Game Guide
Learn to Play Age of Space - Complete beginner's guide to Age of Space. Learn how to build, attack, spy, colonize, and dominate the galaxy!
Diplomacy & Wars
Age of Space is not just about building ships and attacking planets. The metagame — the politics between alliances — is where the most impactful decisions are made. A well-placed NAP can protect your alliance for months. A well-timed war declaration can cripple a rival before they grow too strong. This chapter covers the three diplomatic states (NAP, War, Allied), how to negotiate effectively, how to coordinate wars, how to build spy networks, and how to manage the complex web of alliance politics that defines the late game.
The Alliance Diplomacy System
Every alliance in Age of Space can set diplomatic relationships with other alliances. There are three formal diplomatic states: NAP (Non-Aggression Pact), War, and Allied. These are set by alliance leaders and are visible to all members.
Diplomatic states affect gameplay in important ways. NAP means neither alliance attacks the other. War means open conflict is expected. Allied means mutual support and cooperation. Setting these correctly communicates your intentions to both your members and other alliances.
Beyond formal states, informal diplomacy through messages, chat, and external communication is equally important. Many agreements are made in private before being formalized in-game.
NAP — Non-Aggression Pact
A NAP is a formal agreement between two alliances not to attack each other's members. It is the most common diplomatic agreement and forms the foundation of peaceful coexistence.
How to propose a NAP: contact the leader of the other alliance through in-game messages. State clearly that you wish to establish a Non-Aggression Pact. Include your terms — typically mutual non-aggression, a minimum duration, and notice requirements before termination.
Benefits of NAPs: they reduce the number of potential attackers, allow your members to focus on growing rather than defending, and create a stable diplomatic environment. Most successful alliances maintain NAPs with their immediate neighbors.
War Declaration
War between alliances is the most intense aspect of the metagame. A formal war means all members of both alliances are valid targets. Wars can last from days to months depending on the balance of power.
Before declaring war: assess the enemy's strength thoroughly. Spy their top players, estimate total fleet value, identify their weakest members. A poorly planned war can devastate your own alliance.
- War preparation: stockpile Deuterium for fleet operations, ensure all members are fleetsaving properly, coordinate attack schedules, designate primary targets, and establish communication channels for real-time coordination.
- War execution: focus attacks on the enemy's strongest fleeters first — removing their offensive capability cripples their ability to retaliate. Coordinate multiple attacks simultaneously to overwhelm their ability to defend.
Allied Status
Allied status is the strongest diplomatic bond between alliances. It typically implies mutual defense obligations — if one ally is attacked, the other is expected to help defend.
Allied alliances often share intelligence, coordinate ACS defenses, and work together in wars. The ACS (Alliance Combat System) allows allied fleets to defend a single planet together, making combined defense much stronger.
Negotiation Strategies
Effective negotiation in Age of Space follows real-world principles. Know what you want, know what the other side wants, and find a deal that benefits both parties. Coming to the table from a position of strength always helps.
Opening: make contact through a respectful message. Introduce yourself, state your alliance's interest in establishing relations, and propose a specific type of agreement. Be clear and direct.
Leverage: if your alliance is militarily strong, the other side is more likely to accept your terms. If you are weaker, offer something of value — information, trade routes, mutual defense against a common enemy.
Closing: once terms are agreed upon, both alliance leaders should formally set the diplomatic status in-game and announce the agreement to their members. Written records (messages) prevent misunderstandings.
Spy Networks & Intelligence
Information is power. Systematically spying on rival alliance members provides intelligence about their fleet strength, resource levels, activity patterns, and defensive readiness.
Build an intelligence file on enemy alliances: track who is active when, which planets are heavily defended, which members are weak targets, and where their main fleets are stationed. This information is invaluable when war begins.
Activity monitoring: check the galaxy map regularly to spot enemy movements. Note when players go inactive (no activity for days), as they become easy targets. Track fleet movements through Phalanx scans when available.
War Coordination
Successful wars require coordination among alliance members. Without coordination, individual attacks are easily defended. With coordination, multiple simultaneous strikes overwhelm the enemy.
Target lists: the alliance leader should create a priority list of enemy players to attack. Primary targets are their strongest fleeters (removing offensive power), secondary targets are their richest miners (cutting economic base).
Attack scheduling: coordinate attack times so multiple members hit different targets simultaneously. The enemy cannot defend everyone at once. Use alliance chat and external tools for real-time coordination.
Defense assignments: designate members to ACS defend key alliance planets while attacks are underway. The enemy will counter-attack your weakest members first — protect them.
Conflict Resolution
Not every conflict needs to escalate into full war. Often, disputes can be resolved through negotiation, compensation, or mediation by a neutral alliance.
Common causes of conflict: accidental attacks on NAP members, resource disputes, stolen colony slots, personal feuds between players. Address these quickly before they escalate.
Mediation: a respected neutral alliance can help mediate disputes between two hostile alliances. Both sides present their case, and the mediator proposes a fair resolution. This preserves diplomatic relationships.
