Resource Brainstorming

Ok, so to complement the whole economic model that is being drafted up in the Society subforums, we need a list of resources that are universal, or at least galactic. These resources would be what your TO's are made of, what is traded in the economy, and what your currency could be. They have to be resources that are not too exclusive to certain areas. We need to brainstorm them, but remember to keep them simple. We don't want resources like trifluoroacetic acid.

There are examples below, try to model yours likewise:

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Current List

Organic

Wood

Spoiler:

Wool

Spoiler:

Ivory

Spoiler:

Spice

Spoiler:

Dye

Spoiler:

Mineral:

Iron

Spoiler:

Gold

Spoiler:

Bronze

Spoiler:

Diamond

Spoiler:

Copper

Spoiler:

Uranium

Spoiler:

Silver

Spoiler:

Aluminum

Spoiler:

Titanium

Spoiler:

Lead

Spoiler:

Inorganic:

Coal

Spoiler:

Flint

Spoiler:

Salt

Spoiler:

Clay

Spoiler:

Limestone

Spoiler:

Granite

Spoiler:

Marble

Spoiler:

Sandstone

Spoiler:

Oil

Spoiler:

Synthetic:

Glass

Spoiler:

Steel

Spoiler:

Plastic

Spoiler:

Rubber

Spoiler:

Resource: Gold
Description: Flexibable, Not very common, But not extremly rare, Shiny, Pricey and not very useful to any practical thing but can be used for jewelry.
Sources: Underground mostly.

Resource: Daimond
Description: Rare crystal, made from comprassed carbon, Strong, Useful, Pricey, Can be used for jewelry.
Sources: Deep underground.

Resource-Wood
Description-The most basic medium for crafting. Allows for basic weapon, tool and building construction. Can also be used as a source of fuel
Source-Medium-High level plants

ido66667 wrote:

Resource: Gold
Description: Flexibable, Not very common, But not extremly rare, Shiny, Pricey and not very useful to any practical thing but can be used for jewelry.
Sources: Underground mostly.

Gold is mined underground through mine shafts yes, but can also be mined using open pit mines (which is a lot easier and less costly).

ido66667 wrote:

Resource: Daimond
Description: Rare crystal, made from comprassed carbon, Strong, Useful, Pricey, Can be used for jewelry.
Sources: Deep underground.

Actually, Diamond is mostly mined from volcanic pipes as the diamonds themselves are formed 140-190 kilometers beneath the surface. The only way humans can "mine" diamonds is if these diamonds are brought to the surface through volcanic eruptions or by mining these volcanic pipes.
There's no way right now to go that deep and extract the diamond where it's formed. So I suggest making this some type of high-end technology.

ido66667 wrote:

Resource: Gold
Description: Flexibable, Not very common, But not extremly rare, Shiny, Pricey and not very useful to any practical thing but can be used for jewelry.

Actually, it does have a practical use in electronics:

Spoiler:

Since it is expensive, it could also be used in high-class cultural items (jewelry is a good example, but it can be used in religion); and as a currency.

The Uteen wrote:

ido66667 wrote:

Resource: Gold
Description: Flexibable, Not very common, But not extremly rare, Shiny, Pricey and not very useful to any practical thing but can be used for jewelry.

Actually, it does have a practical use in electronics:

Spoiler:

Since it is expensive, it could also be used in high-class cultural items (jewelry is a good example, but it can be used in religion); and as a currency.

Remebmer, It is expensive, Better use copper.
But you are right, It is good for high Cultural items or Religous items.

Great work guys! I've added those to the OP.

However, in addition to all these metals and minerals, we need more organic resources as well, like wood (thanks PTFace) or grain or wool.

Resource: Wool
Description: Very useful, Can be used for clothing and textiles, also Bandages... and many other stuff.
Sources: Sheeps

Resource: Cashmere wool.
Description: A soft Wool like fiber, Pruduced from goat's fur, Used mainly for textiles and Clothing.
Sources: Cashmere goats.

Resource: Qiviut Wool.
Description: Stonger and wormer than ship wool, and softer than Cashmere, does not shrink in any temperture or in water (Can't be used for Felts), Unlike ship wool, That makes it very useful.
Sources: Muskox.

Resource: Angora wool.
Description: Comes from Angora rabbits, Useful for felting.
Sources: Angora rabbits.

Resource: Mohair.
Description: Useful for Clothing, Carpets and rugs... It is warmer that other fibers, But not very soft, Absorbs dyes well.
Sources: Angora goat.

Funny Angora Rabbit here:

Spoiler:

I wasn't just asking for different variations of wool.

