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Sector Map

Sectors are zones in FTL: Faster Than Light, each containing between 19 and 24 beacons.

On the sector map, there are three groups of sectors: Civilian, Hostile, Nebula. There are also two "special" sectors: the Hidden Crystal Worlds (never shown on the map) and The Last Stand (final sector with unique mechanics). Sectors are determined randomly, but there is a 48% chance for a sector to be green, 32% to be red, and 20% to be purple.[1]

However, the colour-coding of sectors is misleading. It suggests that green sectors are safer, while red sectors have more fights and therefore more scrap; but that is not really true. For example, while Engi sectors have few fights and are very safe, Zoltan sectors have many fights and are among the most dangerous. It's best to choose your next sector based on an understanding of that specific sector, rather than just looking at its colour. One important difference between sectors is the number of stores they contain.

The following sector descriptions list types of events under the "beacons" heading. These are taken straight from the game files, and can be misleading. For example, the starting sector has one "quest" beacon, but that simply means there is one beacon that selects events from the "QUESTS" event list. You can actually encounter quests generated from other beacons as well. And that one "quest" beacon might not even exist on the map, because all beacons may have been "filled" by other events already.

Civilian Sectors[]

Civilian (Starting) Sector[]

"The data you carry is vital to the remaining Federation fleet. You'll need supplies for the journey, so make sure to explore each sector before moving on to the next. But get to the exit before the pursuing Rebel fleet can catch up!"
Sector occurrence:

Despite the in-game name, the starting sector is slightly different from the usual Civilian Sector: it has fewer stores, items, quests and nebulas. This sector is always and only Sector 1.

Beacons:
  • 1-2 stores
  • 1 various item
  • 1-2 distress beacons
  • 1 quest
  • 2-4 neutral encounters
  • 4-6 hostile encounters
  • 0-4 nebula spaces
  • 1-2 empty beacons
Events:

See Civilian Sector Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Human
  • 2: Engi, Mantis
  • 3: Rockmen
  • 5: Zoltan
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Civilian, Cosmos, MilkyWay, Lost Ship.



Civilian Sector[]

"Welcome to a new sector! Get to the exit beacon and jump to the next sector before the pursuing Rebels catch you!"
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur multiple times per game and is different from the starting sector.

Beacons:
  • 2-3 stores
  • 2-3 various items
  • 1-2 distress beacons
  • 0-2 quests
  • 2-4 neutral encounters
  • 4-6 hostile encounters
  • 0-11 nebula spaces
  • 1-2 empty beacons
Events:

See Civilian Sector Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Human
  • 2: Engi, Mantis
  • 3: Rockmen
  • 5: Zoltan
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Civilian, Cosmos, MilkyWay, Lost Ship.



Engi Controlled Sector[]

"You have arrived in Engi space. The fall of the Federation has brought tough times for these robotic lifeforms, but they're usually willing to help."
"You have arrived in Engi space. The Mantis have been threatening the Engi core worlds, but you should be able to stock up for your journey."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur multiple times per game.

Beacons:
  • 2-3 stores
  • 2 various items
  • 1-3 distress beacons
  • 1 quest
  • 4-6 neutral encounters
  • 5-7 hostile encounters
  • 1-2 empty beacons
Events:

See Engi Controlled Sector Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Engi
  • 3: Human
  • 4: Zoltan
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Engi, Cosmos, Hacking Malfunction.



Engi Homeworlds[]

"You have arrived in Engi space. The Mantis have been threatening the Engi core worlds, but you should be able to stock up for your journey."
"You have arrived in Engi space. The fall of the Federation has brought tough times for these robotic lifeforms, but they're usually willing to help."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur only once per game and only at sector 3 or higher.

Beacons:
  • 2-3 stores
  • 2 various items
  • 1-3 distress beacons
  • 1 quest
  • 5-7 neutral encounters
  • 5-7 hostile encounters
  • 1-2 empty beacons
  • 1 Engi fleet discussion event
Events:

See Engi Homeworlds Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Engi
  • 3: Human
  • 4: Zoltan
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Engi, Cosmos, Hacking Malfunction.



