Loving Space Engineers 2 Alpha + Some Excited Suggestions for the Future!
Hey Keen Software House team, I just finished the tutorial/campaign in Space Engineers 2 and I’m absolutely blown away—especially for an alpha build! The foundation you’ve laid feels rock-solid, and I’m already itching to spend way too many hours in this universe. You’ve got something truly special here, and I can’t wait to see where you take it. I wanted to share a few feature ideas that I think could push SE2 into legendary territory. These are the kinds of systems that keep me up at night dreaming about epic space adventures:
- Multi-server / multi-system support
The ability to link multiple servers together—each hosting its own procedurally generated solar system, cluster, or region—would open the door to truly massive-scale gameplay. Imagine hundreds of players spread across multiple planets and systems, with the potential for EVE Online-scale fleet battles in a voxel sandbox. An SE MMO? Yes please—I’d be first in line. - Seamless(ish) travel between server instances
Simple teleportation gates or jump points that let players (or even entire fleets) hop between servers. Warping could double as a loading screen, and we wouldn’t need perfect persistence—space debris could safely despawn. It would feel magical without breaking the engine. - Tiered communication systems
Give us a reason to build huge, beautiful arrays! High-tier long-range comms: massive power draw, limited bandwidth (perfect for sending coordinates or trade offers). Mid-tier: decent range with moderate restrictions. Short-range: basically free and unrestricted.
This would naturally encourage orbital satellite networks, planetary relay stations, and even unlock features like automated GPS beacons or local minimaps. I’m already picturing gorgeous comms towers silhouetted against alien sunsets. - Research/tech tree progression
A proper research system to unlock advanced (and delightfully sci-fi) tech would add so much depth: antimatter or fusion drives, quantum jump drives, laser mining arrays, graviton manipulators, handheld railguns, tractor beams… even better shovels. Make it feel earned and exciting! - Deep manufacturing & economy systems
Something inspired by Factorio’s automation or EVE’s industry—configurable resource spawn rates, infinite or finite deposits, production chains—would let servers create real player-driven economies. Add trade routes, faction currencies, and NPC traders/settlements, and suddenly the universe feels alive and worth fighting over. - More diverse propulsion options
Different engine families with meaningful trade-offs beyond just “works in atmosphere / works in space.” Higher-tier drives could offer dramatically higher top speeds or better maneuverability, but at the cost of size, power, fuel efficiency, or heat. It would make ship design decisions matter even more and reward specialization.
I know big systems like these are ambitious, but the engine you’ve built already feels capable of handling them—and the payoff would be enormous. I’m genuinely excited to play whatever you decide to build next, even if none of these ideas make the cut. Thank you for making such an inspiring sandbox. Keep up the incredible work!
Can’t wait to get back in-game and hope to see some these on your future roadmap!
I like this feedback
Big +1 for the communications tiered systems.
Tiered comm arrays can be beneficial for both single player, co-op and multiplayer in the future.
I had some cool ideas for it too:
- Ingame radio system that would have local radio stations and intercept ancient earth streams (lets have xocliw sing 40s hits and read HG Wells war of the worlds to us LOL). this would make long space trips way more interesting.
- Coverage around planets and stuff to make the network stable.
- Enemy interference to your radio system could be rather fantastic - like exploring a derelict hull and losing signal or enemies approaching you are jamming comms
- Create them in order to access the networks 'chat' and be able to call/text others/factions and include an ingame remote camera system
- Upgraded comms networks could permit using a cryo-chamber to remotely control a robot on the other end without physically going there? (would need severe limitations like being within X range or time limit or something)
- Upgraded comms to reach moons, distant space bases, potentially other planets
I love your other ideas, the multi-server instancing like Stone Industries does in SE1 i think would be better included in the game instead of being modded in but the limitation here is that those players can fill up an instance rather fast and be locked out. SE1 has rather intense physic sim limitations and server owners have to go to great lengths to educate players enforcing playstyles that reduce lag and server performance hits - this is something i really hope keen gives us tools to help control. its for this reason you can never have hundreds of players having huge voxel space battles, no server could handle the physics sim load. forget that idea entirely, rather pray that we can do battles 10v10 without server being crippled.
Really hope they do tech tree progression in a way that is natural and makes sense instead of "mine more iron for 20m before you are allowed to use such and such." Progression should match what most people were going to do anyway once they've learned the game.
Really hope keen looks at minecraft mods like mekanism for inspiration on manufacturing and ore processing systems. It could do wonders for giving players an incentive to make the processing systems by seriously rewarding early progress. I had an idea that you could make small shuttles automatically-trade with distant stations or ships but only once the communications arrays are upgraded to help auto-guide without learning how to be a programmer.
The engine stuff sounds really cool, but i'd almost recommend the opposite - i feel like you should be put through a progression system that kind of forces you to use a crappy system on planet start, getting to space lets you upgrade to a much better once, getting to the moon would let you get something way waaaay better and short range warps, and getting to an alien planet would open up more extreme possibilities, etc..
Big +1 for the communications tiered systems.
Tiered comm arrays can be beneficial for both single player, co-op and multiplayer in the future.
I had some cool ideas for it too:
- Ingame radio system that would have local radio stations and intercept ancient earth streams (lets have xocliw sing 40s hits and read HG Wells war of the worlds to us LOL). this would make long space trips way more interesting.
- Coverage around planets and stuff to make the network stable.
- Enemy interference to your radio system could be rather fantastic - like exploring a derelict hull and losing signal or enemies approaching you are jamming comms
- Create them in order to access the networks 'chat' and be able to call/text others/factions and include an ingame remote camera system
- Upgraded comms networks could permit using a cryo-chamber to remotely control a robot on the other end without physically going there? (would need severe limitations like being within X range or time limit or something)
- Upgraded comms to reach moons, distant space bases, potentially other planets
I love your other ideas, the multi-server instancing like Stone Industries does in SE1 i think would be better included in the game instead of being modded in but the limitation here is that those players can fill up an instance rather fast and be locked out. SE1 has rather intense physic sim limitations and server owners have to go to great lengths to educate players enforcing playstyles that reduce lag and server performance hits - this is something i really hope keen gives us tools to help control. its for this reason you can never have hundreds of players having huge voxel space battles, no server could handle the physics sim load. forget that idea entirely, rather pray that we can do battles 10v10 without server being crippled.
Really hope they do tech tree progression in a way that is natural and makes sense instead of "mine more iron for 20m before you are allowed to use such and such." Progression should match what most people were going to do anyway once they've learned the game.
Really hope keen looks at minecraft mods like mekanism for inspiration on manufacturing and ore processing systems. It could do wonders for giving players an incentive to make the processing systems by seriously rewarding early progress. I had an idea that you could make small shuttles automatically-trade with distant stations or ships but only once the communications arrays are upgraded to help auto-guide without learning how to be a programmer.
The engine stuff sounds really cool, but i'd almost recommend the opposite - i feel like you should be put through a progression system that kind of forces you to use a crappy system on planet start, getting to space lets you upgrade to a much better once, getting to the moon would let you get something way waaaay better and short range warps, and getting to an alien planet would open up more extreme possibilities, etc..
Replies have been locked on this page!