Scope and lifecycle

Section titled “Scope and lifecycle”

The options on this page are every number box, checkbox and dropdown of the Game Information window that carries a game rule and is applied when the settings are saved, plus the extra arguments read when Create Game is clicked. The naming options sit at the edge of this set because the same save applies them. The game name, the game selector, the Rename Game, Delete Game and Play Game buttons, colours, layout and tactical map display preferences are left out. The Spacemaster Password is included because it gates Spacemaster entry. Starting Year shares the creation checks, although its stated purpose is the calendar date.

Player race budgets, species choices, installation allotments, starting stocks and automatic technology and design choices belong to player race creation. They are not further Game Information options.

Life Meaning
R Later processing reads the current setting. Earlier outcomes are not reversed.
G Read when systems, bodies, species, commanders or ships are generated. Objects already generated keep their own stored state.
C Creation argument or input to the initial game setup.
U The window shows, applies, saves and restores the setting, and nothing in play reads it.

These letters describe where the game uses a setting, not when the window lets a player change it. When the window edits an existing game, it hides the start-only options under the banner “These game options can be modified at start only” and makes Starting Year, Minimum Sol Jump Points and the two race counts read-only. The common settings save still assigns every setting, Starting Year included, whether a game is being created or edited. No general rule limits a setting to game creation.

Save Settings applies the window’s values to the game selected in the window and, when that game is the one being played, to the running game as well. It then writes the selected game’s FCT_Game row. It does not regenerate the galaxy or run a construction cycle. A changed multiplier can take effect before windows that show cached output refresh. See game time and state refresh and displayed state and refresh.

Create Game first runs the same settings save, taking the game name from the New Game Name box. It then reads the creation arguments and creates the game. If the settings save fails, the game shows error Function #1709 and the save stops. An error while the save applies the values shows error Function #1710 instead, and the save still goes on to write the game row. A password mismatch also ends only the settings save. Creation then goes on with the creation arguments, so the two steps are not one all-or-nothing check.

Defaults and validation

Section titled “Defaults and validation”
Default layer Behaviour
Starting values Settings that no layer sets start at zero, except the settings listed below that carry their own starting value. This is not the New Game preset.
Window controls The boxes and checkboxes carry their own starting text and check states before any game is shown. Some creation arguments keep these values.
New Game The New Game button fills in a preset set of values, keeps the other starting values and shows the result in the controls.
Loaded game Loading a game restores its FCT_Game row. New Game defaults do not replace the loaded rules.

In the tables below, D is the value in the New Game preset record. The creation argument rows use the window’s own starting text instead, under the heading UI default. On and off settings use 1 and 0. A loaded game can hold values that differ from every listed default.

These settings carry their own starting value before the New Game preset is applied: Use Constellation Names (FCT_Game.ConstellationNames) 1, Eccentric Orbits (FCT_Game.StarEccentricity) 1, Gas Giant Effects (FCT_Game.GasGiantEffects) 1, Minor Trans-Newtonian NPR % (FCT_Game.MinorRaceChance) 20, Pre-Industral NPR % (FCT_Game.PreIndustrialChance) 10, Industrial NPR % (FCT_Game.ConventionalChance) 10, Limited Planet Distance (FCT_Game.LimitPlanetaryDistance) 1, , Allow Civilian Mines (FCT_Game.AllowCMC) 1 and . These values survive the New Game preset unless it overwrites them. The window spells the pre-industrial label “Pre-Industral”.

Applying the settings reads most number boxes as whole numbers and then applies these limits:

  • NPR Generation Chance (by Player), NPR Generation Chance (by NPR) and Ruin Generation Chance are held to 0 to 100.
  • Pre-Industral NPR % is held to 0 to 100. Industrial NPR % is held to zero through the percentage that remains. Minor Trans-Newtonian NPR % is held to zero through the percentage that remains after both. The order matters.
  • Terraforming Speed, Survey Speed, NPR Base Explored Transits, NPR Random Explored Transits and NPR Max Start Systems have a minimum of zero.
  • Construction Cycle Time, Difficulty Modifier, Research Speed, Hostility Modifier, Maximum Number of Systems, Local System Generation Chance %, Local System Generation Spread and Minimum Comets per System get no limit when the settings are applied.

