Noob Protection
Noob protection prevents experienced players from farming beginners. It is based on a points ratio between attacker and defender and lifts automatically once both players are established.
Protection rules differ between old universes (launched before the rework) and new universes.
Old Universes
Protection ends permanently at 50,000 points.
| Points range | Protected from players with |
|---|---|
| 0 – 10,000 | More than 5× your points |
| 10,000 – 50,000 | More than 10× your points |
Once you exceed 50,000 points, protection ends entirely.
New Universes
Protection ends permanently at 500,000 points.
| Points range | Protected from players with |
|---|---|
| 0 – 50,000 | More than 5× your points |
| 50,000 – 500,000 | More than 10× your points |
Once you exceed 500,000 points, protection ends entirely.
Military Exception
Even within noob protection, a player can be attacked if either:
- The attacker is within 100 ranks of the defender in the overall highscore, or
- The defender has more than 50% of the attacker's military points
The military exception exists to prevent players from hiding behind noob protection while building a threatening fleet.
Inactivity Loss
A player in noob protection loses their protection after 7 days of inactivity.
This prevents players from creating inactive accounts to exploit protection rules.
Outlaw Status
If an Outlaw attacks a player who is outside noob protection by points, but significantly stronger in military terms (roughly 5:1 power ratio against you), the attacker becomes an Outlaw.
Outlaws lose their own noob protection for 7 days — other players can freely attack them during this period.
Tactical Retreat
When noob protection rules would cause the defending fleet to flee (the attacker is too strong), the defender has the option to Tactical Retreat instead of fighting:
- Trigger: attacker fleet is ≥ 5:1 power ratio vs defender (3:1 with Admiral)
- The fleeing fleet pays 1.5× the deuterium cost of a flight to the nearest neighbouring slot
- Attacker can select on the fleet dispatch screen whether to allow defenders to retreat
When sending a fleet, there is a checkbox: "Retreat if the defender's fleet is escaping due to noob protection". If unchecked, your attack proceeds even if the defender retreats; if checked, your fleet also returns.
Green Names in Galaxy View
Players in noob protection appear with a green name in the Galaxy View. This is a visual indicator that attacking them would trigger protection rules (or that they are genuinely weaker than you by ratio).
Practical Impact
- Starting out: You are protected from experienced players for a significant growth window. Use this time to build mines, research, and your first fleet
- Mid-game: As you cross 50k (old unis) or 500k (new unis) in points, you become fair game. Have a fleetsave routine ready
- Farming: You cannot farm players who are in noob protection unless you are within 100 ranks of them or they have threatening military points
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