Ruins 2 Economics and Industry

Overview

Player Resources

Nation players in Ruins of Alien Suns 2 have two major factors to consider in the economy, their discretionary income and capacity to build industrial units.

State Budget (SB) is based on 25% of their total Gross Domestic Product.

State Budget is expended for upkeep, used to purchase resources for government use, diplomacy, to build units, etc.

Defence Industry (DI) is 25% of the Industrial Sector.

Defence Industry is used to build military units. It is assigned to specific territory like civilian production, and isn't subject to normal infrastructure caps.

Sectors of the Economy

Production is split up into sectors, representing the position given facilities have in the supply chain. Sectors are further divided into open-ended types, which represent particular activities within that field.

Resource

The Resource Sector comprises the industries of agriculture, extraction and refining. Though the general pattern of resource development is rural or suburban communities managing automated or semi-automated Eco-terraces, dense urban centres can easily host quite extensive resource operations via refineries, vertical farms and other facilities. Exotic biospheres often have their own goods which make valuable export commodities with minimal processing.

Example Resources Types: Agriculture, Water, Common Ores, Rare Earth Metals, Hydrocarbons, Construction Materials, Semiconductors, Deuterium*, Helium-3*, Xenofauna*

(*) Tagged has specific requirements described below.

Benefits of High Resource Sector:

• 15%: Developments and Investments made in the Industrial Sector benefit from enhanced yields when responding to Shortages.
• 35%: Developments and Investments you make roll their potential income at 12.5% instead of 10%.
• 55%: Developments and Investments you make roll their potential income at 15% instead of 10%.

Resources and Supply

If a state has Resources production in excess of their domestic consumption (from Industry and Services), it can either be stockpiled or exported. Stockpiled resource is functionally non-productive (not contributing to GDP and therefore, state income) but creates strategic supply which can be tapped into in emergencies or sent to other players in a crisis. Exported Resources are productive (contribute to GDP) but are vulnerable to disruptions to trade such as blockades, piracy or embargoes.

Industry

The Industrial Sector represents both the traditional processing of raw materials into finished goods, construction and civic engineering, as well as boutique industry, fabrication and prototyping. Industry is typically located along transportation corridors, connected to both resources for and consumers of production by rivers, highways, trains and the fortuitous geography that hosts them.

Example Industry Types: Consumer Goods, Electronics, Small Arms, Heavy Machinery, Reactors, Drive Systems, Civilian Spacecraft, Medical Equipment, Exotic Devices*, Designer Organisms*

(*) Tagged has specific requirements described below.

Benefits of High Industrial Sector:

• 15%: Developments and Investments made in the Resource Sector benefit from enhanced yields when responding to Shortages.
• 35%: Gain an extra 25% DI, which you cannot use directly but can be rented by foreign buyers, UN Taskforces and others.
• 55%: Gain an extra 50% DI, which you cannot use directly but can be rented by foreign buyers, UN Taskforces and others.

Industry and Supply

Fully functioning Industry requires a Resources input equal to itself to function effectively. If there is a domestic shortfall, the state must either provide resources from stockpiles (which only last as long as the state's supplies have) or allow imports. Imports are subject to the same hazards as all international trade: embargoes, piracy and blockades can all severely hamper the performance of industry. Unsupplied Industry (without a corresponding input) shuts down.

Industry in turn supports the Services sector, providing finished goods and infrastructure necessary for it to function. Excess Industry can then be exported or reserved for state use. Exported industry is productive (generates GDP) but subject to the hazards of international trade, as above. Reserved industry does not produce additional GDP, but increases DI at a 1-1 ratio.

Services

The Services sector encompasses the tertiary and quarternary sectors in standard breakdowns of labour, the functions associated with 'a state' like healthcare, administration and security services, but also private sector ventures like retail, tourism, etc. Service economies are top-heavy and oriented towards social reproduction and welfare.

Example Services Types: Healthcare, Education, Entertainment, Finance, Research, Administration, Security

(*) Tagged has specific requirements described below.

Benefits of High Service Sector:

• 15%: Developments and Investments made in the Services Sector benefit from enhanced yields when responding to Shortages.
• 35%: Gain +1 yearly Growth Points.
• 55%: Gain +2 yearly Growth Points.

Services and Supply

The Services requires an aggregate input of Industry and Resources equal to itself to be productive (generate GDP), with any shortfalls made up via imports or stockpiles. Likewise, the combined Resources and Industry sectors require half their total value in Services provided to ensure national stability. Typically services are insular and parochial enterprises, so they cannot be 'traded' or 'exported' beyond the range of a single jump- unless the state involved has the Soft Power trait. A thriving services sector otherwise has no weaknesses.

