Resources are found on tiles on the map and provide specific benefits, either in their natural state or when improved. Some strategic resources are revealed only when a specific Technology is researched. Any resource must be within your territory, free of enemy units, and worked by a city to provide its benefit.
Resources are sources of Food, Energy, Production, Science, or Culture, or they provide other special bonuses. To a large degree, your colony's wealth and power will be determined by the number and variety of resources you control. To use a resource, it must be within your colonial borders, and you must construct the appropriate "improvement" in that hex. (For example, you must construct the Plantation improvement to get the benefit from a Fiber resource.)
There are two different kinds of resources in Civilization: Beyond Earth: basic and strategic. Each provides yield benefits to nearby cities, and strategic resources have additional important benefits.
While you may not have access to every kind of resource within your own borders, you can trade some of your resources with other leaders for ones you may not possess.
Basic resources provide yield to the city that works them. Their main importance is to facilitate city specialization and improvement. In most cases, basic resources must be improved to provide a yield bonus, but a few provide low yields even in their "raw" state.
Basic Resources
Algae
Algae makes coastal tiles much better for growth. Develop them as soon as you can spare your worker to get the job done. Combine this with a water refinery for maximum benefit from your water tiles.
- Food: +1
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Basalt
Basalt tiles get you a heavy amount of Production on tiles that are already pretty good for that resource. Develop these to give your city's construction efforts a major boost.
- Food: 0
- Production: +1
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Chitin
Establish cities near Chitin whenever possible. The boost to Food is ideal for getting your city up and running, and Paddocks get some additional benefits later in the tech tree, so that's a nice benefit, as well.
- Food: +1
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Copper
You won't see Copper too often, but it's out there. Make some extra Energy with it to keep your city profitable. This isn't one of the more essential resources to snag, but it's helpful.
- Food: 0
- Production: 0
- Energy: +1
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Coral
Don't overlook Coral! It offers a Culture boost at almost no cost whatsoever. This is critically important in the early game, when faster virtues make a huge difference in your ability to specialize your nation and expand successfully.
- Food: 0
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: +1
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Fiber
Fiber gives you extra Production, and it's very useful for getting early buildings off the ground to kick-start a new city.
- Food: 0
- Production: 1
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Fruit
Fruit is great. It's simple and easy. Develop this for added Growth opportunities for your city.
- Food: +1
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Fungus
Fungus tastes great and is filling, too. Cities founded near it can get their Growth going without nearly as much effort.
- Food: 1
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Gold
Another potential resource for free Culture! Get Gold whenever you can.
- Food: 0
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: +1
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Resilin
Resilin gets you a nice little Production bonus, perfect for starting cities.
- Food: 0
- Production: +1
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Silica
As before, Science bonuses of this size mean the most in the very early game. If you have Silica in your city's area of influence, get a worker out to it before starting on any other improvements.
- Food: 0
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Tubers
Tubers are one of the least important basic resources. They're still better than nothing, but don't prioritize them over other things that have higher bonuses to develop.
- Food: +1
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Strategic Resources
Strategic resources are required to produce and supply certain units and are constrained by doing so. Their main role is in building and maintaining an advanced military. The number of specialized units is limited by the quantity of the improved resource; thus, the number of Harmony xenomorph units you can have is limited to the amount of Xenomass you have. Strategic resources must always be improved to count toward the global supply of their type of resource.
Strategic resources often require a Technology to be able to improve them, and some even require a Technology to even be seen. Strategic resources do not provide any bonus yield until they are improved.
Firaxite
Firaxite is the most important resource for Supremacy players. It's used in all of their high-end buildings and units. Make sure to track down Firaxite early in the game so that you can settle cities near good sources of this mineral. You won't be able to use them until later, but it's worth the wait (and you won't have to trade or fight wars to get it when the time comes).
- Food: 0
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Improvement Needed to Access: Firaxite Mine
Units Requiring Resource: Supremacy units
Floatstone
Floatstone is the resource for Purity players. It's used for their buildings and units. Settle your cities near Floatstone deposits if you're going in the direction of Purity. This is also wise if you have nearby enemies that are likely to go in that direction. Denying them Floatstone limits some of their progress; if they end up not being a threat to you, trade with them and give up some of the minerals while making the most profit you can.
- Food: 0
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Improvement Needed to Access: Floatstone Quarry
Units Requiring Resource: Purity units
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal Energy is good to develop for your nation's finances, but that's not all that it's good for. This resource is used when you construct certain wonders. It's not as essential as one of the major affinity resources, but you won't want to be tapped out on it. Make sure to have a standing supply so that you don't have to delay major construction and lose the chance at a nice wonder.
- Food: 0
- Production: 0
- Energy: 2
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Improvement Needed to Access: Geothermal Well
Units Requiring Resource: None
Petroleum
Orbital units use Petroleum. You gain large benefits from having orbitals over your territory; they're great for defense, bonus resources, and other strange activities (like spreading or getting rid of miasma). Develop a large supply of Petroleum quickly as you approach the midgame so that you can pop out orbitals like crazy. She who controls the skies controls the battlefield.
- Food: 0
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Improvement Needed to Access: Petroleum Well
Units Requiring Resource: Mechanical and orbital units
Titanium
Titanium is also used for many orbitals, so keep it in good supply. Purity players must be even more assertive about getting Titanium because they have special military units that also rely on it.
- Food: 0
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Improvement Needed to Access: Mine
Units Requiring Resource: Air and orbital units
Xenomass
Xenomass is the strategic resource for Harmony players. They practically live on the stuff, and their unique units are even more essential to military survival. (The base Harmony military units are slightly harder to use compared with Supremacy and Purity variants.)
Because of this, Harmony players must scout, obtain, and secure their Xenomass supplies as a primary goal of their nations. Enemies of Harmony players should note and exploit this by denying Harmony players access to terrain with any substantial amount of Xenomass.
- Food: 0
- Production: 0
- Energy: 0
- Culture: 0
- Science: Food0
- Food1
Improvement Needed to Access: Xenomass Well