mechanism / PC Demo
Why building with drone resources still raises threat
The ring around the minimap is an action-driven threat meter. When it fills, a wave attacks. The developer’s October 29 explanation says personally mined resources pay their resource cost at mining; drone-supplied resources pay that cost when used for building, alongside the building action. Upgrade your pickaxe, then your drill, to reduce mining threat for both you and your drones.
Updated 2026-11-02 · PC Demo
Understand the cost, then act
Separate the resource cost from the building action
A building can appear to add more threat after you switch to drones because its inputs have not yet paid their resource-action cost. With resources you mined yourself, that cost was already paid earlier. Compare where the costs occur before concluding that the same building suddenly became more expensive.
Threat timing described by the developer · October 29 Action / supply When to expect the cost What to do Mine resources yourself Resource action at mining; building action later Watch the ring after mining, then again after building. Use drone resources to build Resource action plus building action at use Leave room for the next build; a full stockpile is not free threat. Upgrade pickaxe / drill Reduces mining threat for you and drones Use tool upgrades to improve this specific cost. No discount amount was published. Make one useful build, then observe
Before spending a drone stockpile, look at the threat ring. Choose the build that serves your immediate objective or defense, complete it, and check the ring again. This observation separates a paid resource action from a stuck progress objective; it is not a promise that any fixed number of builds fits before a wave.
Upgrade tools rather than assuming automation removes costs
The developer specifically recommends upgrading the pickaxe and eventually the drill to lower the threat given for mining items by the player and drones. Priorities control what a Hub collects; they do not turn its resources into a threat-free supply.
Keep threat, Terraform, and population separate
A rising threat ring means the next wave is closer. It does not mean population has increased or that the region is ready to leave. Use Terraforming structures for Terraform, restored settlements for population, and the powered home relay for leaving.
What success looks like
You can explain the ring change by the action and where its resource cost was paid, then choose your next build with that remaining threat in view. Tool upgrades reduce the mining component; automation still does not remove it.
If you are still stuck
If the wave itself is active but enemies have stopped acting, that is a different problem. Use the stuck-wave guide. Exact threat points, a universal cheapest build, and a guaranteed safe build count are not published in the cited explanation.