Example: Early Game Economic Bootstrap

Updated: v2026.01.30

This worked example walks through the first 10 years of a conventional-start Aurora C# game, showing how to transition from pre-TN industry to a functioning trans-newtonian economy capable of supporting fleet expansion and interstellar exploration.

Objective

Updated: v2026.01.30

Starting from a conventional-technology Earth with no trans-newtonian (TN) knowledge, build a self-sustaining TN economy that can:

  • Produce ships and installations at meaningful rates
  • Generate sufficient fuel for fleet operations
  • Mine minerals faster than you consume them
  • Support a survey fleet exploring the home system
  • Begin military preparations by year 10

Starting Conditions (Conventional Start)

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Resource Starting Value
Population ~1,000 million (~400M in manufacturing sector)
Conventional Industry ~1,600 factories (8x manufacturing population)
TN Technology None (must research)
Mineral Deposits Earth standard (moderate, mixed accessibility)
Research Labs ~16 (1 per 12M manufacturing pop; conventional, not TN)
Shipyards 1 Naval, 1 Commercial
Fuel Reserves 0
Scientists 5-8 (randomized)

Note: Starting values are determined by population and manufacturing ratios. See Section 2.5.1 Starting Conditions for detailed starting condition mechanics. Conventional research labs ARE present at game start and can begin researching TN Technology immediately – you do not need to build labs first.

Key constraint: Conventional industry cannot build TN installations. You must research Trans-Newtonian Technology before ANY TN production begins. Every day spent before completing that research is a day your TN economy is not growing.

Step 0: Day-One Officer Assignments

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Before advancing time, make two critical administrative assignments that provide compounding benefits throughout the game.

Assign a Homeworld Governor

Your homeworld governor is arguably your most important early-game assignment. With all industry concentrated on Earth, even a modest Production bonus translates into significantly faster construction.

How to assign:

  1. Open the Commanders window (F3)
  2. Select Administrators in the commander type list (left panel)
  3. Find an administrator with a high Production bonus (20%+ is excellent, 10%+ is acceptable)
  4. Assign them as colony governor for Earth

Effect: A governor with 25% Production bonus means your factories effectively produce 25% more BP. Over 10 years, this compounds into thousands of extra BP worth of construction.

Tip: If no officer has a strong Production bonus, consider assigning one with Mining bonus instead – mineral income also compounds. You can reassign later when better candidates emerge.

Assign an Academy Commandant

Conventional start provides 1 Military Academy, producing 10 officers per year. Assigning a commandant improves the quality and type of graduates.

How to assign:

  1. Open the Economics window, Governor & Miscellaneous tab
  2. The Academy Commandant slot appears beneath the governor information
  3. Assign a qualified officer (see eligibility below)

Commandant effects:

  • Officers matching the commandant’s type are more likely to be generated (25-50% chance depending on type)
  • If the commandant has bonuses of 20%+ or training ratings of 150+, graduates get double rolls and keep the better result
  • Scientist commandants give 25% chance for matching research specialization

Eligibility by commandant type:

Commandant Type Chance Same-Type Graduate
Naval Officer 50%
Ground Force Officer 50%
Scientist 25% (plus specialization match)
Administrator 25%

Recommendation: Assign a Naval Officer commandant if you plan to expand your fleet aggressively. Assign a Scientist commandant if you want to accelerate research capacity. The choice depends on your strategic priorities. \hyperlink{ref-ex-economy-7}{[7]}

Academy Quality Setting:

The Race window’s Academies tab has a quality vs quantity setting (1-5). The default is 1 (maximum quantity). This is appropriate for early game when you need to fill ship commands quickly. Once your officer corps is established, consider increasing to 3-5 to produce fewer but higher-quality officers.

Step 1: Research Priorities (Years 0-3)

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First Research Project: Trans-Newtonian Technology

Cost: 5,000 RP Priority: ABSOLUTE FIRST. Nothing else matters until this completes.

Before this research finishes, you have zero ability to build TN installations. After it completes, your conventional factories immediately gain the ability to construct TN installations (mines, research labs, construction factories, fuel refineries, etc.).

Estimated completion: 2-3 years depending on scientist skill and starting lab count (~16 conventional labs are available from game start).