I would only include the first wool on your list, as the rest are all specific to earth animals. We can just define wool as a thick coat of wooly hair that covers an animal. Chances are there won't be Muskox's and goats and rabbits in the game.

NickTheNick wrote:

I wasn't just asking for different variations of wool.

I would only include the first wool on your list, as the rest are all specific to earth animals. We can just define wool as a thick coat of wooly hair that covers an animal. Chances are there won't be Muskox's and goats and rabbits in the game.

Chances that there will be no sheeps too.

Exactly, but the chances are much higher that different organisms on different planets would evolve similar wooly coats for their bodies. It doesn't have to come from sheep.

NickTheNick wrote:

Exactly, but the chances are much higher that different organisms on different planets would evolve similar wooly coats for their bodies. It doesn't have to come from sheep.

wool would just require a hairy animal.

So can it be assumed that the colder a climate the more common wool/fur as a resource would be?

PTFace wrote:

So can it be assumed that the colder a climate the more common wool/fur as a resource would be?

Not for your civ. It will be available if an org that produces it lives on your planet.

~sciocont wrote:

PTFace wrote:

So can it be assumed that the colder a climate the more common wool/fur as a resource would be?

Not for your civ. It will be available if an org that produces it lives on your planet.

How are we going to program what orgs will produce wool?
We need some Variable so the Program can know what will produce wool and what will not.
That Variable should be depended on the other Variable (We don't want a non - hairy org to produce wool, LOL.)

ido66667 wrote:

~sciocont wrote:

PTFace wrote:

So can it be assumed that the colder a climate the more common wool/fur as a resource would be?

Not for your civ. It will be available if an org that produces it lives on your planet.

How are we going to program what orgs will produce wool?
We need some Variable so the Program can know what will produce wool and what will not.
That Variable should be depended on the other Variable (We don't want a non - hairy org to produce wool, LOL.)

Wool could just work like fur, scales, and feathers. If your organism has it, it produces wool as a resource. Simple.


Getting back on topic:

Resource: Copper
Description: Relatively soft, orange-coloured metal used mainly in wiring and machinery. Alloys can be made to increase hardness. Can be used in currency (low-value).
Source: Copper ore - underground, (Recycling centres?)

The Uteen wrote:

ido66667 wrote:

How are we going to program what orgs will produce wool?
We need some Variable so the Program can know what will produce wool and what will not.
That Variable should be depended on the other Variable (We don't want a non - hairy org to produce wool, LOL.)

Wool could just work like fur, scales, and feathers. If your organism has it, it produces wool as a resource. Simple.


Getting back on topic:

Resource: Copper
Description: Relatively soft, orange-coloured metal used mainly in wiring and machinery. Alloys can be made to increase hardness. Can be used in currency (low-value).
Source: Copper ore - underground, (Recycling centres?)

Personally I would distinguish between wool and fur and scales. Scales I think should fall under leather. The computer should be able to identify, as Scio said, that organisms with hairy bodies produce wool. Although I would like for fur and wool to be separate, I can't think of a way to distinguish them for the computer (Why can't it just speak English, not math!).

Thanks for the submission! I knew copper was coming soon. Adding it to the OP.

Btw, for all future submissions, try to give the properties of the resource in addition to what it can be used for. To use you as an example The Uteen, you should mention that copper is a good conductor, and thus it is used in wiring.

Here is how to describe elements:

Element:
Description:
Boiling point:
Liquid range:
Freezing point:
Uses:
Occurrence:

Exemple:

Element: Mercury.
Description: Element, Liquid in room temperature, can be hazardus to some orgs.
Boiling point: 356.73 Celsius.
Freezing point: −38.83 Celsius.
Liquid range: -38.83 - 356.72 Celsius.
Occurrence: Cinnabar, Corderoite and Livingstonite.
Uses: Fluorescent lamps, Thermometers, Amalgam For dental filling, Germicidal lamps, Vapor lamps, Mascara and cosmetics and batteries.

ido66667 wrote:

Here is how to describe elements:

Element:
Description:
Boiling point:
Liquid range:
Freezing point:
Uses:
Occurrence:

Exemple:

Element: Mercury.
Description: Element, Liquid in room temperature, can be hazardus to some orgs.
Boiling point: 356.73 Celsius.
Freezing point: −38.83 Celsius.
Liquid range: -38.83 - 356.72 Celsius.
Occurrence: Cinnabar, Corderoite and Livingstonite.
Uses: Fluorescent lamps, Thermometers, Amalgam For dental filling, Germicidal lamps, Vapor lamps, Mascara and cosmetics and batteries.

