Advanced materials, components, and fuel. Reason to explore various sectors

Advanced Materials, Chemistry, Industrial Progression, and Fuel Diversity

I think Space Engineers 2 has the potential to become one of the best industrial sci-fi sandbox games ever made, especially if exploration, logistics, chemistry, and advanced manufacturing become deeper parts of progression.

Right now, resources feel too simplified and too evenly distributed. Most sectors contain almost everything, while places like Verdure feel artificially limited. I believe sectors should instead specialize in different materials and industrial opportunities.

The important part is not:

"This sector completely lacks the resource."

But rather:

"This sector is one of the best places to obtain it."

This would naturally encourage exploration, logistics, colonies, mining outposts, cargo ships, and interplanetary industry.

For example:

• volcanic planets could contain sulfur, titanium, chromium, and geothermal activity,
• deserts could contain nitrates, lithium brines, and silicates,
• icy moons could contain hydrogen ice, ammonia, methane, and rare gases,
• metallic asteroids could contain gold, platinum-group metals, uranium, and nickel,
• terraformed planets could contain organic resources and atmospheric chemistry.

Resources should also depend on biome and depth:

• mountains,
• caves,
• deep underground,
• ocean floors,
• asteroid interiors,
• frozen regions,
• lava regions,
• atmospheric extraction.

Gold and lead should still exist on Verdure, but they should be extremely rare and found mainly in mountains or deep underground instead of being completely absent.

Advanced Materials

I think the game would benefit enormously from additional industrial materials.

Aluminum is one of the most common elements in Earth's crust, yet it does not exist in the game.

It could become:

• an early-game lightweight construction material,
• weaker than steel or titanium,
• but dramatically lighter.

Possible uses:

• atmospheric ships,
• drones,
• lightweight armor,
• aircraft frames,
• transport ships,
• heat exchangers.

This would create meaningful engineering tradeoffs between:

• strength,
• mass,
• fuel efficiency.

Lithium would be perfect for advanced battery technology.

Possible uses:

• lithium-ion batteries,
• high-density energy storage,
• drones,
• advanced suits,
• compact reactors,
• portable power systems.

Lithium deposits could appear:

• in dry lakebeds,
• salt flats,
• brine pools,
• underground mineral water deposits.

Graphite and Diamond. Since traditional coal probably would not fit the lore, carbon resources could instead exist as:

• graphite,
• diamond,
• carbon-rich rock formations.

Graphite could be refined into:

• graphene,
• carbon composites,
• advanced electronics,
• superconducting components,
• railgun systems,
• heat-resistant materials.

Diamond could be used for:

• laser systems,
• optics,
• precision tools,
• high-power electronics,
• advanced sensors.

Sulfur would open the door to industrial chemistry.

Possible uses:

• sulfuric acid,
• battery production,
• industrial processing,
• explosives,
• fuel processing,
• chemical manufacturing.

Sulfur-rich planets could have:

• volcanic regions,
• toxic atmospheres,
• geothermal activity.

Industrial Chemistry and Salts

One of the most exciting possibilities would be simple industrial chemistry.

Not overly complicated simulation, but enough to make industry feel advanced and believable.

Salt could naturally appear:

• underground,
• in dry lakebeds,
• near ancient oceans,
• in mineral caves.

Salt (sodium chloride) could be processed into:

• sodium,
• chlorine.

Possible uses:

• coolant systems,
• industrial chemicals,
• reactor chemistry,
• advanced manufacturing.

Chlorine could be used for:

• water purification,
• chemical processing,
• fuel production,
• plastics or advanced polymers,
• industrial cleaning chemical warfare

Sodium Hydroxide - Produced from salt processing.

Possible uses:

• industrial refining,
• advanced chemical production,
• waste recycling,
• hydroponics.

Hydrochloric Acid - Possible uses:

• ore purification,
• advanced refining,
• etching electronics,
• dissolving rare minerals.

Nitrates - Found in deserts or cave systems.

Possible uses:

• fertilizers,
• hydroponics,
• industrial explosives,
• fuel chemistry,
• atmospheric processing.

Phosphates - Found in hydrothermal sediment zones and rock formations .