Research Order After TN Technology

Priority Technology Category Cost (RP) Reasoning
1st Trans-Newtonian Technology Construction 5,000 Unlocks everything
2nd Construction Rate (Improved) Construction 2,000 12 BP/factory (20% boost to ALL production)
3rd Radioisotope Thermal Generator Power/Propulsion ~1,000 Prerequisite for Nuclear Thermal Engine
4th Nuclear Thermal Engine Power/Propulsion ~2,000 First TN engine – enables ship design
5th Mining Production (Improved) Construction 2,000 1.2x mine output
6th Pressurised Water Reactor Power/Propulsion ~2,000 Powers ship systems
7th Geological Survey Sensor Sensors/FC ~1,000 For survey ships
8th Gravitational Survey Sensor Sensors/FC ~1,000 For jump point detection

Rationale: Construction Rate first because it compounds – every factory you build afterward is 20% more productive. Engines and reactors next because you need ships. Mining production improves mineral income. Sensors enable survey vessels.

Research Lab Expansion Timeline

You start with ~16 conventional research labs. These function immediately and should be assigned to TN Technology research on day one. You cannot build additional TN labs until TN Technology completes, but your starting labs provide meaningful research output from the start.

Year Labs RP/Year (approx) Notes
0-1 ~16 ~160 (conventional) Starting labs researching TN tech
1-2 20 ~200 First TN labs added to starting pool
2-3 25 ~250 Steady TN lab expansion
3-5 30 ~300 Good research capacity
5-7 35-40 ~350-400 Strong research base
7-10 40-50 ~400-500 Mature research base

Lab cost: 2,400 BP and 1,200 Duranium + 1,200 Mercassium each \hyperlink{ref-ex-economy-5}{[5]}. This is expensive – prioritize labs carefully against other construction needs.

Step 2: Conventional Industry Utilization (Years 0-2)

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While waiting for TN Technology to complete, your conventional factories should not sit idle. Build items that remain useful after TN transition:

Installation Quantity BP Cost Reasoning
Infrastructure 1,000-2,000 2,000-4,000 Essential for off-world colonies

Infrastructure: At only 2 BP and 1 Duranium + 1 Mercassium each, infrastructure is the only useful item you can build conventionally. Stockpile 1,000-2,000 units – this provides enough for several early colonies and keeps your conventional factories productive while waiting for TN tech.

Note: Ground Forces and Financial Center conversions require TN Technology research. See Step 2.5 for post-TN priorities.

What NOT to Build Conventionally

  • Weapons (no ships to mount them on yet)
  • Missiles (no launchers or ships)
  • Ground military units beyond basic defense (resources better spent on economy)

Step 2.5: CI-to-TN Conversions (Years 1-3)

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Once Trans-Newtonian Technology completes, a powerful option unlocks: converting Conventional Industry (CI) directly into TN installations. This is six times cheaper than building new and should be your first action after TN tech completes. \hyperlink{ref-ex-economy-6}{[6]}

Conversion Economics

Method BP Cost Result
Build new TN installation 120 BP 1 installation
Convert CI to TN installation 20 BP 1 installation

Savings: 100 BP per installation (83% discount). With ~1,600 CI units at game start, converting even 200 of them saves 20,000 BP compared to building new.

Available Conversions

After TN Technology research, the Industry tab shows these conversion options:

Target Installation Conversion Cost Minerals Required
Construction Factory 20 BP 10 Duranium, 10 Neutronium
Mine 20 BP 20 Corundium
Fuel Refinery 20 BP 20 Boronide
Ordnance Factory 20 BP 20 Tritanium
Fighter Factory 20 BP 20 Vendarite
Financial Centre 20 BP 20 Corbomite

Priority 1: Construction Factories (50-100 conversions)

Construction factories compound – each one helps build more installations faster. Converting 100 CI to construction factories costs only 2,000 BP and 1,000 each of Duranium and Neutronium. Building them new would cost 12,000 BP.

Priority 2: Mines (50-100 conversions)

Mines generate the mineral income that funds everything else. Converting 100 CI to mines costs 2,000 BP and 2,000 Corundium. Check your Corundium stockpile first.

Priority 3: Fuel Refineries (25-50 conversions)

You need fuel before ships can operate. Converting 50 CI to refineries costs 1,000 BP and 1,000 Boronide.

