Game rules

These rules apply to every XNova player. They support fair competition and respectful communication. The project administration oversees compliance.

Some restrictions are enforced automatically; others are reviewed by the administration using game logs and player reports. Being able to perform an action in the interface does not mean it is permitted by these rules.

Use Support for questions, complaints and clarification of disputed actions. If you cannot access your account, use the Contacts page to reach the administration. Vacation mode is abbreviated as VM below.

1.1. One player, one account

Each player may have only one account in a universe. Creating or controlling additional accounts and sharing an account are prohibited, except for temporary sitting under section 1.2. Creating another account to evade a suspension is also prohibited.

Owners must retain access to the email address in their settings and protect their login credentials. The administration may request proof of email ownership when restoring access. Never include passwords in support requests, chats or game messages.

1.2. Temporary account sitting

You may look after one other account in addition to your own for no more than 24 hours from the first to the last action. After sitting ends, the owner must wait 7 days before arranging another sitting period, and the sitter must wait 7 days before looking after that or any other account.

• Starting and cancelling construction and research, and moving resources between planets belonging to the account, are allowed.
• Attacks, participation in joint attacks, moon destruction, espionage, sensor phalanx scans, interplanetary missiles and sending resources to other players are prohibited.
• Recycling missions may only be used to keep the fleet in flight while the owner is away, not to collect other players’ debris.

The administration enforces sitting conditions. There is no separate game mode that automatically restricts a sitter’s permissions. Use vacation mode for longer absences.

1.3. Account exchanges and sales

Account exchanges require prior agreement with the administration: each owner must confirm consent through Support. Handing over login credentials independently does not guarantee that access can later be restored. Selling accounts or attempting to sell them is prohibited.

Different people may play on the same device or internet connection. Notify Support and identify all accounts involved. A shared IP address does not permit one person to control multiple accounts.

Accounts regularly using the same device or IP address must not transfer resources or send fleets to one another, arrange staged battles or coordinate actions to gain an advantage. The temporary sitting exception applies only within section 1.2.

These are conduct rules, not a promise that fleet dispatch will automatically be blocked based on IP address. The administration reviews violations as possible multi-accounting.

Pushing is prohibited. It means transferring value from a player with fewer total points to a stronger player without an equivalent exchange or an exception listed below. Membership in the same alliance does not provide an exemption. This applies to resource transports, staged attacks, deliberate fleet losses and transfers of debris, including through intermediaries.

Loot from a genuine battle is not pushing. Reviews take into account the participants’ total points at the time of transfer, their agreements and the actual movement of resources.

If a weaker player sends resources by mistake, do not spend them. Contact Support and return them to the sender. If transport restrictions prevent a return, explain this in your request and agree on how to proceed.

3.1. Moon creation attempts

Agreed attacks intended to create a moon are allowed. The higher-ranked participant must not make a profit. Reimbursement of deuterium spent on the flight is prohibited. Resource settlements must be completed within 3 days of the attempt. Keep battle reports and debris collection records. An agreement does not guarantee a moon and does not waive attack restrictions.

3.2. Fleet recovery

After losing a fleet, a player may receive assistance from players of any level up to 50% of the lost fleet’s value. Contact Support within 5 days of the battle; assistance may be received for 7 days from that request. Include the battle report and count contributions from all participants together. Once the limit is reached, further assistance from weaker players is prohibited.

3.3. Debris collection by allies

Alliance members may help collect debris after an attack and transfer it to a battle participant. Before transferring the resources, and within 3 days of the attack, provide Support with battle details, collector names and amounts collected. Collectors may retain resources to cover actual fuel costs for recyclers and transports at the exchange rate in section 4.

3.4. Other arrangements

Interest-bearing loans and demanding resources in exchange for non-aggression are prohibited. Report such demands to Support. Debris from a staged farewell battle must remain with its participants in proportion to their losses. Leaving the game does not permit transferring all assets to a stronger player.

Clarify disputed assistance or settlement arrangements with the administration before transferring resources. All exceptions remain subject to the other rules and the game’s technical restrictions.

The exchange rate between players is metal : crystal : deuterium = 4 : 2 : 1. One unit of deuterium equals two units of crystal or four units of metal; one unit of crystal equals two units of metal. Complete the return leg of a trade or repay a loan within 3 days of receiving resources. Breaches of exchange conditions are reviewed under the pushing rule.

Transport missions to another player have these automatic limits:

• No more than one dispatch from a sender to the same recipient within the previous 24 hours.
• No more than three such dispatches within the previous 7 days.
• No transport to a player who has not logged in for more than 7 days.

These limits combine all planets of the sender and recipient. Dispatch, rather than delivery, counts; recalling a transport does not restore the allowance. Transfers between your own planets are exempt from these limits. Plan trades and repayments in advance. If a game restriction prevents you from fulfilling an obligation, contact Support before the deadline.

The built-in Merchant exchanges resources on the current planet at the same rate and charges 1 credit per transaction. This is a separate game service and does not require a transport to another player.

Buying or selling resources, fleets, accounts or other game advantages between players for real money is prohibited. Paid services provided by the project are separate from such transactions.

5.1. Automatic attack limit

A player may dispatch no more than three fleets on an Attack mission to the same coordinates per server calendar day. The counter resets at midnight server time; it is not a rolling 24-hour window.