Leaving the Starting Year box holds it to 1 to 9000 and shows “Starting Year must be between 1 and 9000”. Leaving the Number of Player Races box resets it to 1 when the text is not a decimal number or is zero or less. Creation later needs a whole number there. These checks on leaving a box are separate from the limits applied when the settings are saved.

A checkbox shows as checked for any non-zero stored value, and the save stores 0 or 1. Saving a loaded game that holds an unusual non-zero flag can therefore turn it into 1, while some rules require exactly 1. Dropdowns store the position of the selected entry directly.

Truce units

Section titled “Truce units”

The Truce Countdown box starts with the text 10, and the New Game preset stores a countdown of 10. The window shows the stored countdown divided by the 31536000 seconds of a year, to two decimals. The save stores the number typed in the box directly, without multiplying it by the seconds of a year. Text that is not a number leaves the countdown unchanged. Play subtracts elapsed seconds from the countdown, and FCT_Game.TruceCountdown holds the raw stored number. The option description speaks of years and the box starts at 10, but neither makes the executed truce last ten years.

Clock, output and personnel rules

Section titled “Clock, output and personnel rules”
Option D Life Effect in play
Construction Cycle Time (FCT_Game.MinConstructionPeriod) 430000 seconds R The construction cycle runs only when the time since the last cycle is strictly greater than this value. It then processes the whole accumulated interval once.
One Second Sub Pulse (FCT_Game.OneSecondSubPulse) 1 R An increment that ends up exactly 5 seconds long uses one-second subpulses for movement and sensors. It does not run five construction cycles.
Research Speed (100 = Normal) (FCT_Game.ResearchSpeed) 100 R/G Scales colony research output, the starting research budgets of generated races and the development cost of player-designed components.
Terraforming Speed (100 = Normal) (FCT_Game.TerraformingSpeed) 100 R Scales each colony’s stored Earth-equivalent annual terraforming capacity.
Survey Speed (100 = Normal) (FCT_Game.SurveySpeed) 100 R Scales fleet geological and gravitational survey progress, missile geological survey progress and ground geological survey progress.
Limited Research Administration (FCT_Game.LimitedLabs) 0 R/G Changes the research administration of new scientists, profession chances, administration experience gains and the academy assignment threshold.
Commander Political Bonuses (FCT_Game.PoliticalAdmirals) 0 R/G Turns on the Political Reliability roll for new commanders and Political Reliability experience gains.
Realistic Commander Promotions (FCT_Game.RealisticPromotions) 1 U The window shows, applies, saves and restores it. Nothing in play reads it beyond that.
Inexperienced Fleet Penalties (FCT_Game.InexpFleets) 1 R, window orders Open fire and fire at will orders given in the Naval Organization window apply experience fire delays.

Clock rules. When the construction cycle runs, the time of the last cycle becomes the current time. The one-second subpulse applies when the increment, after the open fire, boarding and missile shortening steps, is exactly 5 seconds and One Second Sub Pulse is 1. A later shortening for hostile encounters does not trigger it. The dispatch order and the stored clocks are on game time and state refresh.

Output formulas:

  • Colony research points per facility = species research rate modifier x race research rate x race economic production modifier x colony efficiency x radiation production modifier x stability x political status production modifier x Research Speed / 100. Colony research and the political status modifier are described on their own pages.
  • Development cost of a player-designed component = truncate(sqrt(build cost x 5000) x Research Speed / 100).
  • Earth-equivalent annual terraforming capacity = (terraforming installations x race terraforming rate x terraforming output modifier + output of assigned orbital terraforming modules) x Terraforming Speed / 100. Terraforming itself is described on its own page.
  • Fleet geological survey points per hour = geological survey sensor capacity x survey bonus of the fleet's admin command x Survey Speed / 100. Gravitational survey points per hour use gravitational survey sensors in the same formula, and the rate is worked out only when the fleet’s stored rate is 0.
  • A missile geological survey adds geological strength x missiles in the salvo x elapsed hours x Survey Speed / 100.
  • A ground geological survey adds formation's daily geological survey points x elapsed days x commander survey multiplier x Survey Speed / 100. The daily points are the sum over the formation’s elements of units x survey values of the element's components, already multiplied by the commander survey multiplier. The multiplier therefore applies twice.

Detailed formulas are on research and scientific personnel, terraforming mechanics and exploration and surveys.

