🌍 Planet Outpost Operations

📖 Overview

Planet Outpost Operations is a competitive weekly management challenge where Planet Outpost owners compete to demonstrate operational excellence, reliability, and capital efficiency. Each week presents new challenges with randomized modifiers that affect gameplay conditions.

Unlike traditional "mini-games," this is a full competitive system that rewards planning, execution, and resource management. Your performance is tracked across multiple metrics and compared against other outpost owners in real-time.

⚙️ How It Works

Weekly Cycle

1. Monday 00:00 UTC: New week begins with fresh modifiers and reset leaderboard
2. Monday-Sunday: Active competition period where you can commit capital and run operations
3. Sunday 23:59 UTC: Week ends, final scores calculated
4. Payout Phase: Crown rewards distributed to top performers

Competition Format

All Planet Outpost owners compete in the same weekly session. Your performance is measured across four key metrics:

• Operational Score: How many successful supply runs you complete
• Reliability Score: Your success rate (successful runs / total attempts)
• Capital Efficiency: How well you utilize your committed resources
• Crown Discipline: Bonus multiplier for avoiding Crown spending

🎮 The Five Phases

Phase Details

Phase 1: Weekly Forecast

Study the weekly conditions before committing resources. Pay close attention to:

• Active Modifiers: Special conditions that affect gameplay (e.g., increased pirate activity, market volatility)
• Crown Pool: Total Crown available for distribution to top performers
• Time Remaining: Plan your operations to maximize the available time
• Current Rank: See where you stand compared to competitors

Phase 2: Capital Commitment

This is your most critical decision. You commit a POOL of resources at the start of the week. This pool is then used across multiple supply runs throughout the week - each run consumes some resources from your pool.

You can commit four types of resources:

• Crelyte: Primary fuel for supply runs. Required for all operations.
• Telemetry: Navigation and sensor data. Improves success rates and efficiency.
• Oblivion Cores: Emergency power reserves. Provides second chances on failed runs.
• Crown: Premium currency. High risk - spending reduces your Crown Discipline score significantly.

Phase 3: Supply Run Execution

Execute multiple supply runs throughout the week, each consuming resources from your committed pool. You can keep executing runs until your pool is depleted. Before each run, you must choose:

1. Ship Type: Scout, Hauler, or Freighter - each with different cargo capacity, speed, and vulnerability
2. Cargo Load: How much to carry (affects fuel consumption and risk)
3. Route: Safe or Risky path through the sector

Ship Types & Characteristics

Ship Class	Cargo Capacity	Speed	Evasion Bonus	Fuel Cost	Best Used When
🚀 Scout Frigate Small/Fast	150 units max	Risky: 2 min Safe: 3 min	+20% vs pirates	300 CR/run	High pirate weeks, maintaining 100% reliability, early week scouting
🚢 Cargo Hauler Medium/Balanced	400 units max	Risky: 3 min Safe: 5 min	Standard	500 CR/run	Normal weeks, balanced strategies, most versatile option
🛸 Heavy Freighter Large/Slow	750 units max	Risky: 5 min Safe: 7 min	-15% vs pirates (bigger target)	800 CR/run	Low pirate weeks, maximizing cargo efficiency, late week final pushes

Cargo Loading Strategy

For each run, you decide how much cargo to load into your selected ship. This creates a risk/reward calculation:

Route Selection

Each run has two route options through the sector:

• Safe Route:
  • Longer distance through patrolled sectors
  • Higher base success rate (85-95%)
  • Time based on ship type + cargo load
  • Better for maintaining reliability score
  • Recommended for Heavy Freighters
• Risky Route:
  • Shorter path through contested space
  • Lower base success rate (60-75%)
  • Significantly faster completion
  • Can complete more runs if successful
  • Best paired with Scout Frigates

Strategic Combinations

Phase 4: Operations Dashboard

Real-time monitoring of your performance:

• Live Scores: See how your four metrics evolve as you complete runs
• Resource Utilization: Track consumption rates and remaining reserves
• Run Statistics: Success rate, total attempts, completion times
• Final Performance: Your composite score that determines leaderboard position

Phase 5: Leaderboard

The competitive rankings show:

• Your current position among all outpost owners
• Top performers' usernames and scores
• Final Performance scores (composite metric)
• Real-time updates as operations complete

💎 Resources Guide

Resource	Symbol	Primary Use	Strategy Notes
Crelyte	CR	Fuel for all supply runs	Essential - commit at least 1000 CR per planned run. Safe routes use less than risky routes.
Telemetry	TL	Navigation & sensors	Improves success rates and capital efficiency. Recommended 500-1000 TL per 10 runs.
Oblivion Cores	OB	Emergency reserves	Provides second chances on failures. Critical for risky route strategies. 1-2 OB per 5 risky runs.
Crown	CW	Premium boost	USE SPARINGLY! Each Crown spent reduces your Crown Discipline score. Only use if necessary to win.

