Debris Fields
When ships are destroyed in combat, a portion becomes debris that can be collected. Time is of the essence—debris fields decay rapidly!
Debris Creation
What Becomes Debris
When ships are destroyed, each resource type has its own recovery rate:
| Resource | Recovery Rate |
|---|---|
| Metal | 70% |
| Crystal | 40% |
| Deuterium | 10% |
Example: A ship costing 10,000 Metal, 6,000 Crystal, and 2,000 Deuterium creates 7,000 Metal, 2,400 Crystal, and 200 Deuterium in debris.
Both Sides Contribute
Debris comes from:
- Attacker's destroyed ships
- Defender's destroyed ships
- NOT from defenses (those are recovered differently—see below)
Defense Resource Recovery
Destroyed defenses don't become debris. Instead, their resources are recovered based on who wins:
If the Defender Wins
All recovered defense resources are automatically added to the planet. You don't need to collect anything—the resources appear in your storage immediately.
If the Attacker Wins
The attacker can loot recovered defense resources:
- Resources first fill remaining cargo capacity (after regular loot)
- Any resources that don't fit stay on the planet
This means successful attackers can gain even more from destroying defenses, while defenders recover their investment when they repel attacks.
Recovery Rates
Same as debris: 70% Metal, 40% Crystal, 10% Deuterium.
Debris Field Decay
Critical: Debris fields decay rapidly over time!
Decay Rate
- Debris loses 1% of its value every 10 seconds
- This is compound decay—it accelerates the loss over time
- After about 12 minutes, debris is worth only half its original value
- After 15 minutes, less than 25% remains
Decay Timeline
| Time | Remaining Value |
|---|---|
| 1 minute | ~94% |
| 5 minutes | ~74% |
| 10 minutes | ~55% |
| 15 minutes | ~41% |
| 30 minutes | ~17% |
Act fast! Send Recyclers immediately after battle to maximize recovery.
Debris Field Location
Coordinates
Debris appears at the battle coordinates:
- Same galaxy
- Same system
- Same planet position
Example
Battle at [1:234:8] creates debris at [1:234:8]
Collecting Debris
Recycler Ships
Only Recyclers can collect debris:
- Each Recycler holds 50,000 resources
- Send on "Harvest" mission
- Target the debris field coordinates
Collection Formula
Collected = min(Total Recycler Capacity, Current Debris Value)
Note: Current value accounts for decay since the field was created.
Multiple Trips
If debris exceeds capacity:
- First fleet takes what it can
- Remaining debris continues to decay
- Send more Recyclers quickly!
Strategic Importance
Battle Profitability
Debris recovery dramatically affects battle economics:
| Factor | Old System | New System |
|---|---|---|
| Metal recovery | 30% | 70% |
| Crystal recovery | 30% | 40% |
| Deuterium recovery | 0% | 10% |
Net Calculation
Net Gain = Loot + Defense Resources + Debris Collected - Your Losses
Example
Attack destroys:
- Enemy ships worth 1M Metal, 500K Crystal, 100K Deuterium
- Your ships worth 200K Metal, 100K Crystal, 50K Deuterium
Debris field (before decay):
- Metal: (1M + 200K) * 0.70 = 840K
- Crystal: (500K + 100K) * 0.40 = 240K
- Deuterium: (100K + 50K) * 0.10 = 15K
Tips
- Send Recyclers immediately after battle—every second counts!
- Time arrivals carefully to arrive just after the battle ends
- Calculate capacity needed before attack (debris is larger now)
- Watch enemy Recyclers racing for debris
- Defend successfully to auto-recover defense costs
- Plan escape routes if attack fails—debris from your ships helps offset losses