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!

The Galaxy Map

The Galaxy Map is your window into the universe. It shows you every planet, player, alliance, and empty slot across all galaxies. Learning to read the map efficiently is essential for finding raid targets, choosing colony locations, and understanding your neighborhood. This chapter explains the coordinate system, position effects, player status icons, and how to use the map strategically.

Galaxy Structure

The universe in Age of Space is organized into a three-level hierarchy: Galaxies, Systems, and Positions. Understanding this structure is fundamental to navigation, fleet planning, and colony placement.

The universe contains 9 galaxies. Each galaxy has 499 solar systems. Each solar system has 15 planet positions. This means there are a total of 9 x 499 x 15 = 67,365 possible planet positions in the entire universe.

Every location is identified by coordinates in the format [Galaxy:System:Position]. For example, [1:100:8] means Galaxy 1, System 100, Position 8. You will use these coordinates constantly when sending fleets, spying, and communicating with other players.

The Galaxy Map shows one solar system at a time. You see all 15 positions in the current system, with information about each occupied planet.

To navigate between systems, use the arrow buttons or type a specific galaxy and system number directly. You can also click on planets to see more details about the owner.

The map has two view modes: orbital view (showing planets visually around a star) and list view (showing a compact data table). List view is more information-dense and preferred by experienced players.

Reading Planet Information

Each occupied position on the Galaxy Map displays several pieces of information:

Position number (1-15) — the planet's slot in the solar system
Planet name — the name set by the owner
Player name — who owns this planet
Alliance tag — shown in brackets like [TAG] if the player is in an alliance
Activity indicator — shows recent player activity (star icon or minutes since last action)
Moon icon — appears if the planet has a moon
Debris field — appears if there are resources floating in orbit from recent battles

Player Status Icons

Players can have special status indicators next to their name. Understanding these is critical for knowing who you can attack and who to avoid:


(i)	(i) Inactive — Player has not logged in for 7+ days. Safe to attack. Resources accumulate but fleet and defenses do not grow.
(I)	(I) Long Inactive — Player has not logged in for 28+ days. Very safe target. May have accumulated large resource stocks.
(n)	(n) Newbie — New player under protection. You cannot attack them if you are significantly stronger, and they cannot attack you.
(s)	(s) Strong — Powerful player. If you are a newbie, you are protected from them. Attacking them as a newbie is risky.
(v)	(v) Vacation Mode — Player is on vacation. Cannot be attacked, cannot attack. Their planet is completely safe.
(a)	(a) Admin/Banned — Game administrator or banned player. Do not interact.

Activity Indicators

The activity indicator tells you how recently a player was active on a specific planet:

A star icon means the player was active within the last 15 minutes. Do NOT attack — they are online and will likely see your fleet coming.
A number (like "37") means the player was last active that many minutes ago. Activity fades after 60 minutes.
No activity indicator means the player has not been active on that planet for over 60 minutes. This is when it is safest to attack.

Warning!

Activity on one planet does NOT mean all planets are active. A player might be active on their main planet but their colonies show no activity — those colonies could be vulnerable.

Position Effects

The position of a planet within its solar system affects its temperature, which in turn affects Deuterium production and Solar Plant efficiency:


1-3	Positions 1-3 (Hot): Highest temperature. More solar energy production but less Deuterium. Good for energy-hungry economy planets.
4-6	Positions 4-6 (Temperate): Balanced temperature. Moderate solar energy and Deuterium. Best all-around positions. Also tend to have the most fields (building slots).
7-9	Positions 7-9 (Cool): Cooler temperatures. Good Deuterium production with reasonable solar energy. Solid general-purpose positions.
10-12	Positions 10-12 (Cold): Cold temperatures. High Deuterium production but less solar energy. Good for Deuterium-focused colonies.
13-15	Positions 13-15 (Extreme Cold): Coldest temperatures. Best Deuterium production but lowest solar energy. Ideal for dedicated "Deuterium farms" but require more energy infrastructure.

When colonizing, consider what role each planet will play. Your main planet should ideally be in positions 4-6 for maximum fields, while Deuterium farms benefit from positions 13-15.

Galaxy Map Tips

Spy Before Attacking

Always send Spy Probes to a target before attacking. The spy report reveals resources, fleet, buildings, and defenses. Attacking without spying is gambling — you might hit an empty planet or a heavily defended one.

Target Inactive Players

Players marked with (i) or (I) have not logged in for days or weeks. Their resources pile up with no one spending them, and their fleets sit idle. These are the safest and most profitable targets for raiding.

Check Activity Before Sending Fleets

Look at the activity indicator before committing your fleet. If a player was active 5 minutes ago, your fleet might arrive to find an empty planet (they moved resources) or a trap (they recalled their fleet to defend).

Know Your Neighborhood

Regularly scan the systems around your planets. Know who your neighbors are, which alliances are nearby, and where inactive players are accumulating resources. Information is your greatest weapon.

Systematic galaxy scanning means going through systems one by one looking for profitable targets. Focus on systems near your planets first (lower flight time and fuel cost), then expand outward.

Distance affects fleet travel time and fuel consumption significantly. Flights within the same system are fastest, then same galaxy, then cross-galaxy. The distance formula is:

Cross-galaxy flights are extremely expensive in time and fuel. Try to raid within your own galaxy whenever possible.

Look for patterns: inactive players tend to cluster in systems that were active at universe launch. Systems 1-50 and near system 250 often have the highest player density.

Use the list view to quickly scan many systems. Check for (i)/(I) status, debris fields (indicating recent battles), and high-ranked players to avoid.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Use the galaxy selector to switch between all 9 galaxies. You can see any planet in any galaxy. However, sending fleets to other galaxies is extremely expensive in fuel and time.

Look for the (i) or (I) markers next to player names in the Galaxy Map. (i) means 7+ days inactive, (I) means 28+ days. These players are the safest raid targets as they cannot defend or retaliate.

No. Position only affects temperature, which impacts Deuterium production and solar energy. Combat mechanics are the same regardless of planet position. However, position does affect fleet travel distance within the same system.

Debris fields appear after battles. They contain 30% of the metal (Titanium) and 30% of the crystal (Graphene) from all ships destroyed in that battle. You need Recycler ships to collect the debris. Debris fields are often very profitable.

Your First Ships Next Chapter: Colonizing New Worlds