Zoltan Controlled Sector[]

"The Zoltan patrol their borders but let you pass when you ID as Federation. Let's hope they won't be so courteous to the Rebels."
"You've entered Zoltan territory. This species is not renowned for giving anything for nothing, but you can always be assured a fair hearing."
"You arrive in Zoltan space. From what you have heard they anticipated the coming war and made preparations to hold their borders."
"You're far from Federation home space here in Zoltan territory, and it's not clear whether the authorities will have any goodwill remaining. Still, you have to push forward."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur multiple times per game.

Beacons:
  • 2 stores
  • 1-2 various items
  • 1-2 distress beacons
  • 0-1 quests
  • 5-6 neutral encounters
  • 6-8 hostile encounters
  • 1-2 boarders
  • 2-6 nebula spaces
  • 1-2 empty beacons
  • 1 Zoltan research facility event
Events:

See Zoltan Controlled Sector Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Zoltan
  • 2: Human
  • 3: Engi, Mantis, Rockmen, Slug
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Zoltan, Cosmos.



Zoltan Homeworlds[]

"The Zoltan patrol their borders but let you pass when you ID as Federation. Let's hope they won't be so courteous to the Rebels."
"You've entered Zoltan territory. This species is not renowned for giving anything for nothing, but you can always be assured a fair hearing."
"You arrive in Zoltan space. From what you have heard they anticipated the coming war and made preparations to hold their borders."
"You're far from Federation home space here in Zoltan territory, and it's not clear whether the authorities will have any goodwill remaining. Still, you have to push forward."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur only once per game and only occurs at sector 3 or higher.

Beacons:
Events:

See Zoltan Homeworlds Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Zoltan
  • 2: Human
  • 3: Engi, Mantis, Rockmen, Slug
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Zoltan, Cosmos.



Hostile Sectors[]

Abandoned Sector[]

AE Content Enabled (clear corners) This section describes content that
only appears in Advanced Edition.
"This sector has been largely abandoned since a series of battles decimated the local population. An unusual alien race is reportedly scavenging in the area. You'd best be on guard."
"This sector was the site of many major battles between the Federation and Rebel fleets. Strangely, there's very little evidence of those battles remaining..."
"There have been a number of reports of advanced ships salvaging the wrecks and abandoned mining facilities in this sector. Could it be that the Lanius have resurfaced?"
"The war tore through this civilian sector, and just recently even the few life signs that remained have begun blinking out. Rumours suggest the Lanius are responsible."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur multiple times per game.

Beacons:
  • 2 stores
  • 2-4 various items
  • 1-2 distress beacons
  • 0-1 quests
  • 5-6 neutral encounters
  • 5-6 hostile encounters
  • 1-2 hostile environment
  • 1-2 boarders
  • 1-2 empty beacons
Events:

See Abandoned Sector Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 2: Lanius, Human
  • 3: Engi, Mantis, Rockmen
  • 4: Zoltan, Slug
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Lanius, Deepspace, Wasteland.



Mantis Controlled Sector[]

"You've entered a poorly charted area of space that's known to be home to the Mantis. Ensure your hull plating is up to scratch and that you have enough fuel in the tank to make it through."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur multiple times per game.

Beacons:
  • 1-2 stores
  • 1-2 various items
  • 1-3 distress beacons
  • 6-7 neutral encounters
  • 6-7 hostile encounters
  • 1-2 boarders
  • 2-3 empty beacons
Events:

See Mantis Controlled Sector Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Mantis
  • 2: Human
  • 3: Engi
  • 4: Rockmen
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Mantis, Debris, Void.



Mantis Homeworlds[]

"You've entered a poorly charted area of space that's known to be home to the Mantis. Ensure your hull plating is up to scratch and that you have enough fuel in the tank to make it through."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur only once per game and only occurs at sector 3 or higher.

