Visualization of the Information in the Game

Theory of relativity

As already written in several places, the game strictly adheres to the rules of relativity. There is a speed of light that cannot be exceeded by any signal, and especially not by any spaceship.

Signal speed

There are 2 types of signals. One type is commands that the player sends to individual star systems. The other type are events that take place in star systems and are sent to the player and other star systems.

The distance between two hex fields from center to center is one light year. One year passes per round. The speed of light therefore corresponds to one hex field per turn. From this follows that there can be nothing in the game that can move faster than one hex field per turn.

Spaceship speed

In reality, spaceships could theoretically travel at nearly the speed of light. Nearly means that the speed could approach arbitrarily close to the speed of light without reaching it.

In the game, spaceships move at max half the speed of light. The reason for this lies in the game mechanics, which only allows a ship to take a whole number of years to reach the destination. For example, a spaceship at half the speed of light needs two turns to reach a destination at a distance of one light year, not 1.5 rounds or 1.11... rounds.

Throne ship

Since commands can only move at the speed of light and do not reach the destination immediately, as is the case in nearly all other games, there must be a point from which they are sent out—the throne ship.

Position of the spaceships

Spaceships are shown at the position where you would see them through a telescope from the throne ship. For example, if you see the spaceship at a distance of 10 light years in the year 1000, this is the position at which the spaceship was in its own time in the year 990 and has already moved on. The reason for this representation is that it is the same in reality and you immediately get the feedback what the spaceship has done when it visibly arrives at the destination system.

Commands are displayed on the map

As written above, command signals travel at the speed of light and do not arrive instantaneously at their destination. Therefore, commands must also be displayed on the map so that one can see when commands arrive.
Even if you cannot see commands in a telescope, they are displayed where you would see them in a telescope. The position is calculated in the same way as for the space ships.

Future of the star systems is simulated

Star systems are not represented with the current data. Instead, this data is simulated into the future with all available information, i.e. arriving spaceships and commands.
For this, however, current data must be available from the star systems. Which means that the data of the System are not older than distance in light years years.
This is true for all systems owned by the player and for enemy systems that were spied on distance in light years years ago.

If no system is selected, the systems are simulated distance in light years years into the future.
This helps in deciding whether it makes sense to send a command to the destination system.
For example, it makes no sense to send a launch command to a destination system if the ship will not be there when the command arrives.

If a system is selected, the year in which a spacecraft from the selected system would arrive is simulated for all other systems if the launch command were now sent to the selected system.
This helps, for example, in deciding whether it is worth sending a trading ship.