Fog of War
What your enemies don't know about you is as important as what you know about them. Every planet you own, every fleet in transit, every spy probe parked at the edge of a system - all of them extend your vision. The galaxy is dark. You carve out light.
Sensor Range
Every planet and fleet has a sensor range measured in coordinate units. Anything inside that radius is visible; everything outside is in fog.
| Source | Base Sensor Range |
|---|---|
| Any owned planet | 150 units |
| Any fleet in transit | 75 units |
| Spy Probe fleet | 200 units |
Ranges stack - overlapping coverage from multiple planets extends your visible zone. A dense cluster of colonies effectively eliminates fog across an entire region.
Sensor Tech Bonuses
Research in the Astrophysics branch provides sensor range upgrades via the sensor_range effect target:
| Research Tech | Levels | Bonus per Level |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Array | 3 | +15% sensor range per level |
| Long-Range Scanning | 3 | +25% sensor range per level |
These bonuses apply multiplicatively with each other and are added to all sensor sources simultaneously - upgrading Long-Range Scanning level 3 extends every planet's and fleet's range by +75%.
Sensor Jammer
The Sensor Jammer research tech (Astrophysics branch, 3 levels) reduces the sensor range of enemy fleets and planets scanning your territory:
| Jammer Level | Enemy Scan Range Reduction |
|---|---|
| 1 | −10% |
| 2 | −25% |
| 3 | −40% |
The jammer applies to all enemies equally - it is a passive defensive upgrade, not directional. Combining Sensor Jammer with the Sensor Array line creates an information asymmetry: you see further, they see less.
Scan Range UI
On the Galaxy Map, your total sensor coverage is visualized as a blue-violet circle overlaid on the star map for each owned planet (visible when you hover a planet). Fleet sensor bubbles are shown as smaller, dimmer circles moving with the fleet icon.
Outside the sensor circle, star systems render as dim gray outlines. System panels for out-of-range systems show only coordinates - no owner, no planet data, no fleet activity.
Spy Report Intel Decay
Spy missions generate intel reports stored in your Reports section. This intel ages over time:
| Age | Status | Usability |
|---|---|---|
| 0–24 hours | Fresh | Fully reliable - reflects actual state at spy time |
| 24–72 hours | Stale | Marked with a warning; data may be outdated |
| 72+ hours | Expired | Report is archived; no longer shown in active intel |
Stale reports are highlighted in amber. Expired reports are removed from the active intel list but remain in the full reports archive for 30 days.
The game engine does not automatically update spy data between missions. To refresh intelligence on a target, dispatch new Spy Probes.
Covert Fleet Travel
Covert mode is a precision tool - use it when surprise is worth the extra fuel, not as a default. Most combat losses happen because a target saw the fleet coming and had time to respond.
Fleets can be sent in covert mode to hide their transit from the target's sensor display:
- Requires Espionage Network research level 2 or higher.
- Covert fleets do not appear on the target's sensor circle overlay.
- Fuel cost is increased by 50% to power the stealth systems.
- Covert mode is available for
attack,raid, andespionagemission types. - The fleet is still visible to the sending player on their own map.
Covert travel does not make a fleet immune to interception by patrol fleets - it only hides the fleet from passive map visibility.
Strategic Notes
- Establishing relay outposts (small colonies with just a Command Center) in distant regions significantly extends your visible horizon at low infrastructure cost.
- Spy Probes sent on patrol missions at the edge of your territory act as forward sensor nodes with their extended 200-unit range.
- Against players with high Sensor Jammer levels, your own fleets are effectively blind further out - invest in the Sensor Array line to compensate.
- Planet fog clears permanently once colonized - expanding your colony network is the most durable way to eliminate fog in strategic corridors.