Tyrian features a variety of items which can be collected during gameplay, which are worth points or serve to upgrade your ship's capabilities.
Many enemy ships will drop coins or gems, which can be collected for points. Years ago, an ingenious starship designer developed a metal that, when heated to a certain temperature, forms huge metal coins that can be collected by other ships. Council officials scoffed and called the project "something out of an ancient electronic game." Nonetheless, the metal is still used in nearly every ship built.
Enemy ships will also ocasionally drop fruits and other edible stuff. It has long been the practice of ship captains to destroy other ships and collect their protected food stores as a trophy, since most other matter is generally incinerated.