Explore and Trade

Charted space is not static: there are worlds yet to be discovered, routes still unclaimed, economic nodes left unconnected, and entire regions not yet integrated into any corporate network.

In this layer of the game, players discover, claim, and connect worlds, nodes, and routes —turning the unknown into part of their operational network.

Delayed information plays a significant role in how players perceive the game scenario.

Exploration is not limited to territories —which may change if time passes between visits— it also extends to the information flows reaching the corporation's operational headquarters.

Establishing and maintaining trade offices —through good relations with local Polities; staffed and operated by qualified professionals— allows the creation of information nodes that significantly expand the logical perception of the environment.

Exploring is not merely a geographical act: it's a strategic move.

And trading is not just about moving goods: it's about building dependencies.

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Galactic Trade Networks

Every corporation needs to move: goods, data, personnel, influence.

Trade is the lifeblood that connects production centers to markets, and in The Corporate Wars, these routes have names, forms, and consequences.

Exploration and Expansion

Commercial exploration not only opens up new possibilities —it also reveals secrets, risks, and opportunities that can transform a corporation's standing.

Sending probes, deploying reconnaissance teams, and analyzing signals are fundamental steps to opening paths into unexplored regions, claiming concessions, and establishing operations.

In many cases, the unknown is not empty, but occupied by other powers, native cultures, forgotten ruins, or phenomena that defy conventional logic.

Contact and Exploitation

Each world offers specific resources, unique demands, and particular conditions.

Abundant sources of valuable resources appear in challenging hostile environments; seemingly primitive sophonts conceal ancestral technologies beneath ritual; promising markets unveil networks of intrigue and espionage, while armed conflicts escalate on rocks forgotten by the law.

Adapting to the environment or transforming it are both legitimate but mutually demanding strategies: each decision —whether respecting local customs, exploiting resources without permission, or altering political balance— has consequences that can trigger unexpected events.

Only those corporations capable of building firm, sustained, and strategically aligned relationships with their surroundings will be able to establish operational bases that secure long-term advantage.

Trade Routes

Each connection established between two worlds redefines the regional balance: goods and information flow along them with relative frequency.

The busiest routes are typically regulated, open to traffic, and subject to jurisdictional law; but there are also covert corridors, illegal channels, and opaque networks that allow forbidden goods, influence, or data to move without oversight.

It's not enough to produce: one must also know how to distribute, negotiate tariffs, build relationships with local intermediaries, or protect shipments from potential threats.

Controlling a route means mastering its flow: imposing tariffs, blocking competitors, filtering information, or securing strategic cargo.

Breaking a route can have cascading effects: isolating an enclave, triggering shortages, spiking prices —or even starting a conflict.

The key is to connect —But also to know when to sever a link, reroute a shipment, or manipulate flows to undermine the competition.