Gross Domestic Product

The sum of Resource, Industry and Services totals. Gross Domestic Product represents a state's economic power and clout on the international stage.

Growing the Economy

Players enjoy continuous yearly growth by default, as defined by the Growth numbers in the yearly rollover summary. This growth can be encouraged via various efforts such as Developments, Investments, Colonization or outright conquest of other states. All new growth has to be allocated to both a Sector and a Territory.

By default, all player activity is meant to reward around 5% return on investment in the long term. Greater benefits only occur when responding to crisis or following multi-year opportunities.

Shortages

Depending on a combination of player actions, ongoing storylines and random events, Shortages may emerge to reflect their impacts on interstellar society. These affect specific type of type of production in given region of space, e.g.: a blockade against a major water-exporting planet may cause a localized shortage, while a distributed cyberattack on one of the major Helium-3 firms could result in all-out fuel shortages that effect the entirety of human space.

Minor Shortages affect a single region of space, such as one or two star sectors. They may cause minor slowdowns to economic growth.

Major Shortages affect all players and states, and are serious enough to retard economic growth until resolved.

Developments

Developments are big ticket economic items typically run as either state enterprises or public-private partnerships. Players invest any amount of income into a specific sector and optionally, production type. 10% of that amount is then set aside as 'potential earnings' and rolled as an 1dX, with X being the potential earnings number. For example, a state desiring to increase their total production of small arms may sink $5000 into Industry (Small Arms). The rolled die is therefore 1d500, with the result being the additions to the economy, gained in the next fiscal year (so for any Developments rolled in Year 1 only pay dividends in Year 2).

During Shortages, development yields are increased to 2dX if the player has the first-tier benefit in that sector.

Players can make 1 Development per Sector, per Territory. The new output (i.e.: the rolled value, not spent value) from Developments counts towards the income limit in territories and the ratios for economic sectors. Any changes to capabilities from having a specific percentage in a sector apply in the new financial year. Developments cannot be rolled retroactively and count towards the next year once the new year budget thread has been posted.

Investments

Investments function similarly to Developments, except that the spending player is different from the recipient. A state seeking to improve relations with a neighbouring country or micromanage a vassal can conduct Investments. The receiving state gets half the benefits (so $5000 invested yields 1d250 potential) of a Development made on their behalf with the same limits and conditional modifiers from things like Shortages, while the investing player gets that same value in source-unspecified income.

Investments are therefore one of the few ways to generally increase income without changing ratios between sectors, and provide additional means to exert diplomatic sway over other powers.

Who is valid creator or recipient of Investments is to the discernment of the involved players. By default non-player states will accept Investment by friendly, reputable states and be leery of such by aggressors.

Colonization

New colonies are generally resource-intensive projects, taking at least 3 years for each step of the exploration process (discovering a system, charting a world, mapping territories). Once a new planet is prepared for colonization however, the burgeoning excitement is an socio-economic force unto itself. Occupied worlds that are fit for settlement enjoy an initial Colony Rush, representing popular enthusiasm for the project. This lasts between 1 and 5 years (based on GM determination), depending on the habitability, profitability and popularity of the state directing the effort.

During the rush, Developments and Investments have their minimum yields increased to 1/2 of the potential earnings. A $5000 Development would therefore yield 1d500 (min 250) potential income. A Development or Investment specifically responding to a Major Shortage when the player has the first-tier benefit would be increased to 2d500 (min 500).

Tribute and Tariffs

Conquered states which are left as autonomous entities rather than incorporated outright can be forced to pay part of their State Budget to their new master. By default 25% is considered to be heavy but reasonable, while 50% or 75% would be considered intolerable in the long term. A conquering state looking to loot rather than rule can skim directly from GDP instead, which will quickly cause domestic issues in the occupied state.

Economic Warfare

As stated above, states reliant on trade to function are also subject to economic warfare. The use of military force to constrict a powerful industrial economy or claim the surpluses of a resource-rich state, or deny shipments of war materiel, are expected parts of regular conflict in the post-Breakdown Era.

Piracy

Piracy targets a specific connection between states, attacking ships flagged to one or both participating states. It is less effective than an outright blockade since the transports can use alternative routes but also more difficult to defend against for the same reason, particularly when confronting disguised or low-observation hulls. Successful piracy will generally recover about 20% of the lost value as loot.

Blockades

While piracy is tolerated to a limited extent, let there be no mistake: a blockade is an act of war. Constricting the flow of goods in and out of a state can jam up the economy being targeted, as well as those connected to it. Sustained blockades can claim about 40% of lost value as loot.

