Buildings

Buildings are one of the two basic categories of production items for a planet. The other option is Ships.

Buildings are planet focused production items that mostly cause semi-permanent (and in some cases, permanent) changes. The category includes things one would not normally consider buildings, but which fit the category of Planet Improvements, including Soil Enrichment and Terraforming. It also includes Trade Goods, which are not a Production item as such, but rather a way of converting Production into Credits (money).

Only one instance of each type of Building can be built on the same planet. Stacking buildings of the same type is not possible. So for example to increase a planet's power you must research and build different types of power plant.

At the start of the game, empires may build Infantry Barracks, Nuclear Power, Space Dock, Ship Yards, Spy Network, and Torpedo Turrets (and may rebuild their Capital if it is destroyed). Other options are unlocked by Research.

Antimatter Reactor Plant
Energy L5: Allows an extra power source, +20 power for a colony -10 coins/turn, 600 shields

Notes: This tech is called "Antimatter Plant" but the building is called "Antimatter Reactor". This can be confusing because there is also a ship power technology called "Antimatter Reactor". Also this L5 planetary power source has the same power contribution as the L3 planetary power source "Quantum Generator".

Automated Factory
Engineering L2: +1 production per worker, +10 production, -10 power -20 coins/turn, 600 shields

Automated Farm
Chemistry L2: +25 food -5 power -10 coins/turn, 500 shields

Capital
Starting Tech: +25% happiness empire wide, +6 Command Points. No upkeep costs. 600 shields to rebuild. Cannot be sold.

Notes: Only one Capital may exist (or be under construction) within an empire. One is already built on the empire's home world at the start of the game. Can't be voluntarily sold, relocated or destroyed. Remains in place even if the planet is fully depopulated. Can be rebuilt only if it is first destroyed by enemy attack. The rebuilding location can then be freely changed (by switching to another construction at the current site, and then building Capital at another site) until construction is completed. The Capital can be rebuilt at the same location, if that location is still (or again) under the player's control.

It appears that if the Capital is lost by ground assault rather than bombardment, it cannot be rebuilt.

Cloning Center
Chemistry L1: Increases population growth by +1m/turn. -5 power -20 coins/turn. 600 shields.

Strategy Notes: This technology is surprisingly powerful. Experienced players may wish to forgo this tech in order to maintain challenge.

Food Replicators
Physics L7: +50 food for the colony. -10 power -30 coins/turn. 1000 shields.

Fusion Reactor Plant
Energy L1: Allows an extra power source, +15 power for a colony. -10 coins/turn. 600 shields.

The actual building is called Fusion Power.

Galactic Internet
Engineering L4: Increases happiness by 10% -5 power -10 coins/turn. 600 shields.

(Galactic) Stock Exchange
Engineering L4: +10% income for a colony. -5 power -10 coins/turn. 600 shields.

Strategy Notes: This is not always a good investment. The maintenance/upkeep cost of the building may be greater than the overall income boost for the colony.

Gravity Damper
Physics L6: Decreases the gravity of a High gravity planet to normal. -5 power -10 coins/turn. 500 shields.

Strategy Notes: High Gravity reduces the food, production, and science output of a planet by 50%.

Gravity Generator
Physics L5: Increases the gravity of a Low gravity world to normal. Counteracts the effects of Low gravity. -5 power -20 coins/turn. 500 shields.

Strategy Notes: Low Gravity reduces the food, production, and science output of a planet by 25%.

Holographic Center
Energy L8: Increases happiness by 10% -5 power -30 coins/turn. 1200 shields.

Infantry Barracks
Starting Tech: +5 colony defense, +1 Troop every 5 turns (up to planet's limit). -10 coins/turn. 600 shields.

Moon Base
Engineering L2: +20m max pop, can only be built on planets that have a moon. -20 coins/turn. 300 shields.

Nano Fabrication Plant
Engineering L7: +1 production per worker, +20 production. -10 power -20 coins/turn. 600 shields.

Nuclear Power Plant
Starting Tech: +15 power for the colony. -10 coins/turn. 600 shields.

The actual building is called "Nuclear Power".

Planetary Shield
Energy L6: Reduces bomb damage by 25% and prevents bio weapons. -5 power -50 coins/turn. 400 shields.

