Construction is the system through which factions build infrastructure on the planets they hold. Every building, district, and megaproject in Grand Strategy is produced through this system, with planets serving as the physical sites of all construction activity.

Construction is gated by two complementary mechanics. Construction Slots determine how many districts a planet can host overall, with the number of slots set by the planet's Resource value. Building Capacity determines how many individual buildings may be constructed within each district, with the figure set by the planet's Diplomacy value.

Before any construction may begin on a planet, the faction must first establish a Command Post. This building serves as the faction's administrative centre on the planet and is a prerequisite for all subsequent construction. Without a Command Post, no districts may be built and no infrastructure may be developed.

The Command Post is small, cheap to construct, and quick to establish, but it is the entry point for all faction presence on a planet. Losing the Command Post (through invasion, sabotage, or political collapse) suspends all further construction until a new one is established.

Once a Command Post is established, districts may be constructed within the planet's Construction Slots. Each district occupies one slot and permits the construction of specific categories of buildings.

The available district types are:

The number of Construction Slots available on a planet is determined by the planet's Resource value:

• 1 Construction Slot

  • • 1-4 Resource Points

• 2 Construction Slots

  • • 5-8 Resource Points

• 3 Construction Slots

  • • 9-12 Resource Points

• 4 Construction Slots

  • • 13-20 Resource Points

• 5 Construction Slots

  • • 21-40 Resource Points

• 6 Construction Slots

  • • 41-80 Resource Points

• 7 Construction Slots

  • • 81-150 Resource Points

• 8 Construction Slots

  • • 151-300 Resource Points

• 9 Construction Slots

  • • 301-600 Resource Points

• 10 Construction Slots

  • • 601-1000 Resource Points

A planet with abundant resources and substantial geography can support more districts than a small or resource-poor world. Each Construction Slot may host one district, and once occupied, a slot remains occupied for as long as the district stands.

The number of buildings that may be constructed within each district is determined by the planet's Diplomacy value. This figure represents the administrative and political infrastructure available to manage development on the planet:

• 1-2 Diplomacy

  • • 3 buildings per district

• 3-5 Diplomacy

  • • 6 buildings per district

• 6-10 Diplomacy

  • • 12 buildings per district

• 11-20 Diplomacy

  • • 20 buildings per district

• 21-40 Diplomacy

  • • 35 buildings per district

• 41-80 Diplomacy

  • • 60 buildings per district

• 81-150 Diplomacy

  • • 100 buildings per district

• 151-300 Diplomacy

  • • 200 buildings per district

Building Capacity applies to every district on the planet independently. A planet with Diplomacy 20 may host up to 20 buildings within each of its districts. A planet with Diplomacy 5 has roughly a third that capacity. 

Note: all orbital construction is not affected by these values, and a faction has as much leeway to build as many orbital facilities as they want, provided they have the district in question.

See, all buildings have ongoing upkeep costs, paid every turn the building remains active. These costs are typically in credits, and in some cases in Influence as well.

A faction must continually expand its economic and political base to support its existing infrastructure. A planet that produces little revenue but hosts expensive military buildings will drain the faction's treasury. A faction that overextends through aggressive expansion may find itself unable to maintain its empire's infrastructure.

Upkeep is the primary structural constraint that prevents factions from indefinitely accumulating infrastructure. The strategic question is not just whether you can afford to build something, but whether you can afford to keep it running.

Transformation Projects are rare, expensive, multi-turn megaprojects that fundamentally reshape a planet, a system, or a galactic-scale strategic asset. They are not built within standard districts but are governed by their own pre-requisite and construction systems, detailed in their own section.

Transformation Projects represent the difference between maintaining what a faction has and changing what it could become. They are how dustball worlds become diamonds and how factions distinguish themselves from their rivals through unfathomable investment.

Hooray!