Resources & Economy

The Four Resources

Every action in Planetia costs some combination of four resources:

Metal is abundant and cheap. Crystal is moderate. Deuterium is scarce and high-value — never waste it on anything you can build with Metal instead. Energy is the newest resource in the model; its exact consumption and storage rules are still being finalized, so treat any specific numbers you see in-game as more current than this manual until a balance pass lands.

Income Formulas

Your per-tick income depends on building level and planet class modifier:

Metal income     = Σ (Mine_level × 50) × planet_class_modifier × race_bonus × tech_modifier
Crystal income   = Σ (Mine_level × 30) × planet_class_modifier × race_bonus × tech_modifier
Deuterium income = Σ (Mine_level × 10) × planet_class_modifier × race_bonus × tech_modifier
Energy income    = Σ (Plant_level × yield) × planet_class_modifier × race_bonus × tech_modifier

Planet class modifiers range from 0.6× (barren) to 1.4× (rich). Scan a planet before colonizing it — the class is shown in the intel report. The exact per-level Energy yield is pending a balance pass — check the in-game production tooltip for the current value.

Storage Caps

Each resource type has a storage cap. Production halts when storage is full. Expand storage with Silos (Metal/Crystal) and a Deuterium Vault (Deuterium):

Energy does not yet have a dedicated storage building in this manual — whether Energy stockpiles at all or is consumed the tick it’s produced is still being finalized; check in-game for current behavior.

Hard rule: build at least one Silo per Mine before you hit L5 mines or you will lose income to overflow.

Market Dynamics

The in-game market lets you buy and sell resources at the current mid-market price. Prices shift based on aggregate supply and demand across all players in the round. Common patterns:

• Metal is cheapest early (everyone produces it); Crystal spikes mid-round when research wars start.
• Deuterium peaks late when specialty ships become viable.
• Sell surplus Crystal early; hoard Deuterium for late game.

The market charges a 2% transaction fee per trade. Democracy-government players pay a reduced 1.8% fee.

Race-Specific Economic Bonuses

Catari economic dominance makes them the ideal race for players who want to fund large alliances.

Alliance Bank

Your alliance has a shared bank that members can deposit into and officers can withdraw from. Deposits earn 3% interest per 10 ticks, flat for every government. The bank is visible to all members but only accessible to roles with the Withdraw permission.

Use the bank to fund shared fleet buildups and emergency resource transfers to attacked members.

Tax and Income Management

Your empire levies a flat tax on all planet income. The default tax rate is 20%. Higher tax rates increase your treasury (alliance donations, construction buffer) but slow per-planet reinvestment. Adjust tax in Empire → Tax Settings.

• Below 15% tax: risky; low buffer for emergencies
• 20–30%: standard for growth phase
• Above 35%: wartime cash-grab; only viable with strong income

Asteroid Fields

Many systems hold asteroid deposits of Metal, Crystal, and Deuterium alongside the planets themselves. These deposits sit outside your normal mine income and are visible in a planet’s intel report once scouted.

Asteroid holdings are part of the loot loop: a successful attack on a defended planet can let the attacker capture a portion of the defender’s asteroid deposits as war spoils. The exact capture percentage, minimum floor a defender always keeps, and any “hitting up” bonus for attacking a stronger target are still being finalized — check the combat report and current patch notes for the live numbers.

Continue to Construction & Buildings for the build queue mechanics.