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First Steps

First Steps

Your first hour is about understanding what your station can produce and choosing a useful next goal. The welcome tutorial points to the real controls; it never buys, builds or trades for you.

Know which empire you are playing

New accounts begin in G4. Your station has its own materials, energy, structures and ships. Credits and Research Points are shared by your holdings within that galaxy. G and skin ownership are shared across your account.

Switching galaxies does not transfer resources or fleets. Galaxy Transfers are not active in production.

Build a sustainable economy

  1. Inspect current Metal, Crystal and Deuterium production.
  2. Check the energy balance before improving a mine.
  3. Compare the next upgrade's material and Credit costs with its benefit.
  4. Keep storage ahead of production, especially before going offline.
  5. Keep Deuterium for fleet fuel rather than spending the whole reserve.

Solar Plants provide stable energy. Solar Satellites can be destroyed in combat. A shortage of energy scales down mine output. See Energy for the distinction between energy and stored Fuel Cells.

Robotics and Nanite facilities can speed construction, but do not buy levels you cannot support with production. Follow their displayed requirements and completion times instead of an inflexible opening build order.

Build your research income

Each regular station earns 5 RP/hour. Each completed physical Research Lab level adds 10 RP/hour. Income continues offline and in Isolation Mode.

In Research, compare a technology's benefit with its RP quote. Completed five-level tiers increase costs in other domains. You can start any technology at level 0; manufacturing and mission requirements still apply. See Research Constellation for costs, saved funding and historical conversion.

Use Credits deliberately

New empires receive 100,000 Credits. Each empire earns 5 Credits per five-minute interval, independent of station count. Buildings and ships consume Credits alongside materials. Selling at the Exchange and verified Station Defense rewards provide other income. In 3.0.5, a fueled Quantum Datacenter can also earn station Credits.

Credit Wallet shows recorded spending and receipts. Passive income is included in the balance but omitted from the history list. G is a different currency and cannot replace a missing construction Credit balance.

Trade before overbuilding

Inspect an Exchange quote before submitting. Buying spends Credits immediately, but materials wait at the Exchange until collected. Selling sends goods from your selected station and settles at arrival, so the preview is not a guaranteed sale price.

Use small orders while learning the delivery flow. Leave enough ships, fuel and fleet capacity to collect what you buy.

When your basics are stable, Industry can assemble goods and ships for the Exchange, while Frontier opens exploration, contracts, mining sites and timed auctions. Tactical Squad uses committed ships and consumables; Station Defense reserves equipped defenses during a run. Review the cost and risk of each before committing assets.

Expand and protect

Your empire owns stations orbiting physical planets. Each planet has four slots; you may own only one of them. In 3.0.5, each completed Astrophysics level adds one station beyond your starting station. Check the current/max count in Overview before planning expansion.

Scout the intended location and station slot before sending a Heavy Freighter. Closer bases simplify transport; distant bases change travel times. An empty slot beside another player's station does not grant shared ownership or protection.

Learn fleetsaving, read spy reports before attacking, and join an alliance in your galaxy. Isolation Mode blocks new hostile targeting, but missions already underway still resolve.

Avoid these early mistakes

  • Spending in the wrong galaxy or from the wrong station.
  • Treating queued construction as a completed upgrade.
  • Ignoring Credits while checking material affordability.
  • Assuming an Exchange purchase is already in station storage.
  • Leaving valuable ships idle without a plan for their return or defense.
  • Planning around held systems: NPC empire automation, Infiltration and Galaxy Transfers are not currently active. Fleet upkeep is active in G1–G4. G1/G2/G3 currently follow the shared October 1, 2026 subsidy calendar toward their permanent 25%/50%/75% rates; G4 pays the full rate. Keep Credits available to avoid stasis.