Hello! I'm glad you enjoyed the game with your friends. Here are some answers to your questions:
- I don't know about automation, but an electric grid is something I'd like to try out.
- I plan to make exploration more interesting. That may include structures to check out.
- Painting is a pretty cool idea. I might check it in the future, but I'm not prioritizing it right now.
- I aim for the game to be a sandbox/exploration type game (think Minecraft or Astroneer) there will probably be a goal, but the bulk of the game is mostly building and exploring.
- There's currently a single solar system, but I'd like to add interstellar travel to check out other stars and planets.
Thank you for your other suggestions! I've taken note of them :)