Beacons:
  • 1-2 stores
  • 1-2 various items
  • 1-3 distress beacons
  • 6-7 neutral encounters
  • 6-7 hostile encounters
  • 1-2 boarders
  • 2-3 empty beacons
  • 1 Legendary thief KazaaakplethKilik event
Events:

See Mantis Homeworlds Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Mantis
  • 2: Human
  • 3: Engi
  • 4: Rockmen
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Mantis, Debris, Void.



Pirate Controlled Sector[]

"This somewhat isolated region was thrown into chaos at the start of the rebellion. Even in peacetime it was always beset by pirates but now it houses a center of operations for countless pirate fleets."
"A few years ago this region was bustling with trade activity. Now it is overrun with bandits and marauders. You should tread lightly here."
"If the reports are true, this area has been under the control of pirates for quite some time. Some traders still attempt to trade with the few settlements that remain, but they do so at great risk."
"A few Federation-friendly planets still exist in this sector, but they are constantly under attack by pirate raids. This is a dangerous sector, so be careful."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur multiple times per game.

Beacons:
  • 1-2 stores
  • 1-2 various items
  • 1-2 distress beacons
  • 0-1 quests
  • 5-6 neutral encounters
  • 6-8 hostile encounters
  • 1 boarder
  • 0-5 nebula spaces
  • 1-2 empty beacons
Events:

See Pirate Controlled Sector Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Human
  • 2: Engi, Mantis
  • 3: Rockmen
  • 5: Zoltan
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Colonial, Void, Lost Ship, Hacking Malfunction.



Rebel Controlled Sector[]

"You will have to be very cautious in this sector. The Rebels have full control and are no doubt looking for you."
"This sector was bustling with activity just a few years ago. Now, more than half of the jump beacons have been destroyed, many settlements have been abandoned and the Rebels patrol constantly."
"This sector was hit hard by the rebellion. The many alien settlements and stations located here are now watched over by almost an equal number of Rebel bases, heavy-handedly 'keeping the peace'."
"Once the Federation forces were scattered, the Rebels came down hard on the locals here. Between the 'tax collectors' and military bases, the Rebel presence in this sector is high."
"At one point this was one of the most commonly traveled sectors. Knowing that, the Rebels have stationed a number of fleets here. Be careful."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur multiple times per game.

Beacons:
  • 1-2 stores
  • 1-2 various items
  • 1-2 distress beacons
  • 0-2 quests
  • 5-6 neutral encounters
  • 6-8 hostile encounters
  • 1 boarder
  • 0-5 nebula spaces
  • 1-2 empty beacons
Events:

See Rebel Controlled Sector Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Human
  • 2: Engi, Mantis
  • 3: Rockmen
  • 5: Zoltan
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Colonial, Wasteland, Lost Ship, Hacking Malfunction.



Rebel Stronghold[]

"You will have to be very cautious in this sector. The Rebels have full control and are no doubt looking for you."
"This sector was bustling with activity just a few years ago. Now, more than half of the jump beacons have been destroyed, many settlements have been abandoned and the Rebels patrol constantly."
"This sector was hit hard by the rebellion. The many alien settlements and stations located here are now watched over by almost an equal number of Rebel bases, heavy-handedly 'keeping the peace'."
"Once the Federation forces were scattered, the Rebels came down hard on the locals here. Between the 'tax collectors' and military bases, the Rebel presence in this sector is high."
"At one point this was one of the most commonly traveled sectors. Knowing that, the Rebels have stationed a number of fleets here. Be careful."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur only once per game and only at sector 5 or higher.

Beacons:
  • 1-2 stores
  • 1-2 various items
  • 1-2 distress beacons
  • 0-2 quests
  • 5-6 neutral encounters
  • 6-8 hostile encounters
  • 1 boarder
  • 0-5 nebula spaces
  • 1-2 empty beacons
  • 1 Huge Rebel shipyard event
Events:

See Rebel Stronghold Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Human
  • 2: Engi, Mantis
  • 3: Rockmen
  • 5: Zoltan
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Colonial, Wasteland, Lost Ship, Hacking Malfunction.



