A major set of experimental mechanics is now active on Beta. These systems are being tested together and may be adjusted, expanded, or removed based on player feedback and battle data.
1. Round-Based PvP Combat
PvP battles now resolve over multiple rounds instead of completing instantly.
The first round begins immediately. Each following round starts after 2 minutes.
Battles remain limited to 15 rounds.
This applies to Attacks, Raids, Combined Assaults, Moon Attacks, Outpost Attacks, and wartime battles at asteroid fields.
PvE encounters remain instant.
Station capture battles continue using their existing station-specific combat system.
Eligible reinforcements may join an ongoing battle. If they arrive before the engagement ends, they enter the next available round. If the battle ends first, they return automatically.
Players may order individual ship groups to withdraw. Withdrawal is not immediate: selected ships continue fighting until their escape delay expires.
Speed 12+: 1 additional round
Speed 7-11: 2 additional rounds
Speed 5-6: 3 additional rounds
Speed 3-4: 4 additional rounds
Speed 2 or lower: 5 additional rounds
Carrier-bound ships withdraw together with their carrier group. Multiple withdrawal orders can be issued during the same battle.
Active engagements can be monitored through the new battle views, including participants, reinforcements, retreats, hull and shield status, round results, and the timer until the next round.
2. Open Space Defense
Open Space keeps planetary shields and shield reinforcement, but defenders may now configure an automatic withdrawal threshold:
Retreat after 30% losses
Retreat after 50% losses
Retreat after 70% losses
During an active battle, the defending player may choose Hold Position to cancel the automatic withdrawal. Allied fleets do not automatically withdraw with the planet owner's fleet.
Economic buildings cannot be destroyed by PvP in Open Space. Defensive structures may still be damaged.
3. Dead Space Rules
Dead Space remains the unrestricted PvP zone.
Ordinary planetary shields still function.
Shield reinforcement is completely disabled.
Score-based attack protection does not apply.
Automatic Open Space withdrawal protection is unavailable.
Economic buildings cannot be destroyed by PvP.
Defensive structures may still be damaged.
Sentinel Space retains its existing safety rules.
4. PvP Score Protection
Outside Dead Space, PvP protection is based on total ranking score, not military score.
A player cannot launch an Attack, Raid, or Combined Assault against a planet or moon belonging to someone whose total score is less than half of the attacker's score.
A weaker player may still attack a stronger player. Doing so grants the stronger player a 24-hour personal retaliation right, allowing attacks regardless of the normal score restriction.
Active alliance wars also bypass score protection.
5. Official Alliance Wars
Alliances may formally declare war on one another.
War begins after a 24-hour preparation period.
Active war lasts 5 days.
War cannot be cancelled early.
After the war, both alliances enter 14 days of enforced peace with each other.
Existing alliance, NAP, or unresolved diplomatic agreements must be ended before war can be declared.
Score-based PvP protection does not apply between alliances during the active war.
Fleets belonging to warring alliances will fight if they meet while mining or defending the same asteroid field.
6. Fleet Travel Changes
All Beta missions now use the ordinary travel profile. Combat mission types no longer automatically use the old strategic flight profile.
Mining, Survey, Anomaly Investigation, and Wormhole missions travelling from Sentinel or Open Space into Dead Space receive x4 outbound and return travel time.
This modifier affects travel time only. Fuel costs, range, activity duration, and travel to fixed targets such as planets, moons, and stations are unchanged.
7. Fleet Supply and Bio Extract
Fleets now require Bio Extract to support their crews.
Consumption is calculated as 0.02 Bio Extract per healthy crew member per day.
Supply is charged hourly from the player's selected supply planet.
The homeworld is selected by default.
Damaged ships and ships with no crew do not consume supply.
If an hourly payment cannot be made, affected ships become Unsupplied. They cannot be dispatched or defend, and active missions are recalled through their normal return process. Ships already committed to an active round-based battle finish that engagement first.
After 24 accumulated unpaid hours, ships become Mothballed. After 48 unpaid hours, affected ship units permanently desert without producing debris.
Each fully paid hour removes one unpaid hour. Vacation Mode freezes supply progression, but operational ships require 24 paid supply hours after returning from vacation before they are fully recommissioned.
8. Alliance Council
Alliances permanently activate a five-seat Alliance Council after reaching 10 members.
The leader has 24 hours to appoint the initial Council.
Unfilled seats are automatically assigned by alliance seniority.
Vacancies also have a 24-hour appointment window before automatic replacement.
The leader cannot directly remove a Council member.
Council members may resign voluntarily.
Four of five Council votes can remove another Council member or the alliance leader.
Three of five votes are required to elect a new leader.
Council votes remain open for up to 48 hours.
A removal vote against the same person cannot be attempted more than once every 7 days.
Council members and leaders are automatically removed from office after 15 days of inactivity.
Disbanding an alliance requires approval from four of five Council members.
Voluntary leadership transfer remains immediate. If leadership is transferred to a Council member, their Council seat becomes vacant and the previous leader becomes a regular member.
9. Capitals and Supported Sectors
Alliance territory management is available under Alliance → Territories.
An alliance may establish one capital sector after:
Controlling all 5 stations in the sector
Having at least one alliance planet in the sector
Having at least 5 active members
Completing a 72-hour capital deployment
All requirements are checked again when deployment finishes. The capital remains designated while the alliance controls at least 3 of the sector's 5 stations.
Every 5 active alliance members support one sector. Activity is measured over the previous 7 days and recalculated at most once every 24 hours.
Active capital sector: 8,000 CP defense limit
Supported ordinary sector: 7,000 CP defense limit
Unsupported sector: 5,000 CP defense limit
The capital uses the first available support slot. If the alliance falls below 5 active members, the capital remains designated but uses the 5,000 CP unsupported limit.
Leaders and deputies may configure sector priorities. Priority changes take effect after 72 hours. Any remaining support slots are assigned automatically.
The CP limit applies to the entire defending fleet side, including the station owner's fleets, reinforcements, and allied fleets. Ships above the limit are not destroyed; they simply do not participate in that battle. Station shields and weapons remain outside the CP limit.
Station production and storage continue normally regardless of support status. Existing vulnerability windows and fleet-assembly rules remain unchanged.
10. Pre-positioned Salvage Fleets
A Pre-position Salvage Fleet arriving during an active round-based planet battle may now wait for that specific battle to finish.
The salvage fleet does not participate in combat.
It remains recallable while waiting.
After the battle, it enters the normal contested debris collection process.
Ordinary salvage missions sent to an existing debris field are unchanged.
If no eligible battle is active when the fleet arrives, the existing empty-return behavior applies.
These mechanics are experimental. Numbers, restrictions, and individual rules may change during Beta testing.