Personnel rules under Limited Research Administration:

  • The profession roll for a new commander is d100, plus 1 under Limited Research Administration. Below 65 gives a naval officer, below 93 a ground force commander, below 97 an administrator, and anything higher a scientist.
  • A scientist academy commandant passes the scientist profession on with d100 at or below 10 instead of 8.
  • A new scientist’s research administration bonus is the normal value divided by 5, plus 1. The normal values are 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 for d100 rolls up to 20, up to 50, up to 70, up to 85, up to 95 and above 95. The limited values are therefore 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
  • An experience gain in research administration adds d2 instead of d10.
  • A scientist appears as a candidate academy commandant for a colony when research administration divided by the threshold is at least the colony’s military academy count. The threshold is 5 normally and 1 under the limited option.

Saving the option does not rewrite the bonuses of existing scientists.

With Commander Political Bonuses on, every new commander of any profession rolls d100 for Political Reliability. A roll of 80 or less gives no bonus. Rolls of 81 to 90 give 1.05, 91 to 95 give 1.1, 96 to 97 give 1.15, 98 gives 1.2, 99 gives 1.25 and 100 gives 1.3. If the commander has a parent commander whose Political Reliability is 1.2 or more, the better of two d100 rolls is used. Each experience check also gives every commander a chance of elapsed years x 1000 on a d10000 to add 0.05 to Political Reliability.

With Inexperienced Fleet Penalties on, these orders in the Naval Organization window apply delays:

  • Open Fire All for a single ship sets the standard open fire delay. It applies once and is not set again until a fire at will order resets it.
  • A fleet open fire order for all, missile or beam fire controls sets the same delay on each ship of the fleet that is not carried by a mothership and has not had it.
  • Fire at will for a single ship sets the fire at will delay and allows the standard delay to apply again.
  • Toggling open fire on one fire control of a selected ship sets the standard open fire delay once, under the same rule.
  • Fire at will for a fleet sets the fire at will delay on each ship of the fleet that is not carried by a mothership and allows the standard delay to apply again.
  • Fire at will on one fire control of a ship sets a separate fire at will delay for that selection and allows the standard delay to apply again.

The ship fire-delay formula gives the delay lengths, fire-at-will multipliers, retained-delay rules and current-hostile-contact requirement. See automatic combat configuration for targeting configuration as distinct from issuing open fire.

There is no game-wide population growth setting in this window. Difficulty Modifier has specific generation effects, listed below. Research Speed does not multiply every civilian or industrial output, and species, race and colony modifiers stay separate. See production mechanics and colony lifecycle.

Civilian population and maintenance rules

Section titled “Civilian population and maintenance rules”
Option D Life Effect and boundary
Civilian Shipping Lines Active (FCT_Game.CivilianShippingLinesActive) 1 R Gates the construction cycle’s company ship builds, repairs and transfers and new company attempts. It does not stop the movement or jobs of existing ships.
Allow Civilian Harvesters (FCT_Game.AllowCivilianHarvesters) 1 G Allows the fuel harvester role when a new civilian ship is chosen, with the gas giant and technology requirements below. Existing harvesters continue.
Allow Civilian Mines (FCT_Game.AllowCMC) 1 R/G Gates new civilian mining colonies and mining complex expansion, independently of shipping.
No Maintenance Required (FCT_Game.NoOverhauls) 0 R Skips ordinary ship maintenance and ground unit maintenance expenses. Instead every ship’s overhaul time and maintenance state are reset each cycle.
New Tech from Conquest (FCT_Game.TechFromConquest) 1 R When a population is conquered, the control transfer includes technology capture.

The civilian shipping and mining step of the construction cycle works through the options in this order. With Civilian Shipping Lines Active on, each shipping line attempts one new ship when its race can support civilian shipping (it knows the Nuclear Radioisotope Engine technology and has at least two populated colonies) and owns at least one shipyard. Every line then repairs or transfers its damaged ships, and new shipping lines may form. With Allow Civilian Mines on, new civilian mining colonies may form and existing mining complexes may expand. A civilian ship takes the fuel harvester role only on a d5 role roll of 5 (NPR lines roll a d4 and never take it). It also needs a surveyed gas giant or superjovian with Sorium in a system where the race has a population above 10 million, Allow Civilian Harvesters on and the Sorium Harvester technology.

The civilian fuel harvester standing orders refresh whenever more than a month (2592000 seconds) has passed since the last refresh, whatever the two options say. Ordinary civilian job passes have their own increment scheduling. See civilian economy and autonomous logistics.

