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= Asteroid Harvesting =
= Asteroid Harvesting =
Asteroid Harvesting is a fleet-based resource extraction system where players deploy Orbital Refineries to process finite asteroid nodes.
'''Asteroid Harvesting''' lets commanders send [[Orbital Refinery|Orbital Refineries]] to mine ore fields that appear on the galaxy map. Harvesting unlocks from '''Realm 2'''. Asteroids are map fields — not expedition nodes or pirate drops.


Unlike mines, asteroid nodes:
----


* Have finite resource pools
== Finding asteroids ==
* Require active fleet deployment
* Scale by realm
* Become contested in higher realms


== System Overview ==
* Asteroid fields spawn in '''habitable systems''' (up to '''2''' fields per system, typically in outer slots).
Asteroid harvesting consists of:
* New fields appear in galaxies at '''Realm 2+''' (Realm 1 galaxies do not spawn new fields).
* After a field is fully depleted, that slot stays empty for about '''12–24 hours''', then can receive a new field.
* Fields are visible on the map when they spawn. A moon '''Sensor Tower''' system scan can reveal composition and yield intel — it is not required to launch a harvest.


# Discovering a node
Related: [[Expeditions]] (nebula runs are a separate system).
# Scanning it for composition
# Deploying Orbital Refineries
# Extracting refined resources
# Transporting output via Orbital Refineries or Cargo ships


Nodes are temporary and disappear when fully processed.
----


== Node Discovery ==
== Ore size & density ==
Each field rolls a '''base ore''' from its realm, then multiplies by '''density''' and a small variance (about '''×1.0–1.4''').


=== Spawn Sources by Realm ===
=== Base ore by realm ===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Realm
!Realm
!Discovery Source
!Base ore
|-
|-
|Realm 2
|1
|Pirate Bases drop node coordinates
|1,000,000
|-
|-
|Realm 3
|2
|Expeditions reveal anomalous clusters
|10,000,000
|-
|-
|Realm 4+
|3
|Legendary pirate raids and alliance events
|100,000,000
|}
Nodes are visible and can be harvested immediately.
 
== Node Properties ==
Each asteroid node contains:
 
* Finite resource pool
* Mixed composition
* Possible rare drops
 
=== Node Size by Realm ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Realm
!Node Size Range
!PvP Risk
|-
|R2
|5,000,000 – 30,000,000
|None
|-
|R3
|10,000,000 – 60,000,000
|Pirate convoy risk
|-
|-
|R4+
|4
|30,000,000 – 100,000,000
|500,000,000
|Full PvP enabled
|}
|}


=== Resource Composition ===
=== Density tiers ===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Resource Type
!Tier
!Distribution
!Multiplier
!Approx. spawn weight
|-
|-
|Regular (Steel, Quartz,)
|Sparse
|70–80%
|×1
|~30%
|-
|-
|Rare Traces (Realm-dependent)
|Normal
|20–30%
|×2
|~45%
|-
|-
|Special Drops
|Dense
|2-3%
|×4
|}
|~20%
Rare trace resources by realm:
{| class="wikitable"
!Realm
!Rare Resources
|-
|-
|R2
|Ultra Dense
|Iridium (5–10%)
|×8
|~4%
|-
|-
|R3
|Hyper Dense
|Silicium (10–15%), Iridium (5%)
|×400
|-
|~1%
|R4+
|Elerium (10–20%), Silicium (10%), Iridium (5–10%)
|}
|}
Special Drops may include:


* Relic pieces
Hyper Dense fields are rare jackpots (especially in Realm 4).
* Boost items
 
=== Composition ===
Each field has a rolled mix of '''2–5''' ores from steel / quartz / iridium / silicium / elerium. Asteroids do '''not''' yield gas.
 
Composition follows the system's '''Common Deposit''' and '''Rare Deposit''' (visible on the system overlay / scout reports):
 
* The system's common deposit is always present and makes up most of the yield
* The system's rare deposit is often included (~70%) at '''9–10%'''; other rares that appear stay at '''3–5%''' (hard-capped at 10% / 5%)
* Remaining slots are filled with other unlocked ores at random (rares from Realm 2+, elerium from Realm 3+)
* Systems whose common deposit is '''gas''' still roll steel/quartz for asteroids (no gas yield)
 
'''Example:''' A steel + elerium system might spawn steel 72% / quartz 20% / elerium 8%, or a leaner steel 91% / elerium 9% field with only two ores.
 
----
 
== Idle growth (Realm 2+) ==
Untouched fields (never mined) can slowly grow while idle:
 
* Must sit idle at least '''~24 hours''' since last update
* About '''+5%''' ore per growth period (can stack across ticks)
* Growth can '''promote''' the field to a higher density tier when ore crosses the next tier’s minimum
* Growth is capped (roughly '''3.5×''' the spawn maximum for that realm/density path)
 
Once anyone starts mining, idle growth stops for that field.
 
