Planets, moons and asteroids are generally a source of resources, which are then traded across the galaxy. When worlds are created, the types of resources that they provide also needs to be generated. Resources are obtained by either Mining or Farming.
Resources are defined by the world type, according to the Planetary Classification List. They may be modified by other factors, including random chance. Some resources are only found in particular types of star systems (such as around white dwarfs, or particularly hot stars).
There are two basic types of resources: Mineral and Agricultural. These form the basis of all other goods.
All resources are treated as Commodities, and stored in the commodity table in the database. They will have a source of Ag or Mi according to their type. Other commodities are generally manufactured from these resources.
The following applies to all types of resources.
All resources have a density associated with them, which is an indication of how much of the resource is available at a given location. Density generally ranges from 0 (not present) to 10 (sitting around on the surface).
| Density | Random | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1d4-3 | Very poor. |
| 1-3 | 1d4-1 | Poor environment. |
| 4-6 | 1d5+2 | Good environment. |
| 7-9 | 1d3+6 | Ideal environment. |
| 10 | 1d2+8 | Perfect environment for this resource. |
The density is relative to the type of resource, so a rare ore with a density of 10 will be less dense than a common ore with a density of 10. See Gathering Resources below.
The amount of resources that can be gathered, is based on the population, the density of the resource and the type of resource.
Each commodity (which a resource is a type of) has a production rating, which is the number of people required to produce 1 unit of commodity per week. A low PR may require a billion people, a high PR may only require a thousand. Note that it assumes that there aren't actually a billion people working to produce the resource, but once you factor in all the support infrastructure, generally only worlds with a billion or more people can produce it.
The density multiplies the people requirement by (1000 / density^3).
The number of people required drops by tech level. If the tech level is greater than the minimum tech level, divide people required by SQRT((TL-Min)+1).
If the commodity has a Tl code, drop it by ((TL-Min)+1).
If the item is illegal on this world, multiple the number of people required by 10 for each level of difference (e.g. if good has law of 4, and local law level is 6, multiple by 100).
If the resource has an Agricultural source, and the world has an Ag trade code, halve the number of required people.
Otherwise, if the world has an Na trade code, multiply required numbers by 3.
If the resource has an Industrial source, and the world has an In trade code, halve the number of required people.
Otherwise, if the world has an Ni trade code, multiple required numbers by 10 (yes, this is much worse than lacking agriculture).
If the resource has a Mining source, then:
| Trade Code | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Mi | 0.5 |
| In | x1 |
| Ni | x4 |
| Ag | x2 |
Resources are consumed according to what the population wants. See Consumers.
The following mineral types are commonly found on worlds. Note that minerals used are fictional, since reality is way too complex, and trying to simulate it would only lead to glaring errors.
There are four basic types of mineral, which are relatively common and found in pretty much all star systems. They will generally have a production value of about 7.
Rarer ores are variations of the above types.