Purpose: AI-readable reference for Structs resources. Types, flows, conversion rates, security model.
| Resource | Unit | Stealable | Refinement | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Ore (unmined) | grams | No | Required | Planet (remainingOre) — extracted by Ore Extractor |
| Alpha Ore (mined) | grams | Yes | Required | Player inventory (storedOre) — stolen in raids |
| Alpha Matter | grams | No | Output | Player inventory (on-chain) |
| Energy | Watts | N/A | N/A | Ephemeral, shared across structs |
gridAttributes.ore field (also referred to as storedOre). This is NOT the bank balance — bank balance holds only refined Alpha Matter (ualpha). Query gridAttributes.ore to check unrefined ore holdings.| Input | Output |
|---|---|
| 1 ore | 1,000,000 micrograms (1 gram) Alpha Matter |
| Facility | Rate | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Reactor | 1g = 1 kW | Low |
| Field Generator | 1g = 2 kW | High |
| Continental Power Plant | 1g = 5 kW | High |
| World Engine | 1g = 10 kW | High |
| Operation | Difficulty | Time to D=3 |
|---|---|---|
| Ore mining | 14,000 | ~17 hr |
| Ore refining | 28,000 | ~34 hr |
Mining is roughly twice as fast as refining. A full mine-refine cycle takes ~51 hours at D=3. These are background operations — see async-operations.md. Use -D 3 for zero wasted CPU.
After mining completes, ore moves from the planet’s remainingOre to the player’s storedOre — and becomes stealable by any raider. A single successful raid seizes all of the player’s mined ore — not a percentage, everything. It stays vulnerable for the entire duration of the refining PoW. At D=3 (recommended), this window is ~34 hours. Unmined ore on the planet is NOT at risk; only the player’s mined storedOre can be seized.
This vulnerability window is the primary driver of PvP conflict in Structs. Raiders time their attacks for when targets have unrefined ore. Defenders must manage this tension:
| Strategy | Trade-off |
|---|---|
| Refine at D=3 | ~34 hr exposure, zero CPU wasted on hashing |
| Refine at D=8 (start sooner) | ~15 hr exposure, but burns CPU on harder hashes |
| Shield + stealth during refine | Reduces raid success, costs power |
| Refine during off-hours | Other players may be inactive, lower raid risk |
| Small frequent mines | Less ore exposed per window, but more total cycles |
The optimal play: Mine and immediately start refining. Use shields and defense structs to protect during the window. The player who minimizes ore exposure time while maintaining production throughput wins the resource game.
| State | Location | Stealable | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
Unmined ore (remainingOre) |
Planet | No | Mine with Ore Extractor → moves to player storedOre |
Mined ore (storedOre) |
Player | Yes | Refine immediately — this is what raiders steal |
| Alpha Matter | Player | No | Secure — cryptographically bound to owner |
Strategy: Refine ore as soon as mined to minimize raid exposure. Maintain a 20-30% Alpha Matter reserve for emergencies.
Progress pausing: If an Ore Extractor or Refinery is destroyed, mining/refining progress pauses until the struct is rebuilt. Ore already mined or refined is not lost.