Resource Management Tips

📊 Scoring System

Your performance is measured across four independent metrics, which combine to create your Final Performance Score:

1. Operational Score (0-100)

Measures total cargo delivered successfully. Formula: (Total Cargo Delivered / Target Threshold) × 100

• Each cargo unit delivered adds to your score
• Heavy Freighter full loads = 750 units per success
• Scout Frigate light loads = ~50-75 units per success
• Target threshold scales with week difficulty
• Failed runs = 0 cargo delivered

2. Reliability Score (0-100)

Your success rate percentage: (Successful Runs / Total Attempts) × 100

• 100% reliability = maximum score
• Failed runs immediately reduce this score
• Very important metric - can't win with poor reliability
• Safe routes help maintain high reliability

3. Capital Efficiency Score (0-100)

Measures cargo delivered per resource spent. Formula: (Cargo Delivered / Crelyte Consumed) × Utilization Factor

• Heavy Freighters excel here: 750 cargo / 800 CR = 0.94 ratio
• Scout Frigates are less efficient: 150 cargo / 300 CR = 0.50 ratio
• Full cargo loads provide 20% efficiency bonus
• Light loads provide 15% efficiency penalty
• Telemetry usage provides additional multiplier
• Using 80-95% of committed pool = optimal score

4. Crown Discipline Score (0-100)

Rewards players who avoid spending Crown. Starts at 100 and decreases with each Crown spent.

• 0 Crown spent = 100 score
• Each Crown spent = -10 points (severe penalty)
• 10+ Crown spent = 0 score
• This metric prevents "pay to win" strategies

Final Performance Score

Your composite score that determines leaderboard ranking. Calculated as:

All four metrics matter! You can't excel in one area and ignore others. Balanced performance wins.

🌀 Weekly Modifiers

Each week features 1-2 random modifiers that change gameplay conditions. Adapt your strategy accordingly!

Modifier Types

🏴‍☠️ Pirate Pressure (Levels 3-7)

Increased hostile activity in supply routes.

• Effect: Reduces success rate by 5-15% based on ship size (Freighters hit hardest)
• Ship Impact:
  • Scout Frigates: -5% success (evasion helps)
  • Cargo Haulers: -10% success
  • Heavy Freighters: -15% success (big targets)
• Strategy: Switch to Scout Frigates, use safe routes, commit extra Oblivion Cores
• High Severity (6-7): Freighters become very risky - Scout + Safe Route is safest

📈 Market Volatility (Levels 3-7)

Unstable resource markets affect operational costs.

• Effect: Increases Crelyte consumption by 10-25%
• Strategy: Commit 20-30% extra Crelyte
• High Severity (6-7): Reduce total run volume, focus on quality

🛰️ Sensor Interference (Levels 3-7)

Navigation systems disrupted in certain sectors.

• Effect: Reduces Telemetry effectiveness by 15-30%
• Strategy: Commit significantly more Telemetry (2x normal)
• High Severity (6-7): Capital Efficiency becomes harder - adjust expectations

📦 Supply Chain Disruptions (Levels 3-7)

Logistics networks strained across the sector.

• Effect: Increases supply run completion time by 10-25%
• Strategy: Favor risky routes to compensate for time loss
• High Severity (6-7): Adjust weekly run goals downward

🎯 Winning Strategies

Beginner Strategy: "The Scout Runner"

• Ship: Scout Frigates exclusively
• Cargo: Light to Standard loads (50-70% capacity)
• Routes: Safe routes exclusively
• Resources: 8,000 CR, 1,500 TL, 3 OB, 0 CW
• Target: 20-25 successful runs
• Focus: Maintain 95-100% reliability
• Expected Result: Top 50% finish, minimal risk, learn the system

Intermediate Strategy: "The Mixed Fleet"

• Ships: Scouts for testing, Haulers for bulk work
• Cargo: Standard loads (70-80% capacity)
• Routes: Start safe, switch to risky if success rate stays high
• Resources: 15,000 CR, 3,000 TL, 8 OB, 0 CW
• Target: 15-20 successful Hauler runs + 5-10 Scout runs
• Strategy: First 3 runs = Scouts on safe routes to gauge difficulty, then switch to Haulers
• Expected Result: Top 25% finish, balanced approach

Advanced Strategy: "The Freighter Captain"

• Ships: Primarily Heavy Freighters (90% of runs)
• Cargo: Full loads (95-100% capacity)
• Routes: Safe routes unless pirate activity is low
• Resources: 12,000 CR, 4,000 TL, 12 OB, 0 CW
• Target: 12-15 successful Freighter runs
• Focus: Maximum cargo efficiency (aim for 95+ efficiency score)
• Risk Management: Use Oblivion Cores aggressively to protect high-value loads
• Expected Result: Top 10% finish, high Capital Efficiency score carries overall performance

