Quick Start
The web based getting started guide is a work in progress ... for community support try the Steam Community HUB or join the Discord channel.
The Heathen Engineering Team will be expanding this guide and your feedback will help make it better.
Install & Launch
Terran is distributed through the Steam client regardless of where the key may have been purchased from. To install and launch the game simply follow the instructions in the Steam client and click the ‘Play’ button when complete.
Title Screen
Once the Terran has completed its initial load the ‘Title Screen’ is presented.
From the title screen you can:
Continue
Loads the last played save file if any, if none this option will not be displayed.
New Game
Presents the configuration view where you can modify galaxy settings, choose an organization type and start a new game.
Load Save
Displays the available save files, due to size limits save files are always stored locally.
Skirmish
Skirmish presents a configuration menu where players can set up custom space battles and launch into them immediatly. Skirmish battles have no impact on saved games.
Options
Displays controls for audio, rendering and key mapping configurations.
Exit
Unloads the game files and shuts the program down.
New Game
The New Game option of the Title Screen displays the New Profile configuration controls. Here the Organization Type, Logo, Name and Settings can be adjusted. Pressing the Start button in the middle of the screen saves the changes and loads the galaxy.
Organization Type
Choose between three different organization types.
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Corporation
Bonus to economy, production and trade -
Government
Bonus to population, science and expansion -
Armada
Bonus to fleet size, maintenance and influence
Note that Organization Type determines where on the ‘Progression Grid’ you start. Nodes of the progression grid are unlocked with progression points and improve various aspects of your organization. With sufficient time and research, you can unlock all of the nodes regardless of your starting type however your starting bonuses will still be unique, e.g. Armada’s are always better with fleets.
Logo
Select from standard logos or load a custom logo to represent your organization. Logos have no impact on gameplay and are simply an icon to represent your presence in the galaxy.
Name
Name your organization, this name will also be used for the save file along with a unique ID e.g. you can use duplicate names without issue.
Settings
Adjust the starting conditions of the galaxy by changing the ‘weights’ used when spawning planets. Weights represent the frequency that planet appears in a star system. In Terran you can deploy any improvement on any planet you like while the output of that improvement will be determined by the planet type and size. Note that there are Terraforming abilities that can be unlocked allowing you to convert planets into other types.
First Steps
After loading the game you will be presented with the galaxy map. In the upper left is your organization logo and time controls, the game will be in the paused state.
Your camera should be focused on your home system which will have several improved worlds and a few unimproved worlds along with a small fleet of 5 warships. Press play on the time control to start accruing resources. Resources can be spent to improve worlds, build fleets and stations.
You can only build improvements in unclaimed systems or systems you currently control. Systems will migrate to the control of the strongest organization currently influencing them. Influence is represented by the coloured area around your systems and fleets.
Note: Systems linked to a station or citadel are not affected by external influence and have a very strong influence on systems in their sphere of influence. Remember to build new stations to expand your network as more systems come under your influence or risk losing them to more influential organizations.
Understanding Influence
Influence is a key concept for all organizaitons, it represents your organizations effect on the galaxy and is the guage of measure when comparing one organization to another.
Influence is produced by the population, economy, industry, science and military levels of an organization and radiates from the star systems and fleet elements controlled by that organization. As influence is produced your organization will earn 'Progression Points' which can be spent to enhance your organization as a whole.
The area around your star systems and fleet elements representing the sphere of influence they radiate can sway unscured star systems to join your organization. Space stations and citadels link to the star systems in range of there defence fleets augmenting the influence effect from there owning organization. As a result star systems linked to a station or citadel are effectivly immune to outside influence.
As your empire grows you should build additional space stations and citadels to link newly aquired systems to your network. In order to take control of enemy systems currently linked to a station or citadel you will need to deploy your fleets to assult the station or citadel. Remimber that stations and citadels host local defence fleets in addition to thier structural defences and can present a strong challenge.
Managing Systems
The first system claimed will receive a free Citadel. Citadel’s project a far-reaching influence sphere represented by the coloured area around the system. Influence projects the organization’s strength on the people in an effected system changing ownership of that system to the most influential system. Systems with Citadels present cannot be influenced by other organizations and project a very strong level of influence over the systems within its sphere.
Each world in a star system can be improved with one of four improvements raising the natural influence projected by the system.
Improvement Types
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Colony
Focused on population housing, colonies produce a small amount of economy, industry and science output based on the size of the population and the nature of the world. Colonies can support very large populations; the exact size depends on the size and type of the world as well as any abilities that may be unlocked.
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Outpost
Outposts focus on a single output and have little or no permanent population (abilities can change this). Outposts provide 100% of there capacity immediately and have a smaller maintenance upkeep compared to Colonies but only benefit one output at a time.-
Trade Outpost
Provides a strong boost to your economy for minimal resource upkeep. The strength of the output does depend on the planet type. Dust worlds make for the best trade outposts. -
Industrial Outpost
Provides a strong boost to your industry for minimal credit upkeep. The strength of the output does depend on the planet type. Molten worlds make for the best industrial outposts. -
Research Outpost
Provides a strong boost to your research for minimal credit and resource upkeep. The strength of the output does depend on the planet type. Gas Giant worlds make for the best research outposts.
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Managing Fleets
Warship fleets, like star systems, project influence though at a much stronger rate and shorter range. The influence projected by warship fleets is relative to number of ships in the fleet and the influence output of the whole of the organization they serve. Large fleets can sway a system’s loyalty in as few as two years if left unchecked. While fleets cannot influence systems with citadels they can attack and capture citadels taking ownership by force.
The size of a fleet is controlled through the Fleet Structure window. To access the fleet structure window first select the fleet by clicking it on the map view. Next locate the ‘Edit’ button located above the fleet’s name in the left panel.
With the Fleet Structure window open you can add and remove ship designs, adjust the fleet budget and modify the ratio of each design in the fleet. Note that the number of ships from each design depends on the total budget for the fleet and the ‘weight’ of the ratio slider. Fleets can have a maximum of 50 ships and a minimum of 1 ship. You can field as many fleets as you like though the maintenance cost of fielding more ships than your fleet command can support will increase exponentially for each ship over the maximum.
The maximum fleet command is listed in the bottom bar and shows your current ship count over your maximum count. The values in ( brackets ) express the change to the current maximum due to trade conditions.
Building Stations
As your empire grows you will claim control of systems to far from your inital citadel to link with its defence fleet. You can build a new citadel at one of these systems however citadels have a very high cost one that increases expodentially with each additional citadel you control. A more cost effective solution is to build space stations in open space in range of two or more star systems.
Space stations are similar to citadels in that they host a defnece fleet and can link multiple systems together rendering them immune to external influence. Space stations are not as large or as costly as citadels and can be deployeed in mass.
To deploy a new space station select the 'Fleet' option of your side bar (left side of screen) or press the Build Station button (B by defualt). Next mouse over the area of space where you want to build a new station, you will see a hologram of the station and a ring representing its range. Stations require 2 or more owned systems within fleet range and cannot be built to close to other stations or hostile fleet elements.
Once you have deployed a new station or citadel remimber to adjust its defence fleet. This can be done in a manner similar to fleets, simply select the citadel or station on the map, on the right side menu click the edit button and adjust the budget and ship weights as desired.