More Useful Materials
This mod adds 9 new materials and 6 related derivative products.
As a materials mod, the biggest question is obviously "Why should I use these materials?", because normally, no research or construction absolutely requires them; they are always an option rather than a necessity. Suppose you play DMS, then Tungsteel is always a must-have because you need it to craft mechanoids and specialized equipment, while the material itself can also act as a standard resource.
Thus, this mod adds a series of items and meticulously designed production lines to ensure that every newly added material has its unique purpose.
Below is the production line chart for the entire mod. Note that it unlocks the production of Plasteel, Hyperweave, and Glitterworld Medicine (not shown in the image), integrating them into vanilla production lines and giving your colony the ability to manufacture these items.
The core of the mod, where each material occupies its own niche.
Pure trade goods crafted from certain materials.
They can be used to train your colonists’ skill levels, and the quality system ensures very substantial returns at high skill levels.
A single-use consumable made from advanced materials.
Craft them yourself or buy them from caravans, allowing you to selectively upgrade uncraftable items or repair your gear.
Can also be used on buildings.
A single-use consumable that can be made from custom materials.
Can only be applied to fixed-material equipment like Flak Vests and Marine Armor.
If made with metals: Grants 12% of the metal’s defensive stats, reduces movement speed by (Material Weight / 8), and slightly increases total weight.
If made with fabrics: Grants 6% of the fabric’s defensive stats with no negative effects.
A standalone 1×3 building where you can craft all the materials added by this mod.
Boasts a 180% work speed.
Materials provided by this mod have some special abilities, as follows:
Composite stonework:
Buildings made from it receive x0.8 to all incoming damage.
Heavy DU-composite steel:
Buildings made from it receive x0.6 to non-explosive damage, and x0.2 to explosive damage.
Comfort weave:
Clothing made from it provides a minor comfort bonus—like sitting on a slightly lower-tier chair.
In-game, this translates to colonists working outside losing their comfort need nearly half as slowly.
Effects do not stack.
Whisper weave:
Inherits the "Comfort weave" effect; clothing made from it provides psychic sensitivity bonuses, which can stack;
Armor patch kits made from it also provide psychic bonuses, though weaker.
Zero-boundary hexa-crystal:
Buildings made from it receive x0.3 to all incoming damage; armor made from it multiplies the wearer’s incoming damage by 80% (does not stack), and Armor patch kits made from it also carry this effect.
Buildings or equipment made from it will slowly self-repair over time.
Q: CE compatible?
A: Yes.
Q: Can it be added to an existing save mid-game?
A: Yes.
Q: Will some of these materials spawn on enemies and get me completely wiped out?
A: The ultimate material, "Zero-boundary hexa-crystal", will under normal circumstances never spawn naturally on enemy equipment. Other materials are allowed to spawn, but aside from it, none of the other materials have stats that reach the "absurdly overpowered" level.
Q: Based on calculations, the profit margins for the four trade goods seem a bit high, does this break the game balance?
A: The profit margins for all four trade goods are close to 100%, but the exact data have subtle differences, and their time costs vary.
For example, the Carbon fiber equipment kit has the highest profit and the lightest unit weight, but it takes the most time to craft, and its raw material cost is quite a hassle to produce yourself.
On the contrary, Fine ceramic utility sets use simple raw materials and yield high profits, but they are extremely heavy and unsuitable for caravan trade. In short—they are indeed profitable, but absolutely within a reasonable and balanced range.
2026/5/29 Added a new building: Auto-Synthesizer. It allows for the batch production of specific materials. Once raw materials are loaded, it operates automatically and ejects the finished products upon completion.
2026/5/29 Precision Toolkits can now be used to restore 5% of a target item’s durability if the toolkit’s quality is lower than the target’s.
2026/5/29 Added several new floor types using various materials from the mod.
Decoy Dummies
RimIOT
Modifiable Shuttle – Trailblazer
More Useful Grenade
Storytellers Expanded – Sparkle
Extra Armor For Cinder
More Useful Injection and Drug
VFE – Empire: Frugal Nobles
You Are So Beautiful
There’s Nothing Here
Vanilla Genetics Expanded-Quality Is More Effective
More Reasonable Mortars