Economy Guide
Maximize your resource production and manage your empire's economy effectively.
Resource Priorities
Early Game
Focus on building mines in this order:
- Metal Mine - Foundation of everything
- Crystal Mine - For research and ships
- Deuterium Synthesizer - For fuel and advanced items
- Solar Plant - Keep energy positive
Mine Level Ratio
Classic ratio for efficient production:
Metal : Crystal : Deuterium = X : X-2 : X-4
Example: Metal 20, Crystal 18, Deuterium 16
Production Optimization
Planet Position Matters
| Position | Metal Bonus | Crystal Bonus | Deut Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | +15-35% | - | - |
| 4-6 | +10-20% | - | - |
| 7-9 | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| 10-12 | - | - | +5-15% |
| 13-15 | - | - | +15-25% |
Strategy: Metal colonies on positions 1-6, Deuterium on 13-15.
Never Stop Building
Production queue should always be active:
- Building upgrading
- Research in progress
- Ships/defenses building
Idle time = wasted resources.
Storage Management
When to Upgrade Storage
Upgrade storage when:
Storage Capacity < Daily Production
Signs you need more storage:
- Resources capped frequently
- Can't save for expensive items
- Losing production to caps
Storage vs Spending
Balance between:
- Saving for big upgrades
- Spending before raids hit
- Keeping resources moving
Colony Management
Specialized Colonies
Optimize each colony for a purpose:
Mining Colonies (positions 4-8)
- High mine levels
- Storage upgrades
- Minimal fleet
Military Colonies (any position)
- Shipyard focus
- Defense production
- Fleet staging
Research Colony
- Highest Research Lab
- Use Recon Technology for Recon mission access
- Focus on tech
Resource Flow
Transport Efficiency
- Use Large Cargos for bulk
- Small Cargos for urgent needs
- Calculate fuel costs
Centralization vs Distribution
Centralized:
- One main planet
- Easy to defend
- Single point of failure
Distributed:
- Resources spread out
- Harder to raid completely
- More management
Energy Management
Power Sources
| Source | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Solar Plant | Safe, permanent | Uses fields |
| Fusion Reactor | High output | Consumes deut |
| Solar Satellites | Scalable | Destroyed in combat |
Energy Balance
Required Energy = Metal Mine + Crystal Mine + Deut Synth consumption
Keep 10-20% energy buffer for upgrades.
Investment Priorities
ROI Thinking
Each upgrade should pay for itself. Consider:
- Cost of upgrade
- Production increase
- Time to break even
Break-Even Formula
Break-Even Hours = Upgrade Cost / Hourly Production Increase
Lower levels have faster ROI. Diminishing returns at high levels.
Raiding Economy
Raiding as Income
Active players supplement production with raids:
- Scout inactive players
- Calculate profitable targets
- Factor in fuel and time
Profitable Raids
Profit = Loot - Fuel Cost - Losses
Only raid when profit is positive.
Tips
- Queue management - Plan upgrades overnight
- Fleet save resources - Don't lose to raids
- Spend before sleep - Start long builds
- Balance production - Match resource needs
- Research boosts - Plasma Tech increases production but slows building upgrades
- Defense Technology - Protect a slice of daily production from raids while hardening defenses
- Material Physics - Cut ship and defense costs by 25%