If starships from two neutral or hostile empires occupy the same sector at the beginning of any your turns, a dialog box appears asking for your response.
This is where you build, colonize, allocate research, engage in diplomacy and intelligence, and move your ships. The map is divided into sectors, some of which contain systems or stellar phenomena and others which are empty. In the management mode, the game screen represents a map of the galaxy. The game is divided into two parts: a galactic management mode, and a tactical combat mode. In vendetta mode the player must destroy their empire's two racial enemies before the player is destroyed by one of their own enemies. If the player allies themselves with another empire, the two empires combined must control 75% of the galaxy. In a domination game, the player must control 60% of the galaxy. The single player game has two different victory modes.
The empires then take turns moving ships, engaging in diplomacy, research, building and intelligence operations, and fighting. In the single player game, the player chooses one of five empires included in the game.
