Posted by: TheDeadlyShoe
« on: February 24, 2013, 11:15:48 PM »
activate SM mode and go into the System view (f9)
this is where the basic SM stuff happens
to really do this properly you should have an SM race but I'm not sure if you can get one if you don't have it at gamestart
Anyway go to the Jump Points tab for an existing system.
IMPORTANT NOTE. Everything you do in this view will be 'visible' to the race you have selected. Thus if you are using your Terran Federation/player race then they will know about any system you create this way and that system will show on the galaxy map! This is one reason the SM race exists.
From here you can basically do everything. If you had SM mode on when you entered the f9 view you will see 'Create System' 'Create Empire' etc. tabs at the bottom right. Creating a system using this button will create a system with a random system number close to current system. Systems tend to connect to systems that have similar system numbers, depending on the 'max # of systems' determined in the game setup. IMPORTANT NOTE: The system may have auto-generated stuff in it!!!!!
If a planet is capable of supporting life (oxy or methane atmosphere) you can select that planet in the system and use Create Empire to create a player or NPR race there. To create an NPR race make sure the NPR box is checked. I would enthusiastically suggest that after creating an NPR race you manually modify that planets minerals (using specify minerals) in order to give the NPR a large secure mineral supply since running out of an important mineral is the #1 cause of complete NPR impotence.
If you have the Jump Points tab open you can manually create, edit, connect, disconnect, etc jump points in the current system. You can even fake-explore through a JP.
You can also delete systems in this view if you are unhappy with them.