Expert Strategy: "The Adaptive Commander"

• Ships: All three types used strategically
• Week Start: 3-5 Scout runs (light load, safe route) to test weekly modifiers
• Week Middle: Switch to optimal ship based on results:
  • Low pirate activity → Freighters with full loads
  • High pirate activity → Continue with Scouts
  • Normal conditions → Haulers for balance
• Week End: Final 2-3 runs with Scouts (safe route) to protect ranking
• Resources: 20,000 CR, 5,000 TL, 15 OB, 0 CW
• Expected Result: Top 5% finish, requires active monitoring and adaptation

Adaptation Guidelines

Common Mistakes to Avoid

👑 Rewards & Crown Pool

Each week features a Crown pool that is distributed to top performers. The pool size varies based on:

• Number of active participants
• Studio injections (variable amounts)
• Community events and challenges

Reward Distribution (Typical)

Rank	Pool Share	Example (1000 CW Pool)
🥇 1st Place	40%	400 Crown
🥈 2nd Place	25%	250 Crown
🥉 3rd Place	15%	150 Crown
4th-10th Place	2-3% each	20-30 Crown each
11th-25th Place	Small consolation	5-10 Crown each

Non-Monetary Rewards

• Leaderboard Recognition: Your username displayed as top performer
• Seasonal Rankings: Cumulative scores tracked across multiple weeks
• Achievement Badges: Special recognition for perfect weeks, high streaks, etc.
• Community Status: Top performers gain recognition in the Space Hell community

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my capital commitment after submitting?

No. You set your resource pool once at the start of the week, and you cannot add more resources mid-week. However, you can execute as many supply runs as you want throughout the week until your pool runs out. This is intentional - planning and resource management are core skills being tested. Choose your pool size carefully!

What happens to unused resources at week's end?

All unused resources from your committed pool are returned to your account. There is no penalty for over-committing. For example, if you committed 10,000 Crelyte but only used 8,000 across all your supply runs, the remaining 2,000 is returned. However, under-utilizing resources (using less than 70-80%) will lower your Capital Efficiency score.

Do I need to complete supply runs in one sitting?

No! The week runs for 7 days. You can log in multiple times and complete runs at your convenience. However, each individual run must be completed once started (3-5 minutes per run).

What if I fail a supply run?

Failed runs consume all resources (fuel, cargo capacity) and count against your Reliability score. Your Operational score is not affected (it only counts successfully delivered cargo). The larger your ship and cargo load, the bigger the loss:

• Scout Frigate failure: Lose 150 cargo + 300 CR (manageable)
• Heavy Freighter failure: Lose 750 cargo + 800 CR (devastating)

Oblivion Cores can provide second chances to recover from failures. Always keep reserves for protecting high-value Freighter runs.

Which ship should I use?

It depends on the week's modifiers and your strategy:

• Default choice: Cargo Hauler - balanced for most situations
• High pirate weeks: Scout Frigate - evasion bonus keeps you safe
• Low pirate weeks: Heavy Freighter - maximum cargo efficiency
• Learning/Testing: Always start with 2-3 Scout runs to test conditions

Advanced players use all three types strategically throughout the week based on evolving conditions.

Is it worth spending Crown to win?

Rarely. The Crown Discipline penalty is severe (-10 points per Crown spent). You would need to spend Crown to move from 4th place to 1st place for it to be mathematically worthwhile. Most weeks, spending Crown will actually hurt your final ranking.

Can I see other players' resource commitments?

No. Commitments are private. You can see their Final Performance scores on the leaderboard, but not their individual metrics or resource allocations. This prevents direct copying of strategies.

What happens if I don't commit any capital?

You can still view the weekly forecast and leaderboard, but you cannot execute supply runs or earn points. To compete, you must commit at least some Crelyte to create a resource pool. Each supply run consumes Crelyte, so you need enough in your pool to complete multiple runs (minimum 5,000 CR recommended for beginners - enough for ~10 runs).

Do Planet Outpost NFTs provide bonuses?

Currently, all Planet Outpost owners compete equally - NFT ownership is the entry requirement. Future updates may introduce tiered bonuses or special modifiers based on outpost properties, but this is not currently implemented.

Can I compete if I'm new and have few resources?

Yes! New players can use the "Conservative" strategy with minimal resource commitment. While you may not win your first week, you can still learn the system, gain experience, and build resources for future competitions. Even low rankings may receive small Crown consolation prizes.

How are ties broken on the leaderboard?

If two players have identical Final Performance scores, tiebreakers are applied in this order:

1. Higher Reliability score
2. Higher Crown Discipline score
3. Earlier timestamp of final run completion

Is there a maximum number of supply runs per week?

No hard limit, but you're constrained by your committed resources. With maximum resource commitment, skilled players might complete 30-40 runs. Most competitive performances involve 15-25 successful runs.