Fleet Travel, Speed, Aether, and Recall

Travel time depends on distance, route type, the fleet's effective speed, and the selected speed percentage.

Effective speed includes the slowest unit involved in the mission, the selected percentage, applicable speed bonuses, and universe settings. The route category distinguishes travel within a system from travel between systems. A longer route increases travel time; a faster fleet or a higher percentage reduces it. The server calculates and locks the duration at launch. A minimum duration prevents instant space travel.

The speed used for the trip is that of the slowest unit in the group.

The engine checks the units traveling autonomously and retains the lowest positive speed it finds. Craft selected under Embarkation travel in hangars: their speed and cargo capacity do not affect the carrier fleet's trip.

To choose the carriers and load the craft, follow the embarkation procedure. A reserve is set aside at departure so the craft can return autonomously if needed; see the Aether reserve.

This value becomes the reference speed for the entire fleet.

For certain missions, the calculation considers only the ships involved in that mission:

• Transport
• Deployment

For Deployment, some authorized autonomous recyclers may also be taken into account.

Example

Adding a very slow craft to a fast fleet as an autonomous unit increases the group's travel time. If selected under Embarkation, its speed is not included in this calculation.

It lets you deliberately slow down a fleet to adjust its arrival time and reduce its Aether consumption.

Reducing the speed percentage increases travel time and multiplies the consumption already adjusted for each ship's actual speed in the fleet. It changes neither the distance nor the consumption rate specific to each model. This setting lets you adjust arrival time or save more Aether.

Consumption depends on the ships sent, their actual speed within the fleet, the route, the speed percentage, and the reductions active at launch.

Each ship has its own consumption. For a custom model, its bare infrastructure and components contribute to this value: heavier models progressively consume more than lighter models, subject to a capped surcharge. Players' custom models have their own consumption curve, while Recyclers I and II use a lower specialized rate. Cargo does not increase consumption. In a mixed fleet, each unit's cost follows the ratio of the slowest ship's speed to its own speed, without falling below 50 % of its own cost; a homogeneous fleet therefore gets no composition-based reduction. The chosen speed percentage then applies to the entire fleet. Long-distance routes receive additional economic weighting and therefore cost proportionally more than a local trip with the same fleet. The reductions from the Aether Efficiency technology, alliance, artifacts, and faction combine. The cost is fixed at launch. Missions that may return reserve fuel for both the outbound and return trips; ordinary space Espionage is one-way, and the Space Probe is destroyed on arrival. In a single Espionage mission, its marginal cost decreases in batches up to and including probe 4 001e, after which each additional probe returns to the full rate. For the automatic return of a probe when the Vellambre Trading Post completes its crossing before contact, see the Trading Post rule.

Embarkation adds an emergency reserve paid at launch and counted in the fuel load. It separately covers each craft's autonomous return at 100 %, even if the slowest model disappears. Only the fuel used by an emergency return that actually takes place is consumed; the remaining balance for surviving craft is returned when they are based. The reserve for destroyed craft is lost.

A recall cancels the outbound trip, calculates the unused Aether pro rata, and creates a return. The credit is applied only when that return arrives. A space espionage mission cannot be recalled manually.

When a recall is accepted:

• the outbound trip is canceled;
• the unused Aether is calculated pro rata, without an immediate credit;
• a Return mission is created.
• the calculated amount is credited to the planet of origin when that return arrives.

The return reuses the time actually spent on the outbound trip. A mission that reaches its destination and then returns normally does not refund the carriers' propulsion fuel. The emergency reserve for surviving embarked craft remains separate: its unused balance is credited when they are based, including after a recall.

For a personal Deployment that has reached its destination, the unused return trip is refunded to the target planet. For a deployment at another player's planet that has reached its destination, this remainder is lost so that it does not become a commercial transfer. A Mining mission recalled during the outbound trip refunds the remainder on the return trip; after it arrives at the mining planet, it no longer refunds any fuel.

Exception: a Space Probe normally makes a one-way trip. Its Espionage mission cannot be recalled manually. For the automatic return linked to the Vellambre Trading Post, see the Trading Post rule.

An Emergency Evacuation protects the losing side's lightly damaged ships, whether attacker or defender: they remain stationary in flight until manually recalled, then become available at the dock. The return at fixed speed 1 250 follows the battle's navigation version and neither consumes nor refunds Aether. Older evacuations retain their original rules.

Example

With a reserve of 2 000 Aether, a recall after 25% of the outbound trip carries 1 500 Aether as a refund, credited only when the return lands.