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Regions

Regions are the primary unit of macro-scale geography and political territory in Living Universe Online.

Purpose

Regions divide the galaxy into named, bounded areas. They give the universe legible geography: players can identify where they are, where their rivals are, which areas are contested, and which routes connect different parts of the galaxy.

Regions also form the basis for inter-region travel via gates, sovereignty contests, and large-scale political divisions.

Player Value

Regions give players a spatial identity in the universe. Operating within a region has strategic meaning because:

  • regions contain orbital systems where resources can be extracted
  • region boundaries make an area defensible — entry and exit are limited to the gates built between systems
  • a region with few gates is easier to hold than one with many
  • regions can be identified, named, and associated with blocs, alliances, and political spheres over time

The Local Region Map

Each region has its own local map. The local map shows the orbital systems inside that region laid out on a sparse 2D grid.

Systems are placed on this grid, but not every cell contains a system. The empty space between systems creates natural corridors, chokepoints, and dead zones that give each region a distinctive navigational character.

Fleet movement across the local map is system to system. A fleet can only move to an adjacent occupied cell — north, south, east, or west. Diagonal movement is not allowed.

This means routes through a region are meaningful. Controlling key systems in a dense corridor forces rival fleets to go around.

Rules

  • Each region belongs to exactly one galaxy.
  • A region has a unique name within the galaxy.
  • Orbital systems within a region are placed on a sparse 2D grid.
  • Fleet movement inside a region is orthogonal only — north, south, east, or west between adjacent occupied cells.
  • A region starts with no connections to other regions. Regions become connected only as players build gates between orbital systems.
  • A system that hosts a gate is a regular orbital system within the region's local grid. Gates are the only connections between systems in different regions.

For how gates connect systems, see Gates. For how fleets move within and between regions, see Movement.

Player Actions

  • View all regions in the galaxy on the inter-region map.
  • View which regions are connected by player-built gates.
  • View the local region map showing the 2D grid of orbital systems within a region.
  • Identify which systems in a region host a gate.

Constraints

  • Region geometry is defined by the game world configuration, not by player action.
  • Players cannot create, rename, or delete regions.
  • The 2D grid layout of a region is fixed at world definition time.
  • Two regions may appear next to each other on the inter-region map and still have no gate linking them. Visual proximity on the galaxy map does not imply a connection exists.
  • Fleet movement rules — range, travel time, combat interaction — are defined in a separate feature.