Debris Field
A cloud of fragmented material generated when infrastructure or a stellar object is destroyed in combat or through deliberate demolition. Debris fields are not part of the permanent world — they are created through gameplay events. They can be harvested by any player but cannot be claimed. They deplete as resources are extracted and eventually disappear.
Layer
Transient object. Debris fields are not world-generated stellar objects. They appear in a system as a consequence of destruction and exist until their resources are fully harvested or they decay naturally. They appear on the system map and can be targeted by fleets.
Goal
Give destruction a tangible economic consequence. When something is destroyed, the materials it was made from don't vanish — they scatter into space and can be recovered. This creates a scavenging dynamic and makes conflict economically interesting beyond the immediate winner/loser outcome.
Core Problem
Debris fields should feel like an opportunistic secondary mechanic — something that rewards players who respond quickly after a battle — rather than a primary economy layer. If they are too rich or too persistent, players will farm conflict rather than build holdings. If they are too sparse or too short-lived, they feel like a cosmetic afterthought.
Working Directions
Created by Destruction
A debris field is spawned when:
- A station is destroyed
- A holding is destroyed or demolished
- A large fleet engagement produces sufficient wreckage
The composition of the debris field reflects what was destroyed. A destroyed station built from Industrial Alloys produces a debris field rich in Industrial Alloys. A demolished extraction holding on a rocky planet produces Structural Materials.
Harvestable by Any Player
Debris fields are not claimable. Any fleet equipped for harvesting can extract from them. This means debris left after a battle is a common-access resource — the attacker, the defender, and opportunistic third parties can all compete for it.
Depletes Over Time
A debris field has a finite resource quantity set at creation. Extraction reduces it. When fully depleted the debris field disappears from the system. Fields may also decay slowly even without active extraction — materials drift, fragment further, or become unrecoverable.
Appears on the System Map
Debris fields are visible on the system map at the position where the destruction occurred. They are distinct visually from permanent stellar objects and carry an indicator of their remaining resource content.
Minimal Test Set
Not included in the initial build. Debris fields require destruction events to be generated, which in turn requires combat and demolition mechanics that are not yet implemented.
Open Questions
- What is the yield rate — what fraction of the destroyed object's resource value becomes recoverable debris?
- Should debris fields decay on a timer regardless of harvesting, or only deplete through active extraction?
- Should the harvesting mechanic require a dedicated fleet type or module, or can any fleet harvest?
- Can multiple fleets harvest the same debris field simultaneously, and if so, do they compete proportionally?
- Should players be notified when a debris field appears in a system they have visibility over?