Rare minerals are always dragging down my economy.

[Alxndr]

In every single playthrough I always run into issues with exotic minerals upkeep. When I have 3 tech worlds and 4 ecums on the go I need like 200+ each of exotic gas, volatile moats and rare crystals.

Even having 2 planets fully dedicated to producing this exotic minerals doesn't suffice, it's a nightmare. So I buy the remainder from the market but over time the price gets ever more expensive and buying them becomes unsustainable.

I think they should rebalance the exotic minerals so that each building requires way more mineral and energy upkeep but in return yields more of the exotic mineral. I think just 1 planet fully dedicated to exotic minerals should be enough to see you through, maybe 2 planets if you've got a lot of tech planets and ecums.

[kahlrasierter Affenarsch]

I never had this problem... but maybe i have another playstyle...

But you can try to decrease your buildings and districts upkeep. E.g. by traditions or leaders.

[vodan]

You can build production of those things on habitats -
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3373168277
On this one i can leave 1 holo theater and build 10 something production, on some worlds it is 2.5 for me, on some 4.2, on capital 5.84, so lets say it is 3 resourse and 10 buildings is 30 of something, refinery station planet type gives +15% so lets say it is 34.(at a cost of 100 minerals and something like 12-15 pops on habitat)

My ecumenopolis have 24 disricts,(each 1 resourse) + i can have 11 maxed research complexes(each 2 resourse) so this is 36 of something, there should not be much problems with this

[Dr.Vaфе!ь]

There are precursor (or whatever it's called, not nanite one) building allowing you to get all types of rare minerals for a small price, build that everywhere. You do still need a dedicated world for rare minerals production and dedicated specialisation for that. CG world will do the trick. Don't have one? Build a habitat

[vodan]

Originally posted by Dr.Vaфе!ь:

There are precursor (or whatever it's called, not nanite one) building allowing you to get all types of rare minerals for a small price, build that everywhere. You do still need a dedicated world for rare minerals production and dedicated specialisation for that. CG world will do the trick. Don't have one? Build a habitat

Here it is for example -
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3373172053

Thats unigue tech i just got it as research option somewhen

[CrUsHeR]

Definitely start fishing for the Ancient Refinery ASAP in every game. And build one of these on each of your planets. It is just one slot which will solve all your rare resource problems.

So make sure you research Archaeostudies, and have the Faculty building constructed.
The Remnants origin starts your empire with both, and this removes the hard x0.1 modifier for finding this tech.

Generally i wouldn't always recommend the Archaeo-Engineering AP for every playthrough, however this removes the other x0.3 modifier so it becomes a more or less regular rare tech.

Technological Ascendancy is another AP i'd recommend in every game, though. This adds a decent x1.5 multiplier. And having a scientist with Archaeo Expertise won't hurt (you also get this from Remnants).


Another thing is that Cybernetics has your ruler reduce all building and district upkeep by 25%. This stacks with further upkeep reduction from an Official governor, and an Ecumenopolis set to its basic designation reduces it by another 20%.

So it should be possible to hit or get close to a 90% upkeep reduction, at least on selected expensive planets like a Ring World and Ecumenopolis.

Habitat districts only have Alloys upkeep, so that's something to look into. However i don't recommend using any habitats without either the Voidforged / Dweller Origin, or the Voidborne AP.

The already classic "Virtual Voidforged Individualistic Machine Megacorp" (VVIMM) build also ends up not having to produce any of these resources, because you only need comparably little of them so you can eventually buy everything via monthly trades from the Galactic Market.

[Alxndr]

Originally posted by CrUsHeR:

Definitely start fishing for the Ancient Refinery ASAP in every game. And build one of these on each of your planets. It is just one slot which will solve all your rare resource problems.

So make sure you research Archaeostudies, and have the Faculty building constructed.
The Remnants origin starts your empire with both, and this removes the hard x0.1 modifier for finding this tech.

Generally i wouldn't always recommend the Archaeo-Engineering AP for every playthrough, however this removes the other x0.3 modifier so it becomes a more or less regular rare tech.

Technological Ascendancy is another AP i'd recommend in every game, though. This adds a decent x1.5 multiplier. And having a scientist with Archaeo Expertise won't hurt (you also get this from Remnants).


Another thing is that Cybernetics has your ruler reduce all building and district upkeep by 25%. This stacks with further upkeep reduction from an Official governor, and an Ecumenopolis set to its basic designation reduces it by another 20%.

So it should be possible to hit or get close to a 90% upkeep reduction, at least on selected expensive planets like a Ring World and Ecumenopolis.

Habitat districts only have Alloys upkeep, so that's something to look into. However i don't recommend using any habitats without either the Voidforged / Dweller Origin, or the Voidborne AP.

The already classic "Virtual Voidforged Individualistic Machine Megacorp" (VVIMM) build also ends up not having to produce any of these resources, because you only need comparably little of them so you can eventually buy everything via monthly trades from the Galactic Market.

Oh yeah I forgot about that building it's really good. I've literally just done the anomaly in my new playthrough which granted me that tech so I'm going to research it as soon as I start needing those exotics.

Thanks.

[CrUsHeR]

Yeah you occasionally get it from random digsites, but that is super-lucky.

In most games you only have like 3-5 or so digsites within reach, and most of them don't give any archaeo techs at all. Usually you get stuff like the Pulse Armor and such instead.

[RCMidas]

If you're really struggling for rare crystals and you're not playing Ironman (or you use backup saves on Ironman), it's probably worth save-scumming for the Whispers In The Stone digsite (Ancient Relics DLC required). It can spawning on a world with 2+ existing mining districts after you research Deep Core Mining, but it has some nasty caveats:

A) You won't know for sure until four months have passed, when the event stops being able to fire.

B) If you research any other technology at the same time or afterwards, it prevents the event from firing.

C) It only has a 5% chance to fire when the percentage roll happens sometime in those four months.

As a reward for the digsite, you'll get to upgrade your synthetic crystal plants into a tier 2 version, allowing 3 translucer jobs instead of just one. Plus a unique specimen if you've got Grand Archive.

[Bloodartist]

Originally posted by Alxndr:

In every single playthrough I always run into issues with exotic minerals upkeep.

The solution: Dont upgrade your buildings without thinking. Especially on your new planets with low population.

Higher tier buildings usually have exotic material upkeep that stacks up really quickly, and if they are on new planets with low pops, you get the full upkeep but not the benefits of the building itself because you dont yet have workers for that building.

This is sort of a trap that new players can easily fall into. Its a phenomenon that happens in other games as well, like citybuilders. Its possible to build too much too fast and then get dragged down by excessive costs. Upgrade buildings in your population hubs and major planets, but not in the others.

[Alxndr]

Originally posted by Bloodartist:

Originally posted by Alxndr:

In every single playthrough I always run into issues with exotic minerals upkeep.

The solution: Dont upgrade your buildings without thinking. Especially on your new planets with low population.

Higher tier buildings usually have exotic material upkeep that stacks up really quickly, and if they are on new planets with low pops, you get the full upkeep but not the benefits of the building itself because you dont yet have workers for that building.

This is sort of a trap that new players can easily fall into. Its a phenomenon that happens in other games as well, like citybuilders. Its possible to build too much too fast and then get dragged down by excessive costs. Upgrade buildings in your population hubs and major planets, but not in the others.

Yup definitely experienced this. I'll unlock advanced research labs and all my research lab buildings are suddenly upgradable so I'll just spam queue them all even though I don't have pops to work those jobs.