Points measure the size and strength of your empire. They decide your place in the Rankings, add up to the points of your alliance and determine when your new player protection ends. This guide explains where points come from, how you lose them and how to read the ranking.
How you earn points
You get 1 point per 1,000 resources that you invest in your empire. Ferrite, Crystal and Helion all count the same.
- Buildings, research, ships and defenses count once the order is completed. An order you cancel before it finishes gives no points.
- System claims count right away, because the claim takes effect immediately. A claim of 5,500 resources gives 5 points. See System claims.
- The game adds up all spent resources first and only then converts them into points. Nothing is lost to rounding: two orders of 600 resources each make one point together.
Resources you produce, mine, salvage or capture as loot do not count by themselves. They only become points once you spend them.
How you lose points
The ranking is meant to show current power, not just history. That is why points drop again when your investments are destroyed:
- Ships and defenses destroyed in a battle cost you their full build cost in points. This applies to the attacker and the defender alike. See Combat.
- Probes that are detected and shot down during espionage cost points too. Undetected probes cost nothing.
- Your points never drop below zero.
Buildings and research are never destroyed, so the points you earned with them are safe.
The Rankings page
The Rankings page lists every commander with:
- rank and name, with the alliance tag next to it,
- home system,
- number of colonies,
- points.
The list shows 50 commanders per page, starting with the highest points. Commanders with equal points share a rank, and the next rank is skipped: with two commanders in second place, the next one is fourth.
Your rank in the game
Your current rank and the total number of commanders are shown in the empire header. A click on it opens the ranking directly at the page with your position. The alliance directory on the Alliances page uses the same points: the points of an alliance are the sum of its members' points. See Alliances.
Tips
- Steady building and research is the safest way to climb, because those points cannot be shot down.
- A large fleet raises your points, but losing it in a bad fight drops them just as fast. Scout before you attack.
- Keep an eye on the 500 point mark. Once you reach it, your new player protection ends.
- Compare yourself with commanders around your rank rather than with the top. They are your realistic rivals and potential allies.