The map brings you to a system, the system to a planet. At this point the game stops being a diagram and becomes a place: you see the atmosphere, the rings, the clouds, and the plot where your base will stand.
What the planet panel shows
A single click opens the panel. It holds everything you need for the first decision:
- Faction — who controls the world.
- Radius — the size of the body.
- Orbit — distance from the star.
- Resources — an estimate of what the plot yields.
- Type and atmosphere — for example a terran world with breathable air.
- Two actions — go to orbit, or choose a plot for a colony.
A double click on the planet jumps straight to plot selection. It is faster, but it does not replace looking: the panel shows numbers, not just a pretty picture.
Orbit
Orbit is the layer between the map and the surface. From up here you see what the ground hides: stations, debris, the approaches to the planet and other people’s ships.
From orbit you can:
- inspect the planet from above;
- find a station or debris;
- meet a patrol;
- pick a landing point.
The plot
The surface is divided into plots. Each plot is a 32×32 grid of cells, and the command post occupies 6×4 cells at (13, 14). Its build radius is 12 cells: every corner of a new structure must fall inside.
That is not paperwork; it is the geometry of defence. A compact base is easier for turrets to cover, while a sprawling one leaves gaps in the radius.
A planet can hold several plots and several colonies — yours and other players’. So “a free planet” does not mean “an empty one”.
Choosing a plot
Look at three things, in this order.
- Resources. A plot with no ore will not cover its upkeep, however many turrets you stack on it.
- Terrain. Flat ground speeds up building and leaves room to grow to level three.
- Approaches. An open plain is beautiful, and exposed to orbit.
Founding the colony
Founding costs 5,000 cr. The capture beacon turns the plot into your colony, and for the first 24 hours newcomer protection keeps it from being captured.
There is a system limit as well: no colony can be founded in a system with security above 60. Aera at 65 is out of the question; Cala at 55 allows building, but not capturing what belongs to someone else.
What happens after you land is covered in Base and command post.
What next
- Base and command post — radius, queue and upkeep.
- Modules — what can actually be built on the plot.
- Economy — how a plot starts paying for itself.