=== Uncollected Ultra Dense — leaving the system ===
Fields that reach '''Ultra Dense''' or '''Hyper Dense''' and are never mined do not stay forever — otherwise quiet regions would fill with permanent max-size jackpots as idle growth promotes every slot.
 
* Idle growth keeps refreshing the field while ore is still increasing
* Once growth stops (the field is at its size cap) and nobody has started mining, the field '''leaves the system''' after about '''3 days''' of sitting unchanged
* The slot then restarts the normal empty cooldown / respawn cycle
* Starting a harvest (even a small one) counts as claimed for this rule — partially mined fields use the usual leftover-ore cleanup instead
 
'''Example:''' A Dense field grows until it promotes to Ultra Dense and hits its ore cap. If no Orbital Refineries arrive within roughly three days after growth stops, the jackpot drifts out of the system so a fresh field can appear later.
 
----


== Fleet Requirements ==
== How to harvest ==


=== Orbital Refinery (Mandatory) ===
=== Requirements ===
The Orbital Refinery is required to process asteroid nodes. To improve harvest capacity and increase harvest cycle, [[Advanced Resource Extraction]] and [[Debris Mastery]] researches.


Base Stats by Realm:
* Realm '''2+'''
{| class="wikitable"
* [[Orbital Refinery]] ships (the only harvest-capable hull)
!Realm
* A free harvest mission slot for that asteroid (you cannot run two of your own harvests on the same field at once)
!Processing Power
!Refinery Hold Capacity
|-
|R2+
|3,000 units/cycle
|40,000
|}
Functions:


* Extracts and refines raw asteroid materials
[[Recycler]] and [[Advanced Recycler]] collect '''debris only''' — they cannot harvest asteroids.
* Stores processed output internally
* Halts if internal storage becomes full


=== Cargo Ships (Optional) ===
=== Mission flow ===
Cargo ships:


* Remove refined resources from refinery hold
# Select an asteroid on the map and launch Orbital Refineries.
* Allow continuous processing
# The fleet travels, then harvests in '''ticks''' until cargo is full, the field is depleted, or the cycle limit is reached.
* Prevent idle time
# The fleet returns with resources.


At later realms, without cargo ships, refineries frequently stop due to full storage.
=== Harvest ticks ===
Tick length scales by realm (defaults about '''5 / 3 / 2 minutes''' for Realms 2 / 3 / 4), with class and research floors:


== Processing Mechanics ==
* Most classes: tick floor around '''3 minutes'''
* [[Player Classes|Industrialist]] / [[Player Classes|Guardian]]: floor around '''1 minute'''
* [[Advanced Resource Extraction]]: about '''−1% tick interval per level''' (cannot go below '''30%''' of the base interval)


=== Core Processing Formula ===
Maximum ticks per mission (before ship cycle caps) are higher in later realms (about '''8 / 12 / 16''' for R2 / R3 / R4), further improved by [[Debris Mastery]]. Each Orbital Refinery also has a ship '''harvest cycle''' limit (catalog default '''15''').
<pre>
Processing Time = Node Size ÷ (Number of Refineries × Processing Power)
</pre>Example (Realm 2, 200,000 node):<pre>
1 Refinery:
200,000 ÷ 2,000 = 100 minutes


3 Refineries:
=== Speed & cargo ===
200,000 ÷ (3 × 2,000) = ~33 minutes
</pre>


== Untouched asteroid ore growth ==
* Each Orbital Refinery contributes harvest speed (catalog '''3,000''' ore per tick per ship).
Some asteroid fields slowly gain more ore over time if no one has mined them. Once players start taking ore from a field, it stops growing this way until it is fully untouched again (same amount left as when it was last “full”).
* Only the first '''1,000,000''' refineries in a fleet count toward '''speed'''; extras still add '''cargo'''.
* Speed also rises from Advanced Resource Extraction, monuments, and Guardian class bonuses.
* Cargo uses all ships’ cargo capacity (including [[Trade Networks]] and [[Galactic Commerce]] bonuses).
* One-click harvest prefers cargo ships (megahaulers / freighters / cargo ships) to cover holds. If those are not enough, it may send extra Orbital Refineries beyond the speed cap — those extras only haul, they do not mine faster.


=== Which ones qualify ===
Ore converts to resources with Industrial Supremacy / Planetary Engineering efficiency bonuses where applicable.


* The field must be completely untouched: no ore has been removed yet.
=== Harvest reports ===
* The field must have been idle long enough (about a day of real time between growth steps—exact timing can be tuned for balance).
* Growth is not unlimited: each field has a maximum size it can reach.


