# What Kind Of Resources Would An Advanced Civilization Need?



## Zak9 (Mar 29, 2013)

My WIP is a story about a post-apocalyptic fantasy-land. There is one civilization untouched by the apocalypse and uses their power to take resources from the small villages of the rest of the world- after all, this is the only way they could sustain their futuristic technology. Since this is far future (not our technology) what kind of resources will be needed. It needs to be sustainable, so maybe no oil? 

Thanks for your help!


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## CupofJoe (Mar 29, 2013)

If your setting is far-future then your high-tech group could be after anything but I would guess that it would be the more basic resources that they were after - People... and use them to mine/refine/make what ever else they need... Slavery [how ever its called] never goes out of fashion - sadly.


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## Meyer (Mar 29, 2013)

It depends entirely on the technology they have.  Futuristic is a very vague way to define it.  That could be anything from advanced computers and machinery to organic technology.


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## teacup (Mar 29, 2013)

It's the future it could be anything.
Make a new resource up that's rare but necessary to power things? (perhaps fossil fuels have ran out by then)


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## ThinkerX (Mar 29, 2013)

> My WIP is a story about a post-apocalyptic fantasy-land. There is one civilization untouched by the apocalypse and uses their power to take resources from the small villages of the rest of the world- after all, this is the only way they could sustain their futuristic technology. Since this is far future (not our technology) what kind of resources will be needed. It needs to be sustainable, so maybe no oil?



I seem to remember another thread about this, but...

First, an advanced civilization is going to need electricity.  Electricity generated from fossil fuel power plants will be out in this situation (those being burned up centuries earlier).  For sustainable power generation without significant interuption, best bet would be hydro-electric (big dam somewhere). Maybe a wind farm or a large solar array for back up.  Keeping the generators running is going to require lubricants (grease), and metal, specifically copper.  Depending on how smashed down everything else is, they may try to keep this running with scavenged parts or they may attempt to fabricate their own. 

Vehicles, particularly the internal combustion variety, require all sorts of exotics to keep them running: acids for the battery, different types of fluids for the transmission, brakes, and engine, rubber for hoses...well, the list goes on and on.  Electrics are a lot lower maintainence...but also have less power and a lot less range.  There is also the issue of tires - they'll need a source of rubber.  Possibly they are digging old tires out of landfills and doing some retreading.

Sophisticated computers require lots of exotic minerals and some really advanced manufacturing ability.  They might keep some older ones up and running, but building new ones...your talking a sizable nation with a *lot* of well trained tech types, not an isolated city state.  Lights, radios, that sort of thing...probably.

But...all in all, apart from items like copper, I doubt the surrounding low tech cultures would have much to offer these people.  They'd probably be much more interested in plundering the ruins, and even then they would be looking for things that would not really interest the low tech types.


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## Zak9 (Mar 31, 2013)

Okay, so mainly metals and chemicals? I can definitely work around that. Thank you!


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## psychotick (Apr 1, 2013)

Hi,

It does depend on the culture / tech but I'd agree with the rest. My thought is that if they are green they won't be using a lot of metal as in iron, but the rare metals, e.g. palladium would be invaluable as they are used in the catalysis of other compounds e.g. producing hydrogen from water to burn. Gold and silver get used in computers. Also rare earths. However the actual amount they would need for a single city culture is probably not huge. The problem is that they're all rare and primitive cultures won't have a lot of them. So stealing isn't an option. Forced mining is.

They may also, depending on their tech, need some radioactives. Things to power stuff.

If their tech is higher than that they may be hunting for antimatter and dark matter / dark energy. Primitive cultures won't be able to help them in this.

But my thought would be that what they really want is food and maybe servants, assuming they haven't got robots and advanced hydroponics.

Cheers, Greg.


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## wordwalker (Apr 1, 2013)

psychotick said:


> But my thought would be that what they really want is food and maybe servants, assuming they haven't got robots and advanced hydroponics.



Agreed. Either they trade (or extort) for a lot of food, have large fields to defend, or maybe have underground hydroponics just to keep them safe. (Or future vat-generated food, maybe.)

As for robots... they might have them, but human beings never get tired of having other humans wait on them.


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