Resources & Mining
Raw resources are the foundation of everything you build. There are two families of raw materials, each found in different places across the universe.
Resource Types
| Type | Appearance | Found On |
|---|---|---|
| Ores | Coloured rock chunks | Asteroids, planet surfaces |
| Crystal Shards | Glowing crystalline | Asteroids, planet surfaces |
Each ore and shard type has a different colour and name (e.g. Threns Ore, Hattel Shards). For basic crafting the specific type matters less than whether it is an ore or a shard — you just need enough of either to start.
Where to Find Resources
Asteroids
Asteroid fields appear as clusters of grey-brown irregular objects in space. Each asteroid type always contains the same mineral type — once you know what a particular asteroid looks like, you know what it will drop.
Planets
Planet surfaces contain ore and shard deposits, but they are more sparsely distributed than asteroids. Each planet face has two random resource types which are set when the planet generates.
Planets are large — flying across the surface to locate veins takes time, but they can yield large quantities in one location once found.
How to Mine
As an Astronaut
- Hold the right mouse button while looking at a resource block. Your character fires a mining beam.
- The block breaks after a short duration and drops items into your inventory automatically.
- Make sure no weapon is selected (scroll past the last weapon slot or press the mouse wheel to deselect).
With a Ship
Build a Salvage Computer and Salvage Beam Modules on your ship (same setup as weapons). Aim the salvage beam at asteroid or planet blocks to harvest them rapidly. Ships can mine much faster than astronaut mode and collect materials directly into the ship's storage.
Processing Raw Materials
Raw ores and shards cannot be used directly — they must be processed into capsules first, then into crafting ingredients.
See Crafting Basics for the full processing chain.
Quick Resource Reference
| Ingredient | Source |
|---|---|
| Ore capsule | Process ore in personal capsule refinery or factory |
| Shard capsule | Process crystal shards in personal capsule refinery or factory |
| Metal Mesh | 10 ore capsules in personal micro-factory or factory |
| Crystal Circuit | 10 shard capsules in personal micro-factory or factory |
Both Metal Mesh and Crystal Circuit are the base ingredients for nearly every craftable block in the game.