[Suggestion] Option to apply an exponentially increasing penalty when retrieving items

[DefinitelyNotFred]

If the appropriate variable in the configuration options is changed, there would be an exponentially increasing cost to retrieving items from the transmutation tablet after a certain threshold has been met. Just to make the idea a bit more tangible, I've put together one possible way to do this:

If [Base EMC]>32 and [Input Variable]>0, then: [Total Retrieval Cost] = [Base EMC] + [Input Variable] * [Base EMC]² / 256

When input variable equals 1:

Item	Base EMC	Cost Multiplier	Additional Cost	Total Retrieval Cost
Wood	32	0	0	32
Coal	128	0.5	64	192
Diamond	8192	32	262,144	270,336
Diamond Boots	32,768	128	4,194,304	4,227,072

If going ahead with this suggestion, it would probably be prudent to add a tooltip or infobox to the tablet's GUI when hovering over an item that shows the total EMC cost (maybe with scientific notation for when numbers get out of hand) in addition to showing it's normal EMC value.

I like to think doing this would make people more carefully weigh the decision between getting something immediately or using other game mechanics to get that item and would be a rather useful tool for modpack makers and players to increase the difficulty curve to their liking.

[sinkillerj]

This is probably not something I will ever tackle with ProjectE itself, but it is certainly an intriguing concept, perhaps something for an addon or pack author to take on.

[kspalaiologos]

The name itself, Equivalent Exchange, suggests that exchanges need to be equivalent.

[DefinitelyNotFred]

A number of things: first, it's not called Equivalent Exchange anymore but ProjectE. Second, it technically would still be equivalent, it's just that the transmutation table would be operating at a loss. Recipes and the philosopher's stone in-world transmuting would not be unequivalent. Third, there already is an option in the configs that makes it possible to lose emc when putting it into the table.

[sinkillerj]

@KrzysztofSzewczyk Keep it constructive.

[kspalaiologos]

Operating in loss wasn't included in any EE versions, and wasn't goal of it. Maybe it's ProjectE now, yet the readme states that the project is rewrite of EE, not a spinoff or anything, so we'd as a community like to keep it's state as close to EE as possible.

[DefinitelyNotFred]

@KrzysztofSzewczyk I don't see why you think this would be a problem. I'm merely suggesting an additional option in the configuration file, not a fundamental change that will affect everyone who uses ProjectE. Also, I suspect the community isn't nearly as cohesive on the matter as you seem to think it is.

[sinkillerj]

They have been blocked so that should be the last we see of them here. Cant say they weren't warned...

[Dimensional]

I'm all for this. It would make ProjectE a little less god tier and more of a task. You can use it in an emergency or if you saved up enough EMC, but it makes you have to work harder to save up. In a custom modpack I was attempting to make, and failed miserably on, I was able to reach a high amount of emc by farming high emc items and adding them to it. Made it easier for me to create even higher tiered items, like Draconic Evolution's armor and Avaritia's armor. While the recipes for such items can be made difficult, using ProjectE to convert other blocks and items into EMC to create the components made it feel too easy. The option to add a 'Tax' on top for emc conversion would come in handy for people who want ProjectE to be there, but not be too quick of a step to End Game.

[kitsu]

Good suggestion, I just came up with a similar idea this morning.

I was thinking for instance you could start with a return rate of 200% (or whatever, based on config), and for every X items (or every X EMC) you burn it would tick down by some percentage. So your first stack of cobble gets doubled, but you only get 50% by your first dark matter as EMC.

I really enjoy the current diminished return system, and I think some sort of scaling would be a great addition.

Can the current return factor be accessed by another mod? Will everything keep working if the value is changed on the fly? Can the value be set per-user? It sounds like this might be better as an addon to ProjectE, but I don't think the infrastructure is there?