With No Maintenance Required off, the construction cycle runs ordinary ship maintenance, overhauls and failures, and ground unit maintenance expenses. With it on, those steps are skipped. Instead every ship, NPR ships included, gets its last overhaul time set to the current time and its maintenance state set to operational. The option does not suppress every damage or failure source. Deployment strain stays a separate failure source, and existing component damage and the maintenance factor stay as they are. While the option is off, a weapon on a standard race ship with an unrepaired firing maintenance failure does not fire. With the option on, that check is skipped. See ship readiness and recovery and production mechanics.

When a defeated population surrenders, it passes to the conqueror with status Conquered, and the transfer includes technology capture when New Tech from Conquest is non-zero. See population control transfer.

Environmental population effects pass through the actual bodies, climate, radiation, habitability and production. The orbital and disaster settings have the different update timings described below.

Generation and discovery rules

Section titled “Generation and discovery rules”
Option D Life Effect in play
Maximum Number of Systems (FCT_Game.NumberOfSystems) 1000 G Procedural system number selection, not a cut of the known star catalogue.
Local System Generation Chance % (FCT_Game.LocalSystemChance) 50 G The local number link applies only when both chance and spread are positive.
Local System Generation Spread (FCT_Game.LocalSystemSpread) 15 G Local system number offset, with wrapping. It is not a distance in light-years.
Known Star Systems (FCT_Game.UseKnownStars) 1 G/R Generation and linking from known star coordinates, and the related routing and naming paths. It does not convert existing systems.
Use Constellation Names (FCT_Game.ConstellationNames) 1 G, naming Chooses the display form of a known system’s name when a race names a system.
Use Theme in Known Stars (FCT_Game.UseThemeInKnownStars) 0 G, naming Uses the race’s naming theme instead of the real known system name.
Eccentric Orbits (FCT_Game.StarEccentricity) 1 G/R Eccentricity generation for stars and bodies, and the orbits the tactical map draws.
Gas Giant Effects (FCT_Game.GasGiantEffects) 1 G The giant planet stability pass. Save Settings does not rerun it on existing systems.
Limited Planet Distance (FCT_Game.LimitPlanetaryDistance) 1 G Companion star and body distances during generation, and the final body bounds.
Minimum Comets per System (FCT_Game.MinComets) 0 G Raises the comet count of a normal primary star, not of every special generation path.
Ruin Generation Chance (FCT_Game.NewRuinCreationChance) 20 G Ruins on suitable bodies and comets.
Orbital Motion for Planets (FCT_Game.OrbitalMotion) 1 R The outer gate of the orbital position update, unless the update is forced.
Orbital Motion for Asteroids (FCT_Game.OrbitalMotionAst) 1 R Asteroid eligibility inside the update. It cannot override the outer gate alone.
All Jump Points are Stable (FCT_Game.AutoJumpGates) 0 G Stability of new jump points. No rule converts existing points.
Parallel Universes (FCT_Game.ParallelUniverse) 0 U Hidden checkbox. It turns Known Star Systems off when ticked and when applied. Nothing in play generates parallel Sol systems.

System numbers and links. A procedural system takes its number from a die with Maximum Number of Systems sides, rolled again until the number is unused. When a new jump point link needs a destination number and both Local System Generation Chance % and Local System Generation Spread are above 0, a d100 above the chance picks any number from 0 to the maximum. Otherwise a coin flip adds or subtracts a die of spread sides from the number of the system the link starts in. When either setting is 0, every pick is the random one. A result above the maximum wraps down by the maximum, and a result below 0 wraps up by it. With Known Star Systems on, a new system takes a nearby unused known star system and its real orbital parameters. When a race names a newly charted known system, it uses the real star name in the form Use Constellation Names selects, unless Use Theme in Known Stars is 1 or the system must take a procedural name. See star system and planetary generation and system names.

Eccentricity. With Eccentric Orbits off, generated stars and bodies get an eccentricity of 0 and keep their orbital distance as periapsis, and the tactical map draws star and body orbits as circles.

