Steel = Iron + ... Copper???

In vanilla Starbound, not any more. As I posted in my originally linked thread, what ores you can find are limited by what level planet you are on now. Before, yes. Now without mods, no.

 

i play this game with no mods. i had gold and diamonds on my starter world. the precious metals get more rare, but they still spawn.

 

Your world was probably generated before the Pleased Giraffe update, then. It's physically impossible for a starter world to generate more than Coal, Iron, Copper, Diamond, Fossil and Core Fragment ore without a mod.

Here's oredistribution.config from the games assets:

Code:

{

  "surfaceOres" : [
    [0.5, [ [ "coal", 1.40], [ "copper", 0.20], [ "silverore", 0.00], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 0.20], [ "iron", 0.20] ] ],
    [1.5, [ [ "coal", 1.40], [ "copper", 0.20], [ "silverore", 0.00], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 0.20], [ "iron", 0.20] ] ],
    [2.5, [ [ "coal", 1.40], [ "copper", 0.20], [ "silverore", 0.20], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 0.20], [ "iron", 0.20], [ "titanium", 0.20] ] ],
    [3.5, [ [ "coal", 1.40], [ "copper", 0.20], [ "silverore", 0.20], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 0.20], [ "iron", 0.20], [ "titanium", 0.20] ] ],
    [4.5, [ [ "coal", 1.40], [ "copper", 0.20], [ "silverore", 0.20], [ "gold", 0.20], [ "platinum", 0.20], [ "diamond", 0.20], [ "iron", 0.20], [ "titanium", 0.20], [ "aegisalt", 0.20], [ "rubium", 0.20], [ "violium", 0.20] ] ], 
    [5.5, [ [ "coal", 1.40], [ "copper", 0.20], [ "silverore", 0.20], [ "gold", 0.20], [ "platinum", 0.20], [ "diamond", 0.20], [ "iron", 0.20], [ "titanium", 0.20], [ "aegisalt", 0.20], [ "rubium", 0.20], [ "violium", 0.20] ] ]
  ],

  "depth1" : [
    [0.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.20], [ "silverore", 0.00], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 0.85], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.30] ] ],
    [1.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.30], [ "silverore", 0.00], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 0.90], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.30] ] ],
    [2.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.15], [ "silverore", 1.20], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 0.95], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.15], [ "titanium", 1.30] ] ],
    [3.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.15], [ "silverore", 1.30], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 1.00], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.15], [ "titanium", 1.30] ] ],
    [4.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.15], [ "silverore", 1.15], [ "gold", 1.20], [ "platinum", 1.20], [ "diamond", 1.05], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.15], [ "titanium", 1.15], [ "aegisalt", 1.30], [ "rubium", 1.30], [ "violium", 1.30] ] ],
    [5.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.15], [ "silverore", 1.15], [ "gold", 1.30], [ "platinum", 1.30], [ "diamond", 1.15], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.15], [ "titanium", 1.15], [ "aegisalt", 1.30], [ "rubium", 1.30], [ "violium", 1.30] ] ]
  ],

  "depth2" : [
    [0.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.25], [ "silverore", 0.00], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 0.90], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.35] ] ],
    [1.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.35], [ "silverore", 0.00], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 0.95], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.35] ] ],
    [2.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.20], [ "silverore", 1.25], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 1.00], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.20], [ "titanium", 1.35] ] ],
    [3.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.20], [ "silverore", 1.35], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 1.05], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.20], [ "titanium", 1.35] ] ],
    [4.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.20], [ "silverore", 1.20], [ "gold", 1.25], [ "platinum", 1.25], [ "diamond", 1.10], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.20], [ "titanium", 1.20], [ "aegisalt", 1.35], [ "rubium", 1.35], [ "violium", 1.35] ] ],
    [5.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.20], [ "silverore", 1.20], [ "gold", 1.35], [ "platinum", 1.35], [ "diamond", 1.20], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.20], [ "titanium", 1.20], [ "aegisalt", 1.35], [ "rubium", 1.35], [ "violium", 1.35] ] ]
  ],

  "depth3" : [
    [0.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.30], [ "silverore", 0.00], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 0.95], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.40] ] ],
    [1.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.40], [ "silverore", 0.00], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 1.00], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.40] ] ],
    [2.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.25], [ "silverore", 1.30], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 1.05], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.25], [ "titanium", 1.40] ] ],
    [3.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.25], [ "silverore", 1.40], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 1.10], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.25], [ "titanium", 1.40] ] ],
    [4.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.25], [ "silverore", 1.25], [ "gold", 1.30], [ "platinum", 1.30], [ "diamond", 1.15], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.25], [ "titanium", 1.25], [ "aegisalt", 1.40], [ "rubium", 1.40], [ "violium", 1.40] ] ],
    [5.5, [ [ "coal", 1.15], [ "copper", 1.25], [ "silverore", 1.25], [ "gold", 1.40], [ "platinum", 1.40], [ "diamond", 1.25], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.25], [ "titanium", 1.25], [ "aegisalt", 1.40], [ "rubium", 1.40], [ "violium", 1.40] ] ]
  ],

