Tiberium
From Reborn
Economic Impact of Conflict
-derived from TS book-
-should note that Tacitus and Tiberius were ancient Roman rulers
-original description-
Tiberium is a crystalline substance of extra-terrestrial origins. The Tiberium crystals represent both the tools and spoils of war and are used to purchase new units and buildings, with each faction either directly or indirectly battling for control over the crystals. Tiberium comes in a variety of forms, mostly the common green crystal, but also comes in the form of more rare blue crystals or in a liquid state.
Tiberium is a double-edged sword. While it is the greatest mineral resource ever encountered, conveniently gathering many potent elements into an easily harvestable form, it also brings with it considerable hazards: areas rich with the rapdily spreading Tiberium substance are eventually exhausted of their native ecosystems, and become too toxic to support normal carbon-based life. In the context of the gameplay, Tiberium can also be seen this way with its obvious tactical advantage as a resource, and its destructive effect on infantry.
Tiberium can be thought of as, in effect, a commodity, with everything that one builds in the game costing Tiberium-based credits. It can appear anywhere on Earth, but can only be regenerated in-game by special Tiberium-generating Blossom Trees; infested trees that release Tiberium spores into the air, or by Tiberium Fissures, and is harvested by harvesters, vehicles which seek out and harvest the material. As a currency, Tiberium is collected to build structures and train units. In Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, Tiberium is generated exclusively from fissures in the Earth's crust, with Tiberium growing from underground veins within these fissures.
The substance is named as such because it was first discovered near the river Tiber in Italy, although Kane, who claims to have discovered Tiberium, said he named it after the Emperor Tiberius.
-we tell this as if it were real: we do not mention the C&C games!
