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1. Station Design Principles
- Separate heat sources — Refineries and reactors generate heat. Place them away from living quarters and cargo storage
- Radiators need open space — station radiators should extend outward like wings, not buried in the structure
- Defense in layers — turrets on outer ring, shields covering critical modules, repair bay in the core
- Expand with purpose — don't randomly attach modules. Plan wings: refinery wing, storage wing, defense wing, dock wing
- Stations are immobile — you can't dodge. Invest 2× more in shields and turrets than you think you need
2. Starter Station (Hours 1-5)
Your first station is simple: a docking port with basic processing. Build this within the first 3 hours.
| Module | Purpose | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Station Core Hub | Foundation module (free with Campaign) | 0 |
| Basic Refinery | Process raw ore → refined metals (3-5× value) | 5,000 |
| Small Cargo Depot | Store ore and refined goods | 2,000 |
| Docking Bay ×2 | Ship docking points | 2,000 |
| Basic Radiator ×2 | Cooling for refinery | 1,200 |
| Small Reactor | Station power | 2,000 |
| PD Turret ×1 | Minimal anti-drone defense | 1,800 |
| Total: ~14,000 credits | ||
3. Industrial Hub (Hours 5-20)
Upgrade once Drill Nodes are operational and passive income flows in.
| Addition | Purpose | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Refinery Mk II | Faster processing, more output per ore | 8,000 |
| Large Cargo Depot ×2 | Buffer for automated hauler deliveries | 8,000 |
| Medium Reactor | Power for expanded operations | 5,000 |
| Extended Radiator ×4 | Handles refinery + reactor heat | 4,000 |
| Repair Bay | Auto-repair docked ships for free | 6,000 |
| PD Turret ×3 | 360° drone coverage | 5,400 |
| Light Shield Generator | Station-wide energy shield | 5,000 |
| Docking Bay ×2 | Support 4 ships simultaneously | 2,000 |
| Upgrade cost: ~43,400 credits | ||
4. Mining Fortress (Hours 20+)
Your end-game main base. Self-sufficient, heavily defended, processing hundreds of ore units per hour.
- Refinery Wing: 2× Refinery Mk III, dedicated radiators, direct cargo depot link
- Storage Wing: 4× Large Cargo Depot, automated sorting (ores in, refined out)
- Defense Wing: 6× PD Turret Mk II, 2× Plasma Turret (anti-Corvette), Capital Shield Generator
- Power Wing: Fusion Reactor, 3× Large Capacitor, emergency battery bank
- Ship Services: 6× Docking Bay, Repair Bay Mk II, refueling station, ammo depot
- Link Gate Terminal: Connect to other stations and mining outposts
- Total cost: ~200,000-300,000 credits
5. Multi-Station Networks
By late game, build specialized stations connected by Link Gates:
- Mining Outposts: Drill Nodes + cargo depot + PD turrets. Minimal, placed directly in asteroid belts
- Refinery Hub: Central processing station. All haulers deliver here. 3+ refineries running 24/7
- Trade Station: Near Reclamation 9. Optimized for frequent selling. Large cargo buffer
- Defense Platform: Pure combat station. Turrets, shields, no industry. Placed between enemy spawn points and your valuable stations
- Research Station: Dedicated lab modules. Speeds up RP generation. Place in quiet, safe space
6. Station Placement Strategy
💡 Location is Everything
Place your main station 15-20km from Reclamation 9, in a belt-adjacent position. Close enough for quick selling, far enough that station heat doesn't overlap with NPC traffic (alien spawns scale with total system heat).
- Near asteroid belts — shorter hauler routes = more trips per hour
- Away from alien spawn points — check your map for marked hostile zones and stay 10km+ away
- Clear radiator lines — no asteroids or debris blocking radiator panels
- Expansion room — leave empty space on at least 3 sides for future wings
Related: Base Defense · Drill Node Automation · Heat Management