Industry
Build a connected factory at each station. Industry materials and jobs are separate from regular mines and shipyard queues. Finished ships join your regular fleet, not a warehouse.
Start and expand
Unlock Industry Technology level 1 in Research → Engineering for the current galaxy. It starts at +1% output and storage; every fifth completed level adds another level-one bonus before 1% per-level compounding of that bonus. Level 1 costs 32 base RP, growing exponentially for later levels before completed other-domain tier surcharges. The effect covers Industry recipe yields and buffers, Transport throughput, ordinary resource mines and planetary storage.
Ingredients and run durations are unchanged. Fractional Industry yield carries into later runs of the same recipe on the same module; only whole items or ships are delivered. Active paid runs retain their original yield. Separate Engineering efficiency upgrades still improve production speed.
Until unlocked, you cannot open the factory canvas or perform Industry actions, and existing production, assembly and automatic transport are paused. Factories, stored materials and embedded ships are preserved. Work resumes after unlocking without earning production for the paused period.
On PC and tablet, the factory canvas fills the available space below the header down to the footer. Module details scroll independently beside the canvas; phones retain the stacked layout.
- Click the single empty starting slot and install an Extractor.
- Select its tile to see production slots and four arrow buttons in the details pane.
- Press an arrow to activate a connecting node on that side. A blank slot appears beyond it.
- Select the node, or press its active arrow in the tile details, to change Input or Output. Directions are relative to the tile named in the details. A connected neighbour automatically uses the opposite direction.
- Select the new slot and choose Warehouse, Extractor, Refiner, Factory, Assembly, or Transport. Expand in any direction, up to 24 installed modules per station.
Drag the canvas to pan. Use the zoom buttons, mouse wheel, or a two-finger pinch to zoom; Fit centres the factory. The focused canvas also supports arrow keys and +/−. Tile/node selection and camera position survive an action redirect. The layout follows the building/details workspace and stacks on smaller screens.
Modules do not cost operating credits or fuel. Those budgets, per-route cargo commitments, and the lifetime delivered-ship counter have been retired.
Edit connections and filters
Use Save node to change direction and filtering together. Allow all materials is the default. Choose Include only selected materials to pass only one or two selected materials, or Exclude selected materials to block them and allow other compatible materials. Blocked stock stays at its source; filters never override a destination's ingredient requirements. Both ends share the filter, including after reversing direction. These filters govern local material connections, not finished ship delivery or remote transport destinations.
Delete node disconnects both ends without deleting either module or its stock. An unused expansion slot disappears; existing modules remain and can be reconnected with their arrow buttons. Deleting or reversing an assembler's configured output clears that output policy for future ships, returning it to local delivery. Finished shipments are not recalled.
Removing structures
Select any structure, including the starting Extractor, and use Delete structure in its details. Stop production and let active batches finish first. Confirm that you want to permanently discard the structure and its stored materials. Embedded cargo ships return to the producing station automatically; finished ships already delivered are unaffected.
Only the selected structure and its connecting nodes are removed. Neighboring structures and their stock stay intact. Reconnect them with their arrow buttons to build in the vacated space. Deletion frees a module slot and its type limit. If you delete the entire factory, start again with an Extractor; research is not reset. Delete node only disconnects the selected connection, keeping structures and materials.
Engineering upgrades and node limits
Every station starts with a limit of two of each module type, while the overall ceiling remains 24 modules per station. The build picker shows each type's current count and limit. Existing modules above a new limit are kept and remain usable, including after a research reset; you cannot add more of that type until the limit is raised or its count falls below the limit.
Ten Engineering researches improve Industry, with maximum level 10 and 32 base RP at level 1, growing exponentially for later levels before other-domain tier surcharges. Their whole-number module limits and percentage speed bonuses use tier progression; check each selected Research preview.
| Research | Starting level-one bonus |
|---|---|
| Warehouse Expansion | +1 Warehouse allowed per station |
| Extractor Expansion | +1 Extractor allowed per station |
| Refinery Expansion | +1 Refiner allowed per station |
| Factory Expansion | +1 Factory allowed per station |
| Assembly Expansion | +1 Assembly allowed per station |
| Transport Expansion | +1 Transport allowed per station |
| Extraction Efficiency | +5 percentage points of Extractor production speed |
| Refining Efficiency | +5 percentage points of Refiner production speed |
| Fabrication Efficiency | +5 percentage points of Factory production speed |
| Assembly Efficiency | +5 percentage points of Assembly production speed |
The expansion limit is 2 + completed research level, up to 12 of that type within the 24-module site ceiling. Levels apply to every owned station in the same playable galaxy, but each station counts its own modules. Partial RP investment does not grant bonuses. Connection ports remain limited to the four sides of each module.
At efficiency level 10, nominal production speed is +50%. Effective run duration is base seconds / (1 + bonus / 100), rounded up to a whole second. Inputs, outputs per run, storage capacities, job slots, cargo capacities and transport intervals do not change. Active runs finish with their original timing; subsequent runs use the new bonus after the worker has caught up. Research never retroactively speeds up offline production. Recipe and extractor hourly rates use these effective timings.
