Pre-alpha codex — written from the build in internal testing. Systems, numbers and features can change before launch. · Found Your Empire
Population
Why population matters and how to grow it.
Every building except the Residential Complex employs workers from the people living in its system. Population no longer blocks construction: an upgrade starts without free workers, but a system with fewer people than its buildings employ runs its mines at the share it can staff. Build Residential Complexes for more people and Hydroponic Farms to feed them.
Population buildings
| Building | Family | Metal L1 | Crystal L1 | Aeth L1 | Energy | Cost × | Time L1 | Pop Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Residential Complex Raises how many people the system can hold and how fast they settle. Housing employs nobody itself — its residents run it — and it is what lets a system staff more industry, since every other building hires from the people living here. | Population | 170 | 85 | 42 | -3 | 1.7^L | 26s | 0 |
Hydroponic Farm Futuristic farm producing food on top of a 250 baseline. Its output is derived from the Residential Complex housing curve, so a farm at the same level feeds a fully-housed system exactly: 115/h at L1, 4,045/h at L10, 32,733/h at L20. Every soul in the system eats 0.005 food/h — including the workers your buildings employ. Draws energy like a mine (10 · L · 1.09^L). | Population | 270 | 135 | 90 | -5 | 1.8^L | 34s | 400 |
How growth works
People arrive at a steady rate set by your Residential Complexes — how many already live here changes nothing. Housing sets the ceiling and Hydroponic Farms keep everyone fed, and both matter now that every building hires its workers from the people living here: housing is what decides how much industry one system can run.