This is a basic introduction to electricity, one of the most important mechanics in the game.
Transmission
Wires
Wires can be used to make a physically connected electricity system, and is the most common (and recommended) form of electricity transmission. They are very resizable, and are not restricted to being "wire shaped", so you can make square or even cube shaped wires if you need to. They have extreme malleability, but are not very durable.
Antennae
If you need to do something and cant have a physical connection, you can use an Antenna to transmit power. Antennae have an ID system, It is recommended you change your Antennae to make sure nobody uses the same ID elsewhere.
Relays
A more powerful version of Antennae is the Relay. Relays can be used across regions (planets and stars) to transmit power where your standard antennae cant do the job. Relays also have an ID system, but what you choose for your ID matters more because anyone else in the universe can connect to it. Relays are also one way, whether they transfer or receive can be set by configuring the Relay.
Generation
Coal power
Wires are useless without power to go through them. Luckily, there are many forms of power generation in the game. The most basic forms of generation are the BurnerGenerator, and its larger cousin, the Boiler which is used with Steam Turbines. Both of these run off of coal bins (and, in the case of Boilers, you also need Water) and don't generate as much power as other, more advanced sources, however they are great for a basic base or for getting off your starting planet. If you would like to know more, check out Steam Power.
Solar power
You could also use a more passive energy solution, such as SolarPanels. Solarpanels are relatively cheap and require no physical fuel- they absorb sunlight for energy. This makes them great for space vehicles/buildings, however in most places they dont make much power, requiring multiple very large panels for decent generation.
Nuclear power
More advanced power generation is Reactors. Reactors can be thought of like a really powerful, more complicated Boiler. They take Uranium and Water to make Steam. If you would like to know more, check out Steam Power and Reactor
Dark power
The hardest power source in the game to get, Dark Matter power. Dark Matter power however is almost the simplest source of power, second to Solar power. It uses two parts, Dark Reactors and Dark Converters. Dark Reactors simply make Dark Matter when near a Black Hole, and Dark Converters turns it into power, However both of these make a ton of heat, and instantly kill any nearby player.
Trivia
- There used to be certain resources that generated power when they touched another material, known to the community as "power mats." These became overused and where unbalanced, so as of December 5, 2020, they have been removed from the game entirely after a few nerfs.
- There where also physical/movement operated machines called Generators. The Generator, unlike other sources, outputs power when spun by something like an Engine or WindTurbine. They require no fuel directly, however if whatever is spinning them does, then fuel may be needed. However, They where extremely exploitable and could be used to generate a ton of free power, and where removed on February 28, 2021.