Stability and distance:

  • Gas Giant Effects. Each planet with a mass above 50, heaviest first, destabilises each lighter planet of the same star whose orbital distance lies between the large planet’s periapsis x 0.67 and apoapsis x 1.33 when the large planet’s mass is below 200, periapsis x 0.5 and apoapsis x 1.5 when it is below 500, and periapsis x 0.4 and apoapsis x 2.0 from 500. A planet that is already destabilised is not chosen again. The stability rules decide what happens to it next.
  • Limited Planet Distance, companion stars. In a system with more than one star, a companion whose apoapsis exceeds 160 AU moves to new random positions on its orbit until it lies within 160 AU of its parent. When its periapsis is also 160 AU or more, it is removed instead, unless the primary, or an earlier retained companion with apoapsis above 160 AU and periapsis below 160 AU, has a gas giant or superjovian and the companion has Lagrange points of its own, in which case it stays where it is. An earlier companion can contribute its giants even when its current position was already within 160 AU and needed no new random position. A companion whose parent star no longer exists is removed.
  • Limited Planet Distance, bodies. In the Sol system, a body whose apoapsis exceeds 80 AU moves to new random positions on its orbit until it lies within 80 AU of the Sun. In every other system, after a star’s bodies are generated, each planet and asteroid with an apoapsis above 80 x system scale factor AU is removed when its periapsis is at or beyond that limit, and otherwise moved on its orbit until it lies within it. The scale factor is the square root of the primary star’s mass for a mass up to 1 and the cube root above 1.

Comets and ruins:

  • Minimum Comets per System. For the primary star of a system other than Sol, when that star is not a black hole, a d20 sets the comet count. With a minimum of 0, a roll of 10 or less gives no comets and 11 to 12 give d2. With a positive minimum, any roll of 12 or less gives d2. Rolls of 13 to 14 give d3, 15 to 16 d4, 17 d6, 18 d8, 19 d12 and 20 d20. A count below the minimum is raised to it. See asteroids, trojans and comets.
  • Ruin Generation Chance. A comet gets a ruin on a d100 at or below the chance when its gravity is above 0.4. Another body qualifies when its surface temperature is above 200 K and below 360 K (-73 °C to 87 °C) and its gravity is above 0.4. It then gets a ruin on a d100 at or below the chance when it also passes the 80 AU distance test. See ruins, constructs and special features.

Orbital motion. The orbital position update stops at once when Orbital Motion for Planets is 0, unless the update is forced. Inside the update, asteroids that are not trojans move only when Orbital Motion for Asteroids is 1 or the update is forced. The orbital climate refresh on planetary terrain follows the same gates.

Jump point stability. With All Jump Points are Stable on, each new jump point is created with FCT_JumpPoint.JumpGateStrength 1000, so every ship can transit it. Existing points keep their stored strength.

Parallel Universes. The checkbox is hidden. Ticking it clears Known Star Systems, and saving with it on stores Known Star Systems as 0.

Sol disaster selector

Section titled “Sol disaster selector”

The Sol Disaster dropdown (FCT_Game.SolDisaster) defaults to the first entry, No Disaster. The window shows and saves the position of the selected entry.

Stored value Dropdown entry
0 No Disaster
1 Sol Warming 1% Year
2 Sol Warming 2% Year
3 Sol Warming 3% Year
4 Sol Cooling 1% Year
5 Sol Cooling 2% Year
6 Sol Cooling 3% Year
7 Earth Death Spiral 0.01 AU
8 Earth Death Spiral 0.02 AU
9 Earth Death Spiral 0.03 AU
10 Solar Radiation 0.05 x Year^3
11 Solar Radiation 0.075 x Year^3
12 Solar Radiation 0.1 x Year^3

Applying the settings finds the star of the Sol system. It gives that star the selected warming, cooling, death spiral or radiation status, or clears its status for No Disaster. Saving the option therefore changes the Sol star at once, beyond storing a number.

Create Game sets the Sol star’s status separately, after it generates Sol. That step accepts the warming, cooling and radiation entries but not the three Earth Death Spiral entries, which leave Sol with no disaster at creation even though the saved settings accept them. Climate updates and colony consequences belong to system disasters and environmental hazards.

