I like how this idea makes a nicely balanced gameplay loop. I'll likely add it as a mode (potentially alongside other new modes) within the next couple of updates.
Also, the last idea you mentioned was implemented in the newest update. There are a few small improvements to be made, but it more or less functions how I interpreted it.
That was my general thought as well, as when I've set up a Growth pattern, I either set it up to where it takes forever for a true change to take place, or I set it up to relatively rapidly happen, only to later disable it after it reaches a certain point. This will allow for not only a way to preserve the use of the Growth function without having to stay in a constant state of pure growth, but also additionally act as an imprecise tracker for the amount of orbs currently held.
Turns out I didn't need to change anything significant. The mod has been updated again with a max value of 3 for the slider.
Also, there are some visual artifacts due to the negative scaling, but this can't be adjusted without lowering performance (backface culling off/flip normals), so I'll likely leave it as is.
