Resources and mines
How metal, crystal and deuterium are produced, and what makes mines faster.
Everything costs metal, crystal and deuterium. Each planet produces its own resources and stores them locally.
The three mines
| Building | Produces | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metal Mine | Metal | The cheapest mine; metal is used most. |
| Crystal Mine | Crystal | Costs more to upgrade than the Metal Mine. |
| Deuterium Synthesizer | Deuterium | Colder planets produce more. Deuterium is fleet fuel and powers Fusion Reactors. |
Every planet also produces a small flat amount of metal and crystal with no mines at all.
How output grows
Each mine level raises output by more than the last, so a level 20 mine produces far more than twice a level 10 mine. Upgrade costs grow faster still (×1.5 per level for the Metal Mine, ×1.6 for the Crystal Mine), so later levels take longer to pay for themselves.
What slows mines down
- Energy. Mines use energy. If the planet produces less than they need, every mine runs at the same reduced efficiency. Keep energy at or above zero. See Energy.
- Storage. A full resource stops accumulating. Resource amounts turn red at capacity. See Storage.
- Production settings. In the resource bar you can run a mine below 100% to save energy.
- Vacation mode stops all production.