I suggest there be a block or other object that allows a series of blocks to rotate around a point to certain angles. Because why not. Seriously, though, I've wished this was in minecraft or terraria so many times. Imagine being able to make a drawbridge as big as you want, or a sliding door, or a trapdoor, or a window, or a crane, or whatever! A few more ideas to go with this: Latches: a block that will lock a jointed block series in place at a point. Good for doors and windows. Sliding joints: Like pistons, they would push and pull a block or series of blocks. These would just be really cool for short elevators, cool rising effects on platforms, used in tandem with doors or floors, etc., etc. Rope: Fairly obvious. Used for pulleys, drawbridges, winches, wrecking balls, elevators... The list goes on and on. Rollers and Wheels: Rollers and tracks could make things move along a single axis, around corners and the like with precision. Wheels to make your own vehicles. Like cranes. Gears: Because I may as well.
Well, pistons exist in minecraft.... But the others would be good additions. I don't think Starbound is expected to have quite the same mechanic as Terraria or Minecraft, which makes me think that these mechanics might be easier to apply, thus more likely to appear. I don't know what use gears would have, but I'd love to have a base that operates primarily by them. HAVE ALL THE STEAMPUNK!
It would really depend on how "fun" that was. It would be kind of annoying to make a complicated structure with rope and have to replace it every now and then, but on the other hand, it could be a fun game mechanic in some places, like getting trapped in an elevator... I know! And if you don't know what use gears would have, go ahead and research some of their IRL, still-used-today uses. It's pretty awesome. I just couldn't think of anything off the top of my head.
it's a cool idea but it seems really complicated from a number of perspectives, i think you'd need to simplify quite a bit.
It does depend largely on the construction/block placement system, which (correct me if I'm wrong) I don't think has been cemented yet. That said, there's a reason the blocks branch of suggestions is so empty- we don't know what we have to work with.
