Mud

Mud is an organic element produced by Grubgrubs and used primarily as an intermediate resource for conversion into more basic materials. It can be created by feeding Grubgrubs Sulfur or Sucrose, and in Spaced Out it can also be harvested from renewable space points of interest, specifically in Swampy Ore Fields at a rate of 108 kg to 324 kg per cycle.

Mud is most notable for being a convenient source of Dirt and Water. A Sludge Press decomposes 150 kg of Mud into 60 kg of Dirt and 90 kg of Water. If Mud is heated instead of processed, it converts into the same ratio of Dirt and Steam. In both cases, the Dirt is always produced as debris, even if the Mud started as debris or as a tile. This makes Mud a useful feedstock whenever a colony needs Dirt, Water, or Steam from a single input.

Because heating Mud creates products with higher specific heat capacity than the original material, the conversion is heat-creating rather than heat-neutral. That makes thermal handling important if the goal is to melt Mud into Steam instead of pressing it mechanically. The Dirt output is especially useful in early and mid-game colonies where Dirt is still needed for farming and other basic applications, while the Water output can be fed into plumbing or further processing chains.

In practical use, Mud is often worth storing for conversion rather than immediately leaving it as a loose material, since its value comes from what it becomes rather than from direct construction or consumption. Grubgrub production provides a renewable source, and space harvesting can supplement that supply in the right biome.

• 150 kg Mud → 60 kg Dirt + 90 kg Water in a Sludge Press.
• Heating Mud produces Dirt and Steam in the same ratio.
• Dirt from Mud is always created as debris.
• Grubgrubs produce Mud when fed Sulfur or Sucrose.
• In Swampy Ore Fields, Mud can be harvested at 108–324 kg per cycle.