Foundations
The Economic Cycle
Each galaxy advances on its configured tick interval. Every tick, systems produce, consume, construct, research, pay their forces, and settle trade as one connected imperial economy.
Updates every tick
Empire-wide resource pool
Shortages reduce activity
01
How it works
- Active buildings are evaluated from essential infrastructure outward: power and extraction feed industry, services, research, and construction.
- Credits, common minerals, rare minerals, strategic materials, and fuel share one empire-wide balance. Power is the exception: it is generated and consumed locally in each star system.
- Essential operating costs are funded before discretionary construction and research. If a required input is short, affected activity scales down instead of receiving free output or progress.
02
Command advice
- Read the Economy tab as a flow, not just a stockpile: compare income, essential costs, and committed projects.
- Keep a reserve for several ticks of wages and upkeep before starting a major fleet, research, or construction surge.
- Fix the first bottleneck in a production chain. More factories cannot help if they lack power, workers, fuel, or mineral inputs.