In the second of my series of posts on the basics of Ingress I want to focus on resources.
As in a lot of games, once you get up and running in Ingress you will soon realise that the gathering and management of resources is fundamental to success. When you're 'in the trenches' you will become more and more aware of how scarce some of the most essential items can be (at the least opportune moment in my experience).
The purpose of this guide is therefore to get you up to speed on what resources are, how to get them, and how to use them. My main aim would be to give you the info you need to maximise the return on all that walking you will be doing.
I apologise in advance if this is all a bit too basic for some. Essentially it is intended as a basic introduction but I hope that some of the information is of use to higher level players. In particular, I will try to keep the information about mods up to date as they are released and as we discover more about them.
Previous Posts:
Previously I posted about Linking and Fields.
When I talk about resources in Ingress I mean the items that are gathered, stored and used by the player.
There are several types of resource/items:
In addition to the above, as of the beginning of June 2013, there are a number of new mods being released which are designed to enhance the defensive and linking properties of portals.
To simplify things, I will divide the resources available into two categories:
I'll use these categories as a reference point as I continue the discussion.
In the next episode in this series I'll begin by looking at how to get resources and pro-portal resources.
But first, how do you finance these resources?
XM is the sparkly neon white stuff that litters the playing field. You collect it as you walk if you have space in your XM inventory.
The XM inventory is shown as a power bar at the top of the scanner. As you carry out actions (such as hacking, deploying portal mods, or attacking) you will see the power bar deplete. Every action in Ingress has a cost in XM. Some actions are more expensive than others. In order to replenish your stocks of XM you must hoover more up (more walking, it keeps you fit).
Things to note about XM and its availability...
By using XM as a currency the designers of Ingress have provided a pretty good mechanism by which players are limited in their actions in any one session. You will become aware of the consequences of your actions and the levels of XM available.
(XM can be stored in Power Cubes but we'll get to that)
XM costs are one of the ways in which the designers of the game provide balance. They periodically tinker with those costs so it pays to be aware of what the current 'exchange rate' is. For example, see this post which outlines the costs of firing weapons and deploying resonators.
Anyway, I hope this introduction has been useful and informative. Onwards to how to get resources.
The purpose of this guide is therefore to get you up to speed on what resources are, how to get them, and how to use them. My main aim would be to give you the info you need to maximise the return on all that walking you will be doing.
I apologise in advance if this is all a bit too basic for some. Essentially it is intended as a basic introduction but I hope that some of the information is of use to higher level players. In particular, I will try to keep the information about mods up to date as they are released and as we discover more about them.
Previous Posts:
Previously I posted about Linking and Fields.
What are resources?
When I talk about resources in Ingress I mean the items that are gathered, stored and used by the player.
There are several types of resource/items:
- Keys
- Resonators
- XMP Bursters
- Portal Mods: Shields, Power Cubes
- Virus weapons
In addition to the above, as of the beginning of June 2013, there are a number of new mods being released which are designed to enhance the defensive and linking properties of portals.
Portals, Anti or Pro?
To simplify things, I will divide the resources available into two categories:
- Portal Modifications (pro-portal resources)
- Weapons (anti-portal resources)
I'll use these categories as a reference point as I continue the discussion.
In the next episode in this series I'll begin by looking at how to get resources and pro-portal resources.
But first, how do you finance these resources?
XM - the 'currency' of Ingress
Before we get stuck in I thought I would mention XM (or Exotic Matter to give it its full title). Often new players don't realise the significance of XM but it is pretty fundamental to the whole sheebang. From hacking, to portal building, to portal destroying, XM is the 'currency' that must be used.
In a way, if we are talking about resources, then XM is the resource you must deal with first and foremost.
The XM Basics
XM is the sparkly neon white stuff that litters the playing field. You collect it as you walk if you have space in your XM inventory.
The XM inventory is shown as a power bar at the top of the scanner. As you carry out actions (such as hacking, deploying portal mods, or attacking) you will see the power bar deplete. Every action in Ingress has a cost in XM. Some actions are more expensive than others. In order to replenish your stocks of XM you must hoover more up (more walking, it keeps you fit).
Things to note about XM and its availability...
- XM will appear primarily around portals. You will find it elsewhere but in far smaller quantities. It is found in built up areas.
- After it has been harvested by a player the supply of XM will reappear after a period of time (20 minutes approx.)
- If other players are active in the area you will notice XM being depleted
By using XM as a currency the designers of Ingress have provided a pretty good mechanism by which players are limited in their actions in any one session. You will become aware of the consequences of your actions and the levels of XM available.
(XM can be stored in Power Cubes but we'll get to that)
XM costs are one of the ways in which the designers of the game provide balance. They periodically tinker with those costs so it pays to be aware of what the current 'exchange rate' is. For example, see this post which outlines the costs of firing weapons and deploying resonators.
Anyway, I hope this introduction has been useful and informative. Onwards to how to get resources.
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