Mineral Bottleneck Warning

Warning: Conversions consume minerals from your starting stockpile. Before mass-converting, check that you have sufficient reserves:

  • Corundium for mines (20 per conversion)
  • Neutronium for construction factories (10 per conversion)
  • Boronide for fuel refineries (20 per conversion)

If a mineral is scarce, prioritize building mines first (via conversion or new construction) to increase income.

Target Quantity BP Cost Minerals Reasoning
Construction Factories 800 16,000 8,000 Du + 8,000 Ne Compounds all future production
Mines 200 4,000 4,000 Cor Mineral income funds everything
Fuel Refineries 100 2,000 2,000 Bor Fuel for fleet operations
Financial Centers 500 10,000 10,000 Cb 125 wealth/year ongoing income
Total 1,600 32,000 – –

Mineral Key: Du=Duranium, Ne=Neutronium, Cor=Corundium, Bor=Boronide, Cb=Corbomite

Note: Research Labs cannot be converted from CI – they must be built new (2,400 BP each). This allocation assumes adequate mineral stockpiles. If Corbomite is scarce, convert fewer Financial Centers and more Mines or Fuel Refineries instead.

Conversion Timeline

When Action BP Cost Result
TN Tech completes Convert 800 CI → Construction Factories 16,000 Instant 800 factories
+1 month Convert 200 CI → Mines 4,000 Instant 200 mines
+2 months Convert 100 CI → Fuel Refineries 2,000 Instant 100 refineries
Year 2-3 Convert 500 CI → Financial Centers 10,000 125 wealth/year

Total conversion cost: 32,000 BP for 1,600 TN installations. Building these new would cost 192,000 BP – a savings of 160,000 BP.

Step 3: First TN Construction Factories (Years 1-3)

Updated: v2026.01.30

Once TN Technology completes, immediately begin building Construction Factories.

Growth Rate Calculation 

Annual_BP = Num_Factories x BP_per_Factory

At base tech (10 BP/factory/year):

Factories Annual BP Time to Build 1 More Factory (120 BP)
10 100 1.2 years
20 200 0.6 years (~7 months)
50 500 0.24 years (~3 months)
100 1,000 0.12 years (~44 days)
200 2,000 0.06 years (~22 days)

Strategy: Construction factories build more construction factories. This is exponential growth – the earlier you start, the faster it compounds. Dedicate at least 50% of your early production capacity to building more factories.

Construction Priority Queue (Year 1-3)

After TN Technology completes, build in this order:

1. Construction Factories x20 (2,400 BP total)
2. Research Labs x5 (12,000 BP total)
3. Mines x50 (6,000 BP total)
4. Fuel Refineries x10 (1,200 BP total)
5. More Construction Factories x30 (3,600 BP total)

Total early BP needed: ~25,200 BP

With 200 conventional factories producing at a fraction of TN rate, plus your growing TN factory count, expect to complete this list by approximately year 3-4.

Step 4: Fuel Infrastructure (Years 2-4)

Updated: v2026.01.30

When to Build Refineries

Build fuel refineries once you have engine technology researched and are designing your first ships. You need fuel stockpiled BEFORE ships launch.

How Many Refineries 

Fuel_per_Refinery_per_Year = 40,000 litres (base tech)

\hyperlink{ref-ex-economy-4}{[4]}

Estimate fuel needs:

  • A small survey ship (~2,000 tons) with efficient engines might consume 50-100 litres/hour at cruise speed
  • Annual consumption per ship: ~50 x 8,760 hours = 438,000 litres (at constant cruise)
  • Realistic annual consumption (including idle time): ~100,000-200,000 litres per survey ship

Target: 10 refineries produce 400,000 litres/year at base tech. This supports moderate fleet operations.

Year Refineries Annual Output (litres) Sufficient For
2 10 400,000 Moderate operations
3 25 1,000,000 Full fleet operations
4 50 2,000,000 Large fleet with reserves
5 100 4,000,000 Major naval operations
7 200 8,000,000 Multiple theatre operations

Critical: Research Improved Fuel Refinery tech (48,000 litres/year) as soon as practical. This increases output by 20% without adding refineries.

