Anchored stations

Available now: G1–G4 use anchored stations. Existing planets became stations and their moons were merged into them during the 3.0 conversion. New empires begin with one station.

Addresses and ownership

Each physical planet has four station slots. A displayed destination such as [2:7-S3] means system 2, physical planet 7, station slot 3; its galaxy is always the game galaxy you selected (G1, G2, G3 or G4); there is no separate galaxy field. The physical planet is a location, not a shared player-owned base. Each occupied station has its own owner and available actions; neighboring stations do not share ownership or protection.

Galaxy coordinates are zero or positive. Systems can be positive, zero or negative; physical planet positions are 1–15 and station slots are 1–4. New destinations with negative galaxy coordinates are rejected.

You may own only one station at each physical planet. Your overall station limit comes from Astrophysics: one starting station plus one for each completed level; partial investment unlocks no slot. Check the current/max count in Overview. Former Space Dock outposts remain ordinary owned stations and count toward that limit after retirement; existing ownership is preserved even if above capacity.

Each system normally has 3–10 planets at different positions from 1 through 15. The remaining positions are empty: they do not appear as planet controls on desktop or tablet. Existing planets and stations ordinarily retain their addresses, even in systems with more than ten existing planets; the G1–G3 legacy coordinate reconciliation described below is the exception. Planet positions stay the same when you revisit a system.

Existing G1–G3 stations that once had nonzero coordinate-galaxy addresses have been reconciled into coordinate galaxy 0. If you saved an old destination, check its current station address before launching. This does not move a station between your separately selected game galaxies.

An operator coordinate repair can relocate legacy G1–G3 stations from nonzero coordinate galaxies into coordinate galaxy 0. It uses the nearest free eligible station slot in the original system, or the nearest system if the original is full, without allowing two stations owned by one empire on the same physical planet. The station keeps its identity, owner, name, inventories and linked queues and fleets; G4/G5 are not part of this repair.

On desktop and tablet, the planet number sits above each visible planet, with station slots 1 and 2 on its left and 3 and 4 on its right. Occupied slots show their owners' station artwork, including equipped station skins; empty station slots remain numbered boxes so you can choose a place to colonize. Select a station portrait or empty station slot to see its address and available actions. When shared debris exists, its icon appears below the position; select it to prepare a recycling mission.

Animated station skins remain animated on the desktop and tablet Galaxy map even when their station menus are closed. Your reduced-motion preference still controls the animation.

On phones, Galaxy uses shorter compact rows for the planets present in the system, each with four numbered station slots on the right. Only planets with an occupied station show a planet-name label; coordinates appear separately below it. Occupied slots show that station owner's equipped hull artwork (or the standard station when no skin is equipped). Empty slots keep their dashed, numbered indicators without artwork. Swipe a row left or tap ‹ (Options) to reveal the station selector and mission actions. Choose Station 1–4 first; only missions available for that station become usable.

Your station selector chooses your owned stations, not their physical planets. Buildings, ships, resources, queues and fleet origins remain attached to each station. Conversion retains their existing identities and associations; physical planets do not hold player inventories.

Station selectors use orbital station portraits instead of planet artwork. Where coordinates are shown, the address includes the station slot so you can distinguish your bases.

The desktop Overview centers your station portrait inside the round display. The mobile Overview keeps the tabs close to your controls without a large station portrait above them; you can still identify and switch stations with the station selector.

On PC and tablet, the Overview shows three operational stats for your selected station instead of Diameter, Temperature and Structures:

• Docked ships: ships currently at this station, excluding stationary solar satellites. Ships away on missions are not counted.
• Defense units: defenses stationed here, including shield domes and anti-ballistic missiles, but not offensive interplanetary missiles.
• Energy balance: energy generated minus energy used. A negative number warns that demand exceeds supply.

These are station totals, not empire totals. Your first station in each newly joined galaxy defaults to Station 0; existing station names are not changed.

Galaxy shows all four slots on physical planets, including empty ones. Choose the action on the station you intend to visit. In Launch Pad, check the Station selector before sending a fleet. Changing your origin selects your own station by its existing identity, not whichever station appears first at that location. An address without a station slot defaults to slot 1; it does not mean “any occupant.”

The Universal Exchange is not a player station: its Galaxy location has no station boxes or selector. Use Open Exchange there to trade; nearby physical planets still have four slots.

Conversion and refunds

Conversion preserves each existing planet's identity as a slot-1 station and adds its moon's resources and units. For every building or facility, the higher level is retained; levels are not added together. The overlapping levels are refunded once as their calculated material costs. Verified, previously unrefunded construction Credits for the discarded lower structure are also refunded once. On equal levels, the existing station's structure is retained and the moon's duplicate is refunded. Historical Credits, rush fees, or other payments without verifiable receipts are not guessed.

Moon creation and moon-destruction targeting are not available in station mode. Use station addresses when planning fleet missions.

Retained lunar facilities are available from your station. Jump Gates still require ownership, fuel and available cooldowns; Sensor Phalanxes retain their range and fuel requirements. Debris belongs to the physical location and is displayed once, rather than separately for each station.