i agree that the settlements, towns, villages, whatever are something which are cool and fun to see, but honestly, which experienced players really bother with them? for what to get some apples and wood armor? they’re great in the beginning, but after you’ve upgraded a bit they’re not worth a visit anymore. i think the markets being “OP” as mentioned here but which could make the towns actually useful and worth visiting, even for experienced players is great. i admit i don’t understand the markets, and it would be great if someone would write a little concise in game book to explain them – keihdra, maybe you’re up for that task/challenge?
another thing i was thinking days ago was, because of the generally lame loot in the villages (although i gotta admit, mapping kits and binoculars are sometimes there and great finds, or maybe that was shipwrecks? that makes sense), more experienced players generally don’t bother with them, i’m assuming, but if the chests contained valuables, you like, things people would actually store in chests, it would make visiting and searching through the towns more appealing. it could be rare like the rare things found while mining, but also not in quantities that you would come to rely on them in the game for something like, let’s say, oil, but it would definitely make it worth checking them out. same with the shipwrecks, really shipwrecks only have that kind of mostly lame loot?
more variety and more expensive items in the various generated structures to explore would make a better game. why go explore a dungeon or a temple etc for relatively cheap things which u can easily get elsewhere or craft, or which you really don’t need unless you’re a day one player, like stone swords and wood armors etc.