Industries

Industries are what produce the goods that are used throughout the game.

## Size/Production

All industries have a size. For player build industries, the size ranges from 2 to 10 in increments of 2 (except for storages, which are always at size 100), but industries already present in the game can have any size.

The size of an industry determines how much of the input materials as well as output product it can store. It also determines how much of the output is produced during each 'production cycle'. So bigger industries produce faster and can store more, but they don't process their input materials any more efficiently.

## Leveling

Industries also have a level associated with them. All industries start at level 0, and can be upgraded a total of three times to reach the maximum level. Once an industry reaches this maximum level the player is allowed to build their own copies of that industry elsewhere. Additionally, the input and output storage size increases with each level, as well as processing efficiency. For example in a level 0 brickworks, 1 ton of clay produces only 2 tons of bricks, but in a level 3 brickworks that 1 ton of clay will produce far more bricks.

To be able to upgrade an industry, the player must first fill an experience requirement. This is indicated by the white circle that appears on the industry when hovering over it using the mouse. Experience is gained when inputs are transported into the industry or outputs taken from it, at a rate of 1 experience per ton. Once the experience circle is completely depleted it is replaced by an upgrade material. The industry can then be upgraded by delivering this upgrade material (the same amount as the required experience). The amount required is equal to the size of the industry for level 1, 5x the size for level 2, and 25x the size for level 3.

The upgrade requirements are set for each industry. Some industries have multiple version across the globe that may have different upgrade materials (or even different inputs).

## Building

The player can build their own industries (that have been upgraded to level 3 at least once; see above) in completed towns. The number of industries allowed in a town depends on its population, starting at 1 and increasing by 1 every 5,000 population up to a maximum of 4 industries at 15,000+ population. If the town has a rail connection it gains 1 free slot and the maximum is increased to 6 at 20,000+ population.

To build an industry, click the button in the top right of the town panel that shows the number of remaining slots. This opens up a window with all of the industries that can be built in the selected town. The buttons at the top allow the player to filter the list to only show certain industries:

* X: clear all active filters
* 0, 1, 2, 3, +: show only industries with 0, 1, 2, 3, or more inputs respectively
* S: only show storages
* Club icon: only show produce, plants etc.
* Heart icon: only show industries related to animals
* Diamond icon: only show raw resources such as iron or precious materials
* Spade icon: this includes all the other industries

When building an industry, you can select the size by hovering higher or lower over the icon. The icon is split into five horizontal bars that each represent a size.

Building an industry costs money. How much exactly is dependent on the industry. Generally, more technologically advanced materials such as computers or cars have a higher building cost. The cost is also dependent on the size.

Any player-built industries can also be sold again. To do this, the player can click the dollar icon in the bottom left of the industry icon. Selling an industry will also earn the player some money depending on the size and level. A size 2, level 0 industry only sells for 20% of what it cost to build, whereas a size 10, level 3 industry actually sells for 133% of the initial build cost. This provides a way to make money by continuously building size 10 industries, upgrading them to the highest level, and selling them again for profit. This is of course more lucrative for more expensive industries, since the profit is a percentage of the build cost.

Some industries have multiple types, for example if they have different versions with different upgrade materials. If that is the case, the player can choose freely which of these types they wish to build as all available types are listed next to each other.

## Restrictions

Most industries can't just be built anywhere the player wants. There are various restrictions in place that determine which industries are allowed where.

### Local industries

Some industries are "local industries". These industries cannot be built anywhere else. There isn't a clear indication whether an industry is a local industry are not, but there are generally two types: the first includes nation specific specialties, such as local cuisine (for example, Pierogi, Som Tam, or Bohemian Crystal). The second type includes raw resources that couldn't realistically just be obtained anywhere. For example, you couldn't obtain oil by just drilling down in any random place – there actually needs to be oil underground, so an oil rig can't be built anywhere.

### Region restrictions

Sometimes, certain regions have rules about what industries can and cannot be built there. Some regions might not allow any vegetables or fruits, other regions might only allow storages, and yet again other regions might not allow any building whatsoever. Regions might even have restrictions on what size can be built there. These restrictions are usually set up in a way to provide interesting gameplay elements rather than being explicitly based on existing real-world restrictions.

The easiest way to know what is or isn't allowed in a certain region is to simply try building an industry in any town in the region. Only industries that are allowed there are shown. To check where a certain industry can be built, first open the industry screen using the button in the top left of the screen or by pressing F5, then find the industry to check, and drag it. Any regions and towns where it can be built will be highlighted with a teal color.

### Unlocking industries

In Earth, industries are by default locked in all countries. The player needs to complete a certain amount of towns and businesses that require a resource in a country before the industry that produces that resource can be built in that country. This is to ensure that the player has a way to import that resource, so that they aren't able to build industries to skip past intended puzzle sequences. The amount of each location that needs to be completed is shown by the locks on the industry icon: the left lock shows towns, while the right shows businesses.