• A planet, moon and military base at the same coordinates share one limit.
• Attacks from all planets of an account count together.
• Fleet dispatch counts regardless of the battle outcome. Recalled attacks remain in the counter.
• Defender inactivity does not waive this limit.
• Interplanetary missiles, espionage, joining a joint attack and moon destruction missions are not included in the automatic counter for ordinary attacks.

Deliberately bypassing the bashing limit is prohibited, including through joint attacks or game errors. The absence of an automatic block does not remove responsibility; the administration reviews reports of circumvention.

5.2. Alliance wars

The limit exception applies between members of alliances with a confirmed war status. Submit the request through Diplomacy; the other alliance must accept it. A unilateral announcement in chat or a message does not waive the limit. Once the war ends, the normal limit applies again; dispatches already counted that day remain recorded.

War does not waive newbie protection, vacation mode, the prohibition on pushing or communication rules.

The game restricts certain missions based on players’ total points and newbie protection settings. Mission availability is checked at dispatch. Extended inactivity and suspension may disable points-based protection; they do not waive the bashing limit.

Enable vacation mode in Settings. You must have no fleets of your own in flight and no unfinished construction, production or research queues. The universe settings determine the minimum duration; the interface shows when you may leave vacation mode. You must disable it manually after that time.

Vacation mode prevents new fleets from being sent to the player, except for debris collection, and prevents new missile attacks. Fleets already sent to the player are not automatically recalled: enabling vacation mode does not guarantee protection from an attack already in progress.

Resource production is paused and major game actions are restricted during vacation. Check production settings on your planets after leaving vacation mode.

Exploiting game errors to obtain resources, ships, points, access to other players’ data or any other advantage is prohibited. Do not repeat a faulty operation for profit, conceal exploitation or help others exploit an error.

Report errors through Support with the steps taken, expected and actual results, time and coordinates. Do not publish exploitation instructions before the issue is fixed. Do not spend assets obtained through an error while awaiting the administration’s response.

Third-party bots, macros, automated and semi-automated scripts that perform game actions for a user, bypass restrictions or create excessive load are prohibited. Ordinary browser tools and calculations using manually entered data are allowed if they do not control the account or disrupt the game.

Server-controlled AI players are not user-operated bots. Their presence does not permit players to automate their accounts.

Communication rules apply to public and private chat, game messages, alliance chat, support requests, player names, planet and alliance names, descriptions, images and links.

• Real-life threats, extortion, harassment, abusive insults directed at players or their relatives, and profanity are prohibited.
• Publishing another person’s personal information without consent, impersonating the administration and deception intended to gain account access are prohibited.
• Spam, intrusive advertising, mass messaging and flooding are prohibited. An ordinary alliance invitation is allowed, but repeated unwanted invitations may be treated as spam.
• Pornography, discriminatory material, promotion of violence, extremism or terrorism, and related names and symbols are prohibited.

The game supports Russian and English. Language choice alone is not a violation. Participants in private correspondence and alliances may agree on a convenient language; respectful communication rules apply in every language.

Keep political conflicts and disputes between nationalities out of the game. If you are unsure about content or a name, ask the administration. When reporting abuse, keep the messages and identify their author and time.

Contact Support about violations, losses, errors and disputed arrangements. Provide a clear subject, account name and ID, event time, coordinates, participants and battle report IDs or links. Continue in the same request to preserve context.

Suspensions, reasons, durations and the responsible staff member are listed on the Blocked players page. To appeal a decision, explain the facts and grounds for review. If you cannot log in, use the administration contacts.

Fabricating evidence, deliberate deception and concealing earlier requests to obtain a different decision are prohibited. The administration reviews decisions based on the available evidence.

Losses caused by errors, connection failures or a player’s own actions are not restored automatically. Restoration is considered individually based on available game logs.

The administration considers the nature of a violation, benefits gained, consequences and repeated conduct. Depending on the case, measures include a warning, a requirement to stop the violation or return resources, or suspension with or without VM. Suspension without VM does not itself protect planets or fleets from attacks.

• Pushing: 3 days with VM for a first violation and 7 days with VM for a repeat; further violations may result in termination of game access.
• Bypassing the bashing limit: 1 day with VM for a first violation and up to 3 days with VM for a repeat.
• Insults: at least 1 day without VM; repeated violations increase the duration to 3, 7 and 14 days, up to termination of access.
• Spam and flooding: 1 day without VM for a first violation and 3 days without VM for a repeat; further violations may result in termination of access.
• Multiple accounts, violations of sitting conditions, account sales, exploiting errors, prohibited automation, real-life threats and prohibited content: suspension up to termination of game access.

The administration records the reason and duration of each suspension. Suspension and account deletion are separate actions: automatic deletion after a fixed period is not part of the penalties listed here. Responsibility depends on participation in a violation; alliance membership alone does not prove involvement.

Credits and paid features are used under the conditions shown in the relevant interface sections. They do not permit rule violations or exempt players from suspension. Before using a service, review its price, effect and duration, where applicable.

Playing the game means accepting these rules and the user agreement. Not knowing a rule does not excuse a violation.

The current rules are published on this page. Changes and their effective dates are announced in game at least 2 weeks in advance. Urgent measures to protect the game and minor clarifications may have a shorter notice period, stated in the announcement. If wording has more than one possible interpretation, ask Support before taking the disputed action.