Mixing 8mm and 10mm cubes, is it recommended?

An alternative that I didn't see you or the previous commenter mention is that of universal currency for all players.

If you have separate colours for each player, then I don't have much of an easy solution for you. However, if there's a way you can use the same colour cubes with each player (like if they had separate player boards/mats, for example), then create three denominations of cubes, each valued differently: 1, 5, and 10. For example, Incan Gold has three different colours of gemstones used by all players: blue for 1, black for 5, translucent yellow/gold for 10. As the game progresses, players can make change as necessary as their score increases.

Another similar alternative is if you have space on player mats for denominations of 1's and 10's. One track goes from 0 to 9, and the other goes up by 10, 20, 30, etc. If required, you can have a third track for 100's. With this option, a maximum of 3 cubes per player, regardless of size, would be required. Of course, if you don't have something similar to player mats then this isn't a viable solution.

Personally I wouldn't be pleased with a game that used larger cubes to simply indicate two of one resource, as the "pile" generated with 5 of one size versus 5 of the other may be noticeable, but a pile of five cubes mixed together is annoying. The only exception to this is if resource totals don't really change very often and the difference between one or two resources doesn't need to be compared very often, and certainly not mixing them together frequently.

In light to the additional details you've supplied: no, I don't think it will be a good idea. Several different colours of cubes, of different sizes, all gathered haphazardly in the same area... I don't think it's a good idea. For me personally I would lose patience trying to count it all correctly unless there was a more orderly way to do it than by sorting piles.

On TGC or Print n' Play Games, there are also chips of varying sizes. Have you considered these as a (likely more affordable) alternative? The larger-diameter chips would be the larger denomination. Each player could have their own stack and the different denominations would still be visible.

Half a cube = 1 point
Full cube = 2 points

Something like that in VALUE (I think that's what he means...)

If you want wood (most cubes are wood), production costs for a "half-cube" would almost certainly exceed that for a standard cube. At the very best, the cost would be equal.

It's not the amount of material at this scale, it is the setup and time spent machining the pieces to size. A standard cube has only a single unique dimension, so you need one static setup to mass produce them. A half-cube has two unique dimensions. You need two saw settings, and you need to differentiate when you do the cutting, so that means either a human who works slower, or a more complicated machine system.

No matter what, manufacturers will also be far more likely to have a pre-existing setup to make cubes, versus half-cubes. So supply and demand on the production end will get you there, as well.

Regarding the OP, I think the obvious thing to do is to just try it first. Pick up a bunch of cubes (sounds like you will need them no matter what for your prototype work, and you can reuse them anyhow for future game designs), and see for yourself how easily you can visually and textually differentiate them. Then ask some play-testers the same question.

For the record, plastic cubes should be the cheapest bulk solution. But yeah...ewww. Plastic.

Are you absolutely certain that cubes are the way to go for this game? Is there no other possible way to indicate resources?

The way you describe it here, the game sounds like a train wreck in the making. Wood and plastic for each player? Two colours for each player? For the same resource? I'm not certain why, but it seems like you're dead-set on using cubes for some reason. Is this combination of wood and plastic for the same resource really the best for the game?

I'm not your publisher but I imagine a question they will likely have is: why is this a more effective idea than some other alternative for resource tracking?

In NO WAY do I mean this line of questioning as disrespect. I'm providing you honest feedback, and attempting to point out some inconsistencies that may be noticeable only by someone on the outside. Please don't take this challenge as a personal attack.

Hmm... I wonder if the HALF cubes would be "too small". I am using the 8mm Ice Cubes for "Tradewars - Homeworld" and I have to admit, they are pretty small.

Having HALF a cube might not be possible ... In practicality it wouldn't be as good as it is in theory.

I bought for $40 from @Del Laird a huge amount of ice cubes (50 each x 8 colors = 400 cubes = $0.10 each). But the cubes are NICER than TGC. Slightly rounded corners and edges, Pantone colors that are lighter than TGC...

If you don't like the "Black" solid ones from TGC, you can get Smoke ones (transparent black)... You can have them made in China from Alibaba.com

Search for: 8mm game board cubes

You'll even find a MOQ of 500 units at $0.01 each. You can get a real good deal for only $5.00 + Shipping. I would go "customized" so MOQ of 1,000 units and maybe $0.02 each... But you can use Pantone colors to choose from. So it would cost you about $20.00! But you'd have 1,000 cubes.

Anyways maybe that's too much... But it's more reasonable than TGC.

I can't help but think that in the case where you need this phenomenal number of pieces on the board, if stackable chits or plastic mini-pokerchips would be a better solution. Certainly much, much cheaper.

Eclipse has a bunch of cubes. But even then, its limited to 33 per player. And that feels like a lot when you are setting up.

True... but enough cubes together are going to be a similar problem. I would think 3 colors of chips for 1, 5 and 10 would be ok.

Otherwise, are you so certain you need to have such a high number range in the first place? Perhaps the game would be simplified if you could reduce the total values involved.

As mentioned above, a "5" may not be very useful for speed since many moves involve 1 or 2 units, but a "5" or "10" could control the number of markers needed on the board. I just don't see the pro's of a "2" outweighing the con's.