Getting Started
Welcome to Nexus Legacy — a deep space 4X strategy game where you build, research, conquer, and explore.
What is Nexus Legacy?
Nexus Legacy is a persistent browser-based space strategy game. You start with a single colony on a planet, gather resources, research technology, build fleets, and expand across a procedurally generated galaxy with thousands of star systems.
The game combines classic 4X elements — eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate — with real-time mechanics: buildings upgrade over time, fleets travel between stars, and research unlocks new capabilities as you progress through five technological eras.
Whether you prefer peaceful economic expansion, aggressive military conquest, or cooperative alliance play, Nexus Legacy has systems to support your playstyle.
Choosing Your Commander
When you join a universe, you pick one of five commander archetypes. Each grants a different set of empire-wide passive bonuses. The choice belongs to that universe; a purchased account-wide commander-change use can later change it, subject to the universe cooldown and the resets explained on the Commanders page.
Industrialist
King of mining and production. Bonuses to raw resource output, fleet mining yield, and empire storage. Best for building heavy economies and feeding massive shipyards.
Scientist
First in technology. Faster and cheaper research, bonus energy production, and improved population growth. The tech-rush commander.
Explorer
Fortune favors the bold. More loot from expeditions, wormholes and surveys, plus faster fleets, lower fuel cost, and extra cargo. Built for the frontier.
Warlord
Victory through strength. Stronger ships, faster shield regen, cheaper fleet production, and an extra fleet slot. A pure combat commander.
Diplomat
Adaptability is survival. No fixed bonuses — instead, switches between four doctrines (industrial, research, expedition, military) over time.
Your First Colony
You begin with a single planet in the Sentinel zone — a safe zone protected by automated wardens where you can learn the game without fear of attack.
Season 0 also gives new commanders a 14-day starter boost: positive production and personal economic queues run at 2× speed. Fleet travel, combat, repairs, activities, cooldowns, and mining cycles keep their normal timing.
First Steps
- Build an Ore Mine — Ore is the foundation of everything. Get this producing first.
- Build a Silicate Mine — Silicates are needed for technology and advanced buildings.
- Build a Solar Plant — Every building consumes energy. Keep your energy balance positive.
- Build a Hydrogen Processor — Hydrogen fuels ships and is required for alloys.
- Upgrade your Research Lab — Higher lab levels unlock more advanced research.
Early Priorities
Economy First
A strong economy funds everything else. Focus on upgrading your mines and energy buildings to level 5-8 before branching out. Build a Storage Complex once your resources start hitting the cap.
Research Path
Your Research Lab unlocks the technology tree. Early research priorities include:
- Improved Mining & Silicate Refining — boost your income
- Energy Systems — more efficient power generation
- Probe Technology — lets you explore the galaxy around you
- Orbital Mechanics — unlocks your shipyard and first ships
See the full Research Tree for details on all five eras.
Your First Ships
Once you research Orbital Mechanics and build a Planetary Shipyard, you can construct your first ships:
- Probes — send these to explore nearby systems automatically
- Scouts — your first combat vessel, useful for escort, patrol, and reconnaissance support
- Freighters — transport resources between your colonies
See Ships & Weapons for the full fleet roster.
Expand Carefully
Once you research Colonization Technology, you can build Colony Ships and settle new worlds. Choose your colony locations wisely:
- Rocky planets for ore
- Gas Giants for massive hydrogen production
- Crystalline planets if you need more silicates
- Terra planets for population and bio-extract
- Ice planets for cryo-ice
- Volcanic planets for energy and plasma cores
More about planet types in Galaxy & Colonization.
Progression and Planning Tools
Command Directives
Command Directives are guided milestones shown on the Overview page. They introduce core systems in sequence, grant their displayed rewards, and eventually open features such as the Leadership command vessel. The guide does not reproduce the full directive chain or every reward.
Command Center
The optional Command Center is an empire-management workspace with consolidated overview and fleet information, trading tools, bookmarks, research planning, and calculators. It organizes information and planning; it does not waive normal resource, travel, research, or combat requirements.
Fleet Templates
Save frequently used fleet or mining compositions and apply them from dispatch screens. If the origin lacks some saved ships, the game adjusts the loaded composition and tells you. A template never bypasses ship availability, crew, fuel, range, mission eligibility, or fleet-slot checks.
Guide Overview
This guide covers all major game systems. Use the sidebar or the links below to navigate.
Commanders
The five commander archetypes — their bonuses, playstyles, and the diplomat doctrine system.
Leadership & Command Core
Your command vessel, Command XP, talent lanes, modules, crew, locations, repairs, and mission attachment.
Resources & Energy
The 4 basic resources, rare resources, energy balance, starter boost, vacation, inactivity, and where to find materials.
Buildings
All planetary, moon, specialized, and defense buildings explained.
Research
Five technological eras, three research branches, and what they unlock.
Ships & Weapons
Every ship class from probes to titans, plus weapon and armor types.
Combat & Missions
How battles work, fleet missions, raids, minefields, cyberwarfare, and fleet management.
Galaxy & Colonization
Galaxy structure, security zones, planet types, and moon colonization.
PvE Content
Pirate camps, wormholes, asteroid mining, expeditions, outposts, and artifacts.
Alliances & Trade
Alliance system, market trading, logistics routes, espionage, diplomacy, and leaderboards.