Materials and production
Extractors, Refiners and Factories have two production slots each. Assembly has one. Select a recipe and start continuous production. The details list required ingredients and outputs per run, plus output per hour for each active slot. Whole items become available as production earns them, rather than waiting for an hourly payout. For example, an extractor produces a base ten ore per 30 seconds, equivalent to 1,200 per hour per active slot before Industry Technology yield and efficiency bonuses. Rates assume uninterrupted supply and storage; the server processes production in bounded steps.
Adjacent Output → Input nodes automatically pass compatible materials. Production modules have separate input and output buffers with a 100,000-unit base capacity each. A Warehouse has one material store with a 100,000-unit base capacity shared by all its nodes; it does not store ships. Industry Technology increases these capacities, so use the displayed current limit. Multiple outgoing nodes share available stock; they do not duplicate it.
The times below are base durations before efficiency research. The complete material and ship recipe list follows. Ordinary Metal, Crystal, Deuterium and Fuel Cells can also be refined here: these are Industry-buffer goods until transported or traded, not automatically deposited in your station's ordinary resource balance.
| Module and recipe | Inputs per run | Base output | Base run time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extract iron ore, copper ore, silica or carbon | Planetary deposits | 10 of the selected material | 30s |
| Smelt steel | 2 iron ore + 1 carbon | 2 steel | 45s |
| Refine copper | 2 copper ore | 2 copper | 45s |
| Silicon wafers | 2 silica | 2 wafer | 45s |
| Synthesize polymer | 2 carbon | 2 polymer | 45s |
| Cast metal plates | 2 steel + 1 copper | 3 metal | 60s |
| Grow crystal lattice | 2 wafer + 1 polymer | 3 crystal | 60s |
| Distil deuterium | 2 carbon + 1 steel + 1 polymer | 1 deuterium | 120s |
| Charge fuel cells | 1 deuterium + 1 crystal | 3 Fuel Cells | 75s |
| Hull sections | 4 steel + 2 polymer | 1 hull | 60s |
| Control circuits | 2 copper + 1 wafer | 1 circuit | 60s |
| Armour plating | 3 metal + 2 steel + 1 crystal | 1 armour | 90s |
| Shield emitters | 2 crystal + 1 circuit + 2 wafer | 1 shield | 90s |
| Sensor arrays | 1 circuit + 1 crystal + 1 copper | 1 sensor | 75s |
| Drive engines | 2 steel + 1 circuit + 2 metal | 1 engine | 120s |
| Ion thrusters | 1 engine + 2 metal + 1 polymer | 1 ion | 150s |
| Warp cores | 1 ion + 3 crystal + 2 circuit | 1 warp | 240s |
| Fusion reactors | 1 engine + 3 deuterium + 2 metal | 1 fusion | 240s |
| Quantum drives | 1 warp + 1 fusion + 1 shield | 1 quantum | 420s |
| Graviton projectors | 1 quantum + 4 crystal + 1 fusion | 1 graviton | 600s |
| Assemble Light Fighter | 2 hull + 2 circuit + 1 engine | 1 Light Fighter | 120s |
| Assemble Heavy Fighter | 3 hull + 3 circuit + 2 engine | 1 Heavy Fighter | 200s |
| Assemble Cruiser | 5 hull + 5 circuit + 4 engine + 1 sensor | 1 Cruiser | 300s |
| Assemble Battleship | 10 hull + 8 circuit + 6 engine + 4 armour | 1 Battleship | 600s |
| Assemble Battlecruiser | 12 hull + 10 circuit + 6 engine + 5 armour + 2 ion | 1 Battlecruiser | 900s |
| Assemble Bomber | 12 hull + 8 circuit + 6 engine + 4 armour + 1 fusion | 1 Bomber | 900s |
| Assemble Destroyer | 18 hull + 12 circuit + 8 engine + 6 armour + 3 ion + 2 fusion | 1 Destroyer | 1,500s |
| Assemble Deathstar | 80 hull + 60 circuit + 40 engine + 30 armour + 5 quantum + 2 graviton | 1 Deathstar | 7,200s |
| Assemble Small Cargo | 2 hull + 2 circuit + 1 engine | 1 Small Cargo | 180s |
| Assemble Large Cargo | 6 hull + 6 circuit + 2 engine | 1 Large Cargo | 360s |
| Assemble Heavy Freighter | 10 hull + 8 circuit + 4 engine + 2 shield + 2 sensor | 1 Heavy Freighter | 600s |
| Assemble Recycler | 8 hull + 6 circuit + 3 engine | 1 Recycler | 400s |
| Assemble Reaper | 8 hull + 6 circuit + 3 engine + 2 armour | 1 Reaper | 450s |
| Assemble Espionage Probe | 1 hull + 2 circuit + 1 sensor | 1 Espionage Probe | 90s |
| Assemble Pathfinder | 6 hull + 6 circuit + 4 engine + 3 sensor + 1 warp | 1 Pathfinder | 600s |
| Assemble Solar Satellite | 1 hull + 1 circuit + 2 wafer | 1 Solar Satellite | 120s |
Inputs and output space are reserved when a run starts. Missing inputs or full output storage pause subsequent runs. Stop after this batch finishes the current reserved run; waiting production can stop immediately. Work continues while you are offline. Older in-flight batches complete once on their existing timer before repeating with incremental output. Reload the page to see updated status and storage.
