Fuel
Processed propellant and reactor-grade fuel produced from raw Volatiles. Consumed continuously by active fleets and required for long-range logistics operations. No fuel means no fleet movement.
Tier
Tier 2 — Processing. Produced by processing sectors that consume Volatiles as input. Cannot be produced by an Extraction Sector regardless of the stellar object's composition.
Inputs
| Resource | Source tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Volatiles | Tier 1 | Must be delivered to the holding — can come from any source |
The processing holding does not need any local Volatiles occurrence. The raw input is supplied entirely through the logistics network.
Produced By
A processing sector branch that has specialized into fuel production (e.g. a fuel processing branch of an Extraction Sector). Output rate depends only on sector level and Volatiles input supply.
Consumed By
- Fleet upkeep (future) — active fleets consume Fuel continuously; a fleet that runs out of fuel cannot move or operate
- Long-range logistics (future) — transport ships moving resources between holdings consume Fuel per journey
- Sector operations (future) — some advanced sectors may consume Fuel as part of their operating cost
Strategic Notes
Fuel is the resource that makes everything else move. A player with large Fuel stockpiles can sustain extended fleet operations and project power far from their core holdings. A player who runs low on Fuel is forced to reduce fleet activity — effectively shrinking their strategic reach without a single battle being fought.
Because Volatiles come from object types that are hard to defend, often as specialized extraction outposts on gas giants and ice worlds with limited development space, the Fuel production chain is inherently fragile. A well-positioned opponent can attack the supply of Volatiles rather than the processed Fuel stockpile and slowly starve a fleet.
Fuel also creates an economic cost for aggression. A player who keeps a large fleet active permanently pays a higher Fuel drain than one who fields fleets only when needed. This creates a natural tension between sustained military readiness and economic efficiency.
Open Questions
- Is Fuel consumed per fleet movement (point-to-point cost) or as a continuous per-hour rate regardless of activity?
- Should a fleet that runs out of Fuel mid-transit halt in place, return to the nearest friendly holding, or complete its current leg at reduced capacity?
- Should there be a refined tier above Fuel (e.g. high-grade propellant or exotic fuel) for late-game fleet drives?