Suggestion: Supplies

[ice]

Well, there's nothing going against cosmetic items in systemless rooms, like beds or kitchen or supply room, which doesn't really do anything but stay there.

[Innominate]

Disclaimer: I haven't yet played the game, just watched videos.

That said, the game is already stacked against the player quite a bit. The player has to manage their resources (hull, fuel, missiles, drones) in order to survive. The ships the player fights do not; they are free to expend every last missile or drone they have (if, indeed, they even have a finite amount) since this is the only fight they will ever be in. This means that the player's arsenal is limited to a greater extent than their enemies, and prolonged fights where the player cannot neutralise the enemy's damage capabilities work greatly to the player's disadvantage.

This is fine. It's meant to be tough. But why add yet another thing the player must manage that the AI doesn't give a toss about? Supplies would only be viable if AI got no benefit from being supplied (and that adds an undesirable schism between player and enemy mechanics). I think a better system would be "stimulants" which enhance crew capabilities, are rare, and are only available with a corresponding subsystem, augment, or upgrade (both for players and enemies). That gives canny players an advantage and potentially adds further strategic depth rather than "whoops, you didn't pay attention to that number in the corner, you're dead". The game has plenty of that already.

Also, I've heard that the entire game is meant to take place over a few hours of real time. I don't think people really starve to death that quickly.

[GoldenShadowGS]

What if supplies were dependant on what type and how many crew you are using. Having a maxed out crew might give you a big edge in combat, but they would consume way more supplies than a skeleton crew. And maybe some alien races can consume more or less supplies than other. Those mantis guys probably would consume double of what humans eat for instance. To help balance out their high strength at combat.

Each human in your crew consumes one unit of "supplies" per jump. Maybe one of the races doesn't need to eat at all.(engi?)
You could add different kinds of random encounters. Maybe a ship needs some of your food and will trade for scrap or missiles or a crew member.

If you run out of supplies, you lose one crew member everytime you jump (lets say certain races are cannibals that will eat each other before starving)

[ice]

It makes kind of sense if the ship would be travelling close to the speed of light, but we're talking about a Faster than the speed of light drive engine, which should, theoretically, transport the ship in an instant, way too fast for the crew to be able to eat.

[Gorlom]

If you run out of supplies, you lose one crew member everytime you jump (lets say certain races are cannibals that will eat each other before starving)

Bloody hell. not even the fuel resource (that this supplies resource is trying to mimic ) is that unforgiving. Have you played the game? Is normal too easy? Is a theoretical hard mode too easy for you? Do you need to skip straight to "impossible" to enjoy this game to its full potential??
Are you a masochist?

[The New Romance]

Stimulants as an addition sound much more fun as compulsory supply consumption. It basically is already in the game with fuel, and I agree with those that think the whole journey lasts not more than a few hours. I mean, the jumps are instantaneous, the fights would maybe take a few minutes in real-time each (if we take space ship movies as a reference), so the whole journey would probably take one or two hours more than our actual playtime for one run. No need for food.

[Khrowe]

Two words: Roasted Mantis

[NorseGod]

In my mind this is already covered. Since this is sci fi, the ship comes with food replicators of some kind, which run off of the main reactor, so it's usage is covered under fuel. I mean, you don't consume more fuel if you do a battle compared to an empty location. Seemingly, the weapons must be powered by a main reactor of some kind, so 1 fuel is a very flexible amount and represents a simplified mechanic.

[ice]

Two words: Roasted Mantis

I wonder if the Voltrans would make for the best food... energy-wise...