How to get large amount of minerals while playing tall?

[Yukari Yakumo]

I was able to get ridiculous amounts of alloy with 2 ecumenopoli, but is there a non-megastructure "tall" means of getting tons of minerals from a planet? I keep having to sell alloys to buy minerals. All of my planets' mining districts are built - can I use an ecumenopolis to effectively get minerals as well somehow?

[corisai]

Originally posted by Yukari Yakumo:

can I use an ecumenopolis to effectively get minerals as well somehow?

Only as genocidal empire :)

[vkobe]

matter decompressor and a black hole ;^)

[markdb92]

if you have tons of food tile planets sell the extra food and buy the minerals that is what the ai does. If you have tons of energy just buy the minerals. Build the dyson / or blackhole mineral extractor.

[tempest.of.emptiness]

Build lots of ships with the alloy -> Demand tribute from another empire -> Declare war of subjugation when they refuse -> Win the war with your massive fleet -> Get minerals (and energy to buy more minerals) when they become your tributary. Then repeat with the next empire.

Hopefully your economy will survive long enough to stabilize.

[HugsAndSnuggles]

Of course not. Even best mining planets pale in comparison to matter decompressor. How large of a mining bonus can you realistically expect? 100%? 150%? Even 300% means you'll need over 30 districts to match single fully-build decompressor.

Of course, if you don't mind overpopulation, unemployed hive mind drones get 1 mineral (base), so they can, theoretically, make a planet that is on par with decompressor in terms of mineral production (not upkeep)... then again hive minds usually don't get ecumpnopoli.

[Yukari Yakumo]

I fixed it by toning down the alloy production and adding a bunch of those food to mineral converters, now can just roll over everyone again