So, I'm going to be starting my first foray into mini paints soon. I've found some good starter tutorials so I'm good on that point.

One thing I WOULD like to do is have different color schemes for each deployment group for ease of gameplay. Mercenaries aren't an issue as they they don't have color schemes. Some imperial units like the officers also aren't an issue (black, tan, green)

Troopers, on the other hand, obviously are all wearing the same armor. I'm a little wary of going too crazy with the lore-based color schemes out of concern for them being in future expansions (like the mud troopers)

So, I'm wondering if there's any suggestions?

Off hand kinda thinking using different environments for textures (space station, sand blasted, muddy, etc), but what are your thoughts?

I have painted the base edge differently. This let me keep them uniform but still identifiable. I stuck to the colours of the stickers (generally) to match easily with the app. So I have blue, red, black (with options to add grey and purple if I ever end up with more).

I gave 1 group of STs standard armour, second standard group have 1 black right shoulder pad and then the Elites 1 red right shoulder pad.

I'm using different scenic bases I made myself (very easy with the right paints, some small stones and scenery bushes). I also crafted some props like pipes or scrap parts from left-over green-stuff (very easy too). For example I gave one group of stormtroopers a Mos Eisley scrap yard themed base and another an Endor forest themed one. Takes maybe 15 minute per base and looks far better than plain gray imo

I use the same methods as mentioned above, well two of them. I have red base edges for the elites (blue for rebel elites) and gray for regular but also use different basing for different groups. ST have forest and space station for the two regular and desert for elites. Some extra battle damage for elites also work good.

Tusken raiders are both group desert inhabitants so they got sand vs. cracked earth desert.

Check my thread Etheneus painting to see the difference.

I paint all my elites and unique figures with a red base edge. For multiple groups, like the stormtroopers, I just add a small detail in different colors. The stormtroopers themselves each have 1 colored piece of shoulder armor. Each group is easy to recognize and they all still look like troopers.