If you buy it, it isn't really OP because you've made it far enough to get 5kP
However I do feel some of them can be easy such as the chemists because of the fact that you can find stimpacks in loot (and yellow ones in the erchius facility) and it only costs another 750P for the colony deed. So IMO,
Most/some crafted ones: OP
Bought ones: Balanced

Yeah, the crafting recipes are definitely too easy to make but I'm not sure how to balance them. I'm very open to suggestions!

Originally posted by gmq:

I'm not sure how to balance them. I'm very open to suggestions!

Perhaps adding bandages or healing water to the medic one? It would make sense, as they are a medic and balance out the cost a bit.

Originally posted by gmq:

Yeah, the crafting recipes are definitely too easy to make but I'm not sure how to balance them. I'm very open to suggestions!

Make them require more ingredients? Like nanowrap bandages (medic), halogen backpacks (light chemist), etc

I think asking for nanowrap and halogen backpacks makes them too advanced. Something I have been thinking is just adding diamonds to the recipes, something like the mercenary penguins and their doublons but only one or two diamonds per recipe.

I would say just toss the recipes to craft them -entirely- and make it purchased only to retain the balance with penguin mercenaries. Honestly, pixels are "NOT" hard to make in this game with terramart shipments or colony-farms - and god forbid you get a refinary, oxygen pack, and an astroid field for an hour with a diamond pickaxe and/or drill, your now the richest person in the cosmos.

If you plan on keeping the crafting recipes in, I can see 2 ways of making them mid-game - not to easy, nor too hard to make. First idea is mass-ingrediants. 10x red stimpacks, 10x workbenchs, so on. This way 1-2 lucky chests/crates and chump change pixels wont let you instantly get a crewmember - you have to save up the items or actively to craft a few yourself. Or, second, add them as part of exsisting workbench recipes - workbench can make engineers/mechanics/janitors, apothecary' make the chemists, forge makes soldiers, sewing machine makes tailor ones, so on.

Originally posted by gmq:

I think asking for nanowrap and halogen backpacks makes them too advanced. Something I have been thinking is just adding diamonds to the recipes, something like the mercenary penguins and their doublons but only one or two diamonds per recipe.

this. just adding diamonds will make it better.
for penguins, 5 diamonds and you can recruit one, however, they can only be soldiers, and of course, they are penguins. for being able to choose their job and even their species, it should cost something like 10 diamonds or at least 5, the same amount to get a penguin.

Yeah, diamonds will do for the balance

Please don't make it harder to use, crew members aren't worth enough in actual combat to justify it.

They don't follow close enough, are afraid of water, don't do much damage, etc.

The only exception I can imagine are the main quest NPCs, if they're super powerful then restrict any 'balancing' to them.

I agree with Seaberry -- the standard NPCs aren't powerful enough to warrant a higher buy-in -- recruiting them is more of a personal choice/gameplay customization thing, and you don't want to gate that.

Diamonds sounds excellent

Why the ♥♥♥♥ does everything have to be "path of most resistance" to people? The Terraria community hates fun too, and always wants this, that or the other ting nerfed. They can't just enjoy anything. NPCs are not useful enough to warrant needing hard-to-find diamonds for this.

I would lvoe to see a version with diamonds, a version where you can ONLY buy, and a version without. Perhaps different compatability patches that do each? It shouldn't be too hard, just upload each edited version as a different mod.

Originally posted by Raden:

Why the ♥♥♥♥ does everything have to be "path of most resistance" to people? The Terraria community hates fun too, and always wants this, that or the other ting nerfed. They can't just enjoy anything. NPCs are not useful enough to warrant needing hard-to-find diamonds for this.

For some people, a challenge is fun. The path of most resistance is the most entertaining.

Anyone remember when the monster healing station required a ship upgrade?
Maybe the hiring station could require the first upgrade.