All player ships begin on the planet of Proxima. No actions can occur on Proxima, but it will be the source of satellites generated throughout the game.
Game Controls
The in-game controls menu can be accessed by clicking the button along the bottom of the player's screen that looks like a cluster of keyboard keys.
Players each control their own spaceship during the game and have their own pool of activity points to spend on planet interactions. Players move through space with the use of the arrow keys (←, ↑, →) or A,W,D keys on their keyboard.
Players can boost by pressing space bar. Boosting temporarily increases the speed of the player's ship. While boosting, players deplete their boost bar (displayed as an arc around their ship) which must then refill before players can boost again.
Players can ping by right clicking with their mouse or pressing E. Ping is a useful way to draw teammates' attention to a particular spot on the map. Other teams do not see a player's ping.
Planet interactions occur by using the 1,2,3 keys or by left-clicking on the appropriate buttons with a mouse. Planet interactions only occur when a player has landed on an inhabitable planet.
The controls pop up for any given game also displays the SEED in the bottom right corner. The SEED is useful if teachers plan to replay a map.
Exploration, Minimap, and Planet Types
In the first phase of play, teams explore the galaxy. The minimap in the top right corner will show the location and size of planets, but their type is not evident until a member of the team visits them. Unknown planets show as grey circles on the minimap.
Teammates' ships will also be displayed on the minimap, but ships of opposing teams will not be.
Satellites will display on the minimap like normal, small planets, regardless of satellite type.
Example minimap view
Planets can be one of four types:
- Normal: a standard planet. Each built plot produces 10 yield. Indicated by a white circle on the minimap.
- Uninhabitable: contains no plots on which to build. Indicated by an X on the minimap.
- 2x Points: each build plot produces double the yield of a normal planet (20 yield). Indicated by a + inside the planet on the minimap.
- Shielded: satellites cannot be placed on shielded planets. Indicated by a circle around the planet on the minimap.
Action Points and Planet Interactions
Players accrue Action Points (AP) at a standard rate throughout the game (one per “tick”). Their currently available AP are displayed in the bottom left corner, and the bar progressing across the field indicates when a new AP will be added to their total. AP can be used to take three actions on a planet:
- Build (costs 1AP): fill in one unclaimed plot on the planet. This creates 10 yield per “tick” on a standard planet, or 20 yield per “tick” on a double planet.
- Steal (costs 2AP): convert a plot from another team’s color to your color. If more than one team has stealable plots, the plot is stolen from the team with the most plots on that planet.
- Fortify (costs 3AP): make a plot unstealable. Fortified plots display with a square inside the plot.
Proxima-2 contains two fortified plots and four unfortified plots.
The team which controls the most plots on a planet (regardless of fortification) will automatically establish a 20% tax on that planet. If other teams develop plots on the planet, 20% of their yield will be given to the team which controls the planet.