Controller: press A or Start, then release to activate. Use the left stick for the cursor, right stick to pan, LT/RT to zoom, and LB/RB to cycle worlds and hostile groups. A selects or confirms; X opens dispatch; Y toggles multi-select; B returns to the previous command layer or map; Start pauses; Back/View opens the game menu. Use the right stick to scroll long menus. On disconnect or focus loss, the match pauses and requires deliberate resume.

Drag to explore. Scroll or pinch to zoom. Focus the map and use arrow keys to pan, Space to pause, or Home to fit the map. Shift-click to add or remove a source. Click empty space to clear selection; with one carrier selected, it sets its course instead. Hold or right-click a destination to send units. For keyboard dispatch, select a source and press D, then tap, click, or focus a destination and press Enter. Cancel, Escape, or right-clicking empty space cancels destination choice and keeps the sources.

To intercept, select a planet or orbital ring, then hold or right-click a hostile group’s ⌖ marker. You can also press D to enter destination mode and select its marker. Interception sends warships only, even with Combined selected. Troops and transports stay behind. Ships follow the group and use normal combat rules in range, then return to their launch points when the group is destroyed or reaches orbit.

Tap or left-click a world to select it. Hold a destination on touch, or right-click it with a mouse, to send units. Select the source again to deselect. Use Multi-select to gather sources, then turn it off and hold or right-click a destination. You can also send to friendly worlds.

Troops capture surfaces. Ships win orbit. Defense platforms defend but never travel. A dashed enemy-colored ring means blockade: the surface cannot dispatch. A solid ring means hostile ships are present without a full blockade. Tap a blue orbital ring over an enemy world to redirect your ships.

Enemy defense platforms and ships stop landings. Transports wait in orbit and can be destroyed; escorts absorb fire first. Traveling ships within range stop and trade shots, then resume the same destination. Transports cannot shoot back and keep flying. Orbiting ships, transports, and defense platforms do not join that passing fire. Take every rival planet to win. Switching production discards unfinished work.

Pause freezes movement, production, combat, and the rival AI. You can still select worlds, send units, and change production. Orders reserve units immediately; units move and production continues when you resume. Open Orders to cancel a launch before resuming, or recall units already underway. Recalled units turn around from their current positions. Selecting a planet filters incoming and outgoing orders; Show all keeps the selection and displays every route.