Starborne: Sovereign Space

Did You Know?

• Victory points are earned by capturing and controlling mysterious mechanisms (1 point) and enigmatic mechanisms (3 points).
• At the beginning of each standard game, every empire is granted beginner protection that ends when one player attacks another without it, or after 5–7 days depending on server settings.

The Lore

In the 25th century, humanity has colonized the stars, connecting colonies, outposts, and industrial hubs via Tenebris-Rosen Bridges—tunnels in spacetime enabling faster-than-light travel. These bridges require Dyson Spheres to harvest a star’s energy. Three major powers dominate: the Union of Sol, a radical democracy controlling most inner colonies; the Lunar Directorate, a technocratic government and the first space nation; and the Martian Commonwealth, a loose collection of territories committed to sovereignty. Across the political spectrum exist pirates, mega-corporations, and industrial complexes, most notably the Sovereign Six, independent organizations with their own interstellar travel networks. On the outer frontier, individual commanders rule small empires, making war and peace, competing and cooperating. Their choices determine humanity’s galactic ambitions. The Dead Zone is a sector closed to colonization due to a radiation phenomenon that made it uninhabitable. However, vast natural resources and scientific potential have led to illegal colonization. Recently, Everliving, an alliance of Mars’s children, has been active there, prompting others to move in. The Dead Zone contains abandoned colonies, phenomena, stellar graveyards, and hidden facilities. While no long-term radiation solution exists, some empires have developed coping methods. Because official habitation is illegal, commanders secure covert colonization services from various organizations.

Factions

Six playable factions exist in Starborne, plus four for the Dead Zone variant. Each has unique lore, features, policy slots, and ship effects. The Atlas Syndicate is a financial conglomerate with deep political and economic ties. Its neutral stance and favorable tax regime attract many organizations, making it extremely wealthy. The syndicate maintains a highly regulated society with surveillance networks and harsh penalties for threats to stability. The Frontier Legion was once the largest private military on the frontier; after centuries as nomadic mercenaries, legionaries have embraced permanent settlement and fiercely guard their territory. The Terran Combine began as an Earth agency mapping the frontier for colonization. Decades of isolation led to independence from Earth, and its secretive outpost augmentation methods protect it from reprisals. The Mars Prosper League is an efficient mining conglomerate that seeks profits at any cost, generating more resources than others and possessing an impressive merchant fleet. The Tianchao clan is a powerful information broker dealing in espionage and blackmail, excelling at subterfuge and sabotage. The XAOCs are an aggressive paramilitary faction seen as little better than terrorists. Dead Zone factions reflect the harsh environment; all are free to play. Gatos Fritos are bandits and thieves with a punk rock aesthetic, willing to take credits for any work.

Ships

Ships are produced at shipyard stations with a default capacity. Buildings and policies can affect both ships and shipyards. Players can queue ships even without all required resources on hand. Ships fall into three categories. Light Ships are small and can be built on any station at any level. Heavy Ships require a level 4 station with a tier 4 military outpost and Heavy Ship Assembly; some have additional requirements. Capital Ships are enormous and require an empire leader of level 50 and the empire’s unique outpost, Capital Ship Assembly. Ships join a fleet, which must contain at least one ship and have access to supplies. Movement types include Attack, Exploration, Construction, Deploy, Clear Radiation, and Sow Radiation, each with specific requirements and sub-categories.