Editing Time, Turns and Interrupts (section)

== Turns ==

Time Increment, allows the player to speed in-game time. Choose how long you wish to advance time by clicking one of the Time Control buttons (5 seconds - 30 days). Early in a campaign when not much is happening you may be using 5-day or even 30-day increments. During the approach phase of a battle you might select 1 hour or 20 minute increments and when you are under missile attack you will probably select 5 second increments to give your point-defence systems the best chance of detecting and engaging incoming missiles.

:'''Automated turns''': If you click the 'Auto Turns' checkbox before clicking an increment size, Aurora will keep running increments of that size until an interrupt event that effect the player race(s) is generated. So if two [[NPR]]s decide to have a long battle, check the box, click the turn advance, and go take a 5-minute stretch break while the game automatically runs through the 5s increments until the fight ends. Just make sure you unchecked the box whenever you want the game to pause after the next time increment regardless of interrupts. (The option is only available when using the [[System Map|Tactical Map]])

Each turn is divided into a [[Basic Sequence of Play|series of phases]], during which Aurora makes all relevant calculations. There are two ways in which a turn can be shortened. If the program believes something is about to happen, like a missile or ship entering detection range, it will shorten the turn at the start. The second is through an interrupt, which is caused by a notable event and ends the turn so that the player (or an NPR) can react to it.