So! I've picked up this game after a few years of having not played it to find that I'm very excited again for this game to make progress, seeing the recent updates. I had some ideas for the automation of certain crafting processes through a hopefully intuitive system that involves hiring NPC workers.
The crafting in this game is very organic and fun to use, but can become tedious when you require large quantities of a certain resource. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, as crafting these items in reality IS probably very tedious, but I had an idea: What if, in the future when there are NPC villages (I believe this is planned?), you can hire some of these villagers to come work and complete mundane tasks for you in exchange for food and accommodation (or currency). This can "semi" automate crafting like spinning thread, smelting ores, and the other crafting stations. The NPC could be given a work schedule, so you could have him work part of the day at the spinning wheel, and the other part at the tanning rack, and so forth. For the NPC to access items to craft provided by the player, a chest can be placed nearby and marked, so that the player can place materials in it that the worker can use. If the materials run out, the NPC can go onto his next work station, and if he is done completely, he will return to his living space until more materials are provided.
This could not only alleviate some of the more mundane tasks semi late-game, but provide incentive to build up your very own village so that you can have more workers, or perhaps even farmers or miners.
I understand this would require a lot of work in AI and the actual addition of NPCs and villages in the first place, but I had this concept in my mind. I am a game design student and love to share my ideas. I hope this is a valuable suggestion!
