Resources

Version

This article has been verified for the current PC version (3.14) of the game.

Resources

Common resources

Minor artifacts

Astral threads

A gas giant with four units of research resources and one unit of the very rare Zro resource.

In Stellaris, the economy is based on the production and consumption of resources and services, either from a specific planet or throughout the empire. It relies primarily on pops working jobs to produce most resources, with mining or research stations built over space deposits as a secondary source. Certain buildings and other sources can produce resources as well.

Resources can vary from fairly common food crops to very rare substances such as dark matter and also abstract concepts such as influence and research.

There are two kinds of resources: Material and Abstract. In addition, certain empire capacities (e.g. naval capacity) or planetary values (e.g. amenities) are "produced" in a similar way to resources. If an empire's stored stockpile for a material resource drops to 0 with negative income, for most material resources it triggers a Shortage situation and for rare and abstract resources it gives an empire-wide penalty.

Resource storage capacity

All resources can be stockpiled. All empires have a 15,000 starting storage capacity for each material resource except energy, which has a 50,000 starting storage capacity. An empire can build Resource Silos planetary and starbase buildings to expand their storage capacity. In addition, when the Galactic Market is founded, all members of the Galactic Community gain 10,000 storage capacity, and researching Mega-Engineering adds 20,000 to an empire's storage capacity. When an empire's storage capacity for a resource is reached, any additional production of that resource is simply lost.

For abstract resources, only influence has a maximum storage capacity: 1,000. Unity and research have unlimited storage capacity; stored research is automatically used when researching a technology or special project, for more see stored research.

Material resources

Material resources are the primary means of developing an empire's infrastructure. Most construction – whether buildings, districts, ships, or other – requires at least one material resource. Additionally, material resources are used for most upkeep, from pops to ships to megastructures and more.

Resource deposits the empire does not have the technology to exploit will appear greyed out on map.

Basic resources

Basic resources are directly gathered from orbital deposits or by jobs from resource districts.

Resource	Main uses	Description
Energy credits	Clearing blockers Terraforming Campaign edicts Building upkeep Robot pop upkeep Market purchases	Energy Credits are stored units of transferrable energy that are essential for all space-faring empires. They are used for upkeep of Ships and Buildings, to clear planetary Blockers, and when making deals with others. To increase: Build Generator Districts Build Mining Stations on energy-rich Celestial Objects Sell on the Market
Minerals	Building and district construction Station construction Lithoid pop upkeep Refined into advanced resources	Minerals cover the basic resources used in construction. They are used to construct planetary Buildings and Civilian Space Stations. They can also be refined into Alloys or Consumer Goods. To increase: Build Mining Districts Build Mining Stations on mineral-rich Celestial Objects Buy on the Market
Food	Biological pop upkeep Colony ships for biological empires	Food represents the various nutrients required to sustain and grow Pops. To increase: Build Agriculture Districts Buy on the Market Machine Intelligences generally do not use this resource.

Advanced resources

Advanced resources are produced by jobs which refine them from minerals.

Resource	Main uses	Description
Alloys	Starbase and ship construction Ship upkeep Megastructure construction	Alloys are advanced resources with significant military applications. Among other things, they are used to construct Civilian Ships, Military Ships, Starbases, and Megastructures. To increase: Build Industrial Districts Build Alloy Foundries Buy on the Market
Consumer goods	Gestalt Consciousness empires do not use or produce consumer goods unless they: are a Rogue Servitor or Obsessional Directive empire have some kind of monthly consumer goods expense (for instance, paying contribution to a subject or overlord) Pop living standards upkeep Various specialist jobs upkeep Colony ship construction (unless Gestalt Consciousness)	Consumer Goods are an advanced resource that include the various gadgets, luxuries, and equipment necessary to give Pops a good life. Some Jobs require these to be performed, such as Researcher or Priest. To increase: Build Industrial Districts Build Civilian Industries Buy on the Market Hive Minds do not use this resource. Machine Intelligences generally do not use this resource.

Strategic resources

Strategic resources are specialized resources required to both build and maintain advanced buildings and ship components. They are harder to obtain than the common basic and advanced resources and are therefore also much more highly valued. Strategic resources can be obtained by either extracting them from natural space or planetary deposits or manufacturing them synthetically. Natural strategic resource deposits are always visible but requires specific technologies to exploit. Synthetic versions are produced from minerals, albeit at a steep price. All strategic resources can also be manufactured from Fallen Empires' Dimensional Fabricator buildings.

Resource	Main uses	Required tech (either)	Major source	Description
Exotic Gases	Advanced plasma weapon components Advanced shield components Strategic resource edicts Advanced buildings cost and upkeep  Cyto-Revitalization Center Hall of Judgement Energy Nexus Advanced research buildings Hyper-Entertainment Forums Executive Retreat Organic Paradise Gaia Seeders	Exotic Gas Extraction Exotic Gas Refining	Exotic Gas Refineries Planetary features Nebula Refinery Gas giant deposits Toxic world deposits	Rare and exotic gases with a variety of uses, particularly in the operation of advanced energy-based weaponry and force fields. Some of the gases can also be used as starship fuel or even as recreational drugs.
Rare Crystals	Advanced laser weapon components Advanced hull components Strategic resource edicts Advanced buildings cost and upkeep  Advanced consumer goods buildings Commerce Megaplexes Advanced housing buildings Advanced unity buildings Xeno-Outreach Agency	Rare Crystal Mining Rare Crystal Manufacturing	Synthetic Crystal Plants Planetary features Ice asteroid deposits Frozen world deposits	These crystals have properties that make them extremely effective at focusing laser beams, and they are also a critical component in most advanced electronics. In addition, many cultures treasure them as decorations and adornments.
Volatile Motes	Advanced kinetic and missile weapon components Strategic resource edicts Advanced buildings cost and upkeep  Food Processing Centers Mineral Purification Hubs Advanced alloys buildings Fortress	Mote Stabilization Volatile Material Plants	Chemical Plants Planetary features Asteroid deposits Molten world deposits	These preternatural particles contain a tremendous amount of energy which could be exploited in energy production, as fuel or even as explosives.

