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The Galaxy

The Stardrift universe is a pre-generated galaxy of over 100,000 star systems laid out across a 2D coordinate plane. All systems exist from the moment the game launched — they're waiting to be discovered and claimed.

Scale & Layout​

The galaxy follows a realistic distribution:

  • Galactic core — densely packed systems clustered near (0, 0)
  • Spiral arms — 8 distinct clusters of 800–2,000 systems each, spread outward in a Gaussian distribution
  • Outer rim — sparse systems at greater distances; rarer star types appear more frequently here

Distance between any two systems is measured in light-years using standard Euclidean distance from their coordinates.

Sol Nexus​

Sol Nexus sits at the galactic origin (0, 0) — the center of the universe. It's the game's official hub, pre-configured with:

  • A Yellow Dwarf star
  • 5 curated planets (Scorched, Rocky, Temperate, Gas Giant, Ice World)
  • 1 asteroid belt
  • Resource rating: 6/10

All new players spawn here. Think of it as the main trade hub and social center of the galaxy.

Discovering the Galaxy​

Systems appear in /map once they're within range of your current location. The map shows up to 15 systems within 50 light-years. Enrolled systems show their name, star type, resource rating, and owning guild. Unenrolled systems show up as unclaimed space — they're real systems with real coordinates waiting for someone to claim them.

Coordinates & Navigation​

Every system has a fixed (x, y) coordinate in light-year units. These coordinates determine:

  • Distance (and therefore travel time and fuel cost) between systems
  • What appears on your local star map
  • Relative position in the galactic geography

Galactic "north," "south," etc. have no in-game meaning — navigation is purely by coordinates and distance.