Production Gameplay Pipeline - SE2 Concept (Mock-Up)

This is a mock-up of how I would design the Production system in SE2. I wanted to leverage what worked in SE1 (Ingots and Refinement) but add levels of complexity / efficiency with the introduction of the "Tiered" system. In my opinion, SE2 MUST have ingots and refinement or simply the game's production chain will be confusing & not accessible to new players. As a veteran player myself, I very much struggle with the current iteration - which is why I created this.

This pipeline focuses on tying the game's main loops (salvage, mining, exploration, and combat) to how the creative side of the game is played. A refinery refines raw ore, A smelter smelts components into ingots. All lines flow back into each other to create a smooth process of gameplay and construction.

The current smelter (renamed "Processing Plant") acts as it always has - but this new name more clearly signifies it's role as a constructor and refiner combo. In my opinion, a simple renaming of this block is very important for new player's accessibility and clarity.

I have a support forum post on this titled "Semantics for Accessibility", located here:
https://support.keenswh.com/spaceengineers2/pc/topic/52832-se2-semantics-for-accessibility-smelter