Embargoes

Embargoes limit the options for a state's trade, which in turn makes piracy and blockades more effective. A resource-heavy state embargoed by most of known space might then only have one or two options to ship goods to and buy from. Becoming an international pariah has a cost other than sharp diplomacy, as one's options can become enormously constricted in the process.

Building More, Faster

States concerned with maximizing yields during a crisis situation have a number of options.

Nationalization is an option for players who have benefited substantially from foreign investment, allowing them to seize the full value of the investment for a productivity boost. Investments are fully converted to regular Developments when nationalized, their value to the new owner doubled. This may or may not have long-term diplomatic consequences for the investing state no longer being paid dividends. If nationalizing an investment takes a territory over limits for holding production, it cannot be built in further until it goes up an Infrastructure tier.

Expropriation allows players to strip property from citizens, the private economy or even state enterprises. Every $1 of production permanently burned up this way yields $10 for the state. This can be done to conquered territories but will almost certainly earn their enmity in the long-term.

War Measures puts more of the economy under state control. The Services sector can have its production directly turned over to the State Budget, causing social problems from austerity but providing additional funds to the state. Industry can be directly converted to DI, but shortages of finished goods can impact long-term stability.

Okay, But This Sounds Complicated

Players not wanting to fiddle with complex economic system can use default presets marked below.

Default Economic Plans

The following Default Economic Plans are options for players who do not want to allocate economic sectors for each territory and instead want to pick a 'general' description of their initial situation. Plans can be followed as long as the player likes, at the cost of some flexibility. Default economies cannot use Developments to rush growth. The default plans can be left at any point (including the very first year after game start) in the case of a player simply wanting to breeze past initial nation generation, but cannot be returned to once the ratios of the default allocations are broken in any way.

Self-Sufficient: Does not suffer under blockade, doesn't benefit from shortages elsewhere, a balanced approach to economics. Typical post-Collapse economic system. Self-Sufficient economies basically never suffer maluses when disruptions to trade cause privation, as their well-planned economies self-regulate against shocks and surpluses meant for other states are marginal. The economy distributed inside each territory is evenly divided between the three Sectors.

• 33% Resources
• 33% Industry
• 33% Services

Resource Exporter: A fairly typical pre-Collapse colonial economy designed to lifeline valuable resources back to Sol and the Inner Colonies. Resource-heavy economies often support more developed states in easy trade range, so blockades and piracy against them tend to have sector-wide repercussions while causing minimal shortfalls domestically.

• 60% Resources
• 20% Industry
• 20% Services

Industrial Powerhouse: An economy designed to maximize production, Industrial states are often military ones thanks to their sheer ability to churn out war materiel. Blockades can severely hamper their productivity, resulting in losses of production or cuts to the services sector.

• 20% Resources
• 60% Industry
• 20% Services

Knowledge Economy: A mature economy based on tourism, education, R&D and a large government services sector.

• 20% Resources
• 20% Industry
• 60% Services

Default Military Plans

Rather than a question of proportion, the default options relate to the specific distribution and location of a state's DI assets. As with the default economic plans, the military plan can be discarded at any point after game start at the player's discretion.

Centralized Production: Highly centralized military industry is easier to track and defend, and greatly simplifies the production of large warships, but that poses its own issues. It can also be blockaded separately from the nation's other territories, particularly if located on another celestial body or in orbit. In theory almost all of a nation's defence industry can be captured in a pitched battle.

• Main Node: 90% of DI
• All Other Territories: Divide 10%

Semi-Centralized Production: Production is spread between a limited number of production hubs, with a main facility and some secondary hubs.

• Main Node: 50% of DI
• Secondary Nodes: Divide 40%
• All Other Territories: Divide 10%

Dispersed Production: Every territory stores a little bit of total production. Makes the production of large warships more difficult.

• Main Nodes: 25% of DI
• All Other Territories: Divide 75%

Nation Traits

Traits that directly correspond to the economics and industry system.

