Resources
There are two resources in this game: Population to do the work of building things, and Ultranium to build them out of. During each tick, each world adds more population. It also mines more Ultranium . . . the generic wonder metal that is used as armor, currency, and probably dessert topping and floor wax as well.
You can see how much a world produces each tick by clicking on its name in any display, which will take you to its World Information page. The RER (Ultranium production) and EI (population increase) values are at the top of the page, next to the world's image.
This information is also found in the rollover panel that displays below the map when you put your pointer on a world.
Population
Each world has a population . . . your work force for building new units. Each population icon represents a million sentient beings. For game purposes, populations of all races are equivalent . . . if you conquer a world from a player of another race, its people will work for you loyally. Population can be shipped from world to world, allowing you to build up "factory worlds" with a work force big enough to build large units quickly. See Production.
Ultranium
Ultranium is the wonder-metal that is used as the galactic currency. The Ultranium on a world must be spent on that world. You don't have a unified bank account for your whole empire . . . you have one on each world. Ultranium on one world is no use if you need to build units or buy licenses on another world. So you will also find yourself shipping Ultranium from "feeder worlds" to your factories.
EI
Environmental Index (EI) is the amount of population a planet produces in one tick. For example, if EI is 60, every tick 60 new population units will be added to the world. Resources are added after the production phase, so a world builds new units with only the Ultranium and population it had at the beginning of the tick.
A world's EI is fixed; in the current version of the game, nothing changes it, though some races automatically get bonus population each turn.
RER
Resource Extraction Rate (RER) is the amount of Ultranium a world produces in one tick. For example, if RER is 130, every tick will add 130 Ultranium to the planet's reserves. This is completely automatic. You do not have to assign population to mine it.
A world's RER is fixed; in the current version of the game, nothing changes it, though some races automatically get bonus Ultranium each turn.
Note that EI and RER are independent of current population. Even if a world has no population at all (because you moved them elsewhere, or because they were all killed in battle), on the next turn it will add Ultranium equal to its RER and population equal to its EI. Perhaps the space stork brings them.
Resources are added AFTER production takes place. A world can use only the population and Ultranium that it starts the turn with. The newly produced resources will be visible on the next turn, and only then can they be used.
