Game Guide

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Advanced Economy

Economy is the foundation of everything in Age of Space. Every ship, every technology, every defense starts as resources mined from your planets. Advanced economic strategy means knowing exactly when to upgrade mines, when the return on investment becomes too slow, how to specialize planets for maximum efficiency, and when to transition from passive mining to active fleet-based income. This chapter provides the mathematical framework and practical strategies to build the most efficient empire possible.

The Optimal Mine Ratio: 10:9:7

The golden ratio of mining in Age of Space is 10:9:7 for Titanium:Graphene:Deuterium mine levels. This means if your Titanium Mine is level 20, your Graphene Mine should be level 18 and your Deuterium Synthesizer level 14. This ratio produces balanced resources that align with the costs of most buildings, technologies, and ships.

Why 10:9:7? Most game items cost resources in roughly a 2:1:0.5 ratio (Titanium:Graphene:Deuterium). The mine production curves mirror this ratio when levels follow the 10:9:7 pattern. Deviating from this ratio means you will always have one resource in excess while another bottlenecks your progress.

Pro Tip

Exceptions: Fleeters who consume large amounts of Deuterium for fuel may push the ratio toward 10:9:8. Pure Miners in late game may go 10:9:6 since Deuterium mines have the highest energy cost per production unit. Adjust based on your play style, but use 10:9:7 as your baseline.

ROI Analysis by Mine Level

ROI (Return on Investment) measures how long it takes for a mine upgrade to "pay for itself" through additional production. The formula is simple: divide the upgrade cost by the additional hourly production to get the payoff time in hours.

At low mine levels (1-15), ROI is measured in hours to days — these upgrades are always worthwhile. At medium levels (15-25), ROI extends to days to a week. At high levels (25-35), ROI can stretch to weeks. Beyond level 35, ROI often exceeds a month, and raiding becomes more profitable.

ROI (hours) = Upgrade_Cost / Additional_Hourly_Production

Calculate the total cost of upgrading (all three resources converted to a single unit) divided by the additional production the new level provides per hour.

Example: Titanium Mine 20→21 costs ~200,000 Ti. Additional production: ~50 Ti/hour. ROI = 200,000/50 = 4,000 hours ≈ 167 days. This is getting slow — consider fleet income instead.

Mine Level Range	Typical ROI	Recommendation
1-15	Hours to 2 days	Always upgrade. Fastest payoff in the game.
16-25	3-10 days	Still worthwhile. Core of your economic growth.
26-30	2-4 weeks	Upgrade if you have excess resources. Start considering fleet income.
31+	1+ months	Only for dedicated Miners. Most players should focus on fleet and colonization.

When to Stop Mining

The critical question every player faces: when does upgrading mines stop being the best use of resources? The answer depends on your play style, but the general rule is: when ROI exceeds approximately 2 weeks, fleet-based income (raiding inactives) typically generates more resources per time invested.

This does not mean you stop mining entirely. It means you shift your priority. Instead of spending 2,000,000 resources on a mine level that takes 2 weeks to pay off, spend those resources on ships that can raid inactive players every day, generating immediate returns.

The transition point usually hits around mine levels 25-28 for most universes. At this point, a well-equipped raiding fleet can generate more resources per day than the marginal mine level would produce.

Planet Specialization

Not all planets are created equal. Different planet positions and sizes make them better suited for different roles. Specializing your planets maximizes your overall empire efficiency.

	Ideal Position	Key Features	Build Priority
Mine Planet	Positions 7-10	Moderate temperature, high fields (200+), balanced energy	Mines to max, Robot Factory, Solar Plant/Fusion
Fleet Planet	Any position	High Shipyard (12+), Nanite Factory, strong mines for production	Shipyard, Nanite, then mines to fuel production
Deuterium Farm	Positions 13-15	Coldest positions = highest Deut production, fewer fields acceptable	Deut Synth to max, minimal other buildings
Research Planet	Any position	Highest Research Lab level, IRN connected	Research Lab, IRN, then mines for funding

Astrophysics Cost vs. Benefit

Each level of Astrophysics unlocks an additional colony slot (approximately every 2 levels). More planets mean more total production, but Astrophysics costs escalate exponentially. At what point does the next planet not justify its Astrophysics cost?