NPR threats, diplomacy and starting options

Section titled “NPR threats, diplomacy and starting options”
Option D Life Effect and dependency
NPR Generation Chance (by Player) (FCT_Game.RaceChance) 30 G Copied into the race chance of a system that a player race discovers.
NPR Generation Chance (by NPR) (FCT_Game.RaceChanceNPR) 10 G The same for systems an NPR discovers. It is not added to the player chance.
Pre-Industral NPR % (FCT_Game.PreIndustrialChance) 10 G The first race level check after the body is suitable and the race chance succeeds.
Industrial NPR % (FCT_Game.ConventionalChance) 10 G The next check, over the remaining range.
Minor Trans-Newtonian NPR % (FCT_Game.MinorRaceChance) 20 G The next check after the earlier ranges. The remainder becomes Standard.
Generate New Races as NPRs (FCT_Game.GenerateNPRs) 1 G Passed to race creation on a discovered body. It does not convert existing races.
Allow Human NPRs (FCT_Game.HumanNPRs) 0 G Passed to the same race creation. Its other requirements remain.
Generate Pre-industrial Only (FCT_Game.GenerateNonTNOnly) 0 U Saved and restored, and nothing in play reads it. The race level checks do not consult it.
Difficulty Modifier (100 = Normal) (FCT_Game.DifficultyModifier) 100 G/R Specific population, starting technology, . It does not scale every output.
Hostility Modifier (FCT_Game.HostilityModifier) 0 G Added to Xenophobia and Militancy and subtracted from Trade and Diplomacy when a species is generated.
Truce Countdown (FCT_Game.TruceCountdown) 10 raw R A positive value fixes initial relationships. The construction cycle’s elapsed seconds count it down.
Detection (FCT_Game.NonPlayerSystemDetection) 0 U The entries are Normal in all systems (0), None without player presence (1) and Automatic without player presence (2). No detection rule in play reads it.
NPR Base Explored Transits (FCT_Game.NPRBaseTransits) 0 C/G The exploration base for eligible starting NPRs and NPRs generated later. NPR templates can override it at game start.
NPR Random Explored Transits (FCT_Game.NPRRandomTransits) 0 C/G Adds a die roll to the exploration count for eligible starting NPRs and NPRs generated later.
NPR Max Start Systems (0 = Unlimited) (FCT_Game.NPRMaxSystems) 0 C/G The cap on initial exploration and colonisation for eligible starting NPRs and NPRs generated later. NPR templates can override it at game start. The window labels zero as unlimited.

System chances and race levels. A system other than Sol takes NPR Generation Chance (by Player) as its race chance when a player race’s exploration generates it, and NPR Generation Chance (by NPR) when an NPR’s exploration generates it. Sol’s race chance is 0. On a suitable planet or moon, a d100 at or below the system’s race chance creates a race. Its level then comes from these checks in order:

  • A d100 at or below Pre-Industral NPR % gives a pre-industrial race.
  • Otherwise a die of (100 minus Pre-Industral NPR %) sides at or below Industrial NPR % gives an industrial race.
  • Otherwise a die of (100 minus both earlier percentages) sides at or below Minor Trans-Newtonian NPR % gives a minor race.
  • Anything else gives a Standard race.

The new race is created as an NPR when Generate New Races as NPRs is on, and Allow Human NPRs is passed to the same creation. See NPR race generation.

Hostility Modifier applies to the species of Standard NPRs. After the change, Xenophobia and Militancy are each capped at 100, and Trade and Diplomacy are each kept at 1 or more.

Exploration settings. At game start, each Standard NPR explores NPR Base Explored Transits plus a die of NPR Random Explored Transits sides in transits, and the systems it discovers, counting the home system, are capped by NPR Max Start Systems. A template with a positive base or random transit value replaces the roll with its own values, and a positive template maximum replaces the cap. A total of zero skips exploration for that NPR. A Standard NPR created later during system discovery waits for exploration when the base or the random value is above 0. Once the system in which it appears has been generated, the game completes that system’s gravitational survey and system survey for the new NPR, and the NPR explores the base plus the die roll in transits. The systems discovered, counting the home system, are capped by NPR Max Start Systems, and 0 means no cap. These settings are generation inputs, not instructions to rerun exploration for existing races. See starting exploration, colonies and support assets.

Difficulty formulas. Difficulty Modifier enters these calculations:

  • NPR homeworld population = average player wealth capacity x (sum of four d50 rolls / 100) x Difficulty Modifier / 100. A result below 500 becomes 500 + d50. A template with a starting population multiplier other than 1 replaces it with average player wealth capacity x starting population multiplier. When that multiplier is 1, the template’s population size multiplier scales the result instead. A Minor or Conventional race then divides the population by 4 and a Pre-Industrial race by 8. The body’s population capacity caps the final amount.
  • The score is the sum of the body’s mineral accessibilities, with Duranium counted twice.

