The galaxy begins shrouded in fog. Your colonies and fleets can only detect nearby star systems connected by starlanes. At the start of the game, you can see just one starlane hop from your homeworld.
Detection Range
Every colony and stationary fleet reveals systems within 1 starlane hop by default. Detected systems appear as dim points on the galaxy map — you can see they exist, but you must send a fleet to learn more.
Extending Your Reach
Research sensor technologies in the Physics and Computing branches to extend your detection range. Each point of scan range adds one additional hop of visibility from all your colonies and fleets.
- Deep Scanning (Computing Tier 2) is the earliest sensor upgrade.
- Subspace Sensors (Physics Tier 3) provides an alternative path.
- Late-game techs like Dimensional Sensor Grid and Sensor Omniscience grant massive range boosts.
Exploration Hierarchy
- Detected: System appears on map but details are unknown.
- Visited: A fleet has arrived — star class and planet count revealed.
- Surveyed: Full planetary data including anomalies visible.
- Explored: All anomalies in the system have been investigated.