From Star Trek Game Information
[edit] Star Trek: Armada
This resource is necessary to build ships and stations. Once an order to build a unit is given, the dilithium required for that object is taken from your dilithium account. Cancelling construction of a unit replaces the dilithium account. Decommissioning a ship or station replaces dilithium back into a player's dilithium account.
To collect dilithium, a mining station needs to be built. Once built, a freighter will mine dilithium from the nearest dilithium moon. More freighters can be built to increase the rate at which a team acquires dilithium. Only one freighter can mine a moon at the same time, although one may mine a moon while the other is returning their load to a mining station.
[edit] Star Trek: Armada II
Dilithium is a crystalline substance used in warp propulsion systems aboard starships, and is mined from moons. Dilithium regulates the matter/anti-matter reactions that provide the energy necessary to warp space and travel faster than the speed of light.
The size and maximum speed of a ship typically reflects the amount of dilithium required for its development - larger starships require increased quantities of this resource. While stationary structures (such as a Shipyard) typically have lower energy requirements, their construction still demands a quantity of dilithium.
When an order to build a unit is given, the dilithium required for that object is taken from your dilithium account. Cancelling construction of a unit replaces the dilithium for that unit back into your account. Decommissioning a ship or station replaces dilithium back into your account.
To collect dilithium, a mining station needs to be built - preferably near a dilithium moon. Once built, a freighter will mine dilithium from the nearest dilithium moon. More freighters can be built to increase the rate at which a team acquires dilithium. Only one freighter can mine a moon at one time, although one can be mining a moon while another is returning its load to a mining station.
Certain moons contain an infinite supply of dilithium. These moons have a noticeably purple tint to them, and their quantity will not alter as they are mined for resources.
Note: Species 8472 have no use for dilithium, and this resources will not appear on the screen when playing Species 8472, but it can be converted to bio-matter which Species 8472 uses for embryo evolution.
