Materials

Materials are a resource required to build blocks for ships, or to help pay for a ship to be constructed at a shipyard. Their strength and cost increase with their tiers, and have different weights and can form different types of blocks. The material of a block can also affect blocks, such as the energy generated by Generators, the power of Shield Generators, or the effectiveness of Hyperspace Cores. The increase in tiers does not always affect some dedicated block's functions that differ from block durability and cost, such as the energy generated by Solar Panels, the thrust from Engines and Thrusters, or the effectiveness of a Computer Core.

Each material type has a specific color. Asteroids containing a certain material are dyed in their material's color, as well as blocks made of that material. Some of this color can persist through painting.

## Acquisition

Materials can be acquired by mining rich asteroids, salvaging wreckages, or by visiting Resource Depots to purchase them with Credits.

Mining Lasers and Salvaging Lasers can only acquire materials that are at or below one tier above the material the turret is made of.

For example, a Naonite Mining Turret can mine Titanium and Iron at a faster rate, however will take extra time to mine Trinium, and cannot mine Xanion at all.

R-Mining Lasers and R-Salvaging Lasers have extremely high efficiencies, but will pick up materials in the form of ore and scrap, which must be carried in a ship's Cargo Bay and refined at a Resource Depot in order to extract usable materials.

They are recommended for automating material gathering with Captains due to their extremely high resource-gathering efficiency.

## Distribution

The distribution of the materials depends on the distance to sector (0,0). Common materials like Iron or Titanium can be found at the edge of the galaxy, whereas higher-tier materials are found closer to the center of the galaxy.

Lower tier materials are still available closer to the center of the galaxy, but less so with proximity.

Materials will be distributed among rich asteroids depending on its commonness at the current distance from the center. Asteroid richness also increases with proximity to the center of the galaxy.

## Material Types

Each material has 50% more Hull/dam³ than the previous tier, with Iron starting at 4 Hull/dam³.

Base material cost is always 5/dam³, however credit cost increases by 35% per tier, with Iron starting at 11.1¢/dam³.

### Iron

**Iron** is the first tier and heaviest material available in *Avorion*.

Asteroids rich in Iron are shaped like normal asteroids.

It can be used to build Armor and Inertia Dampeners.

In the early game, Iron is the only available resource that can be used for building until Titanium is acquired, at which point it becomes useful only for Inertia Dampeners, which can't be upgraded until Avorion is acquired.

It becomes completely overshadowed by Trinium in the middle game, and is useless for building when Avorion is acquired.

### Titanium

**Titanium** is the second tier and third lightest material available in *Avorion*.

Asteroids rich in Titanium are shaped like long, thin rectangular prisms.

It can be used to build Armor, Energy Containers, Generators, and Integrity Field Generators.

In the early game, Titanium is extremely useful, as it allows Generators and Integrity Field Generators to be built, and is also a direct upgrade to Iron.

During middle to late game, it is completely overshadowed by Trinium.

### Naonite

**Naonite** is the third tier and fourth lightest material available in *Avorion*.

Asteroids rich in Naonite are shaped like flat normal asteroids.

It can be used to build Shield Generators, Energy Containers, Generators, Integrity Field Generators, Hyperspace Cores, and Reflectors.

In the early game, Naonite is very useful, as it unlocks Shield Generators and Hyperspace Cores, as well as having better stats for technical blocks.

During middle to late game, it is completely overshadowed by Trinium.

### Trinium

**Trinium** is the fourth tier and lightest material available in *Avorion*.

Asteroids rich in Trinium are shaped like cubes.

It can be used to build Armor, Hangars, Shield Generators, Energy Containers, Generators, Integrity Field Generators, Computer Cores, Hyperspace Cores, Academies, and Reflectors.

WIP

### Xanion

**Xanion** is the fifth tier and second lightest material available in *Avorion*.

Asteroids rich in Xanion are shaped like long octagonal prisms.

It can be used to build Hangars, Shield Generators, Energy Containers, Generators, Integrity Field Generators, Computer Cores, Hyperspace Cores, Transporters, Academies, Cloning Pods, and Reflectors.

WIP

### Ogonite

**Ogonite** is the sixth tier and second heaviest material available in *Avorion*.

Asteroids rich in Ogonite are shaped like flat, wide octagons.

It can be used to build Armor, Hangars, Energy Containers, Generators, Academies, Cloning Pods, and Reflectors.

WIP

### Avorion

**Avorion** is the seventh tier and third heaviest material available in *Avorion*.

Asteroids rich in Avorion are shaped like short sheared rectangular prisms.

It can be used to build Inertia Dampeners, Hangars, Shield Generators, Energy Containers, Generators, Integrity Field Generators, Computer Cores, Hyperspace Cores, Transporters, Academies, Cloning Pods, and Reflectors.

WIP

## References

1. ↑ `data/scripts/items/buildingknowledgeutility.lua`
2. ↑ `data/scripts/lib/galaxy.lua`