Possible uses:

• battery chemistry,
• agriculture,
• advanced electronics,
• industrial compounds.

Sulfates and Carbonates - Could be used for:

• ceramics,
• heat-resistant materials,
• insulation,
• industrial compounds,
• concrete-like construction materials.

Advanced Battery Systems - Batteries in the current game feel somewhat abstract.

The game uses lead and silicon, but there is:

• no lithium,
• no graphite,
• no electrolyte chemistry,
• no explanation for their massive energy density.

I think adding multiple battery technologies would make engineering much more interesting.

Lead-Acid Batteries - Cheap and early-game.

Advantages:

• cheap,
• durable,
• easy to manufacture.

Disadvantages:

• extremely heavy,
• low energy density.

Lithium-Ion Batteries - Mid-game technology.

Advantages:

• lightweight,
• efficient,
• compact.

Disadvantages:

• more expensive,
• requires lithium and advanced manufacturing.

Solid-State Batteries - Late-game technology.

Advantages:

• massive energy density,
• high safety,
• compact size.

Disadvantages:

• extremely advanced manufacturing requirements.

Supercapacitors - Could function differently from batteries.

Advantages:

• massive power output,
• instant charge/discharge.

Disadvantages:

• very low storage capacity.

Perfect for:

• railguns,
• shield systems,
• emergency boosters,
• jump drive charging.

Fuel Diversity - Currently, hydrogen is the only meaningful fuel while ion engines effectively require none.

This feels unrealistic and removes potential engineering depth.

Noble Gases for Ion Thrusters

Ion engines should use propellants such as:

• xenon,
• krypton,
• argon,
• iodine.

These gases could be extracted from:

• planetary rings,
• planetary atmospheres,
• asteroid pockets,
• frozen moons.

Different gases could have different gameplay properties.

Xenon

• high thrust,
• expensive,
• efficient,
• blue plasma.

Krypton

• cheaper,
• slightly weaker,
• purple-blue plasma.

Argon

• common,
• inefficient,
• good early-game propellant,
• violet plasma.

Iodine

• compact storage,
• advanced late-game technology,
• difficult processing,
• blue-white plasma.

To avoid conveyor complexity, ships could use a dedicated internal propellant distributor block that automatically supplies nearby ion thrusters through the ship structure itself.

Methane Fuel Systems

Methane would be an incredible addition.

Compared to hydrogen:

• denser,
• easier to store,
• smaller fuel tanks,
• simpler infrastructure.

Methane could be produced:

• biologically from organic matter,
• through hydroponics,
• through waste recycling,
• chemically from water and CO2.

This would fit perfectly into the lore of long-term colonies and closed ecological systems.

Organic Matter and Hydroponics

Planets with Earth-like ecosystems could contain:

• biomass,
• algae,
• fungal matter,
• organic waste.

These could be processed into:

• methane,
• fertilizer,
• industrial carbon,
• plastics,
• synthetic materials.

Hydroponic systems could:

• recycle astronaut waste (in lore, we are not adding poop),
• produce oxygen,
• create fuel,
• support long-term colonies.

Volumetric Water and Liquid Methane Lakes

Once volumetric water is added, some cold moons or planets could contain lakes or oceans of liquid methane and ethane, similar to Titan in real life.

These worlds could become major fuel-production hubs.

Liquid methane lakes could:

• be harvested directly,
• require cryogenic infrastructure,
• create dangerous environments,
• support specialized industrial colonies.

This would massively expand the diversity of planets and make some worlds economically important despite being hostile.

Imagine:

• giant cryogenic refineries,
• methane tanker ships,
• frozen industrial colonies,
• atmospheric harvesters,
• orbital fuel export stations.

Final ThoughtsI think Space Engineers 2 should move toward deeper industrial specialization rather than simply adding more ores.

The most important thing is creating:

• engineering choices,
• logistical challenges,
• industrial depth,
• meaningful exploration,
• specialized colonies,
• different technological paths.

Not every player should build the exact same ship from the exact same materials.

Different sectors should create different engineering philosophies and industrial opportunities.

That would make the universe feel alive, believable, and truly worth exploring.