price. This is a indirect small nerf to Nomadic who can gain so much money from glass and a small buff to factions that use glass for upgrades.
Power Price 40 -> 30.
Once again mostly for the Green 80 starting price. This will give small buffs to Elite/Scientific/(Robotic-Ceres), factions that struggle with setting up power. Whenever there is a power colony factions like Nomad/Scavenger (and sometimes Expansives if there are Geos) are too strong.
It should give other factions more breathing room early on. There are so many games decided on who has power up and defended first.
Always have 9 Blackmarket Items.
I see quite a few games where there are only 2 aggressive blackmarket items with only 8 blackmarket items available.
This means that there is almost no room for a comeback in certain scenarios. Giving more options to players would make it so that there is more a back and forth between players. also if there are only aggressive blackmarket items then those prices reach 50k around early mid-lategame, which means after you reached that price you can already call the winner more often than not.