=== Maximum size ===
* '''Ore Processed''' is raw ore taken from the field. '''Ore → Resource Rate''' turns that into refined resources (steel / quartz / etc.).
The cap is based on the realm and how rich that asteroid type is (density). Richer fields can grow to a higher cap than sparse ones. The cap is a multiple of what a “very lucky” fresh spawn of that type could roll—so growth rewards quiet, unmolested fields but does not exceed a designed ceiling.
* '''Ore Per Cycle / Ore Per Minute''' are based on raw ore, not refined resources.
* The report shows how many Orbital Refineries '''actually mined''' versus how many were '''sent''' (and the speed cap). Sending more than the cap does not increase dig speed.
* A mission can end with '''Cargo Full''', '''Asteroid Depleted''', or '''Cycle Limit Reached''' (maximum ticks for that mission). Cycle limit does not mean the field is empty — you can send another harvest if ore remains.


=== How growth works (simple) ===
=== Contested systems ===
Each time a field is eligible, its total ore is increased by a percentage, and that percentage stacks over time:
In contested / vulnerable alliance systems, harvest yields can be reduced (siege income factor, typically about '''half'''). See [[Territory Siege]] / [[Alliance Territory]].


* Think of each idle day (approximately) as one growth step.
----
* Each step multiplies ore by roughly (100% + growth rate). For example, with a 5% growth rate per step, one step is about ×1.05.
* If a field has been idle for several days before the game applies growth, it may apply several steps at once—but only up to a small cap on how many steps can fire in one go (so a field does not jump from empty-to-cap in a single instant).


In short:<pre>
== Practical tips ==
new ore = min(realm cap, current ore * (1 + r)^n)
</pre>


* (r) = growth rate per step (e.g. 5% → use 0.05 in ((1+r))).
* Scout Hyper Dense and Ultra Dense fields early — they are rare, and unclaimed Ultra Dense+ fields leave the system about '''3 days''' after idle growth stops.
* (n) = number of idle steps applied that time (at least 1, limited to a small maximum so catch-up is controlled).
* Bring enough cargo; missions end when holds fill even if ore remains.
* Result is rounded down and cannot exceed the field’s cap.
* Don’t expect Recyclers to mine — use Orbital Refineries only.
* Sensor Tower intel helps pick valuable compositions before you commit travel time.
* Idle growth rewards patience on untouched fields in R2+, but claim capped Ultra Dense jackpots before they drift away.


After a growth step, the clock for “idle time” starts again from that moment, so steady growth feels like roughly one step per idle period, unless the field sat idle longer and catches up a few steps at once.
----


=== What players should remember ===
== References ==


* Untouched fields in eligible realms slowly grow toward a cap.
* [[Orbital Refinery]] · [[Advanced Resource Extraction]] · [[Debris Mastery]] · [[Sensor Array]] · [[Asteroid Mining]] · [[Expeditions]] · [[Player Classes]] · [[Trading System]]
* Mining stops this flow and then it will be in auto deplete flow if not depleted by the player.
* Growth is percentage-based and compounds; long idle periods can apply a few steps at once, but the rules limit how extreme that catch-up is.
* Exact percentages, timing, and caps are balance settings and may change; the behavior above stays the same in principle.

Latest revision as of 12:27, 2 October 2026

Asteroid Harvesting

Asteroid Harvesting lets commanders send Orbital Refineries to mine ore fields that appear on the galaxy map. Harvesting unlocks from Realm 2. Asteroids are map fields — not expedition nodes or pirate drops.

Finding asteroids

  • Asteroid fields spawn in habitable systems (up to 2 fields per system, typically in outer slots).
  • New fields appear in galaxies at Realm 2+ (Realm 1 galaxies do not spawn new fields).
  • After a field is fully depleted, that slot stays empty for about 12–24 hours, then can receive a new field.
  • Fields are visible on the map when they spawn. A moon Sensor Tower system scan can reveal composition and yield intel — it is not required to launch a harvest.

Related: Expeditions (nebula runs are a separate system).

Ore size & density

Each field rolls a base ore from its realm, then multiplies by density and a small variance (about ×1.0–1.4).

Base ore by realm

Realm Base ore
1 1,000,000
2 10,000,000
3 100,000,000
4 500,000,000

Density tiers

Tier Multiplier Approx. spawn weight
Sparse ×1 ~30%
Normal ×2 ~45%
Dense ×4 ~20%
Ultra Dense ×8 ~4%
Hyper Dense ×400 ~1%

Hyper Dense fields are rare jackpots (especially in Realm 4).

Composition

Each field has a rolled mix of 2–5 ores from steel / quartz / iridium / silicium / elerium. Asteroids do not yield gas.