Sorium Depletion Warning

Critical: Earth’s Sorium deposits are finite and WILL deplete over time. Monitor your Sorium reserves on the Minerals tab of the Economics window. If reserves drop below 50,000 tons, prioritize establishing alternative fuel sources immediately. Running out of Sorium with no harvesting infrastructure means your fleet is grounded.

Alternative: Sorium Harvesting

If a gas giant with accessible Sorium exists in your system, consider building a fuel harvester ship by year 4-5. A single harvester can produce more fuel than dozens of ground refineries, but requires a functioning shipyard first. Given the Sorium depletion risk above, this should be treated as a necessity rather than an option.

Step 5: Mine Deployment (Years 1-5)

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Initial Mine Count

Each mine produces 10 tons/year per mineral deposit (at accessibility 1.0) \hyperlink{ref-ex-economy-3}{[3]}. Earth typically has 11 mineral types, each with varying accessibility.

Target mineral production rate by year 5: 500+ tons/year of each critical mineral.

Mine Production Estimates 

Annual_Production_per_Mineral = Num_Mines x 10 x Accessibility
Mines on Earth Annual Duranium (acc 0.8) Annual Gallicite (acc 0.5)
50 400 tons 250 tons
100 800 tons 500 tons
200 1,600 tons 1,000 tons
300 2,400 tons 1,500 tons

Mineral Consumption Estimates (Years 1-5)

Activity Annual Duranium Annual Gallicite Other Minerals
20 Construction Factories 1,200 0 1,200 Tritanium
10 Research Labs 12,000 0 12,000 Mercassium
100 Mines 6,000 0 6,000 Corundium
50 Fuel Refineries 3,000 0 3,000 Boronide
1 Shipyard (1000t naval) ~500 0 ~500 Neutronium
2 Survey Ships ~2,000 ~1,000 Mixed

Warning: Research labs consume enormous amounts of Mercassium (1,200 per lab). If Earth’s Mercassium accessibility is low, this becomes a critical bottleneck. Monitor your Mercassium stockpile carefully.

Mine Expansion Strategy

  • Year 1-2: Build 50 mines (6,000 BP, 3,000 Duranium + 3,000 Corundium)
  • Year 3-4: Build 50 more mines (same cost)
  • Year 4-5: Build 100 more (if mineral consumption demands it)
  • Year 5+: Consider automated mines on Luna or nearby moons with better deposits

Step 6: Shipyard Utilization (Years 2-4)

Updated: v2026.01.30

Conventional start provides one Naval and one Commercial shipyard. These are ready to use once you research propulsion technology.

When to Start Building Ships

Begin ship construction when:

  1. You have engine technology researched (Nuclear Thermal Engine)
  2. You have reactor technology researched (Pressurised Water Reactor)
  3. You have survey sensor technology researched
  4. You have sufficient mineral stockpiles to construct a ship

Typically this is year 2-3.

Expanding the Starting Shipyards

Check your starting shipyard capacities. If the Naval shipyard is too small for your survey ship design:

  1. Add slipways to increase parallel construction
  2. Expand capacity to match your ship tonnage
  3. Retool for your specific ship class

First Ship Class: Geological Survey Vessel

Target design (~1,500-2,000 tons):

Component Purpose
1-2 TN Engines Propulsion
1 Reactor Powers sensors
1 Geological Survey Sensor Finds minerals
Fuel Tanks Range for in-system surveys
Engineering Spaces Maintenance
Bridge Crew management

Design philosophy: Small, cheap, and fast enough to survey the inner system within 2-3 years. You do not need weapons on survey ships (yet).

Commercial Shipyard Uses (Year 4-5)

Use the starting Commercial shipyard for:

  • Freighters (move minerals from off-world mines)
  • Colony ships (establish mining colonies)
  • Fuel harvesters (if gas giant Sorium available)

Step 7: Research Lab Expansion (Years 2-7)

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Balancing Labs vs. Other Priorities

Research labs are expensive (2,400 BP each, 1,200 Mercassium), but research underpins everything. The key question: how fast to expand?

