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Behaviors

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What are behaviors? Getting started Starting positions Movement types Escort system Advanced options How real combat works Tips for beginners Advanced tips

What are behaviors?

Behaviors are tactical orders you define for your ships before combat. They determine how they will move and who they will attack during battle.

  • Each behavior can have a different behavior
  • Configured before combat \u2014 once started, you cannot change them
  • Starting position \u2014 each behavior defines where your ships start on the grid
  • Tactical movement \u2014 defines if they attack, flee, escort, keep distance, etc.
  • Identical in simulator and real combat \u2014 the simulator mechanics are exactly the same as in a real battle. Use it to test your strategies risk-free

Getting started

Where do I start? When you create your first fleet, all ships are assigned to the "Default" group (position C3, rear guard). You can create new behaviors from the "Default Behaviors" tab.
  1. Create a behavior \u2014 give it a descriptive name (e.g.: "Attackers", "Cargo ships", "Escorts")
  2. Choose the position \u2014 where they will start on the battlefield (see the grid below)
  3. Configure the movement \u2014 what they will do during combat (flee, attack, keep distance\u2026)
  4. Assign the ships \u2014 in the "Ships in fleets" tab assign which ships belong to each group
  5. Test in the simulator \u2014 use the combat simulator to verify your strategy before sending real fleets

Starting positions

The battlefield has a grid of positions. Each behavior defines where your ships start. Both sides deploy facing each other: row A of each side is the closest to the enemy.

Row A (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5)
Front line, closest to the enemy. For fast attack ships or tanks.
Row B (B2, B3, B4)
Second line. For support ships, escorts, or ships that need some distance.
Row C (C1, C3, C5)
Rear guard. For cargo ships in retreat or long-range ships.
Note: Not all grid cells are available. Valid positions are: A1\u2013A5, B2\u2013B4 and C1, C3, C5. Check the image at the top of this screen to visualize the battlefield.

Movement types

Retreat

The group will always flee from enemies.

  • Ideal for cargo ships full of resources
  • Protects valuable ships you don't want to lose
  • Faster ships will escape better
Hostile

Directly attacks the nearest enemy.

  • Simple and effective for combat ships
  • Does not discriminate targets, goes for the closest
  • Recommended for beginners
Keep Distance

Maintains the distance where it deals the most damage based on your design\x27s components.

  • Ideal for ships with long-range weapons
  • The optimal distance is automatically calculated based on each design\x27s components
  • Good for heavy ships like battleships or cruisers
Minimize Damage

Tries to attack from where it won't receive damage.

  • For fragile ships with good range
  • Prioritizes survival over damage
  • May move too far if no good target
Flanking

Seeks to attack retreating groups.

  • Excellent for fast fighters
  • Surrounds the enemy to attack retreating cargo ships
  • If no groups are retreating, uses the configured alternative movement
Maximum Damage

Seeks ships of the size (fighter, corvette, cruiser, battleship) it deals the most damage to.

  • For ships specialized against a specific size
  • Ignores less profitable targets to focus on its specialty
  • If no ships of the optimal size exist, uses the configured alternative movement
Anti-defenses

Goes directly toward planetary defenses or titans.

  • Specialized for assaults on fortified planets
  • Ignores enemy ships to focus fire on defenses and titans
  • If no defenses or titans remain, uses the configured alternative movement
Maximum Range

Always maintains its maximum firing range.

  • For very long range ships
  • Never gets closer than necessary
  • Prioritizes distance over optimal damage

Escort system

You can make a group escort another group. This is very useful for protecting important ships:

Short escort
Follows the main group closely. Ideal for protecting cargo ships with fighters.
Long escort
Maintains more distance. For support ships that don't want to be on the front line.
Free escort
Moves freely, but attacks the enemy closest to the escorted target.
Example: Create a "Cargo ships" group in Retreat at position C3, and an "Escorts" group in Hostile with Short escort towards the cargo ships. Your escorts will protect the cargo ships while they flee.

Advanced options

Grouped

If you enable this option, all ships with the same behavior will move together as a unit, without dispersing. Useful for maintaining compact formations.

