So I've only read about 9 pages worth of posts but I'm surprised two changes didn't get more attention.
1) Commerce: reduced base income bonus to 25% (was: 50%)
Please, PLEASE tell me that this includes a shift from it being an industry to a structure. This nerf in combination of the already severe -3 stability, all to gain access to some income and a place to sell seems way WAY too much! What was the reasoning behind this? This is already considered one of, if not the worst industries in the game due to the current stats.
In my mind, I would have it so that it was +25%, a structure and at MOST -1 stability. Something that takes up such a precious slot should not be so punishing to the player.
I would not mind less income provided there are other tweaks (like less stability penalty). If not, all this means is player needs to spend SP to improve it, then look for the Dealmaker item to crank it up high. If player does not care about cells and H, the alpha core for more income.
If I had to choose a nerf, then colony improvement the improves stability instead so that the penalty is -2 instead of -3, and holosuite giving less income and less pather interest (+2 instead of +4).
Or... have the stability penalty vary by the bonus income given by Commerce, maybe -1 stability per +25% income on Commerce (although that is a bit on the punitive side if min-maxed).
Commerce costs a lot to build, and has upkeep, so I would not want to build it unless it will be on the colony a long time, and the colony makes a lot of money (or I killed all of the core worlds and need all the income multipliers I can get). I tend to build commerce as my fourth industry, after I get everything I need and no longer need to pay hazard pay. Commerce is part of the late-bloom power of colonies, not something to be built early.
+25% income with no other changes? Yes, it seems severe, maybe too punishing for early use and only encourages player to hit peg-leg Wirt the historian for the Dealmaker items and grab every booster.
Minipulse? Rift Lance? Anti matter SRM? Cyroflamer? Disintegrator? Particle Driver? Cascade Beam? Rift Torpedo?
Are we just ignoring those Good Omega weapons?
Rift Lance is mediocre, inferior to Tachyon Lance except maybe at ranges where it is better to use plasma cannon. If Rift Lance cost 20-22 OP and/or was more efficient than Tachyon Lance, it would be good. As it is, it is more of a flux hog than lance and costs more OP, all for a weapon that might do a bit more damage up close. Alex mentioned he wanted a weapon that gets better at close range, but it is beyond me why he chose to put it on a tachyon lance clone - a sniper weapon!
After experimenting with it, I would never use it if I can use tachyon lance and/or plasma cannon instead because both weapons are better in any case. A shame because the weapon is flashy.
No mentions about the lack of Atropos buffs?
They were okay when they did 1200 damage, but (and this is a guess) because of Daggers and Tridents that use it and Atropos being too strong for them, the damage is lower and they feel too weak. It does not help that they are short-ranged and cannot be used point-blank, which gives them an annoyingly narrow effective range for lackluster performance. I rarely use Atropos.
commerce is far an away the best industry in the game, this nerf is deserved
being able to pull from 50% to 150% extra income out of nowhere is insane and actively removes choice (by being the best 4th industry pick a solid 90% of the time) from the already incredibly boring vanilla colony gameplay loop (seriously, you just sit on a box until you suddenly have more money than god)
I rather see the +100% bonus from other effects tweaked and not the base effect. +25% instead of +50% is a big deal. +125% instead of +150%? Not so much. Rather see the range tightened, not screw over those limited to the stock industry.
