-Netput: This tutorial is NOT accurate any more. All resources are collected in 1 general resource hub now. Therefore this tutorial is obsolete. It only worked like this in the very first beta/alpha.
Community member
Noodlesocks was so kind to write a resource management tutorial. In this tutorial you will learn how to manage your economy. Although it might seem easy when you think of it,
Act of Aggression's resource system can be quite tricky. Especially when you take forward operating bases in account!
Resource Management Tutorial
So the beta is almost over (Or is it over already?) so I guess this is quite a bit late but to be honest, we've all been learning as we go along with this beta. So in that regard, I thought I might as well create a basic guide on resource management that - barring any changes to the system for release - will help those in the future. So without further ado:
Basic Resource Gathering
There are three types of resources in Act of Aggression: Oil, Aluminium and Rare Earth Elements. Both Oil and Aluminium is harvested by the Refinery building while R.E.Es require the Processing Plant.
Refineries and processing plants have a limited range of harvesting. It is important when placing the structure that it incorporates as much resources as its radius allows as shown below.
Once constructed, you will receive a M993 logistic vehicle that will begin to pick up refined resources from your refinery and transport it to your HQ. This is your supply line which can be interrupted by the enemy, cutting you off from much needed resources.
Oil resources will add to your regular funds and do not have to be stored. However, aluminium will be stored in your HQ and will continue to do so until there is no more space. At which point, you will be required to construct LEMs to provide additional storage of resources.
As your resources around your base begin to deplete and you look towards expansion, you will find your supply lines grow longer and longer, increasing the time it takes to receive resources and increasing the risk of your supply lines being interrupted.
Forward Operating Base and supply lines
In such a case, it may be better to create Forward Operating Bases (FOB). FOBs act similarly to LEMs, allowing the storage of resources and providing a build radius. Unlike LEMs, they can be placed anywhere on the map, making them ideal to collect resources from distant refineries. As oil converts instantly to money, this will provide a much quicker rate of income than if the resource were to be transported all the way back to base.
FOBs can be researched from the logistical center as the "Base Projection" research
Once constructed at your expansion, the FOB will create a second resource network; separate from that of your HQ
From there, you can reassign logistic trucks from nearby refineries to deposit their resources straight into the FOB, shortening the distance they travel and the limiting the risk they face from their shorter supply lines.
As you collect resources from your new expansion, you will notice that those resources are being deposited into your second network.
In most cases, your unit production facilities will be attached to your HQ and its subsequent resource network. Networks can not use resources from other networks so all the aluminium in network 2 is just sitting there, not being much use to anyone.
To remedy this, you will need to set up a supply line between your FOB and your HQ. Using a M993 logistic truck, you can assign the FOB as its pick up point
and assign your HQ as its drop off point.
The m993 will then begin delivering resources from your expansion to be used by your HQ and its unit production facilities.
As mentioned earlier, Rare Earth Elements can only be harvested by Processing Plants. These work in the same way as refineries.
Instead of constructing a FOB in this scenario, I opted instead to construct a field HQ but it is up to you which you use.(This was done to cut down the travel time for construction dozers who otherwise would have had to travel all the way from main and back again).
As you can see, the construction of this new HQ has created a third resource network. Processing plants require Aluminium to construct so as before, it is necessary to set up a supply line from Network 2 to Network 3.
Supply chains
Like before, as the Rare Earth Elements are collected, they will be deposited in network 3 and will have to be transported to Network 1 to be used by the main base.
From here you can do one of two things. You can either set up a supply line directly from Network 3 to Network 1. However this will require a long travel time with an increased risk of interruption. Alternatively, you can set up a supply line between 3 and 2...
... depositing the R.E.E in Network 2. With the supply line set up earlier between 2 and 1, it will begin to pick up the R.E.E and relay them back to HQ, effectively creating a supply chain between all your expansions.
Return to the Act of Aggression Portal