Note that the slowest ship in the group will limit the speed of the entire formation.
Alternative movement

Three movements allow configuring a fallback plan that activates when they cannot find their primary target:

  • Flanking \u2192 activates if no groups are retreating
  • Maximum Damage \u2192 activates if no ships of the optimal size exist
  • Anti-defenses \u2192 activates if no defenses or titans remain

How real combat works

The behaviors you configure here determine how your ships act in both the simulator and real combat. These are the rules of real combat:

Combat rounds
In the simulator, rounds are instant. In real combat, each round lasts a few minutes, so the full battle takes time to resolve. You can send reinforcements to an ongoing battle and they will join in the next round.
Sides
Your fleets and your allies' fleets appear on the same side. Other players will fight against each other. There can be more than two sides in a single battle.
Automatic defense
If someone attacks your planet, its defenses and all friendly/allied fleets in orbit automatically enter combat. If a fleet in orbit or collecting is attacked, allied fleets in orbit and the planet's forces also join.
End of combat
The battle ends when no enemies remain, one side is overwhelmingly outmatched, or the time limit is reached.
Debris and resources
Destroyed ships generate debris (~35% of construction resources). This, plus cargo, is always distributed up to its capacity (the planet has infinite capacity) first to the side that dealt the most damage, within the side it is distributed first by replenishing losses and what remains equitably, always following cargo priorities.
Shelter
When attacking a planet, resources stored in the shelter CANNOT be stolen. The defender's cargo capacity includes the planet's plus its fleets'.
Other important rules
  • A fleet targeting you for an attack will always be visible on your fleet screen
  • If you send a fleet to intercept another and the target retreats, your fleet will try to recalculate a new interception course. If it cannot, it will return home
  • After combat, surviving fleets continue their original route automatically
  • When finished, all participants receive a combat report detailing casualties and resources

Tips for beginners

Start simple: One "Hostile" group to attack and another in "Retreat" for cargo ships is enough to start.
  • Give your groups descriptive names ("Attackers", "Cargo ships", "Escorts") to identify them quickly
  • Small, fast ships (fighters, corvettes) work well in Flanking or Hostile
  • Large, slow ships (battleships) work better in Keep Distance or Hostile
  • Use the Combat Simulator to test your strategies before a real battle \u2014 the mechanics are identical
  • You can have multiple groups with the same movement but in different positions
  • Ships outside the combat zone will automatically switch to Retreat
  • Ships with higher speed can chase slower ones, but not the other way around
  • Your allies appear on the same side, their ships won't attack yours
Remember: Behaviors are configured BEFORE combat. Once started, you cannot change them. No changes made by the player affect the ships in an ongoing battle.

Advanced tips

For experienced players: These tactics and mechanics will help you get the most out of your fleets.
Fleet composition tactics
  • Core + Flanking: Place battleships in Keep Distance (row B) as your damage core, and fast fighters in Flanking (row A) to chase retreating enemy cargo ships
  • Specialized Anti-defenses: Use Anti-defenses only when assaulting fortified planets. Set Hostile as the alternative movement so they don't run out of targets after destroying defenses
  • Offensive Free Escort: A group in Free Escort with fast ships can protect your main battleships without being limited to following them. It will attack anything that gets close to your main formation
  • Cargo ship separation: Always put your cargo ships in a separate group in Retreat (position C3/C5). Escort them with a dedicated group of fast ships
  • Selective Maximum Damage: If you design ships specialized against a size (e.g.: anti-fighter), use Maximum Damage so they ignore battleships and go straight for enemy fighters
Combat engine mechanics
  • Distance-based damage: Each design has a damage table that varies by distance to target. Damage decreases roughly 17% per additional distance step. Choose the right movement to keep your ships at their optimal range
  • Ship sizes: There are 5 sizes: fighter, corvette, cruiser, battleship and station. Movements like "Maximum Damage" target the size your design deals the most damage to
  • Combat speed: Each ship's speed in combat depends on its design's engines (impulse). Fast ships can chase slow ones, but not vice versa. With "Grouped", the slowest ship sets the pace
  • Hangars: Ships can be in fleet or in hangar of a carrier ship. If the carrier is destroyed, ships in its hangar suffer percentage losses
  • Planetary defenses: A planet's defenses depend on your shelter level and are calculated automatically. They are very effective against small fleets but can be overwhelmed with sufficient force
  • Debris: Destroying ships generates roughly 35% of their construction resources as debris. Distribution starts with the player who dealt the most damage, according to their cargo priorities. Plan your cargo priorities to maximize loot
Pro tip: Try different compositions in the simulator before committing real fleets. Create simulated fleets with the enemy ships you expect to face and adjust your behaviors until you find the most effective configuration.
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