Starshards abused and ruins gameplayloop

[maze]

There are many obscure ways to bypass the effects of starshards and rapidly boost industry, which makes starshards problematic. Starshards have become one of the main ways to skip spiraling.

I'll explain the simplest reasoning with stoneaxe's
When a stared Stone Axe mines out quarrys arts, the quarrys arts will not gain the stared effect unlike all rocks and ore mined with a stoneaxe normally, also stoneaxes -20% effect don't apply to quarry arts.
The start of the process is using any size of starshard on a stoneaxe (boosting its quaility by 1 to 4 for small starshards). Use the now stared stoneaxe to mine quarry arts (quarry arts does not get starred) and you split one block to get sticks (gets the stared effect).
craft new stoneaxe with the new quarry arts + stared stick and the result is a un-stared stone-axe better axe. Now repeat the process to easily spiral stone-axe.
The splitting of the block is what boost the Q beyond the quarry arts nodes.

Beyond the simple:
If you use 50% non-stars resources+ 50% stared resources, the outcome is always a nonstared object or tools.
This effectually ruined any typically grinding method and favors abusing starshards to push industry.


Starshards should be removed or changed how they work. instead of boosting quality have them boost the stats of the items instead.

Video of stoneaxe for people who needs to understand visually: https://i.gyazo.com/12cc664f44c5e0dbdd9671a07c510da3.mp4

[Robben_DuMarsch]

Why would you want to nerf one of the most accessible thing for mid-tier players to provide to top level industry players for coin?
What tale has been spun to you to think that this is being abused?

[maze]

Why would you want to nerf one of the most accessible thing for mid-tier players to provide to top level industry players for coin?
What tale has been spun to you to think that this is being abused?

little do you know how much it's being abused then and boosting industry, or you're playing naïve.

One it removes the old systems of grinding and heavily relies on finding Stargems to push industry above the current levels. Anyone who's not doing this grind method is therefore left behind instantly.
we're already seeing items hit q450, and this is sololy based on starshard spiraling.

Two the system is so absurd that many players do not understand them, buying a star item in the market is just some neat stat for them, I would not count them as anyone worth dealing with for midgame plays anyhow.
As coin goes, noobies have always had a problem interacting with markets. Starshards are valued weirdly and very commonly taken advantage of because not many people are aware of their grind loops yet.

Edit: Also, it’s weird that you would say “story spun to me.” Is Robben insinuating that I’m typically incapable of grinding and figuring things out myself? That’s pretty strange, especially when someone previously asked our group for items to help them get their own industry up to par.

[azrid]

damn star shards sound op
they really should make them limited to only spawn in certain areas of the map

[Dawidio123]

Despite it beings maze idea, i kinda have to agree, starshards are obscure as shit mechanics wise and basically incentivize one to funnel tokens into their industry to make more tokens back once you're ahead (tokens being basically the main currency in trading which is another issue but i digress).
Unless you go all in on them you're better off selling the starshard and buying the upgrade which basically excludes 99% of the playerbase who doesn't have 500 tokens stored up to trade for stuff from any trade competitive industry, you will always be like 10-20 quality behind no matter how much you sweat without them. Stone axe is just the worst offender bcs all it takes are around 3 jotun brilliant starshards to boost your axe by like 15ql in the end result without a star. I wouldn't say it removes other methods of spiralling but it certainly is the logical next step once your qualities slow down, and the ones who have topql make 90% of the profits, and the cycle repeats.
Does it hurt the noobies to change them? Who cares. Noobies are already being taken advantage of in any trade that's basically ever done, that's not changing, go collect a cupboard of hedgehog meat for equivalent of a shitty stone axe in tokens.

I just don't think industry should be so dependant on tokens being poured into it, obviously you can buy str food, you can buy hql bones, you can buy a ton of stuff that will help you with it, but you can do those things on your own, you can't realistically collect enough good starshards on your own (as a group i mean).

[Robben_DuMarsch]

Edit: Also, it’s weird that you would say “story spun to me.” Is Robben insinuating that I’m typically incapable of grinding and figuring things out myself? That’s pretty strange, especially when someone previously asked our group for items to help them get their own industry up to par.

I was insinuating you're literally the life-time mid tier player that is best positioned to benefit from this, because it allows you to offer something worth trading. Exactly yes.

[Audiosmurf]

Star shards are gameplayslop I agree

[FaithfulToadd]

You can make any object or item nonstared while using star items using 50% of non-stars + 50% stared.

If Maze's word is true (and I have no reason to doubt it), then I concur:

damn star shards sound op

When I first came across one it was fairly small, at +3 or +5 quality or something. When I realized it could only be used once ever, and that it had trickle-down effects, I resolved never to use one again until I came across the largest possible star shard. In other words, I forgot all about it tbh.

Perhaps there is some solution other than removing or nerfing them to oblivion? Rare and precious gemstones having real utility seems good and flavorful.

[azrid]

just increase the rarity even more if you want to keep them and make people stop using them

[loleznub]

remove grind, remove quality, problem solved (and would unironically be easy for the developers to impliment)