Rock Controlled Sector[]

"The Rock people have a particularly aggressive stance toward alien races trespassing in their space. You should tread carefully here."
"The Rock people are a powerful and proud race. It is not unheard of to have a peaceful journey through their lands, but don't count on it."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur multiple times per game.

Crystal Lockdown Bombs can be found or bought in this sector, although they have a high rarity (4).

Beacons:
  • 2 stores
  • 1-2 various items
  • 1-2 distress beacons
  • 0-1 quests
  • 7-8 neutral encounters
  • 6-8 hostile encounters
  • 2-3 empty beacons
Events:

See Rock Controlled Sector Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Rockmen
  • 2: Human
  • 3: Zoltan
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Rockmen, Wasteland.



Rock Homeworlds[]

"The Rock people have a particularly aggressive stance toward alien races trespassing in their space. You should tread carefully here."
"The Rock people are a powerful and proud race. It is not unheard of to have a peaceful journey through their lands, but don't count on it."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur only once per game and only occurs at sector 5 or higher.

Crystal Lockdown Bombs can be found or bought in this sector, with an average rarity (2).

Beacons:
Events:

See Rock Homeworlds Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Rockmen
  • 2: Human
  • 3: Zoltan
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Rockmen, Wasteland.



Nebula Sectors[]

In these sectors, visiting a nebula beacon will slow down the Rebel Fleet by only 20% instead of the regular 50%, since "the Rebel Fleet was prepared for the nebula".

Slug Controlled Nebula[]

"This nebula is home to the telepathic Slugs. They'd sell their own slime for a crate of scrap, but they much prefer to just take it."
"The only thing that can render a nebula more dangerous is if it's also home to the Slugs. This particular nebula is just that."
"The Slugs that live in this nebula field are a leisure-centered civilization. Everything in Slug life is done in the pursuit of more currency and more time in which to spend it on extravagant ventures. This, inevitably, leads to much treachery in open space."'
"You're told the Slug home world is somewhere in this nebula. You can't see them, but you know they're watching."
"The Slugs developed on an ocean planet where the ability to telepathically sense another organism was more important than sight. Today they use this ability to navigate unfettered the depths of the nebulas they inhabit."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur multiple times per game and only at sector 4 or higher.

Beacons:
  • 0-1 stores
  • 2 nebula stores
  • 0-2 various items
  • 3-4 distress beacons
  • 1-2 neutral encounters
  • 1-2 hostile encounters
  • 3-5 nebula neutral encounters
  • 5-7 nebula hostile encounters
  • 1-3 Storms
  • 0-2 empty beacons
  • 2-4 empty nebula beacons
Events:

See Slug Controlled Nebula Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 2: Slug, Human
  • 4: Engi, Mantis, Zoltan, Rockmen
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Slug, Debris, Wasteland, Deepspace.



Slug Home Nebula[]

"You're told the Slug home world is somewhere in this nebula. You can't see them, but you know they're watching."
"The only thing that can render a nebula more dangerous is if it's also home to the Slugs. This particular nebula is just that."
"The Slugs that live in this nebula field are a leisure-centered civilization. Everything in Slug life is done in the pursuit of more currency and more time in which to spend it on extravagant ventures. This, inevitably, leads to much treachery in open space."'
"This nebula is home to the telepathic Slugs. They'd sell their own slime for a crate of scrap, but they much prefer to just take it."
"The Slugs developed on an ocean planet where the ability to telepathically sense another organism was more important than sight. Today they use this ability to navigate unfettered the depths of the nebulas they inhabit."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur only once per game and only at sector 4 or higher.

Beacons:
  • 0-1 stores
  • 2 nebula stores
  • 0-2 various items
  • 3-4 distress beacons
  • 1-2 neutral encounters
  • 1-2 hostile encounters
  • 3-5 nebula neutral encounters
  • 5-7 nebula hostile encounters
  • 1-3 Storms
  • 0-2 empty beacons
  • 2-4 empty nebula beacons
  • 1 Slug Home Nebula surrender event
Events:

See Slug Home Nebula Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 2: Slug, Human
  • 4: Engi, Mantis, Zoltan, Rockmen
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Slug, Debris, Wasteland, Deepspace.



