Alright, almost everyone here can agree that relics are stupid. But I think that’s due to a few factors that honestly, don’t make any sense.
The big one is uranium used in crafting. This material (and the cost to obtain it) is the only thing keeping a lot of people from having them, and (from what I’ve seen) that is the reason a lot of longer time players quit. It’s a progression wall you hit, and the only way around it is to throw money at the devs.
The thing is… why?
It doesn’t make any sense to use a highly radioactive material in a device that you’re going to spend a lot of time around. The only relic I can realistically see uranium being used in is the Odin (A nuclear reactor).
And the Odin is… a bad decision. I’m not talking about it as an investment for the player. I would love to have a 5, even 6 energy generator. I’m talking about the stuff needed to make it: the Stillwind and the Thor, two uncraftable items.
This sets a dangerous precedent. In theory, one could craft everything in the factional workbenches without ever going to the market, with the exception of selling things to have the gold to craft them (also very stupid). This forces you to go to the market to buy two very expensive items to craft something that isn’t really worth it, compared to the things you buy.
And if they did this to the Odin, what’s stopping them from doing it with other items in the future? (Not that this game has much of one though…)
My opinion is replacing the uranium costs for all relics (excluding the Odin) with 2,000 scrap metal. This would make relics more accessible to the main playerbase, and tank the price of uranium, making the Odin more accessible as well. This could bring back players who wanted to get relics but hit the progression wall, boosting the game’s playerbase and making it better for the few still playing. The greater player count would attract new players who didn’t want to play a dead game, giving the devs (I know it’s bad to say this) more people to get money from, benefiting them in the long run. Or, unlock uranium from CW and make it a standard reward for a separate mode (a raid, perhaps?) that would have a similar effect.
I cannot confirm this will happen, but I don’t think it would hurt to try. I don’t think you can kill your playerbase any more than you have…