Where the previous game had the player gather resources by landing on planets, "Star Control 3" has the player earn resources through a colony management system. This builds upon the colonization system seen in the first "Star Control". Eventually, a planetary colony will provide resources such as fuel, ships, crew, and artifacts. The player manages each planet's priorities, and each planet is suited to a different alien race. These colonies offer the player a convenient way to resupply, without returning to a central star base.