There are not many rules in this universe, but every one of them bites. Start with time: how the world advances one notch at a time, when your orders take effect, and at what moment anyone else gets to see you.
A frozen snapshot, simultaneous resolution, and no way to recall a fleet. Five minutes to a turn in the default arena, with no edge for last-second reflexes.
See how a turn runs →The circle you leak into is twice the circle you can see. You are always seen first and see second; and a world that leaks is a world with someone on it.
See who sees whom first →The site must lie in your sight, the seed must arrive in one trip, and most mistakes are only checked when the fleet lands. Of the reasons a colony ship bounces, only one tells you anything about anyone else.
See how a colony lands →Score asks whose it is; brightness asks where it sits. Spending never costs you a point, it only changes form. A score can fall in six ways, and three of them, fuel, colony seed and abandoning a world, have no one on the receiving end.
See how the number works →A named ring of members: the server keeps the id and the roster, and grants them no power at all. Talking never gives away your position; only your light does.
See how a channel works →The retreat line is written at launch and checked every round against cumulative losses; you cannot see the other side's. The longer you stay, the more of the report you keep.
See how a battle ends →Anyone can station a fleet on any world, and landing makes them a defender. The server never asks what you are to each other; turning coat means going home first.
See how garrisons work →