When i first got involved with Starbound, my imagination was piqued by a game that seemed to be going the way of the old "Traveler" RPG series. Basically a sandbox sci-fi RPG where you do whatever you want. Since I started playing it, it seems to be focused more on a Terraria-style "beat the next big boss" mindset and many of the sandbox elements are getting lost under the "boss grinding" model. There are many things that could be done to bring Starbound back to a more sandbox-like environment, and I think a good one might be to have some sort of economic system. There are HUGE numbers of items in this game, from weapons and armor, to aesthetic decorations, containers, desks, computers, lights, and other items the player can only scavenge, not craft, buy, or sell. I would think in a "real" environment where you had lots and lots of intergalactic travelers, it would be common to have certain worlds specialize in the building of certain kinds of items. For example, lower tech worlds that house things like temples with golden statues may specialize in building exactly those kinds of items, where, realistically, the only place you're going to find a golden avian statue on an industrialized world is if you happen to run into a trader, black market or otherwise, who happens to have recently visited a planet and scored one in hopes of selling it later. In any case, my point is that stuff would be bought and sold at various market prices depending on what is available on a certain world. You wouldn't find avian villages who happen to only sell clothes, and just happen to have exactly the same prices, as is presently found in the game. You'd find a lot more variety, and you'd likely find traders that had oddities for sale at that moment that might not be there the next time you visit. You might also find worlds that are in dire need of a certain item and are willing to pay a premium to get it. There is currently only a buy option in Starbound, but there really should be a buy-sell option, and a good one would be robust enough to make it feel as if a real economy is happening. Where do all those desks and computer systems come from that you find in underground lairs, anyway? Someone had to build them, and someone had to sell them. I'd like to see Starbound enlivened with a robust economic system that allows players to buy and sell goods, and perhaps even craft said goods. Personally, I'd like to see the ability to own a factory that can produce certain items as long as its fed the requisite raw materials. I'd like the ability to post a merchant at my factory who sells to nearby villagers or "visitors" from other planets. It's a huge idea, but I think it would add an incalculable replayability factor that simply cannot be matched by a "beat the next hardest boss" model.
I like that idea. Specifically the idea of being able to buy and sell things depending on what the item is and where you're buying it from/selling it to. The best part is, if a huge market was done, you have the possibility to go down a criminal route, adding some subtle moral choices as you play.
If not a system for selling items back, at least a means for recycling items or reclaiming some basic materials from them. My inventory is getting clogged with weapons/items of questionable quality
I agree with op that the game is too bosskill-centric, and could use some more sandboxy elements. An economic system is a great way to achieve this!
