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Station

A player-built structure in orbit around a stellar object. Stations are not stellar objects — they are infrastructure. They appear on the system map, serve as fleet destinations, and always orbit a specific stellar object.

Layer

Parallel layer. Stations are not part of the stellar object hierarchy but exist alongside it. Every station has a parent stellar object that it orbits. A station without a parent stellar object cannot exist.

Goal

Enable players to build permanent orbital infrastructure that is visible on the system map, reachable by fleets, and distinct from planet-bound holdings.

Core Problem

The system map needs to display both naturally-occurring stellar objects and player-built structures in a coherent way. Fleets need to target stations as discrete destinations. Stations must exist in the game model cleanly without being confused with stellar objects.

Working Directions

Anchored to a Parent Stellar Object

Every station orbits a specific stellar object — a planet, an asteroid belt, a moon, or any other body in the system. On the system map it appears in the orbit lane of that object.

A station cannot exist without a parent stellar object. If the player wants a presence at a particular body, they build a station there.

Fleet Destinations

Stations are valid fleet destinations in the same way stellar objects are. A fleet can be ordered to travel to a station. This requires stations to be registered addressable locations in the movement system.

System Map Rendering

Stations must appear at the correct visual position on the system map relative to their parent. A station appears in the orbit lane of its parent stellar object — as a smaller distinct icon alongside or around that body.

This keeps the map readable. Every station has a clear visual relationship to the body it orbits. The Elite Dangerous orrery view is a useful reference: each body has a lane, and stations appear as smaller objects within that lane.

Not a Holding Type

Stations are distinct from holdings. A holding is claimed from a stellar object and represents a player's commitment to developing that object. A station is built from resources and deployed to a location — it does not derive from claiming an object.

The relationship between stations and holdings is not yet fully defined.

Destructible

Unlike stellar objects, stations can be destroyed. This makes them different from the permanent world structure. A destroyed station must be rebuilt from resources.

Minimal Test Set

Stations are not part of the first economic test but must be modeled correctly for the system map to render properly and for fleet movement to function. Whether a placeholder station type is needed in the initial build depends on what the UI requires.

Open Questions

  • What station types exist — trade station, military outpost, shipyard, logistics hub? Are these defined at this stage or left open?
  • Can a player build more than one station per stellar object, or is there a cap?
  • Should stations have sector slot mechanics similar to stellar objects, or a different development model?
  • What happens to a station when the player who built it loses control of the system — does it go neutral, transfer to the attacker, or begin degrading?
  • Can stations be claimed by other players without destroying them, or must they be destroyed first?