Galaxies & Rulesets

A galaxy is the top expansion tier. Each galaxy you discover carries a ruleset — a profile of galaxy-wide modifiers that changes how every sector inside it plays. Galaxies are the layer above sectors: after you have built out the home galaxy (g1, Alpha→Epsilon), you expand into new galaxies while keeping your entire empire.

No prestige, no reset. Expanding into a new galaxy never wipes credits, resources, dwarves, research, or buildings. There is no Galaxy Knowledge currency and no prestige loop — the empire only grows.

Ruleset modifier values are first-pass / balance TBD. Only galaxyA, galaxyB, and galaxyC are canonical (GDD-confirmed); galaxyD–galaxyG are designed-but-unconfirmed (first-pass/needs-signoff) and should not be treated as final.

How Galaxies Differ From Sectors #

Galaxy rulesets use the same data-driven modifier engine as sector traits, so the two stack. Galaxy modifiers apply multiplicatively on top of sector-trait modifiers for shared keys like yield, expeditionRisk, and artifactDropChance.

The Galaxy Rulesets #

Seven rulesets ship in data/world/galaxies.json. Each defines a modifier profile and a roll weight (relative probability out of ~100 that it is assigned to a newly discovered galaxy).

What the modifiers mean #

• Higher = the named effect is amplified. miningBonus 1.50 = +50% mining throughput; expeditionRisk 1.25 = +25% danger.
• Below 1.0 reduces the effect (sometimes beneficial, sometimes a tax): researchRate 0.50 halves research income; supplyCostReduction 0.75 means stages cost 75% of normal supplies; dwarfFatigueAccumulation 0.60 is a benefit.
• resourceScarcity is inverse-framed: 0.60 = 40% less yield, stacking with yield (effective total = yield × resourceScarcity).
• uniqueArtifactChance is a binary gate, not a multiplier — the unique-artifact pool opens when any active source provides it at ≥ 1.0 (The Shattered Dominion provides it; so does the Precursor Cache sector trait).
• expeditionRisk does double duty at galaxy scope — it also feeds the raid-frequency formula, so The Void Frontier (+25%), The Shattered Dominion (+60%), and The Crucible (+80%) raise raid frequency across every sector in the galaxy. dwarfHealthDamage (Crucible ×1.50) scales all enemy damage.

{
  "id": "galaxyA",
  "displayName": "The Forge Galaxy",
  "modifiers": [
    { "key": "miningBonus",  "value": 1.50 },
    { "key": "researchRate", "value": 0.50 }
  ],
  "rollWeight": 20,
  "status": "canonical"
}

Reading it: in The Forge Galaxy every sector mines 50% more but generates research points at half rate.

Modifier Resolution Order #

When the engine resolves an effective value, modifiers stack in this order:

sectorBaseDanger
  → sector trait modifiers
  → galaxy ruleset modifiers
  → research bonuses
  → building / station bonuses
  → ale buff modifiers
  → additive / gate keys last

Multiplicative keys multiply; flat/additive keys (e.g. asteroid claim slots) are summed and applied once; gate keys (e.g. unique-artifact) take the max across active sources.

Unlocking & Discovering a Galaxy #

Galaxies are not bought outright — you qualify for the discovery roll, then a ruleset is assigned by weighted draw.

Common unlock gate (most rulesets):

• Mega-project: Dwarf Citadel Phase 3
• Research: Void Navigation Tier 4 + Guild Administration Tier 3
• Resources: 50,000 Credits + 10,000 Station Parts

Tougher rulesets gate harder: The Shattered Dominion and The Crucible require a completed Stellar Extractor phase instead of (or on top of) the Dwarf Citadel; The Crucible additionally requires ancestorLore Tier 3 and that you already hold at least 2 galaxies (prerequisiteGalaxies: 2).

Void Navigation Tier 4 is required for every galaxy. Void Navigation also unlocks Charting Protocols, which shift the roll weights toward your preferred ruleset categories during the discovery roll — your main lever over which galaxy you get. A successful Stage 5 on a Void Mapping Run expedition can also improve the next galaxy roll.

Strategy Notes #

• Galaxy identities reward different playstyles: pair The Shattered Dominion with a Relic Hunter squad, or The Wandering Holds to farm rare/legendary dwarves whose Signature Abilities feed back into buffed expedition outcomes.
• Because nothing resets, a “bad” ruleset is never a setback — it is a specialised annex of your empire. Run ore-hungry production in a Forge Galaxy, sell from a Merchant Confluence, and bank relics from a Shattered Dominion.
• Galaxy instances are g1–g7; g1 is your home galaxy. New instances reference a ruleset by id, assigned at discovery.

Related Pages #

• Sectors — the layer inside each galaxy; traits use the same modifier engine
• Expeditions — Void Mapping improves galaxy rolls; rulesets reshape risk/reward
• Progression Path — Epsilon is the launch pad into the galaxy layer
• Research Tree — Void Navigation gates and Charting Protocols
• Mega Projects — Dwarf Citadel & Stellar Extractor gate galaxy access
• Combat: Raids — galaxy expeditionRisk drives raid frequency