Composition follows the system's Common Deposit and Rare Deposit (visible on the system overlay / scout reports):

  • The system's common deposit is always present and makes up most of the yield
  • The system's rare deposit is often included (~70%) at 9–10%; other rares that appear stay at 3–5% (hard-capped at 10% / 5%)
  • Remaining slots are filled with other unlocked ores at random (rares from Realm 2+, elerium from Realm 3+)
  • Systems whose common deposit is gas still roll steel/quartz for asteroids (no gas yield)

Example: A steel + elerium system might spawn steel 72% / quartz 20% / elerium 8%, or a leaner steel 91% / elerium 9% field with only two ores.

Idle growth (Realm 2+)

Untouched fields (never mined) can slowly grow while idle:

  • Must sit idle at least ~24 hours since last update
  • About +5% ore per growth period (can stack across ticks)
  • Growth can promote the field to a higher density tier when ore crosses the next tier’s minimum
  • Growth is capped (roughly 3.5× the spawn maximum for that realm/density path)

Once anyone starts mining, idle growth stops for that field.

Uncollected Ultra Dense — leaving the system

Fields that reach Ultra Dense or Hyper Dense and are never mined do not stay forever — otherwise quiet regions would fill with permanent max-size jackpots as idle growth promotes every slot.

  • Idle growth keeps refreshing the field while ore is still increasing
  • Once growth stops (the field is at its size cap) and nobody has started mining, the field leaves the system after about 3 days of sitting unchanged
  • The slot then restarts the normal empty cooldown / respawn cycle
  • Starting a harvest (even a small one) counts as claimed for this rule — partially mined fields use the usual leftover-ore cleanup instead

Example: A Dense field grows until it promotes to Ultra Dense and hits its ore cap. If no Orbital Refineries arrive within roughly three days after growth stops, the jackpot drifts out of the system so a fresh field can appear later.

How to harvest

Requirements

  • Realm 2+
  • Orbital Refinery ships (the only harvest-capable hull)
  • A free harvest mission slot for that asteroid (you cannot run two of your own harvests on the same field at once)

Recycler and Advanced Recycler collect debris only — they cannot harvest asteroids.

Mission flow

  1. Select an asteroid on the map and launch Orbital Refineries.
  2. The fleet travels, then harvests in ticks until cargo is full, the field is depleted, or the cycle limit is reached.
  3. The fleet returns with resources.

Harvest ticks

Tick length scales by realm (defaults about 5 / 3 / 2 minutes for Realms 2 / 3 / 4), with class and research floors:

Maximum ticks per mission (before ship cycle caps) are higher in later realms (about 8 / 12 / 16 for R2 / R3 / R4), further improved by Debris Mastery. Each Orbital Refinery also has a ship harvest cycle limit (catalog default 15).

Speed & cargo

  • Each Orbital Refinery contributes harvest speed (catalog 3,000 ore per tick per ship).
  • Only the first 1,000,000 refineries in a fleet count toward speed; extras still add cargo.
  • Speed also rises from Advanced Resource Extraction, monuments, and Guardian class bonuses.
  • Cargo uses all ships’ cargo capacity (including Trade Networks and Galactic Commerce bonuses).
  • One-click harvest prefers cargo ships (megahaulers / freighters / cargo ships) to cover holds. If those are not enough, it may send extra Orbital Refineries beyond the speed cap — those extras only haul, they do not mine faster.

Ore converts to resources with Industrial Supremacy / Planetary Engineering efficiency bonuses where applicable.

Harvest reports

  • Ore Processed is raw ore taken from the field. Ore → Resource Rate turns that into refined resources (steel / quartz / etc.).
  • Ore Per Cycle / Ore Per Minute are based on raw ore, not refined resources.
  • The report shows how many Orbital Refineries actually mined versus how many were sent (and the speed cap). Sending more than the cap does not increase dig speed.
  • A mission can end with Cargo Full, Asteroid Depleted, or Cycle Limit Reached (maximum ticks for that mission). Cycle limit does not mean the field is empty — you can send another harvest if ore remains.

Contested systems

In contested / vulnerable alliance systems, harvest yields can be reduced (siege income factor, typically about half). See Territory Siege / Alliance Territory.

Practical tips

  • Scout Hyper Dense and Ultra Dense fields early — they are rare, and unclaimed Ultra Dense+ fields leave the system about 3 days after idle growth stops.
  • Bring enough cargo; missions end when holds fill even if ore remains.
  • Don’t expect Recyclers to mine — use Orbital Refineries only.
  • Sensor Tower intel helps pick valuable compositions before you commit travel time.
  • Idle growth rewards patience on untouched fields in R2+, but claim capped Ultra Dense jackpots before they drift away.

References

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Last modified
This page was last edited on 2 October 2026, at 12:27.