Resources
Common Minerals
Common minerals are the bulk material of expansion. Mines extract them locally, while the empire-wide stockpile supplies buildings, ships, factories, and research wherever needed.
Ground and Core Mines
Scaled by local abundance
High-volume construction input
01
How it works
- Ground Mines provide early common output; Core Mines turn mature, well-powered systems into heavy extraction centers. Orbital Miners provide comparable extraction from orbit and can work an uncolonized system when an idle fleet holds position there.
- Actual production depends on the system's common-mineral abundance, building condition, workforce, power, supplied inputs, occupation, happiness, and relevant technology.
- Factories consume common minerals to create credits and strategic materials, so industrial growth can turn a comfortable surplus into a persistent deficit.
02
Command advice
- Put extraction where abundance is strong, then provide enough power and labor to operate it.
- Maintain a deeper common reserve before mass construction or shipbuilding; almost every expansion plan draws on it.
- If common minerals collapse after adding factories, improve extraction or reduce factory operation before adding more industry.