Galaxy configuration

Galaxy options control the galaxy's extent, boundary behavior, and features assigned when a sector is generated. Classic and ge-next defaults are compared in Main configuration reference; ge-arena uses its own main MSG file. This page explains operational consequences rather than repeating every option's default.

Dimensions

UNIVMAX sets the intended radius in sectors from 0 0. The intended dimensions are therefore (2 × UNIVMAX + 1) sectors on each axis. Classic GE has an edge error that prevents those intended bounds from working consistently; ge-next corrected it. See Classic bug: Galactic perimeter edge errors and Galactic perimeter. Changing the radius after sectors or ships have been stored can leave records outside the new boundary. A new radius should be introduced with a fresh database or documented migration, not a casual live setting change.

ge-arena is different: it sets the radius at match start to five sectors per entering player and wipes the match galaxy afterward. It also scales scanner range to 50% for two players and 75% for three; four or more use the normal range. Later departures do not resize an active match.

Boundaries

UNIVWRAP selects wrapping to the opposite edge or the galactic-perimeter response. ge-next 0.3.2 bounds its speed-dependent bounce for small configured galaxies; see Galactic perimeter. Wrapping does not change which sectors already exist.

Generated features

PLODDS, wormhole odds, and nebula settings affect newly generated sectors. Once a sector has been stored, changing odds does not reroll its planets, wormholes, or nebula status. Generation factors are not necessarily direct percentages: a sector can enter the planet-generation branch and still receive no planet. MAXPLSE sets the maximum body count, but classic generation has an off-by-one error in that count. See Sector and Wormholes for the creation path.

The nebula seed gives a persistent game a repeatable distribution. ge-arena uses a separate in-memory seed for each match. Disabling or changing nebula generation is not a retroactive edit to existing sectors.

Record limits and sector 0 0

MAXPLREC limits growth of the planet database. A generated sector uses a sector record plus records for any planetary bodies. If the limit is reached in classic GE, normal creation can fail; see Classic bug: Planet record-limit failure.

Sector 0 0 and its neutral-zone planets are initialized separately from ordinary random generation. Their names, owners, coordinates, and stock are configured in the main file. See Neutral zone, Zygor, and Tahanian Station.

Before changing a live galaxy, back up the complete database set; see Database files.

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