Huh? What’s that about?

 
SpaceInvasion uses a relatively clear system of 4 resource types. How complicated can that be? Why do we have to analyse this? Do I require a PhD for SpaceInvasion?
 
Most players finally decide to play the game as an aggressive fleet commander or as a defensive Mine owner. The fleet commander doesn’t have to think about the economy of his planets, he just takes what he needs. The others though should know what it is they are doing and why.
 

Production Development

 
The costs for building mines, as well as the quantity of produced resources, increases exponentially from level to level. Sounds fair doesn’t it? I mean you do get more for your money...
 
Wrong.
 
Just have a look at the following diagram:
 

Key:
Baukosten – Building cost
Production/h – Production/hour

 
Pretty isn’t it? Do you see what I see?
 
Aha! The building costs climb faster than the production. This means that if you invest in mines, it takes longer to recoup the costs. We haven’t even mentioned the ever-increasing time it takes to build higher levels.
 
A level 40 Pig Iron mine would cost, 750 million Pig Iron but only produces about 245,000 units an hour. That is only 40,000 more than level 39. It would take 2 years to produce enough to recoup the costs of building. Then we have the extra cost for 40,000 units of energy which need to be added as well.
 
What does this mean?

• The expansion of your planet is slowed dramatically.
• Even if you don’t need them now, it is still a good idea to build up your production buildings. If you have too much you can still trade with others. It is better to cheaply produce the wrong resources as to expensively produce the right resource.
• Through colonization you can build more lower level mines. This way the cost efficiency can be held under control. This however, stops with the 10th planet.
• This mostly applies to Pig Iron mines as they are the most exploited of production buildings.

 

What is the Problem with Spice?

Actually there is no problem with spice, but there is one without it.
 

• Spice mines are expensive. They require tons of metal and metal itself is expensive.
• Spice cannot be recycled out of debris fields. [about to change with new battle system]
• Spice is required to fuel your fleets and the bigger they get the more you need.

 
It is still unclear how much spice is required later in the game because the building costs of the larger units are still unknown, but these factors alone would ensure that it might well become scarce.
 

So, where is the analysis?

.... this is just the beginning. When I have time I will write more... Hazzit.
 
Strategies