The option description promises a broader effect on NPR growth and research rates, and that promise does not replace these specific uses. Research Speed separately scales research output through the formula above. The scaling against player races is on race record and scaling against players.

Truce. Each construction cycle subtracts the elapsed seconds from the countdown while it is above zero. The fixed relationship flags (FCT_AlienRace.FixedRelationship) of every race are cleared only when the subtraction takes the countdown below zero, and the countdown is then set to 0. A countdown that reaches exactly zero leaves the flags fixed, and later cycles change nothing because the countdown is no longer positive. When a standard race with Xenophobia below 100 first meets a race whose capital is on the same body, the contact starts neutral with communication established and 40 diplomatic points, and the relationship is fixed while the countdown is above 0. A contact whose capital shares only the system is also fixed while the countdown is above 0. See intelligence mechanics.

Threat option D Life Gate
1 G
1 G The attempt needs a body with no ruin, a surface temperature of 223 K to 323 K, gravity of 0.08 to 2.9, atmospheric pressure of 0.2 atm to 3.0 atm, at least one mineral deposit, an oxygen pressure of at least 0.01 atm, a pass of the 80 AU distance test and a d10 of 5 or less.
1 G/R
0 G/R
1 R The construction cycle’s raider generation step.
1 G The relic step of player generation, after the earlier feature choices.
0 G Extends eligibility to NPR generation. The main option is still required.
0 G The same extension.
0 G Extends rift eligibility.
NPRs Encounter Raiders (FCT_Game.NPRsEncounterRaiders) 0 R Off limits raid targets to systems known to player races. On still uses that limited pool half the time.
0 G/R Combat and tomb emergence behaviour, including emergence at every increment.
0 G
0 G The rift size roll.

Feature order during system generation. The special feature steps run during ordinary exploration for a newly generated system other than Sol in which no race was created. Generation that skips race creation, including initial home-system generation, also skips these feature steps. The count they use is the number of distinct systems other than Sol that any player race knows.

  2. Each body with a ruin gets defenders on a d10 at or below the count.
  3. The body with the best mining value above 4 that passes the 50 AU distance test (the same test as for ruins, at 50 AU) is the candidate.
  5. Random wrecks. One wreck is always placed. Each further wreck follows on a d100 at or below 50, then 40, 30, 20 and 10, and 10 for every wreck after that.

See special race lifecycles.

These options are not one game-wide threat switch. A race record existing is different from its encounter features being generated or its processing running.

Creation arguments

Section titled “Creation arguments”

The Create Game click reads these inputs directly. The UI default column holds the window’s starting text, not the New Game preset.

Input UI default Conversion, initial use and later state
Number of Player Races 1 Whole number. The player race creation steps run once per race. When no player race is created, creation stops there.
Number of Non-Player Races 1 Whole number. The ordinary NPR creation steps.
Minimum Sol Jump Points (0 = Random) 0 Whole number passed to Sol generation. The window describes zero as random.
Earth Mineral Deposits (100 = normal) 100 Whole number divided by 100, used as a decimal multiplier in Sol generation.
Minimum NPR Distance (LY) / Maximum NPR Distance (LY) 25 / 50 Decimal numbers. A minimum below zero becomes 0. In a known stars game a maximum below 5 becomes 25, with the message “The Max NPR distance was set to an invalid number, so it has been changed to 25”.
Add Planet X unchecked The check state becomes an on or off input to Sol generation.
Customised NPRs unchecked The check state goes to ordinary NPR generation.
10 / 30 / 50 Later eligibility checks use them.
600000 / 400000 / 1500000 Whole numbers passed to the creation of the initial special races. No FCT_Game column holds these minima.
600000
Starting Year 2050 Stored in FCT_Game.StartYear and read-only when editing. It is the origin of the calendar, not a reset of elapsed time.

Persistence and adjacent controls

Section titled “Persistence and adjacent controls”

The game writes the rule settings of the common save into its FCT_Game row and restores them when a game is loaded. Several columns carry names that differ from the window labels. A stored setting is not proof that anything in play reads it.

