Different kinds of Minerals

[Strager]

One idea I had is for there to be 4 (or more) different kinds of minerals (Names could be anything):

((bonuses are just examples of some advantages you could get for building your ships out of different metals.

Common Minerals: Basic minerals like Iron, Copper, Bronze etc. Refined into alloys and used to make basic ships with no bonuses. You can always use special minerals in place of common ones.
X-ium: Gives bonus defence against energy weapons. Uncommon
Y-intie: Gives bonus laser damage. Gives bonus to
Z-on: Rare - Makes ships hard to hit. Bonus to attack speed.


Additionally some ship systems may require one or more special minerals and/or research requirements may require access to a mineral type.

These are different from strategic resources as they are a lot more common (mostly) and are expended when used to build things with them.

 

[Jabby]

How about Xerum 525 for a special aura?

 

[henzington]

The balance is to make resources useful but not so powerful that you are crippled without them. I would say they have gone too far toward resources being just minor buffs.

I will say the opposite extreme Distant Worlds where lack of steel prevents you from building takes it too far in the other direction.

 

[lilsaihah]

So basically Iron/Horses/Aluminum/Uranium.

I honestly don't mind the idea, I think it could work with the right design around it. What immediately comes to mind is using these resources as a limiter for Wonders (maybe you need to get Living Metal from somewhere to build a Ringworld), or for some kind of Flagship.