Target: 1 new lab per 3 months of game time in years 2-5
Target: 1 new lab per 2 months in years 5-10
Year Total Labs Scientists Assigned Annual RP Output
2 5 2-3 ~100
3 8 3-4 ~160
4 12 4-5 ~240
5 15 5-6 ~300
7 20 6-7 ~400
10 30 8+ ~600

Scientist Management

  • Assign your best scientist (highest skill bonus) to your most important project
  • Scientists beyond the lab cap provide diminishing returns
  • Train new scientists at Ground Force Training Facilities (if available) or wait for random generation
  • A scientist with 50% bonus effectively gives you 50% more RP from their assigned labs

Step 8: First Survey Ships (Years 3-5)

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Why Survey Early

Geological surveys reveal mineral deposits on every body in the system. Without surveys, you do not know where to mine. Gravitational surveys reveal jump points to other star systems.

Survey Fleet Composition

Minimum viable survey fleet:

Ship Role Quantity
Geo Survey Vessel Survey planets/moons for minerals 2
Grav Survey Vessel Find jump points 1

Survey Priorities

  1. Inner system planets and moons – closest, fastest to reach
  2. Asteroid belt – often has high-accessibility deposits
  3. Gas giant moons – frequently mineral-rich
  4. Outer system – lowest priority due to travel time
  5. Jump points – once grav survey locates them, survey the other side

Expected Findings

A typical Sol system survey reveals:

  • Luna: Moderate deposits, often decent accessibility
  • Mars: Variable, sometimes excellent deposits
  • Asteroid belt: Many small high-accessibility deposits
  • Jovian moons: Often substantial deposits
  • Titan/Enceladus: Variable

Key minerals to watch for: High-accessibility Gallicite (for engines) and Duranium (for everything) deposits anywhere in the system.

Step 9: Expansion Phase (Years 5-8)

Updated: v2026.01.30

When to Colonize Off-World

Colonize when:

  1. Survey data shows attractive mineral deposits off-world
  2. You have freighters or colony ships to transport population/installations
  3. Earth’s mineral deposits are declining or insufficient
  4. You have infrastructure stockpiled for hostile environments

First Colony Targets

Priority Target Why
1st Mineral-rich moon with high accessibility Best ROI on mining investment
2nd Body near a gas giant (fuel harvesting) Fuel independence
3rd Most habitable non-Earth body Reduced infrastructure needs

Colony Establishment Checklist 

1. Transport infrastructure (if hostile environment)
2. Transport automated mines (50-100)
3. Optionally transport population + conventional mines (higher output but more logistics)
4. Build mass drivers at both ends (colony + Earth)
5. Set mass driver destination to Earth
6. Minerals flow automatically

Mass Driver Economics 

Mass Driver: 300 BP, 100 Duranium + 100 Neutronium + 100 Boronide
Output: 5,000 tons/year mineral transfer
Break-even: Replaces one freighter run per year

A pair of mass drivers (600 BP investment) provides permanent, fuel-free mineral transport within a system. This is almost always superior to maintaining a freighter route for mineral logistics.

Step 10: Military Preparation (Years 7-10)

Updated: v2026.01.30

When to Start Building Combat Ships

Short answer: After your first survey reveals something threatening, OR by year 8-9 regardless.

Triggers for military spending:

  • Survey ship detects alien ruins (potential hostile NPR)
  • Jump point survey reveals an inhabited system
  • Unexplained sensor contacts
  • No threats found but year 8+ (prudent defense)

Military Ramp-Up Checklist

Step Timing Action
1 Year 7 Research beam or missile weapon technology
2 Year 7-8 Research fire control and tracking speed
3 Year 8 Design first warship class (destroyer/corvette)
4 Year 8-9 Expand naval shipyard to warship tonnage
5 Year 9 Retool shipyard for warship class
6 Year 9-10 Begin construction (2-4 warships)
7 Year 10 First combat-capable task group operational

First Warship Recommendations

For a missile doctrine:

  • 4,000-6,000 ton destroyer
  • Size 4-6 missile launchers
  • Magazines for 30+ missiles
  • Active sensor for target acquisition
  • Basic point defense (2x gauss cannons)

For a beam doctrine:

  • 3,000-5,000 ton escort
  • 2-4 lasers (20cm with best wavelength tech)
  • Fire control matching laser range
  • Heavier armor (to close range)
  • Speed advantage over expected threats

Year-by-Year Timeline

Updated: v2026.01.30

Year 0-1: Foundation 

Research: Trans-Newtonian Technology (PRIORITY 1)
Build: Infrastructure x1,000-2,000 (only conventional option)
Economy: Conventional factories building infrastructure
Minerals: Untouched Earth deposits

