SpaceTroll wrote:
I think the idea is that Dust should be compared to the Gold Standard, meaning that while gold was considered the most valuable resource on earth, governments were printing bills that could be exchanged at anytime against gold.

In on our universe, Dust can become whatever you want it be, would you be able to master it, then it would be gold for some, energy for others, or even cocoa, would we still have cocoa lovers around.

Then instead of having everyone carrying their little purse of dust around, you would have like the Gold Standard, governments keeping the dust in their banks and issue virtuals credits, bills or coins for them depending on the cultures. it is then easier for us to speak in dust rather than local money.. as it is always convertible in dust.

tkozlow wrote:
I would thing that the most common currency between any sentient races if there are any in the universe would energy.

Slowhands wrote:
Origin

Dust



Origin



"Dust" is the creation of a highly advanced race, the Endless, that traversed the galaxies tens of thousands of years before the gameplay begins. The Endless developed technology that was so advanced that they were able to upload their minds and consciousnesses into computers, thus gaining virtual immortality.



Through their mastery of nano-engineering, the Endless created an infrastructure of nanobots and nano-computers to maintain their society. Some used these infinitesimally small machines to help maintain their biological bodies, while others used constructs of these nano-elements -- known collectively as "Dust" -- as virtual bodies once they uploaded themselves. The technology was sufficiently advanced to self-replicate itself and self-assemble. While individual motes of Dust had very limited computing power, the ability to 'talk' and network was built in. As a result, 'clouds' of Dust could form extremely sophisticated systems.



However, while many of the Endless chose to become electronic consciousnesses, there were equally large numbers who kept to their bodies, gaining immortality instead through DNA manipulation, the use of dust to repair failing organs, cloning, etc. These two societies drifted apart, began to mistrust each other, championed different goals and uses of resources, and eventually fell into open conflict.



The "Virtuals" developed their versions of Dust to aid in communication and transport. It was refined to provide virtual bodies, pass electronic signals, collect and store energy, etc.

The "Concretes" developed Dust that excelled in manipulating the physical world: Improving building and transportation systems, attacking crop diseases, cleaning and sterilizing living spaces, etc.





Uses



Dust is valuable and versatile. During the time of the Endless it improved computing systems and networks, added intelligence to things that were usually 'dumb' (roads, buildings, tables, lights, clothing, etc.), and even locked itself together to form structures. Sufficiently large quantities of Dust could form networks and supercomputers; small quantities could assemble into cybernetic enhancements.



The Endless came to rely upon Dust to the point where there civilization was almost symbiotic between life-forms and Dust. Their cities and ships contained enormous quantities of Dust; space stations and habitats were formed almost entirely from it.



Today



In the world of Endless Space, however, the Empires lack the ability of the Endless to understand and manipulate Dust. As the game goes on and technology improves, however, Dust will become increasingly useful as technologies are unlocked that allow Empires to better exploit it.



On the other hand, because it is highly valuable and relatively easy to find (in this galaxy awash with the ruins of the Endless civilization), it has become the common currency of Endless Space. Like gold during the Age of Exploration, it is one thing that all societies, regardless of how different they are from each other, want and desire.

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