Introduction

Welcome! In this guide, we will cover essential tips and tricks for playing Ixion, including resource management, ship assignments, population stability, and sector planning. These are things I wish I knew when first playing the game, and they will help you manage the Tycoon effectively.

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Resource Management

• Toggle Resource Indicators: Use the ALT key to temporarily display resource values without cluttering the screen.
• Science Ship Outcomes Are Fixed: Choices are not randomized, so plan accordingly or consult a guide for optimal decisions.
• Docking Bays and Storage:
  • Docking Bays can hold up to 300 items, but these do not show in your HUD.
  • Resources stored in Docking Bays are retained during V-jumps, making them an excellent stockpile option.
• Mining and Cargo Management:
  • Mining ships extract resources but do not transport them.
  • Cargo ships must be assigned to pick up mined resources.
  • Use the Fleet Management screen to prioritize resources and ship assignments.

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Sector Expansion and Population Management

• Delaying Sector Unlocking:
  • Unlocking new sectors increases Hull Integrity penalties and requires extra workers and resources.
  • Assess workforce availability before opening a sector.
• Efficient Housing:
  • Crew Quarters: 3×3 footprint, 15 people.
  • Optimized Quarters: 6×3 footprint, 40 people.
  • Domotic Quarters: 6×3 footprint, 60 people.
  • Cell Housing (2×8 footprint) holds 125 people but causes instability and unhappiness.

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Vol-Jump Preparation

• Ensure sufficient resources before jumping:
  • Upon arrival in a new system, all resource visibility is lost.
  • Stockpile Alloys, Food, and essential materials before jumping.
• Battery Management:
  • Moving the Tycoon requires battery power to prevent blackouts.
  • Hover over sector power indicators to check if you have enough stored energy.
• Irreparable Hull Damage Increases Over Time:
  • Every V-jump adds irreparable hull damage, making ongoing repairs more costly.
  • Ensure you have enough EVA Airlocks and Alloys to compensate.

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Maintaining Stability and Trust

• Monitoring Sector Stability:
  • Each sector’s happiness affects overall trust.
  • Some sectors can be negative, but overall trust must stay positive.
• Methods to Improve Stability:
  • Housing upgrades (better living conditions reduce discontent).
  • Memorials provide passive stability boosts and sector specialization bonuses:
    • Marduk Memorial: Increases Industrial stability.
    • Genetic Katous Memorial: Improves Food production stability.
    • Lunaclym Memorial: Boosts Population stability.
• DLS Centers for Policy Management:
  • Introduces sector-wide policies, such as propaganda, work shifts, and food rationing.
  • Can offset poor conditions in exchange for reduced trust gains.

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Fleet and Ship Prioritization

• Setting Priorities:
  • Click on resource priority icons to manage ship focus.
  • Left-click: Cycles through High, Medium, Low priority.
  • Right-click: Cycles in reverse order.
• Avoiding Unnecessary Trips:
  • Use the Avoid button to prevent ships from traveling to undesired locations.
  • Useful for avoiding dangerous space weather or long-distance trips.

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Additional Tips for Managing Ixion

Building and Infrastructure

1. Road Connections: Buildings need at least one connected road tile to function properly.
2. Workshops & Maintenance Crews: These units are responsible for constructing roads and buildings.
3. Stockpile Management: Assign different stockpiles for different resources early on.

Early Game Expansion

4. Sector Entry Points: Leave clear space near sector gates for future expansions.
5. Prioritize Tech Lab Research: First research Probe Launcher and EVA Airlock.
6. Science Collection: Send Science Ships to magnifying glass locations for early science gains.

Fleet Management & Efficiency

7. Cargo Prioritization: Use Fleet Management to prioritize mining and cargo retrieval.
8. Hull Repairs: EVA Airlocks require steady Alloy supplies to maintain hull integrity.

Power Management

9. Solar Panel Expansion: Use external EVA construction for power upgrades.
10. Building Shutdowns: Temporarily disable non-essential buildings to conserve power when needed.

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Key Takeaways

• Stockpile resources before a V-jump, as visibility resets.
• Manage sector balance carefully—only expand when necessary.
• Use Docking Bays for hidden storage that survives jumps.
• Upgrade research for passive science generation early.
• Prioritize Hull Integrity as irreparable damage increases over time.
• Optimize fleet management for resource gathering efficiency.
• Maintain stability with housing, memorials, and policies.

By following these tips, you’ll have a strong foundation to manage the Tycoon effectively and navigate the challenges of Ixion. Happy gaming!