Uncharted Nebula[]

"Nebulas were always dangerous places. Many electronics fail in these clouds. You will have to tread lightly."
"This nebula must have been an important hub at one point; placing all of these jump beacons would be no easy task. However, now it's hardly navigable."
"You've entered a sector thick with nebulas. You'll have to navigate on instinct."
"You've entered a nebula-rich sector. You may put a few light years on the fleet, but that's only useful if you make it out the other side."
"Thanks to the high nebula density of this sector very little of it has been charted, and rumours of what lurks in the depths abound."
"The gases that make up the nebulas in this sector threaten to impair your systems; but you have to press on."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur multiple times per game.

Sector specifics:

In normal circumstances, this sector will have 1-2 stores. However, issues with map generation mean that about 0.8% will have no stores at all.[2]

Beacons:
  • 0-1 stores
  • 1 nebula store
  • 1-3 various items
  • 1-3 distress beacons
  • 7-8 nebula neutral encounters
  • 5-6 nebula hostile encounters
  • 4 empty nebula beacons
Events:

See Uncharted Nebula Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward. By rarity (only affects the store assortment), from common to rare :
  • 1: Human
  • 3: Slug
  • 4: Engi, Mantis, Zoltan, Rockmen
Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Void, Deepspace.



Hidden Crystal Worlds[]

"You arrive in a sector not listed in any star charts. Strange crystalline ships dot the horizon. Your companion speaks, "Here we are, my home sector. It has been a long time since others have set foot here, I wonder how you will be received."
Sector occurrence:

This sector can occur only once per game and can only be accessed via the Ancient device event. The Rebels will continue to follow you through the sector.

Sector specifics:

The Crystal sector is unique in that it is not technically part of the map. Gameplay-wise, it is a standalone sector separate from Rock Homeworlds. Exiting from the Crystal sector will send you to a random sector after the Rock Homeworlds; this sector may not be necessarily connected to the Rock Homeworlds.

In this sector, only crystal weapons (including Lockdown Bomb) can be purchased in stores or received as a crew kill reward in events.

Bug: restarting the game while staying in the Crystal sector will start the game in a Civilian sector without option to open the Sector Map at the exit beacon when pressing the "Next Sector" button on the Beacon Map, thus preventing the choice of a sector to jump to: the next sector 2 is chosen randomly by the game. (see screenshot)

Beacons:
  • 2-3 stores
  • 2 various items
  • 9-12 neutral encounters
  • 6-10 hostile encounters
  • 1-2 boarders
  • 2-3 empty beacons
Events:

See Hidden Crystal Worlds Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, only Crystal crewmembers can be purchased or received as a crew kill reward.

Soundtrack:

The following tracks can be played in this sector : Debris, Wasteland, Deepspace.



The Last Stand[]

"You arrive at an outpost close to the Federation Base. Your access codes get you past initial security and an officer sets up a direct feed to the Federation Base's war room. Admiral Tully speaks first saying, 'What is the meaning of this?! Who are you?'"
Sector occurrence:

This sector is always sector 8. As the final sector, it can occur only once per game.