That is unnecessary. We are covering more than just elements, plus, many of those uses you mentioned would be different on another planet when it is used by another species. Please stick to the format I gave. By properties I meant whether it is flammable or not, whether it floats on water, whether it is a good conductor, if it is malleable or ductile, etc.

@The Uteen: What did you mean by recycling centres?

Btw, I was thinking of classifying the resources into three categories, organics, minerals, and inorganics. Organics are any resource taken from a living organism, like wood, wool, spices, dye etc. Minerals are any metals or gems, and inorganics are everything else. Thoughts?

An example would be:

Organic
Wood

Mineral
Iron

Inorganic
Plastic

NickTheNick wrote:

ido66667 wrote:

Here is how to describe elements:

Element:
Description:
Boiling point:
Liquid range:
Freezing point:
Uses:
Occurrence:

Exemple:

Element: Mercury.
Description: Element, Liquid in room temperature, can be hazardus to some orgs.
Boiling point: 356.73 Celsius.
Freezing point: −38.83 Celsius.
Liquid range: -38.83 - 356.72 Celsius.
Occurrence: Cinnabar, Corderoite and Livingstonite.
Uses: Fluorescent lamps, Thermometers, Amalgam For dental filling, Germicidal lamps, Vapor lamps, Mascara and cosmetics and batteries.

That is unnecessary. We are covering more than just elements, plus, many of those uses you mentioned would be different on another planet when it is used by another species. Please stick to the format I gave. By properties I meant whether it is flammable or not, whether it floats on water, whether it is a good conductor, if it is malleable or ductile, etc.

@The Uteen: What did you mean by recycling centres?

Btw, I was thinking of classifying the resources into three categories, organics, minerals, and inorganics. Thoughts?

An example would be:

Organic
Wood

Mineral
Iron

Inorganic
Plastic

First, Iron is not a mineral, It is an element.
Seconed, Add a class atifical, Inorganic is to big, as Organic is:

"Organic matter (or organic material, Natural Organic Matter, or NOM) is matter that has come from a once-living organism; is capable of decay, or the product of decay; or is composed of organic compounds. The definition of organic matter varies upon the subject for which it is being used." - Wikipedia.

We need to make a smaller classes.

@NickTheNick

I just mean any recycling facilities the player has constructed, but I'm not sure exactly how they would work. My guess is they would produce a quantity of resources based on a percentage of the amount of waste material from TOs produced, if you see what I mean, in which case it would technically be a source. Maybe we should just classify some things as 'recyclable'.

Also, good point; I think the uses and properties of a resource should probably be listed separately, so we get a few point for each, and just for clarity, 'description' is rather vague. Perhaps the properties could then be used like tags (used by TOs) for resources in-game.

Finally, and no offence, but for what purpose do you propose we should categorise the resources? Is this just for organisation, or would it have a practical use in-game?

Ido, for our purposes, we have to simplify things a lot. I think Nick's categories are pretty good as of now. We can add subclasses as needed.
For recycling, we can add to the tech tree researches that allow each material to be recycled, if it's possible..

~sciocont wrote:

Ido, for our purposes, we have to simplify things a lot. I think Nick's categories are pretty good as of now. We can add subclasses as needed.
For recycling, we can add to the tech tree researches that allow each material to be recycled, if it's possible..

Well, I don't want three huge and messy classes... I think it will be very hard to work with huge classes.

Organization is importent, This game will be big, if we don't Organize it, That is going to be one huge mess, Like if you try to put all the development catagory into one forum called "Development"...
The result will be one huge forum, It will be very hard to find things.

@The Uteen: Oh I see what you mean. By source I meant the original source of that resource, unless it is not a raw material. I use description just to keep things neat and concise, mainly to describe properties. I'm not so keen on mentioning uses of a resource because that is completely up to the player and his species and how they use that resource, and we might not think of some of the stuff that the resource could also be used for by the player, and by mentioning uses that leans players towards doing what is mentioned.

The categorization is so far just for organizational purposes although I'm pretty sure we could find some use for it in game. Actually, I added some more detailed levels of classification, still relatively simple, in the chart below. Any resource falls into one of the below boxes.



For example, in my Society Megapost I mentioned how labourers operate buildings that either intake or produce raw materials, well here's how a resource is identified/tagged as "raw material". Same for craftsmen who only operate factories that the intake and output are both fine goods.

Nuclear weaponry will be in this, right? So we'll need uranium for early nukes.

Resource:Uranium
Description: a radioactive silvery-white metal. Essential for primitive nuclear devices
sources: Underground or surface deposits.