Option FCT_Game column, in matching order
Construction Cycle Time MinConstructionPeriod
NPR Generation Chance (by Player), NPR Generation Chance (by NPR) RaceChance, RaceChanceNPR
New Tech from Conquest, Inexperienced Fleet Penalties TechFromConquest, InexpFleets
All Jump Points are Stable AutoJumpGates
Generate New Races as NPRs, Allow Human NPRs, Generate Pre-industrial Only GenerateNPRs, HumanNPRs, GenerateNonTNOnly
No Maintenance Required, Realistic Commander Promotions NoOverhauls, RealisticPromotions
Known Star Systems UseKnownStars
Minimum Comets per System MinComets
Orbital Motion for Planets, Orbital Motion for Asteroids OrbitalMotion, OrbitalMotionAst
Commander Political Bonuses, Limited Research Administration PoliticalAdmirals, LimitedLabs
Pre-Industral NPR %, Industrial NPR % PreIndustrialChance, ConventionalChance
Limited Planet Distance, Parallel Universes LimitPlanetaryDistance, ParallelUniverse
Eccentric Orbits, Sol Disaster StarEccentricity, SolDisaster
NPR Base Explored Transits, NPR Random Explored Transits, NPR Max Start Systems NPRBaseTransits, NPRRandomTransits, NPRMaxSystems
Spacemaster Password SMPassword

The other settings use the columns GasGiantEffects, NumberOfSystems, StartYear, LocalSystemChance, LocalSystemSpread, DifficultyModifier, ResearchSpeed, TerraformingSpeed, SurveySpeed, NewRuinCreationChance, CivilianShippingLinesActive, AllowCivilianHarvesters, , AllowCMC, ConstellationNames, NonPlayerSystemDetection, OneSecondSubPulse, HostilityModifier, MinorRaceChance, UseThemeInKnownStars, and TruceCountdown. The game saves and loads each of them, Gas Giant Effects included.

Reopening the Game Information window does not show every creation argument again.

The Spacemaster Password is empty by default. When Spacemaster Password and Confirm Password differ, the save shows “Password and Confirm do not match. Please correct and re-save” and ends without applying or writing anything. Spacemaster entry checks the configured password. An empty password enters the mode at once. Otherwise the game asks “Enter Spacemaster Password” and enters the mode only when the entry matches. This gate is separate from the effects of the numeric rules in play. See the password on the game details form.

Race and species settings, political status, economic modifiers, research bonuses, civilian taxes and contracts, and NPR templates are separate inputs. Spacemaster edits of bodies, stars and populations change those objects and are not another way to set these game-wide rules. See species engineering, civilian governance and sectors, system disasters and environmental hazards and NPR strategic planning.

A loaded game also restores FCT_Game columns that the window does not show. They include MinGroundCombatPeriod, SubPulseLength, the clocks GameTime, LastGrowthTime and LastGroundCombatTime, CurrentGroundCombat, the event log limits MaxEventDays and MaxEventCount, PlayerExplorationTime, . Sharing the row does not make them Game Information controls.

Combination examples

Section titled “Combination examples”
  1. Clock equality. With Construction Cycle Time 430000 and exactly 430000 seconds elapsed, no construction cycle runs. At 430005 seconds, one cycle receives the whole interval. One-second subpulses do not alter that comparison.
  2. Civilian independence. With Civilian Shipping Lines Active off and Allow Civilian Mines on, company ship builds, repairs and new companies are skipped, but civilian mining colony creation and complex expansion continue. Existing ship movement and the monthly harvester orders are separate.
  3. Readiness. No Maintenance Required resets every ship’s overhaul time and maintenance state during the construction cycle. Deployment strain still has its own damage mechanism.
  4. Fractions. Pre-Industral NPR % 80, Industrial NPR % 40 and Minor Trans-Newtonian NPR % 30 become 80, 20 and 0 after the ordered limits, which leaves no Standard share. The unused Generate Pre-industrial Only flag is not consulted.
  5. Motion. With Orbital Motion for Asteroids on and Orbital Motion for Planets off, the update still stops at the outer gate, so asteroids do not move either. Forced updates bypass the gate.
  6. Threats. The special race records that exist in every game do not mean that encounters are enabled.
  7. Truce conversion. A loaded raw countdown of one year of seconds (31536000) displays as 1. Saving that unchanged text stores raw 1, which play treats as one second.
  8. Scientists. Turning on Limited Research Administration changes future generation and experience gains. It does not scale existing stored research administration by one fifth.

Concept map

Section titled “Concept map”

Resources

Section titled “Resources”

Related community documentation and developer posts. These may describe a different game version.