| For the disambiguation page on this lore article, see Resource Collector. |
concept art of the Taiidan resource collector next to an unidentified blue ship
The Resource Collector is a low cost ship that is used to harvest resources from various space matter, such as asteroids and nebulae clouds. Throughout the Homeworld series, nearly all races have been seen using them, with some exceptions.
Background[]
In the vast fathoms of space, it is an essential task to acquire matter that can be transformed into usable materials: this collection job is the very purpose of a Resource Collector. Their low cost is largely attributed to the low quantity of material required to construct (often only a thin hull, engine, and bridge), little to no armor hull plating, and most often no defensive capability. The central activities of a Resource Collector are to venture out, collect minerals from nearby asteroids, return to a nearby drop-off station for processing, and continue this activity. Resource Collectors often worked alongside Resource Controllers, mobile drop off points for resources.
During the Homeworld War, resource collectors were large, however, during the next 15 years they evolved and Somtaaw fleet possessed much smaller units.
Designs[]
Below are links to the most well-known Resource Collectors, loosely referred to as 'harvesters' or just 'Resourcers'.
In Homeworld[]
Main article: Resource Collector (Homeworld)
In Homeworld: Cataclysm[]
Main article: Worker
In Homeworld 2[]
Main article: Resource Collector (Homeworld 2)
Exceptions[]
Some races have been shown to acquire resources without any visible use of a Resource Collector. For example, the Kadeshi protected the Great Nebula, but there is no explanation for how they were able to build ships without harvesting the resources they are trying to protect.
The Turanic Raiders were also shown being able to launch large scale attacks on unsuspecting ships without needing to harvest any resource. However, it is possible that their pact with the Taiidan Empire allowed them to acquire resources from the Empire without much issue.