Galactic Map

The Galactic Map displays a great deal of information that can be overwhelming at first. The map below provides a guide by labeling the major elements. Some elements shown will not be visible until you turn on the corresponding overlays.

Legend
  Planets  Blue : Colonized Planet Green : Red : Un-colonizable with Current Tech Yellow : Gray : Purple :   Orbiting Fleet Shield icon in the empire's color representing a fleet orbiting a system. Clicking will allow giving orders to the fleet  Traveling Fleet Represents a fleet traveling between systems with the empire's color. Commands cannot be given to fleets in transit without the tech.  Travel Path Dashed line indicating the destination of a fleet. Green : Destination of your own fleets. Yellow : Your fleet is or soon will be travelling through a speed slowing nebula. Red : Enemy fleet headed to one of your settlements in war time. Blue : Rival fleet travel lines (requires the Rival Fleet Lines Overlay enabled and at least tech for fleets not traveling to one of your settlements). </dd>  Capital</dt> Crown icon indicating that the system is an empire's home world.</dt>  Ruins</dt> Indicates that the system contains on one of its planets. These "goody huts" may be searched by any ship but are likely to provide better rewards with a and/or a  with the  skill.</dd>  Habitable Planet Marker</dt> With the Systems with Colonizable Planets Overlay enabled, these tent icons indicate the system has a planet you can colonize with your current colonization technologies.</dd>  Scan Level</dt> With the Scan Level Overlay enabled, shows the current of the system. No icon indicates nothing is known about the system, including whether it even has planets--it has not been or visited by any fleet. How much of the circle of the magnifying glass is filled in represents greater degrees of scanning.</dd>  Wormhole Path</dt> Indicates that 2 systems are connected by open wormholes allowing instant travel between them, even if the destination system outside your. This makes them great for expanding your supply range by establishing an or colony in the destination system. Requires a sufficient scan level in one of the 2 systems to discover the wormhole's destination before use.</dd>  Supply Line</dt> Gray dotted line indicating that the production of a system is being transported to another by. Requires Overlay Exploitations enabled.</dd>  Border</dt> Borders expand from colonies based on population and are show as circles shaded with the empire's color. Outposts do not expand borders. Requires Borders Overlay enabled.</dd>  Scanner Range</dt> The area in which rival fleets will be detected. Displayed as gray shaded circles around colonies, ships, and outposts with a radius depending on your current scanner technology. Requires Sensors Overlay enabled.</dd> <dt> Ship Supply Range</dt> <dd>Fleets can only travel so many parsecs from your colonies and outpost depending on the level of your Logistics technology. Your traversable area is outlined with gray circles when the Ship Supply Overlay is enabled. <dt> Nebula</dt> <dd>Gaseous areas that can only be traversed slowly if at all without advanced drives. It may be necessary or desirable to route fleets around them.</dd> <dt> Space Monster</dt> <dd>Space monsters are hostile to all empires and can be found through or ships entering the system. Un-escorted will be destroyed immediately; at least 1 military ship in the fleet will permit retreating until you are powerful enough to do battle with them.</dd> </dl>

Overlays
The overlay buttons at the bottom left of the Main Screen toggle information on the Galactic Map. Turning them all on displays the most information, but if you find the screen too busy can toggle them as needed.

Borders

Sensors

Ship Supply Range Exploitations

System Scan Levels

Strategic Resources Systems with Colonizable Planets

Measuring Tool

Rival Fleet Lines