The Entropia Universe is vast—so vast that doing everything manually feels increasingly limiting. What if, at some point in our journey, our avatars evolved beyond being just hunters, miners, and crafters—into a highly intelligent species capable of deploying automated agents to operate on our behalf? This idea isn’t about turning Entropia into an idle game, but rather about introducing a new endgame tier that rewards both active players and those who want to scale up using automation—at a cost.
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[HEADING=2]? The Vision: Industrial Revolution in Space[/HEADING]
The concept is simple: allow the introduction of automated agents—companion tools that assist with hunting, mining, or crafting. These agents wouldn’t replace avatars but would serve as a way to increase your cycle volume—just like using pills, enhancers, or high-tier gear today.
However, these agents would be super endgame content, requiring extremely rare components to craft, and be balanced by cost and limitations. In other words, you pay for the privilege to automate more volume—not for free PEDs.
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[HEADING=2]
Inspiration from the Current Meta[/HEADING]
While third-party automation is strictly against the rules, it’s likely that some players use macros or automation tools to reduce repetitive tasks. This suggests there’s an existing appetite for some form of assistance or efficiency boost.
Rather than ignoring this trend, why not channel it into a controlled, legal system where automation becomes a high-cost, high-investment gameplay option?
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[HEADING=2]? Proposed Companion Tools[/HEADING]
1. Auto-Attack + Auto-Loot Turret
Deployable in any area to hunt and loot independently, even while your avatar is in a completely different location. Early versions would be limited to basic, low-DPS weapons shooting explosive projectiles crafted from nanocubes. This makes turrets natural sinks for unused loot, as players could recycle low-value items into nanocubes and supply turret users with crafting materials for their ammunition.
Over time, turrets could be upgraded with:
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[li]Higher SI (Structural Integrity)—a mechanic already used in space vehicles—to withstand sustained mob damage.[/li][li]Armor plating to absorb hits before reducing SI, allowing longer deployments.[/li][li]Enhancer slots for boosting damage, range, durability, or accuracy—creating new demand for crafting and maintaining a vibrant enhancer economy.[/li][li]Modular gear upgrades enabling compatibility with higher-tier weapons and longer runtimes.[/li][/ul]
2. Auto-Heal / Auto-Repair Station
Stationary unit that heals avatars or repairs gear during long hunts. Could also assist other companion units, increasing their survival and efficiency during long operations.
3. Mobile AI Companion
Mounted on a chassis, these could follow avatars during team hunts or mining expeditions. Think of them as robotic teammates—adding firepower, support, or other utility.
4. Adjusted Control Unit (L)
A high-tier crafted module that allows you to control two companion agents simultaneously. Could be gated by profession level, mission chains, or rare components, reinforcing its endgame status.
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[HEADING=2]? Economic Balance & Gameplay Philosophy[/HEADING]
Importantly, avatars will still be the most efficient option in terms of cost-per-PEC. Manual hunting/mining remains the backbone of gameplay. Companion agents, while powerful, would operate at a higher cost due to:
[ul]
[li]The markup on rare components[/li][li]Gear wear and fuel usage[/li][li]Deployment limits or cooldowns[/li][/ul]
This mirrors the current system: if you want to scale your activity, you can use pills, enhancers, or better gear—but it comes at a cost.
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[HEADING=2]? Balancing Content: No-Automation Zones[/HEADING]
To avoid full automation creep, certain areas of the universe could be designated as “no-automation zones.” These areas would drop the rare resources needed to craft automation tools. This creates a healthy ecosystem where:
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[li]Manual players are incentivized to farm rare materials[/li][li]Automation users are required to “pay tribute” by buying those materials[/li][li]Both playstyles are supported, and interconnected[/li][/ul]
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[HEADING=2]? Why This Makes Sense[/HEADING]
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[li]Adds depth to the endgame[/li][li]Rewards long-term investment and profession progress[/li][li]Legitimizes current behavior (likely macros) in a fair, controlled way[/li][li]Creates a new economic layer with rare materials and crafted automation gear[/li][li]Encourages team play and scaling without reducing the value of manual effort[/li][li]Introduces a summoner-style gameplay, popular in many RPGs—allowing players to build around low-DPS, affordable MU companions as their main interaction style[/li][li]Transforms endgame into a strategic experience, where players manage a fleet of automated agents across different areas—shifting focus from repetitive micromanagement to macro-level decision making—while paying tribute to less automation-focused players who gather and supply the rare components needed to craft and maintain these agents, enabling the most sophisticated strategists to sustain powerful automation fleets[/li][li]Enables scalable loot sinks for high-tier investors — should an external whale get excited about Entropia Universe, they could cycle massive amounts of nanocubes not just for gambling, but to climb the leaderboard by building a top-tier automation fleet. This creates demand for materials and activity for tens or even hundreds of other players. Imagine PVP planetside or space-based battles between automated fleets fighting for control over entire planets—not just land areas.[/li][/ul]
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Would love to hear feedback from both players and MindArk. Is it time for the Entropia Universe to take its next evolutionary step?