Unique Sector behavior
  • At the beginning of this sector, your ship receives 10 repairs and you receive Fuel gained:10.
  • The Rebel Flagship appears on the map orbiting a beacon. It spawns on the right side of the sector, and will make a jump every two jumps you make. The next beacon the Flagship will jump to is indicated by a dotted or solid line, depending on if it is jumping this turn. If you end up on the same beacon as the Flagship, you will fight it.
  • Rather than gradually moving en-masse from the left of the screen like in every other sector, the Rebel Fleet overtakes random individual beacons each turn, indicated by flashing red outlines. The Flagship also overtakes any beacon it is on.
  • The Federation Base spawns slightly to the right of the centre of the sector. The Flagship will jump towards the base, and if it spends 3 consecutive jumps on the base, you lose the game. The base can never be overtaken by the Rebels, and will return to Federation control if the Flagship is forced off of it. The base itself acts like an empty beacon.
  • It is possible to wait at a beacon even if you have fuel. Waiting will cause all map actions to tick forward: the Flagship will jump or prepare to jump, and flashing red beacons will be overtaken. If you end up in a fight after waiting at a beacon, your ship will start the fight with full FTL charge.
  • Repair beacons give your ship 15 repairs and give you Scrap gained:22-44  Fuel gained:5 Missiles gained:4 Drone parts gained:5. Each beacon can only be used once, and they may be overtaken before you can reach them.
Beacons:
  • 1 store
  • 3 repair stations
  • 7-10 neutral encounters
  • 6 hostile encounters
Events:

See The Last Stand Sector Events

Crewmembers:

In this sector, crewmembers of the following races can be purchased or received as a reward. By rarity, from common to rare :
  • 1: Human
  • 2: Engi, Mantis
  • 3: Rockmen
  • 5: Zoltan
Soundtrack:

The track Last Stand is continuously played in this sector.



Technical details of sector generation and events[]

Before anything else, beacons are placed on the map. The map is divided into a 6 * 4 grid. For each grid square, there is an 80% chance to place a beacon at a random position in the square. If too many empty squares already exist, however, the current square cannot be empty. When a beacon is placed, it is connected to all the beacons in adjacent squares that are within 165 pixels. [3]

Beacons are then assigned events based on the order that events are specified in the sector definition (but see nebula generation, below). Each line is either a specific event, or a list of events; and each specifies a minimum and maximum number of occurrences in the sector. The game will randomly choose between the minimum and maximum numbers (inclusive). Note that this wiki page does not reflect the actual order of events in the game files.

When a list of events is used, an event will be picked at random from that list. The same event can be picked multiple times without limit, unless it is specified as a unique event. Unique events can only occur once per sector, but can occur again in a later sector.

After fully populating a line of events, the game will move on to the next line. This is why stores and special events (such as homeworlds events) are listed at the top of the sector event definitions. It ensures those events will always be present in the sector.

Once all beacons on the map have been assigned events, the process stops. No additional beacons will be generated. That means it's possible, with modding, to create "unreachable" events, simply by listing too many in the sector definition. This also explains why some events, such as Zoltan wise man and the Shield Virus, are much less common than others. Not only are they unique events that can only occur once per sector, but also they are called from an event list near the bottom of the sector definition.

Nebula generation[]

Nebula beacons are the one major exception to this logic.

Any event list that starts with "NEBULA_" will generate nebula beacons on the map. When you arrive at a beacon, however, the existence of a nebula environment is specified by the event itself. This sometimes leads to confusing situations, where you jump to a non-nebula beacon but still land in a nebula environment.

All the event lists starting with "NEBULA_" are processed first, regardless of the order of events in the sector definition. This is because the game has to generate purple cloud graphics on the map. When the game places these graphics, they will sometimes overlap non-nebula beacons. Those beacons will be converted to additional nebula beacons, and will be assigned events from the default "NEBULA" event list.

After this process of nebula generation is finished, the sector generation will continue as described above.

Fallback events[]

Sometimes the game can reach the end of the sector definition, and still have beacons left over that have not been assigned events.

Those beacons will then be assigned events from the "NEUTRAL" event list, which is used as a fallback. In Advanced Edition, the "OVERRIDE_NEUTRAL" list replaces it.

Exit beacon events[]

These are not specified in the sector definition. Instead, they are chosen from an event list shared between all sectors, called "EXIT_LIST".

Exit beacons can be located in a nebula. This only happens when the exit beacon location is covered by nebula cloud graphics on the sector map. Exits at a nebula beacon will always be an empty event (nothing happens, unless the exit is overtaken by the Rebel Fleet).

References[]

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