Your issue is exactly one of the best features of this great game. You have to keep your eye on many aspects to get a balanced expanding empire. Resources are limited, of course, else it would be no fun to conquer the galaxy. There are several ways to produce or obtain more resources, like building resource production units on newly colonised planets, build resource storage facilities to not waste the overproduction and build up resources "in store" to be used later in the game when you definately need it (initial, specially in the beginning you have much more recources per turn available than you can actually use, and all this extra above what your planets can hold "in store" is lost when you hit the next turn button), use trade alliances or trade and research alliances (for as long as they hold they will generates additional resources too) etc. The wise man keeps an eye on the resources balance at the empire screen every turn, not to wind up in lack of resources before it's too late. If you build new ships, that are obviously better than the ones you build before, you might consider scrapping the older models and get some spent resources back and drop the level of resources needed. When the game progresses older ships will have almost no use because the enemy can easily destroy them due to the increase of researched technology. Etc.
This is not a game for the one day gamer. There are soo many possible srategies to explore this game will never get you bored, together with the excellent support by Aaron we might consider calling this game indeed "the only game you will ever need"!
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PERHAPS THIS IS A GOOD DAY TO DIE <Worf facing another critical fight>
[This message has been edited by nmoppa (edited 28 February 2001).]