Any working production slot activates its tile's border spinner, even if another slot is empty (steady with reduced motion). Empty, stopped or partly supplied tiles remain gold; missing required materials or full output storage remain red. Warehouse image backgrounds fill from bottom to top to show the fraction of their current capacity in use; selecting one shows the stored total.
Selecting an Extractor shows only the materials chosen in that extractor's production slots. Its hourly output combines matching active slots using the same effective production rules as the engine, not the whole recipe catalogue. Stopped, completed or blocked slots contribute zero to the current rate; their configured capacity is shown separately. An unconfigured extractor prompts you to choose a recipe. These rates are a snapshot at the last server update, not a measured history of deliveries through its connections.
Transport
Install a Transport tile and embed Small or Large Cargo available at that station. Embedded ships leave the available fleet and cannot be used elsewhere until returned. Set the number to zero to return them.
- Choose connected local nodes, or another owned station in the same playable galaxy. A remote destination needs an Industry Warehouse with free space.
- Set a fixed interval from 15 to 3,600 seconds; the default is 60 seconds.
- Each interval moves up to 5,000 material units per Small Cargo, or 25,000 per Large Cargo. Capacity is shared across materials and destinations, not multiplied for each node.
- Full or unavailable remote storage leaves materials at the source for a later interval. Transport sends Industry materials, not ordinary station balances.
- Industry transport creates no transport/deploy missions, uses no fleet slots and incurs no operating-credit or operating-fuel charges.
Automatic Exchange trading
Select a Transport and choose Exchange: automatically sell or Exchange: automatically buy as its destination mode. No fleet mission or extra operating-fuel charge is created. Each configured interval completes one cargo-limited trip, including while offline.
- Sell: materials held by that Transport sell at the current Exchange unit price, without a bid/ask spread; quantity batches move the shared market within its current movement budget. Proceeds enter your galaxy's Credit wallet. Unsold goods stay in the Transport when trading is paused, the wallet is full, or the lot earns less than one Credit.
- Buy: choose one Industry material, a quantity per trip, and a maximum Credit spend per trip. The order is bounded by cargo capacity and free Transport storage. Over-budget or unaffordable orders are skipped without charging you. Successful purchases enter the Transport and unload through its connected local output nodes, respecting their direction and material filters. Blocked goods remain stored; purchases stop when the Transport is full.
- Purchases repeat while enabled, not just once. Change the destination mode to stop Exchange automation, or set embedded ships to zero to return the cargo fleet.
- The Transport displays the last successful trade and any current refusal. A retry cannot charge or pay for the same trip twice.
- All Industry raw materials, refined materials and components have Exchange markets. Industry-only materials start from reference production time plus ingredient value. Metal, Crystal, Deuterium and Fuel Cells keep their mine/fusion-derived resource values instead. Their shared resource markets are also used by ordinary Exchange orders, but the goods stay in the inventory you traded from: Transport trades use Industry storage, not ordinary station balances.
- Price impact uses 10-unit lots for ordinary resources and extracted Industry deposits, 2-unit lots for steel/copper/wafer/polymer, and 1-unit lots for components and ships. Full and partial batches each move the price once, within the item's shared buy/sell movement budget; units settle at the current unit price. Splitting into part-lots can spend more of that budget. Personal research yields do not change these batch sizes.
Assembly outputs
Every ship the Exchange sells can be assembled in Industry, from the Light Fighter and Espionage Probe up to the Deathstar. Each recipe lists missing requirements in the Assembly tile, and starting it checks current levels at the producing station: the Light Fighter and Solar Satellite need Shipyard 1, escalating to Shipyard 12 plus Graviton Technology 1 for the Deathstar, Pathfinder Research and Gravitational Navigation for the Pathfinder, and Recycler Upgrades for the Reaper. By default, completed ships immediately enter the producing station's available fleet when server production is processed.
Select an Assembly output node to choose one ship-delivery policy for that assembler:
- Keep completed ships on the producing station.
- Automatically deploy them to another owned station in the same playable galaxy, without a fleet mission.
- Automatically sell newly produced ships for galaxy Credits at the Exchange's current unit price without a sell spread, subject to its batch movement budget. Existing fleet ships are not sold.
Changing that configured node to Input resets the assembler to local delivery. If the target planet is no longer owned, or the Exchange cannot accept a sale, completed ships remain on the producing station and a notice explains why.
Existing factories and closing
Existing modules and material stocks are preserved during the first server processing/action after the update. Unspent operating credits and fuel return to their original wallet/planet; old route cargo returns to the fleet, and in-flight materials reach their destination buffer. Reconnect preserved tiles with the new nodes. Legacy scouts convert to Light Fighters; already-running scout batches finish once without repeating.
To close a site, return embedded cargo, stop repeating jobs and let running batches finish. Close site requires confirmation and permanently discards the modules and stored Industry materials. Delivered ships remain in the fleet. Close Industry before abandoning its station.