Year 1-2: TN Transition 

Research: Construction Rate Improved, begin engine tech
Build: Construction Factories x20, Mines x50, Research Labs x5
Economy: First TN factories coming online, compounding begins
Minerals: Earth deposits being tapped (~400-800 t/year critical minerals)
Fuel: 0 (no refineries yet)

Year 2-3: Industrial Growth 

Research: Nuclear Thermal Engine, Reactor tech
Build: More factories x30, Mines x50, Fuel Refineries x25, Labs x5
Economy: 50+ TN factories, exponential growth phase
Minerals: ~1,000-1,500 t/year critical minerals
Fuel: Stockpiling begins (~50,000 litres accumulated)
Shipyard: Expanding naval shipyard for survey ships

Year 3-4: First Ships 

Research: Survey sensors, Mining Production Improved
Build: Labs x5, Refineries x25, first survey ship designed and built
Economy: 100+ factories, research capacity growing
Minerals: ~1,500-2,000 t/year
Fuel: ~100,000 litres stockpiled
Fleet: 1 Geo Survey vessel operational

Year 4-5: Exploration Begins 

Research: Fuel efficiency, sensor range
Build: 2nd survey ship, freighter (commercial yard), more mines
Economy: Self-sustaining growth, 150+ factories
Minerals: Surveys revealing off-world deposits
Fuel: ~200,000 litres, consumption starting
Fleet: 2 Geo Survey + 1 Grav Survey operational

Year 5-6: Expansion 

Research: Jump drive theory, improved mining
Build: Colony ship or freighter for off-world mining
Economy: 200+ factories, 20+ labs
Minerals: First off-world mining colony established
Fuel: Balanced production vs consumption
Fleet: Survey fleet exploring system, first jump points found

Year 6-7: Consolidation 

Research: Begin weapon/defense tech paths
Build: Mass drivers, automated mines for colonies
Economy: Multiple mineral income streams
Minerals: 2,000-3,000 t/year critical minerals from multiple sources
Fuel: Comfortable surplus
Fleet: Survey near-complete for inner system

Year 7-8: Pre-Military 

Research: Laser/missile tech, fire control, tracking speed
Build: Expand naval shipyard, ordnance factories (if missile doctrine)
Economy: Mature early-game economy, 300+ factories
Minerals: Healthy stockpiles of most minerals
Fuel: 500,000+ litres banked
Fleet: Survey complete or nearly so

Year 8-9: Militarization 

Research: Advanced weapons, armor, shields
Build: First warship class (destroyer/corvette)
Economy: Shifting 20-30% of production to military
Minerals: Watching Gallicite consumption (engines are hungry)
Fuel: Military consumption beginning
Fleet: First warship under construction

Year 9-10: Combat Ready 

Research: Continue weapon progression
Build: 2-4 warships, PD escorts, ammunition
Economy: Balanced military/civilian production
Minerals: Gallicite may be bottleneck -- secure additional sources
Fuel: Military-ready reserves
Fleet: First combat task group operational (3-5 warships)

Mineral Consumption Summary (10-Year Totals)

Updated: v2026.01.30

Approximate total mineral consumption over 10 years of bootstrap:

Mineral Total Consumed (tons) Primary Consumers
Duranium 50,000-80,000 Everything (factories, mines, labs, ships)
Neutronium 5,000-10,000 Shipyards, armor, infrastructure
Corbomite 1,000-3,000 Financial Centers, shields
Tritanium 10,000-20,000 Factories, weapons, ordnance factories
Boronide 5,000-10,000 Refineries, reactors, power plants
Mercassium 15,000-30,000 Research labs (dominant consumer)
Vendarite 2,000-5,000 Gauss cannons, CIWS
Sorium 5,000-10,000 Refined into fuel
Uridium 3,000-8,000 Sensors, fire controls
Corundium 8,000-15,000 Mines, energy weapons
Gallicite 5,000-15,000 Engines (scales with fleet size)

Key bottleneck minerals: Duranium (universal demand), Mercassium (research labs), Gallicite (engines), Corundium (mines + weapons).

