Start the player with a 'Broken Matter Manipulator', with the same break speed that it has now but a very short range like that of the pick. Tooltip or quest text could say 'maybe if you hit it with a rock you could get the casing open?' From that point, you could use cobblestone blocks to repair it like a pick does now. Once you've got it to 'full durability' it can be used as a crafting agent with copper ore to get the 'Matter Manipulator - Barely Functional'. The 'Matter Manipulator - Barely Functional' would have similar mining speed to the copper pick on all materials, and a slightly increased range. As you increase the level of your MM, it could be used in better crafting recipes (as a reusable tool, not a reagent) without requiring more and more crafting furniture. From that point, you can add five copper nuggets until the durability is full, then craft with iron ingots for a 'Matter Manipulator - Almost Working' equivalent to iron pick. Five iron nuggets then silver ingots for the 'Matter Manipulator - Mostly Working', five silver nuggets then Gold for 'Matter Manipulator - Fully Functional'. Further upgrades could easily be based on platinum, titanium, laser diodes, tesla coils, and other technobabble. The progression would feel so much more organic than using a pickaxe AND a MM, not to mention it could be done without adding new crafting materials.
Already a very established thread on this here: http://community.playstarbound.com/...e-picks-upgrade-the-matter-manipulator.38443/
I agree. The matter manipulator is useful for all of two minutes, and then is never used again. I'd like to see a upgrade system for it. Like increased range, faster tree cutting, more mining radius ect.
I voted 'yes with changes.' I like needing crafting furniture. I don't want the MM to be the only tool/crafting-station you ever need for everything.
Someone posted an awesome thread about upgrading the matter manipulator, including possible GUI designs and all sorts of stuff. Unfortunately, I've not been able to find it again. Well, here's one: http://community.playstarbound.com/...anipulator-upgrading-and-configuration.51306/
This has been suggested repeatedly, but it's a good suggestion, regardless. The pickaxe just feels weird and out-of-place, all else aside.
I've been putting together some thoughts about the place of the hand tools in the game. I'll stick 'em up in a bit.
I think we should look at this like so: Matter Manipulator needs to be an upgradable option at some point. It's an all-in-one tool. Yes, but it should be a late game replacement, than an early game replacement. Let it grow later in progression rather early on. We're stranded, without much information, knowledge and skillset. Creating simple devices, and pickaxes are relatively down there. At some point we gain drills. We happen to have a matter manipulator, but would be nice to upgrade, or polish.
I don't believe it's really that credible that anyone with access to a starship would ever use a pickaxe for more than a few minutes. The game's pickaxes are weird and out of place, and feel weird and out of place the first time you build one. If they're going to be used, they should at least be strictly unnecessary (or flavor choices, anyway) by the time you leave the first sector -- they are really bizarre and immersion-breaking.
I don't quite agree, and I've said why here: http://community.playstarbound.com/...rogression-and-the-sci-fi-bildungroman.54200/
They're not at all weird or bizare, if you consider the fact- or possibility you just took a ship and ran. Or you're an outcast. The lore of the game states you just left with the things on your back. But you ran out of fuel, landing in some unknown region of space. At this point It's pretty fair to assume that not everyone has access - or knowledge of how to build a drill. So that's a sort of R&D thing. We come across through progression. So unless different races had different progression speeds like for example. The Apex having higher end technology earlier on.
