Joining a space browser game late can be rough when established empires already roam the galaxy. That is why every new commander in ECON Galaxy starts under new player protection. It gives you time to build mines, research and a first fleet in peace. This guide explains how the protection works, what it allows and when it ends.
Who is protected
Protection depends only on your current points:
- Commanders below 500 points are protected.
- The protection ends automatically as soon as you reach 500 points. You do not have to do anything.
- If you drop below 500 again, for example after losing ships in a battle, you are protected again.
Points come from spent resources, 1 point per 1,000. To leave the protection you have to invest about 500,000 resources in buildings, research, ships, defenses or system claims.
What protection blocks
The protection works in both directions and covers the two hostile missions:
- Attack - nobody can attack a protected commander, and a protected commander cannot attack anyone.
- Espionage - nobody can spy on a protected commander, and a protected commander cannot send probes either.
The system view simply does not offer these missions when you or the target are protected. Your alliance makes no difference here.
What stays allowed
All peaceful missions work as usual, with or without protection:
- Transport of resources to and from protected commanders,
- Deploy between your own planets,
- Colonize free planets with a Seedship,
- Mining in asteroid fields and nebulae,
- Salvage of debris fields.
So you can trade with established players, expand and collect resources while you are protected. See Fleets and missions for all missions.
Fleets already on their way
Protection is checked again when a hostile fleet arrives. If the target or the attacker is protected at that moment, the attack or the probes turn around without a battle or a scan. The ships fly home unharmed and both commanders get a message that the mission was called off or turned away.
This also covers a fleet that was launched while both sides were established, if one of them dropped below 500 points during the flight.
How to recognise it
A shield badge marks protected commanders, for example next to their name in the system view and on their empire profile. In your own empire header the badge reads "Protected until 500 points", so you always know how far you still have to go.
Tips
- Use the quiet start to build a solid economy first. The Economy guide shows the basics.
- Build some defenses before you reach 500 points. Once the protection ends, other commanders can attack and spy on you.
- Research Signal Masking early to make espionage against you harder later.
- Remember that the protection also stops you from attacking. If you want to raid, you have to leave it first.