Key Decisions

Updated: v2026.01.30

Decision Economic Option Military Option Recommendation
Research order Construction/Mining first Weapons/Sensors first Economic first (compounds)
Factory vs. Lab investment More factories (faster building) More labs (faster research) 3:1 ratio factories:labs
When to build ships After year 5 (economy stable) Year 3 (early defense) Year 3-4 for survey, Year 8 for military
Mine count Heavy investment (300+) Minimal (100) 200+ by year 5
Off-world vs. Earth focus Expand early (year 4-5) Fortify Earth Expand year 5-6 after surveys

Common Mistakes

Updated: v2026.01.28

  1. Researching weapons before having ships: Weapon tech is useless without engines, reactors, and shipyards to build warships. Economic and propulsion tech first.

  2. Building too few mines early: Minerals fund everything. 50 mines on Earth is a start, not an endpoint. Target 200+ by year 5.

  3. Neglecting fuel infrastructure: Ships without fuel are expensive decorations. Build refineries BEFORE your ships launch, not after they run dry in deep space.

  4. Over-investing in military before the economy sustains it: A warship consumes resources (maintenance, fuel, crew). If your economy cannot support it, the ship degrades and becomes a liability.

  5. Ignoring Financial Centers: Wealth generation supports your economy. Converting some conventional factories to Financial Centers (20 BP and 20 Corbomite each) provides ongoing income.

  6. No Mercassium stockpile before labs: Each research lab costs 1,200 Mercassium. If you plan to build 20 labs, you need 24,000 Mercassium. Check your deposits and accessibility FIRST.

  7. Building one giant ship instead of multiple small ones: A single 10,000-ton cruiser takes years to build at early shipyard rates. Three 3,000-ton escorts complete faster and provide more tactical flexibility.

  8. Neglecting the commercial shipyard: You start with a commercial shipyard – use it! You need freighters and colony ships for expansion. Expand capacity and start building by year 4-5.

  9. Not surveying aggressively enough: Every year without survey data is a year you cannot make informed colonization decisions. Launch survey ships as soon as technically possible.

  10. Stockpiling minerals instead of investing them: Minerals sitting in warehouses produce nothing. Invest in factories, labs, and mines that generate returns. The only exception is maintaining a Gallicite reserve for emergency ship construction.

References

\hypertarget{ref-ex-economy-1}{[1]}. Aurora C# game database (AuroraDB.db v2.7.1) – DIM_PlanetaryInstallation PlanetaryInstallationID=25 (Financial Centre). FinancialProductionValue=0.25 (0.25 wealth/year). Workers=0.05 (50,000 workers per centre).

\hypertarget{ref-ex-economy-2}{[2]}. Aurora C# game database (AuroraDB.db v2.7.1) – DIM_PlanetaryInstallation PlanetaryInstallationID=50 (Convert CI to Financial Centre). Cost=20 BP, Corbomite=20.

\hypertarget{ref-ex-economy-3}{[3]}. Aurora C# game database (AuroraDB.db v2.7.1) – DIM_PlanetaryInstallation PlanetaryInstallationID=7 (Mine). MiningProductionValue=1.0 (10 tons/year per mine at accessibility 1.0).

\hypertarget{ref-ex-economy-4}{[4]}. Aurora C# game database (AuroraDB.db v2.7.1) – DIM_PlanetaryInstallation PlanetaryInstallationID=3 (Fuel Refinery). RefineryProductionValue=1.0 (40,000 litres/year at base tech).

\hypertarget{ref-ex-economy-5}{[5]}. Aurora C# game database (AuroraDB.db v2.7.1) – DIM_PlanetaryInstallation PlanetaryInstallationID=8 (Research Facility). Cost=2400 BP, Duranium=1200, Mercassium=1200. ResearchValue=1.0.

\hypertarget{ref-ex-economy-6}{[6]}. Aurora C# game database (AuroraDB.db v2.7.1) – DIM_PlanetaryInstallation CI conversion entries (IDs 27, 28, 30, 36, 37, 50). All conversions cost 20 BP. Target installations cost 120 BP each, making conversion 1/6 the cost of building new. See Section 6.3 Construction for full conversion table.

\hypertarget{ref-ex-economy-7}{[7]}. See Section 16.1.1.3 Academy Commandants for commandant eligibility, type distribution, and quality bonus mechanics. See Section 16.3.2 Colony Governors for governor bonus effects.

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