Rare resources

Rare resources which cannot be manufactured by regular empires. Space and planetary deposits of these resources are much less common than even the regular strategic resources. Fallen Empires' Dimensional Fabricator buildings are uniquely able to produce the following resources, making them highly desirable.

Resource	Main uses	Required tech	Major source	Shortage effects	Description
Zro	Psionic Shields component Sight Beyond Sight edict Zro Additives edict Zro Catalysis edict	Zro Distillation	Toxic world deposits Gas giant anomalies	Cancels all edicts that use Zro	An extremely rare aerosol of exotic particles. It has been deposited on a number of worlds through meteor impacts, but its true origin is a mystery. If ingested by psionically-gifted individuals, zro acts as a very potent (and addictive) drug that enhances PSI abilities.
Dark Matter	Dark Matter Deflectors component Dark Matter Reactor component Dark Matter Thrusters component Star-Eater construction Aetherophasic Engine upgrade	Dark Matter Drawing	Black hole deposits Black Hole Observatory Star-Eaters	−30% Resources from Jobs −75% Sublight Speed −75% Planetary Build Speed	This exotic substance has many properties that seemingly defy several natural laws. Harvestable concentrations can only be found near Black Holes or in certain nebulas.
Living Metal	Living Reactive Armor Living Metal Mega-Construction edict	Living Metal	Anomaly deposits Destroyed Contingency Sterilization Hubs Sentinels archaeology site Sold rarely by the caravaneers	−30% Resources from Jobs	This inorganic metal shows characteristics usually seen only in biological life forms. It will always attempt to regenerate back into the shape it was stabilized into.
Nanites	Nanite ship components Nanite Transmuter building upkeep Nanite Actuators edict	—	Nanite Harvester L-Cluster celestial objects Nanotech buildings Broken world in Scavenger Bot system	Nanotech buildings stop working	Simple but powerful nanoactuators, allowing for complex manipulations and experiments of macroscopic scales.

Abstract resources

Abstract resources represent an empire's sociopolitical and technological capabilities.

Resource	Main uses	Shortage effects	Description & notes
Influence	Making claims Building outposts Decisions that increase planet size Megastructures that improve movement Artificial planets Diplomatic pacts upkeep Modifying subject agreements Integrating subjects	−20% Happiness	Influence represents political clout. It is used for strategic actions, for example to build Outposts, make Claims, and maintain Diplomatic Pacts. Generation of Influence remains fairly stable, but it can be improved. To increase: Declare other empires Rivals Supplement Power Projection by supporting a large Navy Size relative to Empire Size
Unity	Leader recruitment and upkeep Unlocking Traditions Edicts cost and upkeep Planetary decisions cost Influencing elections Reforming the government Faction Interactions	−20 Stability −100% Governing Ethics Attraction	Unity reflects a society's collective resolve and ideological strength. It embodies the shared purpose that binds a people together, guiding their institutions and governance. It is essential for internal affairs, for example to unlock new Traditions, recruit Leaders, ascend Colonies, enact Edicts, and manage Resettlement. To increase: Construct Buildings with Jobs that produce Unity Improve the approval and support of Factions Adopt the Mercantile tradition Adaptive Economic Policies and change Trade Policy
Research	Researching technologies Researching special projects		Physics Research is one of three fields of study, collecting technologies in areas like Computing, Field Manipulation, and Particles. Society Research is one of three fields of study, collecting technologies in areas like Biology, Statecraft, and New Worlds. Engineering Research is one of three fields of study, collecting technologies in areas like Industry, Propulsion, and Voidcraft. Stored Research is received from certain events or when no research is selected. Each month, Stored Research equal to the Monthly Gain is used, increasing research speed. To increase: Utilize certain Jobs, for example from Research Labs Use Construction Ships to build Research Stations around research-rich Celestial Objects

Crisis resources

See also: Player crises

Player crises use special abstract resources to advance along the crisis path.

Galactic Nemesis

This crisis path uses menace, which is only gained and never spent.

Cosmogenesis

This crisis path uses advanced logic, which can be spent on buildings and districts for the Synaptic Lathe, as well as the Horizon Needle.

Trade value

Main article: Trade

Trade value is not strictly a resource; thus it cannot be stockpiled and instead is collected at the capital via trade routes and converted monthly into energy credits, consumer goods and / or unity based on the empire's trade policy. Gestalt Consciousness empires cannot and do not use trade value.

Resource	Major source	Description
Trade value	Pops (varies based on Living Standards, Civics and/or Traits) Various jobs Galactic Stock Exchange building increases planetary overall trade value Celestial object deposits (no stations required) Branch Office buildings	Trade Value represents civilian day-to-day economic activity. Starbases collect Trade Value and convert it into resources such as Energy Credits if connected to your capital planet through a Trade Route. Trade Value that is directly collected by your capital Starbase does not need a trade route to generate resources.

References

Game concepts