Game Setup

This page describes all options available when creating a new Aurora 4X game. It serves as the canonical reference for the New Game window and related mechanics.

See also: Quickstart for Beginners

VB6: New Game

New Game Settings

Introduced in v1.0.0.

The following global settings can be configured when creating a new game:

• Percentage modifier for Research Speed (all races)
• Percentage modifier for Terraforming Speed (all races)
• Percentage modifier for starting minerals on Sol
• Active Civilian Shipping Lines — when disabled, shipping lines will not produce ships
• Civilian Harvesters — when disabled, shipping lines will not build fuel harvesters
• Recovering Tech via Conquest — when disabled, no new tech is gained from conquered populations
• LY entry to limit Starting NPR Locations to within a specific range of Sol
• Option for Planet X in the Sol System
• Option to specify a number of Earth‑based player races — you will cycle through a Race Creation window for each

Starting Build Points

Introduced in v1.0.0.

Each new player race receives Starting Build Points equal to two years of wealth. These points may be spent on:

• Instant ship construction
• Instant ground formation construction

If any Starting Build Points are available:

• The Instant Build section appears on the Class Design → Miscellaneous tab
• The Instant Build button appears on the Economics → GU Training tab

If SM Mode is active, Instant Build options are always available.

If you choose to automatically construct ground formations at game start, their cost is deducted from the Starting Build Points.

Starting NPR Locations

Introduced in v1.0.0.

In Known Stars games, you may specify minimum and maximum distance (LY) for NPR starting positions. Aurora will:

1. Select a known star system within that range
2. Generate system bodies
3. Search for a suitable planet or moon (gravity, temperature, hydro extent)
4. Adjust atmosphere as needed
5. Ensure the location is reasonably connected via Lagrange points

This prevents NPRs from spawning in isolated or unreachable systems.

Planet X in the Sol System

Introduced in v1.0.0.

This option adds a hypothetical distant planet (Planet X) to the Sol System. Its properties:

• Distance: 125%–225% of the most distant dwarf planet
• Type distribution:
  • 10% terrestrial
  • 60% gas giant
  • 30% superjovian
• May generate moons, Trojan asteroids, and Lagrange points
• If Planet X has a Lagrange point, Jupiter receives a matching one

Conventional Start

Introduced in v1.0.0.

Conventional (non‑TN) starts begin with:

• 1,000‑ton Naval Shipyard
• 10,000‑ton Commercial Shipyard
• Spaceport
• Military Academy
• Naval Headquarters
• Deep Space Tracking Station
• 5× Maintenance Facility
• Conventional Industry = 8 × Manufacturing population (millions)
• Research Facilities = 1/12 × Manufacturing population (millions)

Starting Financial Centres

Introduced in v1.0.0.

New Trans‑Newtonian races begin with Financial Centres equal to 25% of their Construction Factories.

Minimum Player Systems for Spoiler Races

Introduced in v2.0.0.

Spoiler Information

See also: Ancient Races

Three fields allow you to specify Minimum Known Player Systems for:

• Aether Raiders
• Star Swarm
• Invaders

If the player empire has fewer systems than the specified value:

• Raiders will not launch raids
• Swarm will not spawn in new systems
• Aether Rifts will not form

This delays spoiler encounters without disabling them.

Known Stars Update

Changed in v2.4.0.

The Known Stars database expanded from ~4,500 to over 63,000 stars within 775 LY of Sol. This does not increase game size, but provides a much larger exploration sandbox.

The update includes:

• Extensive data cleansing
• Binary star identification
• Cross‑referencing HIP, Gliese, and Simbad catalogs
• Corrections to earlier data

New Conventional Systems

Changed in v2.6.0.

The following systems are treated as conventional (non‑TN) in v2.6.0:

• Laser 10cm Focal Size
• Infrared Laser 10cm
• Railgun
• Railgun Launch Velocity 10,000
• Particle Beam Strength 2
• Particle Beam Range 60,000 km
• 15cm Carronade

Second‑step techs and Capacitor Recharge Rate 2 require TN technology.

Starting Research Points for Spoiler Races

Changed in v2.6.0.

Spoiler Information

See also: Ancient Races

Four fields allow you to specify minimum research points for:

• Precursors
• Raiders
• Invaders
• Swarm

Default values: 600k / 400k / 1.5m / 600k respectively.

Overrides:

• Precursors: always ≥ 20% more than the strongest player race
• Invaders: always ≥ 50% more than the strongest player race
• Raiders: generated like a starting NPR
• Swarm: generated like a mid‑game NPR with research boost

Solar System Destruction Scenario

Introduced in v2.7.0.

A disaster scenario where exotic matter destabilizes the Sun. Radiation increases annually according to:

((Years since game start)^3) * (1 / (Distance in AU^2)) * Scenario Factor

Scenario Factors: '''0.005''', '''0.0075''', '''0.01'''

Effects:

• Increasing radiation across the system
• Rising background radiation on colonies
• Eventual supernova of Sol
• Complete destruction of the Sol System
• All Sol jump points collapse

Earth Death Spiral

Introduced in v1.12.0.

A disaster scenario where the Earth begins to slowly spiral into the Sun. Three speeds are available: 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03 AU per year.

As Earth moves inward:

• Temperature increases
• Year length decreases
• Environmental conditions worsen

When Earth reaches within 1 million kilometres of the Sun, it is destroyed due to tidal stresses. All remaining populations on Earth are also destroyed.

Death Spiral Luna Fix

Changed in v1.13.0.

Corrects Luna’s orbital behavior during the Earth Death Spiral scenario. Luna now properly follows Earth’s inward spiral and maintains correct orbital dynamics.