A new planet at base production generates approximately 500-1,000 resources per hour once mines are established. Over a month, that is roughly 720,000 resources. If the Astrophysics level to unlock it costs more than that, the investment takes more than a month to break even.

This value may vary depending on the universe settings.

Energy Optimization

Mines require energy to operate. The two primary sources are Solar Plant and Fusion Reactor. Choosing between them depends on your mine levels, available fields, and Deuterium availability.

Solar Plant is simpler and does not consume Deuterium, but takes up valuable building fields. Fusion Reactor saves fields but consumes Deuterium proportional to its level. At high mine levels, Fusion Reactor becomes necessary because Solar Plant fields run out.

	Advantages	Disadvantages	Best Used When
Solar Plant	No Deuterium cost, simple	Uses building fields, lower output at high levels	Early-mid game, planets with plenty of fields
Fusion Reactor	Saves fields, scales well at high levels	Consumes Deuterium, requires Energy Tech	Late game, limited fields, high Deut production

Resource Distribution Across Empire

With multiple planets, resource distribution becomes critical. Your Deuterium farm planets produce excess Deuterium but need Titanium and Graphene for buildings. Your fleet planet needs Deuterium for fuel. Your mine planets produce evenly but may need specific resources for upgrades.

Use Large Cargos to transport resources between planets regularly. Establish a transport schedule: every few days, send excess Deuterium from cold planets to your fleet planet, and send Titanium/Graphene from mine planets to wherever construction is happening.

Never let resources pile up on undefended planets. Excess resources are an invitation for attackers. Either spend them immediately or transport them to your most defended planet. The best resource is a spent resource.

Advanced Economy Tips

Follow the 10:9:7 Ratio

Keep your mines balanced. An unbalanced empire with Titanium Mine 25 but Graphene Mine 15 wastes potential. The bottlenecked resource (Graphene) limits everything you can build, while excess Titanium sits unused.

Specialize Your Planets Early

Decide each planet's role when you colonize it. A cold planet (position 14-15) should immediately focus on Deuterium. A large planet (250+ fields) should be your mine planet. Making this decision early avoids wasting resources on the wrong buildings.

Deuterium Is Always Scarce

In virtually every phase of the game, Deuterium is the limiting resource. Fleet fuel, Fusion Reactor consumption, and high-tech research all demand enormous amounts of Deuterium. Prioritize Deuterium production and conservation.

Keep Robot Factory and Nanite High

Robot Factory and Nanite Factory reduce build times for everything. Investing in these buildings early pays dividends on every future construction. A Robot Factory level 10 with Nanite Factory level 3 makes high-level mine upgrades manageable.

The mathematically optimal empire layout for a 10-planet Miner: 6 mine planets (positions 7-10) with mines at 25-30, 2 Deuterium farms (positions 14-15) with Deut Synth at max, 1 fleet planet with Shipyard 12 and Nanite 3, 1 research planet with Lab 12 and IRN.

Resource trade values are not equal. Titanium is the most common and least valuable. Graphene is roughly 1.5x Titanium value. Deuterium is roughly 2-3x Titanium value. When evaluating trades or deciding what to produce, account for these relative values.

Energy breakpoint analysis: Solar Plant becomes less efficient than Fusion Reactor around level 25-28 of the Solar Plant, depending on your Energy Technology level. At this point, building additional Solar Plant levels costs more fields than the Fusion Reactor alternative.

Compound growth: upgrading mines on all planets simultaneously is less efficient than focusing on one planet at a time. Get one planet to high mine levels first, use its production to fund upgrades on the next planet, and cascade through your empire.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is the optimal baseline for balanced play. Deviations are valid for specific play styles: Fleeters may go 10:9:8 for extra Deuterium fuel, Miners may push Titanium higher for building costs. But for most players, 10:9:7 is the proven standard.

When your Solar Plant is around level 20-22 and you are starting to feel the field crunch. Fusion Reactor requires Energy Technology level 3 minimum. Build it when Solar Plant fields become more valuable for mines.

Aim for 8-12 planets. Each planet adds production but costs Astrophysics research. The sweet spot is where total empire production is maximized relative to the Astrophysics investment. For most players, 10 planets is a strong target.

Yes, regularly. Deuterium should flow from cold planets to fleet planets. Titanium and Graphene should flow to wherever you are constructing. An empire with isolated planets wastes production because resources sit unused. Organize transport runs every 2-3 days.

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