Jack Dekerdt I keep wanting to see what engineers is really about but don't have much interest in the apparent grind for the goodies--the scales just have not tipped for me to see the side trips for exotic bric-a-brac as worth it. That may change in the future, but for now, my Python is all natural, no silicon, lol.
The grind isn't anywhere near as aggravating as it used to be, first with those damned commodities they used to make you drive half way across the bubble to get(usually in a ship not made for hauling cargo), then having to search for planets with the minerals you need by actually landing on them and sampling ore. Now there are no commodities needed at all, and planets list the mineral components that you can find on them. The only thing you really have to work for are the data components, and that is just more RNG mission searching.
Just a side note, not anything having to do with your comment Jack - I really have to laugh when I hear people complaining about how difficult getting engineering components are these days - they have no idea what it used to be like all the way back in 2016....