The location is your current position. If your ship is in orbit around a planet the name of the planet shown next to the word location. If your ship is between planets your position will read 'deep space'. When you are between planets but at the same location as another ship, the location will read the name of the other ship. Your current location is shown as the yellow cross in the middle of the small navigation map.
The waypoint is the point in space that you are setting a course to travel to. The waypoint shows up on the navigation map as a green circle with a green line running to your current location. Use the arrow keys or the mouse to set a new waypoint. If you set your waypoint on an object such as a planet or a starship the green circle will turn yellow and the name of the new waypoint will appear under the navigation map.
The navigation map shows planets as white dots, your ships as green dot and enemy ships as red dots. Any planets that you own will have blue circles around them. If you have any ships in orbit around any planets they will show up as green circles.
Distance is the number of light years to your current waypoint.
Speed is your current warp factor. The number of light years your ship with travel in a turn increases as a square of your warp factor.
Speed Distance traveled in a game turn
Warp factor 1 1 light year
Warp factor 2 4 light years
Warp factor 3 9 light years
Warp factor 4 16 light years
Warp factor 5 25 light years
Warp factor 6 36 light years
Warp factor 7 49 light years
Warp factor 8 64 light years
Warp factor 9 81 light years
Your E.T.A. is your estimated time of arrival at your waypoint in months (game turns). E.T.A. is based on your speed and distance.
Fuel needed is a measure of how much fuel you will need to travel to your waypoint. The amount of fuel your ship will need is based on your ship's mass and warp factor and the type of engine your ship has. Tech one engines (stardrive 1's) are very poor engines and waste large amounts of fuel at speeds above warp factor one. Tech six engines are very fuel efficient at speeds up to warp factor 6. At speeds above warp 6 the engine begins to waste large amounts of fuel. The engine construction screen will show you a graph of the fuel efficiency curve of each engine type that you have the engine tech level and materials to construct.
It is a very good idea to invest the best engine technology possible. With high tech engines your ships can travel very fast and use very little neutronium fuel. Engine tech may be the most important factor in expanding your empire faster than your enemies.
The weight of your ship is the sum mass of all parts that make up your ship. The mass includes the hull, engines, weapons, cargo and fuel. The amount of fuel your ship needs to burn to move increases proportionately to your ship's mass.
The max weight is the maximum mass your ship may have when it has a full load of cargo and a full fuel tank.
There are three ships in the game that have GRAVITONIC ACCELERATORS.
These are the Meteor Class Blockade Runner, the BR4 Gun Boat and the BR5 Kaye Class Torpedo Boat. These three ships travel at a rate of twice that of a normal ship. At warp factor 9 these ships will travel 162 light years in one turn.
Please note ships are moved when the Host runs (HOST.EXE.)
The commands that you are inputting into the ship display screens in WINPLAN.EXE are just that, commands. If the ship is able it will do its best to carry out your orders.
Under HOST 3.13 and later there are also 3 Hyperdrive ships.