Alternate Resource Gathering Methods

Here are 19 alternate ways to gather resource in Space Engineers 2. If gathering resource is explored more by Keen as a core gameplay mechanic, maybe more people will try it out in survival.

1. Crystal Asteroids

• Unique Resources: Rare crystals (used for high-efficiency energy storage or advanced weapons).
• Mechanic: Fragile mining — must avoid overdrilling or crystals shatter.

2. Volcanic Moons

• Unique Resources: Lava rock with rare isotopes.
• Mechanic: Heat-resistant mining gear required. Could use geothermal extraction too.

3. Ancient Derelict Stations

• Unique Resources: Salvageable advanced tech, rare alloys, or encrypted data cores.
• Mechanic: Dismantle carefully to get parts; defend against automated defenses.

4. Ice Comets

• Unique Resources: Ultra-pure water ice, volatile gases.
• Mechanic: Limited-time event — comets fly by; you must intercept and harvest fast.

5. Alien Coral Fields (floating in space)

• Unique Resources: Bio-organic matter used for biotech or living hulls.
• Mechanic: “Grow” materials on your ship from samples.

6. Gas Vents on Moons

• Unique Resources: Natural hydrogen/methane vents.
• Mechanic: Set up extractor drills with storage tanks, then pump to ship.

7. Magnetized Metal Clouds (in orbit)

• Unique Resources: Floating metal dust you can harvest electromagnetically.
• Mechanic: Requires special collector modules — can't be mined traditionally.

8. Abandoned Alien Mines

• Unique Resources: Rare ores + clues to a tech tree.
• Mechanic: Puzzle-style exploration to reach ore safely.

9. Micro Black Hole Debris Fields

• Unique Resources: Exotic matter.
• Mechanic: Dangerous pull zone — need anti-grav or boosters to escape.

10. Solar Flare Zones

• Unique Resources: Charged plasma, unstable energy particles.
• Mechanic: Use solar sails or field collectors during flares.

11. Cursed Asteroids

• Unique Resources: Unknown minerals that cause tech malfunctions.
• Mechanic: Risk/reward — harvest for unique benefits but manage side effects.

12. Giant Hollow Asteroids

• Unique Resources: Inner caves with untouched resources.
• Mechanic: Drill into hidden core areas; avoid cave-ins.

13. Gravity Wells

• Unique Resources: Stabilized graviton particles.
• Mechanic: Use gravity to collect particles over time — needs stationary platform.

14. Quantum Rift Zones

• Unique Resources: Phase matter.
• Mechanic: Appears briefly and unpredictably — teleport to enter pocket dimension.

15. Space Coral Reefs (on planets)

• Unique Resources: Bio-materials + embedded ores.
• Mechanic: Grows back over time; sustainable harvesting.

16. Ion Storm Clouds

• Unique Resources: Ionized elements for shield tech.
• Mechanic: Ship must withstand electrical surges while collecting.

17. AI Harvesters (hostile)

• Unique Resources: Defeat them to collect “compressed resources” or AI cores.
• Mechanic: Rare, roaming entities that suck resources from space — follow them or intercept.

18. Gas Clouds

• Unique Resources: Hydrogen
• Mechanic: Extract hydrogen from gas clouds to refuel hydrogen tanks

19. Gas Giants

• Unique Resources: Hydrogen
• Mechanic: Extract hydrogen from gas giant atmosphere to refuel hydrogen tanks. The closer you get to the gas giant, the more hydrogen you can extract, but also increase the gravitational pull.