After reading Gauntlets idea, I rather do like it. You can simply then create the 'amount' of finite resources on the map at generation. Ideally a resources has X many in it. Like Civ 5 where you can have an Iron mine with 5 or even 8 iron in it. I would prefer if said resources were distributed a bit more evenly and can be made more or less rare at map creation. 

However, we then come to the ai and the abundance of credits. The ai should 'over value' its own resources and not value  the players as much. Thus it would cost an 'arm and a leg'for the player to buy out all the resources from the various ai and the ai in turn would not value what the player has by  half. This way it would be harder for the player to abuse and snowball in ship power using special components while denying the ai the same. 

Should not be that hard to set 'reserve' capacities for the AI on everything? Whatever above the reserve is available for trading, that which is below reserve, is not.

Oh well... just to clarify, I wasn't trying to say that the durantium resource on the strategic map would only provide X amount of resource over the whole game... I did intend for it to possess and provide Infinite durantium and be mined forever, but, only provide so many resources per Y turns.

Like ".25 Durantium per turn" IE 1 per 4 turns. Forever.

The attrition loss of resources is thereby temporary and you can recover and restock. That being said, I'm also not opposed to each deposit being "finite" but I think that is difficult for a 4X game.

Finite or infinite resources both have their advantages and disadvantages.

There is one turn based game i have played that has finite resources.... its called Galactic Assault, prisoner of power.

It makes you very careful how many units you lose... and my usual strategy is to let the AI foolishly expend its resources and then move in for the kill.

I totally agree. I was quite opposed to the shift to infinite resources from asteroids in Sins of a Solar Empire during beta. It completely changes the game... and sometimes that is great and sometimes not.

If you were to vote for finite or infinite resources which would you chose?

Normally i would vote infinite, but for an expansion of Galciv3 i would vote finite.... only because we already have infinite resources and it would be nice to try finite just for something different.

Edit: actually i remember one game with finite resources having an option for 'infinite resources'. But forget which one? So the best option is to have finite resources but an option to make it infinite if you want to.

there was at least a few old RTS games with that option.

For GC I think I'd vote infinite. But again, with the "trickle" effect, of earning these resources over time and their use being permanent in a ship and permanently lost when destroyed (or even upgraded, which, while not totally fair, can be rationalized).

We lost focus here. Right now you get one. This conversation started with instead of one maybe one for so many turns. 

Gauntlet, it is seem Endless Space 2 is going with what you were thinking. Resources per turn while each deposit generate difference amount of resource range from 1 to 5 from what i seen.

Not to mention a certain SD game called fallen enchantress...