Economy in Xconq means pushing materials around. So if you want an economy in your game design, you have to define at least one type of material. To define the economy, you have to decide where materials come from, how they get moved around, and how they get used up.
Materials come into existence by being placed in units or terrain during setup, by being produced by units or terrain, and by appearing in newly-created units.
Once in existence, players can move materials around by explicit action.
You can also define automated material movement that uses supply and demand.
The tables in-length and out-length control the distance
over which materials will move each turn.
Materials exist to be consumed (unless they are relevant to a scorekeeper). You can set how much each kind of action uses, as well as how much is needed as a prerequisite, sort of like a catalyst. You can also set consumption due to existence alone, plus what happens to a unit when its supply of a material runs out.