Positive Traits

• Blackbeard 2525 (1): The Golden Age of Cosmopiracy was the half-century following the Disconnect, but the explosive growth of spaceborne commerce, unaccounted-for weaponry and trans-verge chaos has opened the door to a new age of cosmopiracy. Old habits die hard and it turns out you can teach an old zero-G dog new tricks.
  • Effect: Double loot from Piracy and Blockades, pirates use flags of convenience and can only be identified via espionage.
• Lesser Pillar (1): Disruptions to your economy represent disruptions to life in your region.
  • Effect: Choose a Resource, Industry or Service Type. At least 45% of your Sector production has to be assigned to it. You are one of the primary providers of that resource in your local area, allowing you to trigger or solve Minor Shortages at will.
• Greater Pillar (SPECIAL): Disruptions to your economy represent disruptions to life as we know it.
  • Effect: Choose a Resource, Industry or Service Type. At least 65% of your Sector production has to be assigned to it. You are one of the primary providers of that resource in known space, allowing you to trigger or solve Major Shortages at will. Unlike other traits, Greater Pillar for any given resource is selected by auction via Nation or Growth Points. Losing bids are demoted to Lesser Pillar.
  • Note for Services: Greater Pillars for Services also require the Soft Power trait.
• Mayflower Society (1): Colonization bonus, civilians are quicker in moving in and making you get money.
  • Effect: Colony Rush is always 5 years long.
• Merchant Marine (2): It can never be doubted that the goods will be delivered by this nation, which believes in the tradition of DAMN THE TORPEDOES; FULL SPEED AHEAD!
  • Effect: Double the value of your exported Resource and Industry surpluses, which is added directly to the State Budget as untyped income.
• Exotic Resource (2): With names like Delta Dust, Sakuradite or Protoplasm, known space is positively lousy with the discarded ladders ancient races built to reach heaven.
  • You produce an exotic resource that has useful scientific properties. You and everyone you trade to gets 1 bonus Breakthrough per quarter simply for having access to the material, but all research carried out using these Breakthroughs is automatically flawed with a reliance on the material. A state that produces an Exotic Resource is also functionally a Lesser Pillar for their chosen material.

Neutral Traits

• Autarkists (/): Some states out of ideology or circumstances have never rejoined the great Verge trade routes, instead adopting policies of autarkist self-sufficiency; the successful ones coupled this to society-wide norms.
  • Effect: You cannot benefit from foreign Investments or invest in states you do not directly control. On the other hand, you can Invest directly in your own state.
• Dirty Cops (/): Your anti-piracy efforts have been compromised and you are more vulnerable to it.
  • Effect: Piracy effectiveness against you is halved, but you are completely incapable of stopping it.
• Large Population (/): While the average Verge state can be measured in the tens of millions, your population is well into the hundreds of millions.
  • Effect: Your Developments have an extra 10% minimum yield (so 1d100 has a min of $10), stacking with similar benefits. Your Services Sector requires 100% aggregate Resources and/or Industry inputs to be productive.
• Soft Power (/): Culture is power.
  • Effect: Your Services sector surplus can be exported at doubled value, the bonus income of which is added directly to the State Budget as untyped income. Your Services sector is now subject to additional pressure from Piracy.

Negative Traits

• Five Year Plan (-1): The bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.
  • Effect: You have to plan your economy 2 years ahead and cannot change course, suffering penalties and lost production from shortfalls. On year 1, submit budgets for Year 1, 2 and 3. On Year 2, submit Year 4 plans.
• UN Sanctioned List (-2): You can safely appeal to the United Nations in the comfortable certainty it will let you down.
  • Effect: You are under automatic embargo with everyone except for other Sanctioned List states. If more than 5 players have this trait, the value drops to (-1).
• Poor Merchants (-1): There is no friendship in trade.
  • Effect: By default any trade you get is assumed to work itself out even if the numbers don't totally line up. You instead have to calculate the surpluses of your trading partners and ensure they meet your demands.
• Used Future (-2): One of the great sins of the post-FTL colonial system is the loss of the efficiencies that were gained in the early centuries of spaceflight. Societies that knew how to work with little grew conceited when they escaped to the high frontier.
  • Effect: Double the required inputs to the Industrial Sector.
• Yearning Masses (-1): Society is suffering tumultuous times, either in some slow unravelling of postwar malaise or the tangling of civil institutions into new, Kafkaesque terrors.
  • Effect: Double the required inputs for the Services Sector (100% normally, 200% with Large Population).

Interactions with Other Systems

Territory

• Territories hold economic production, as defined by their Infrastructure Tier and certain features.
• Certain types of production have requirements in terms of planetary or territorial features.

Ship Combat

• Ships have costs in budget and DI relative to their complexity and size. Not every territory with DI can build large warships, as Ship DI costs must be paid locally.
• Ship weapons other than precision ortillery tend to severely damage infrastructure.
• Ships can disrupt trade via piracy and blockades.

Ground Combat

• Ground units have costs in budget and DI relative to their complexity and size. Unlike ships, DI for ground units does not have to be located in a single place.
• Ground units are uniquely capable of capturing economic production with minimal damage.
• For the purposes of determining terrain difficulty, Resource Sector production defaults to the territory's features, while Industrial and Services make the battlefield urban and difficult to maneuver in.

Espionage

• Espionage missions can damage economic production.