17 turns is the short run. Think ahead. Monoliths, while taking a little longer to build, make 2700 resources! At 50% conVersion (level 1 converter), that translates to 900 + 1800/2 = 1800 minerals, as opposed to just 1000 from a Mineral Miner. And so what if it takes longer to build them? You should have tons of planets before even beginning to convert to a Monolithic economy, so you should have enough full planets to build ships on. As long as you are at peace, you can build Monoliths with no worries!