  "core" : [
    [0.5, [ [ "coal", 1.00], [ "copper", 1.30], [ "silverore", 0.00], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 0.95], [ "corefragment", 1.50], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.40] ] ],
    [1.5, [ [ "coal", 1.00], [ "copper", 1.40], [ "silverore", 0.00], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 1.00], [ "corefragment", 1.15], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.40] ] ],
    [2.5, [ [ "coal", 1.00], [ "copper", 1.25], [ "silverore", 1.30], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 1.05], [ "corefragment", 1.15], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.25], [ "titanium", 1.40] ] ],
    [3.5, [ [ "coal", 1.00], [ "copper", 1.25], [ "silverore", 1.40], [ "gold", 0.00], [ "platinum", 0.00], [ "diamond", 1.10], [ "corefragment", 1.15], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.25], [ "titanium", 1.40] ] ],
    [4.5, [ [ "coal", 1.00], [ "copper", 1.25], [ "silverore", 1.25], [ "gold", 1.30], [ "platinum", 1.30], [ "diamond", 1.15], [ "corefragment", 1.15], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.25], [ "titanium", 1.25], [ "aegisalt", 1.40], [ "rubium", 1.40], [ "violium", 1.40] ] ],
    [5.5, [ [ "coal", 1.00], [ "copper", 1.25], [ "silverore", 1.25], [ "gold", 1.40], [ "platinum", 1.40], [ "diamond", 1.25], [ "corefragment", 1.15], ["fossil", 0.79], [ "iron", 1.25], [ "titanium", 1.25], [ "aegisalt", 1.40], [ "rubium", 1.40], [ "violium", 1.40] ] ]
  ],

  "moonores" : [
    [0.5, [ [ "plutonium", 0.0] ] ]
  ],

  "moondeepores" : [
    [0.5, [ [ "plutonium", 1.0] ] ]
  ],

  "none" : [
    [0.5, [ [ "copper", 0.0], [ "coal", 0.0] ] ]
  ]
}

Rows prefaced with 0.5 apply to tier 1 (starter) worlds. 1.5 to 5.5 apply to tier 2 through tier 6 worlds.

 

Maybe they should have called the material Iropper instead of steel. Doesn't fix the strength issues, but meh, I'm okay with Starbound having some unreal components. I mean, in Terraria, gold armor is stronger than Iron armor. Why? Who knows

 

There are a lot of 'reality' breaking instances in the game. It really is best to politely say, “I am not a fan of this change,” and let it go. (IE calm feedback.)

Reality breaking things;
*Beaming down to, and up from, planets.
*Playing as intelligent humanoid plants.
*Using a giant magnet (matter manipulator) to destroy and then build.
*A single person creating large structures/cities on their own.
*Dirt towers with metal floors not collapsing. (With no structural support.)
*Not catching mysterious and fatal diseases/viruses/parasites on strange planets.
*Being regenerated after death.
*Running a space craft with only one person.

Now many of these are acceptable because, well, it is space. Who knows what tech would come around. But that does not stop them from being (currently) very much breaks in reality. Now it would be highly ineffective to make steel by combining iron and copper. But if your character can basically use a magnet (matter manipulator) to build a city on their own, why is it so far fetched that somehow they figured out a way to manipulate iron and copper to form steel?

 

I actually find the Florans as an alien species to be one of the more believable aspects of the game.

 

That trope seems to be about using gold/silver/copper as currency, usually in coins. Nothing about using them as arbitrary progression items. FantasyMetals is probably as close as you'll get, and even fantasy games generally don't treat old fashioned Steel the same as the made-up stuff like Mithril or Adamantium. Even Runescape makes steel out of iron and coal. Now there's an achievement, being less realistic than Runescape...

Even if it is a 'trope' (which I can't seem to find), just because something is a trope, doesn't mean it makes sense to use. How fun would SB be if you were a One Hit-Point Wonder, for example? Tropes are useful tools, but you don't use a hammer to tighten a bolt.

Use of copper/silver/gold as arbitrary progression ingredients is...simply stupid. There's no good gameplay reason for it, since you could just use coal/uranium/solarium and get the same effect, and fit nicely into sci-fi handwavium and acceptable breaks from reality.

 

There are many different types of steel, I doubt there isn't one which contains Iron, Carbon and Copper.

 

Yes, but there are exactly zero which contain Iron, Copper and no Carbon.

 

I assume that SOMETHING is fuelling your Stone Furnace, and I also assume that that SOMETHING contains Carbon.

 

Yes, something is fueling the fire.

But I doubt it provides enough Carbon in a specific fashion to make the Iron into even low carbon steel, assuming it gets hot enough.

 

Its only 0.05% carbon in low-carbon steel. High-carbon is only 0.30%-1.70%. I can believe that the fuel can provide that small amount for low carbon steel, just as I can believe that the universe is full of titanium which can be purified in a furnace, or that copper can be turned from ores into bars with a pile of rocks made on a piece of wood without any tools (or if there are tools, tools which were also made out of wood)

 

Its squabbling over name semantics. Its a game in which none of that matters in any way.

 

if none of it matters, than doing away with iron-copper steel that's apparently bothering a lot of people seems like it'd be the best choice, wouldn't it?

 

Or, you know, just keep it because Copper/Silver/Gold/Platinum is totally worthless without this

 

Or, wait for it, add more uses to Copper/Silver/Gold/Platinum.

Like, say, an energy production system with electrical cables and wiring. I'm sure metadept would rather enjoy that.

Or a complex irrigation system with metal pipes to resist corrosion. Or or or... so much more interesting stuff than using x metal to make y alloy.

 

That would be preferable, although at this point a complete redo of the wiring system featuring a Terraria-like wiring layer with metal wires with different resistances seems unlikely, no matter how cool it could be.

 

New features does not equal a complete redo. The old wiring system can coexist with a new electrical system.

 

Why would you leave an inferior system in when you have just made a system which is better?

 

How is cross-screen wiring with a hotkey inferior to a hypothetical block-by-block electrical wiring system? And why would either necessitate the removal of the other?