Beginner's Guide to AstroLurch

Play as a guest

You can start AstroLurch without creating an account. Guest play gives you a commander name and a planet. The account has no email until you convert it into a free account and set a password.

A guest account that is not used is removed. When the inactivity setting is missing, that wait is 7 days. New accounts also have beginner protection. When that setting is missing, it lasts 7 days. Other players cannot attack you while it lasts. Sending an Attack or a Missile Attack ends your own protection, and it does not come back. You cannot attack a player who still has protection.

Resources

Planets store Metal, Silicates, and Helium-3. The Power Grid is energy on that planet. It is not cargo. With no mine, a planet still produces 30 Metal, 20 Silicates, and 10 Helium-3 per hour.

How mines, energy, and storage work

Buildings

Raise the Metal Mine and the Solar Plant first so the mines have power. The Robotics Factory and the Atomic Assembler shorten building construction. Each Atomic Assembler level halves that time, and it halves ship build time as well. Nanotechnology unlocks it.

• Metal Mine
• Silicate Mine
• Helium-3 Extractor
• Solar Plant
• Wind Turbine
• Fusion Reactor
• Robotics Factory
• Shipyard
• Research Lab
• Metal Storage
• Silicate Storage
• Helium-3 Storage
• Atomic Assembler
• Terraformer
• Deep Core Drill
• Trade Post
• Military Academy
• Orbital Habitat

Research

Research needs a Research Lab. The catalog currently has 38 technologies, including Strategic Doctrine. By default, each lab level multiplies the remaining research time by 0.95 (5% off). Fleet slots start at 1 when that setting is missing, plus one slot per Computer Technology level. Tactical Datalink adds one fleet slot every two levels when that research is enabled. An Admiral officer adds 2 slots while active. The Military doctrine adds 1 fleet slot.

Fleet

18 ship types can be built at the Shipyard. Fuel is Helium-3. The slowest ship sets the fleet speed. Missions: Attack, Transport, Deploy, Espionage, Colonize, Recycle, Expedition, Hold Position, Missile Attack, Exploring.

Travel time and how battles resolve

Doctrines

Strategic Doctrine is researched once, and it needs a Research Lab at level 5. You then choose one doctrine for that universe. The first choice is free. Switching costs half of that research and locks the choice for 7 days.

• Industry. +10% mine output on every planet. Deep Core Drill can reach level 15. Ships and defences take 10% longer to build.
• Military. −10% ship cost and +1 fleet slot. Military Academy can reach level 10. −5% mine output.
• Expansion. +2 colony slots, +10 fields on each new colony, colony ships −25% cost. Unlocks the Orbital Habitat. −10% storage capacity.

• Deep Core Drill stops at level 5. Industry raises that cap to 15. Each level adds 2% mine output on that planet, inside the +60% combined mine bonus.
• Military Academy stops at level 3. Military raises that cap to 10. Each level shortens ship build time by 3%.
• Orbital Habitat needs Expansion. Each level adds 4 fields, up to level 10.

Achievements

There are 65 achievements and 223 tiers, from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond. 11 of them stay secret until you unlock them. Each tier pays Lurchium once, onto the account balance you use in every universe. You can show up to 6 unlocked badges on your public profile.

Alliances

Alliances belong to one universe. Found one, or apply to join. An application stays pending until the alliance accepts it. Pending applicants are not members. Lurchium is shared across universes. Planets, research, ships, fleets, alliances, and rankings stay in the universe where you earned them.

Lurchium

Lurchium is the premium currency, and the same balance is available in every universe. You can earn it from expeditions, missions, achievements, and the tutorial. It is spent on officers and on cosmetic items in the shop. Officers add bonuses such as the Admiral’s extra fleet slots.