What changed

April 26 was the day the galaxy got deep. Five major systems shipped in a single push.

Mines and Blockades. Limpet mines attach to your ship and drain hull over time until cleared at a StarDock. Armid mines deploy into sectors and damage any ship that enters. Combined with fighter squadrons, they let players control territory — blockade warp lanes, defend planets, and make dangerous sectors genuinely dangerous. A sector’s blockade level now appears in the sector view.

Planets and Genesis Torpedoes. Genesis Torpedoes create new planets in empty sectors. Once created, you can transport colonists, fuel, organics, and equipment to the surface. Planets grow over time and can be upgraded with citadels and Q-cannon defense grids. The galaxy now has player-owned real estate.

Melange — the Spice. Melange is a rare, dangerous commodity found only in hostile sectors. It trades at 10–20× the price of standard goods and is always in demand at certain ports. It also ties into the faction identity system — Fremen and Sardaukar NPCs react differently to captains carrying spice.

Alignment and Factions. Every player now has an alignment score that shifts with their actions. Trade and tax payments move you toward lawful standing. Robbery, theft, and killing neutrals push you toward outlaw status. At alignment -100 or below, the crime path opens — rob ports for credits, steal cargo, risk getting busted. Faction standing tracks your reputation with CHOAM, the Fremen, Sardaukar, the Spacing Guild, and independent operators.

Fighter Encounters. NPC fighters now challenge you when you enter occupied sectors. You can attack, retreat, surrender, or pay a toll. These encounters gate access to high-value routes and make the decision to enter an unfamiliar sector feel weighty.

Why it changed

A trading game without territory, risk, or identity is just a spreadsheet. Mines and planets give players something to build and defend. Melange gives exploration a payoff beyond credit grinding. Alignment gives choices consequences. Fighters give movement stakes. All five systems work together — a planet defended by mines and fighters in a melange-rich sector is a story, not just a set of coordinates.

What’s next

These systems are live but will need tuning. Planet growth rates, mine costs, melange spawn frequency, and alignment thresholds will all shift as players interact with them. The next priorities are PvP infrastructure and a public API for player-built tools.