Point Defense System
Engineering L5: Reduces bomb damage by 25% -5 power -50 coins/turn. 400 shields.

Quantum Generator Plant
Energy L3: Allows an extra power source, +20 power for the colony. -10 coins/turn. 600 shields.

Notes: This tech is called "Quantum Gen. Plant" but the building is called "Quantum Generator". This can be confusing because there is also a ship power technology called "Quantum Generator".

Quantum Super Computer
Physics L3: 10 Science, +1 Science per scientist. 55 power -30 coins/turn. Antimatter Reactor Plant

Science Lab
Engineering L3: +1 Science per scientist. -5 power -30 coins/turn. 400 shields.

Ship Yards
Starting Tech: Builds Battleship- and (with Tech Advance) Dreadnought-class ships, +3 Command Points. -10 coins/turn. 600 shields.

Strategy Notes: More efficient way to obtain extra command points, compared to Space Dock.

Soil Enrichment
Chemistry L3: +1 food per farmer. No upkeep costs. Can't be built on worlds with 0 Food rating. 600 shields

Space Dock
Starting Tech: +4 Command Points. -20 coins/turn. 600 shields (or by Colonising an existing Outpost).

Strategy Notes: Less cost-efficient way to obtain extra command points, compared to Ship Yards.

Space Elevator
Engineering L6: +10% income for a colony. -5 power -10 coins/turn. 1000 shields.

Strategy Notes: This is not always a good investment. The maintenance/upkeep cost of the building may be greater than the overall income boost for the colony.

Spy Network
Starting Tech: Adds a spy network for the specified empire. Enables the Intelligence view in the Diplomacy screen for a particular empire, allowing the player to see the perks, technological progress, and detected fleet strength of that empire. No upkeep. 600 shields.

Strategy Notes: Spy networks are build once, use forever option that costs no upkeep. As such, it is always worth building when doing so would not slow progress in other areas.

Star Base
Engineering L1: +2 Command Points, stationary base that defends the colony (not the whole system) from attack. -40 coins/turn. 1200 shields.

Strategy Notes: A Star Base is, size-wise, equivalent to a Battleship, and is equipped with the best offensive and defensive technology researched by the empire, automatically upgraded. If Extended Hull has been researched, it will be used. The AI attempts to pack as many Beam weapons, Torpedo weapons, and Charge weapons into the Base as possible. It will try to have an equal number of them, but gives slight preference to Beam weapons. Arguably an actual Battleship is cheaper and more effective, as it can maneuver tactically to use 'terrain', and can defend multiple colonies, defend outposts, defend other systems, attack, and doesn't cost upkeep. However a Battleship does cost command points, requires a Ship Yard to build, and requires Refit or replacement to keep updated with technology.

Terraforming
Chemistry L4: Terraforms a planet to a better climate. 1500 shields. No upkeep.

Strategy Notes: This can only be done to a planet once, and the result is not always better. Before building, consider reviewing the Planetary Climate page for information on what the planet will become.

Torpedo Turrets
Starting Tech: Defends the colony (not the system) from attack. Provides two stationary torpedo turrets, similar to two Destroyer-class warships. -20 coins/turn. 400 shields.

Strategy Notes: Torpedo Turrets are equipped with the best offensive and defensive technology researched by the empire, automatically upgraded. The base space of a Torpedo Turret is 150 and the AI attempts to fit as many Torpedo weapons and Spacial Charge weapons as possible into the space available. It will not use Extended Hull. See also the notes for Star Base, though Torpedo Turrets are better value for outlay of shields.

Trade Goods
Starting Tech: Not a building, per se. +0.5 coins per production allocated, each turn. Ongoing. Note that switching to Trade Goods will cause any accumulated production points to be lost.

Virtual Reality System
Engineering L5: Increases happiness by 10%. -5 power -10 coins/turn. 1000 shields.

Zero Point Energy Plant
Energy L7: Allows an extra power source, +25 power for colony. -10 coins/turn. 600 shields.

Notes: This tech is called "Zero Point Gen. Plant" but the building is called "Zero Point Energy". This can be confusing because there is also a ship power technology called "Zero Point Energy".