Round Signup Walkthrough

Finding Rounds

Open Lobby → Rounds. You see three tabs:

Upcoming is your destination for joining. Each listing shows:

• Round name and number
• Galaxy size (small/medium/large/massive)
• Player cap and current reservations
• Speed multiplier (1×, 2×, 3×)
• Victory condition (standard, elimination, timed)
• Estimated start tick (countdown timer)
• Subscription requirement (some rounds are Commander+ only)

Reading Round Settings

Before joining, click View Details on any upcoming round. Key settings to evaluate:

Speed Multiplier

• 1× (Standard): each tick ≈ 5 minutes. Default pace; good for all players.
• 2× (Fast): each tick ≈ 2.5 minutes. Requires more frequent logins. Dictatorship players benefit here.
• 3× (Blitz): each tick ≈ 1.7 minutes. Near-real-time. Expert players only.

Galaxy Size

Victory Condition

• Standard: first player/alliance to hold 50% of inhabited systems for 24 continuous hours
• Timed: highest Empire Score when the round timer expires
• Elimination: last alliance standing

Subscription Gates

Some rounds restrict access:

• Free rounds: open to all
• Explorer rounds: Explorer+ subscription required
• Commander rounds: Commander+ required
• Admiral closed betas: Admiral subscription required

Signing Up

1. Click Join Round on an upcoming round
2. Confirm subscription eligibility (shown inline)
3. Select your race (see Getting Started for race descriptions)
4. Select your government (see Government Descriptions or the in-game descriptions)
5. Set Starting Position Preference (see below)
6. Optionally write a Alliance Recruitment Message if you are looking for an alliance
7. Click Confirm Sign-Up

Your slot is reserved immediately. You receive a confirmation notification and an email.

Starting Position Preference

After race and government selection, you choose a quadrant preference:

“Near my alliance” requires you to enter your alliance tag during signup. The game clusters confirmed members within 10 LY of each other. This is the primary reason to coordinate signups within an alliance before rounds open.

Pre-Round Preparation

Between signup and tick 1, use the waiting period to:

Coordinate with Your Alliance

If joining with an alliance, use the Alliance Planning Chat (available before tick 1) to assign:

• Who researches what (avoid duplicate Tier-4 races)
• Quadrant assignments (who expands which direction)
• Bank seeding plan (who deposits how much on tick 1)

Review the Round Config

Some rounds publish their balance config before start. Open Round Details → Config to see:

• Universe speed factor
• Any experimental balance changes (noted in round description)
• Special rule modifiers (e.g., “No Steal ships this round” — rare but possible)

Prepare Your Build Order

Based on your government and race, write down your first 10 build queue items. The first 3 ticks are the fastest-paced; having your decisions pre-made saves real-time pressure.

Set Notifications

Open Account → Notifications and enable at minimum:

• Fleet arrival alerts
• Incoming fleet warnings
• Alliance bank withdrawal alerts
• Spy detection alerts

Tick 1 Countdown

The Lobby shows a countdown to tick 1. When it hits zero:

• All reservations are converted to active players
• Home planets spawn
• The galaxy populates
• Your build queue and research queue open

You have from tick 0 to tick 5 before any player’s scout fleet can reach you. Use that window to queue your first mine upgrade and research before making any fleet decisions.

Good luck, Commander. May your empire endure.