The higher the tonnage and lvl of the other player the more you get. On the other hand, you could loose, this gives you a smaller amount of ferrite and bioptics, but no xp. Your score against that player is changed to show your loss, and your mechas need a few minutes to be repaired. You can attack any other player, even if they are 100 lvl above or below you, but you are not allowed to attack a player you have beaten 2 times this day.
This is IMPORTANT. If you are in a clan war or faction war and attack one of your opponents in regular play and beat them , that is 1 of the wins you are allowed against them that day. On the other hand, if you find a player way above your level you can attack him as many times as you like, getting soundly beaten and getting some bioptics and ferrite. You might wonder why ever would you do such a thing? Because you get as much ferrite and bioptics as you would from beating a weaker player, but no xp.
Next way to get resources is to do missions. Missions cost energy, and will in most cases give you about the same amount of xp as the amount of energy you use. In addition you might get some bioptics and/or ferrite. The amount you get is random, but in my experience the higher lvl missions tend to give more for each energy spent. At Cogwerk port I assume 100 energy will give me 200 ferrite,100 bioptics and 100xp. At Yomi reef I expect the same 100 energy to give me 3000 ferrite, 1500 bioptics and 100xp.
In addition the missions sometimes have mini-bosses. This is a fight against some computer generated mechas. If you win you will get ferrite, bioptics, 1-3 niodes and a white marker. When you have gotten all the white markers for that mission you are allowed to advance to the next mission. Oh, you are also allowed to try and beat the boss. Here is a chance to get mechas and equipment, all you have to do is take out 560 enemy mechas in 24 hours.
These fights cost slightly more energy, and unless you finish the raid in time you get nothing, except the possibility to try again. Those white markers stay there until you have beaten that boss. After you have beaten the boss there will come a reset, your white markers are gone, and you have to start anew. Sometimes you might get a mech while doing missions, hasn't happened to me yet, but some players have gotten 4 heavy mechs this way.
Submitted by Sten Hugo Hiller#627184