Part of the Exploration & Endgame series:
- Exploration & Endgame Guide Hub: Start here.
- Trading Guide: Buy Low, Sell High: Put a wealthy system to work.
Quick Answer
- Every star system carries four labels that matter: star colour, economy type, wealth rating, and conflict level.
- Star colour gates access. Yellow systems are open from the start; red, green, and blue systems each require the matching hyperdrive upgrade, and purple systems were added with Worlds Part II.
- Star colour also decides the stellar metal you can mine there: Copper in yellow, Cadmium in red, Emeril in green, Indium in blue.
- Economy type (mining, trading, manufacturing, scientific, and others) determines what a system sells cheaply and what it pays a premium for.
- Wealth rating runs from poor up to Wealthy and Opulent. Richer systems mean better prices, better mission rewards, and better ships parked on the landing pads.
- Conflict level is a separate scale covering how dangerous the system is, mostly expressed through pirate activity and combat opportunities.
- Install the Economy Scanner and Conflict Scanner starship technologies to see those ratings on the galaxy map before you burn a Warp Cell.
Overview
The galaxy map looks like a blur of coloured dots until you learn to read it. Once you do, it becomes a filtered search tool. A system's label tells you whether you can reach it, what resource it hides, who lives there, how much money is in circulation, and whether pirates will jump you on arrival. Two cheap starship modules surface all of that from the map screen, so you can plan a trade route, an S-class ship hunt, or a combat farm without a single blind jump. Each rating gets its own table below, followed by the routines that use them.
Star Colour: What It Gates
Star colour is the first filter because it controls where your ship can physically go. The base Hyperdrive only reaches yellow stars. Each specialised drive unlocks a new colour and stacks on top of the previous ones, so an Indium Drive owner can visit yellow, red, green, and blue systems freely.
| Star Colour | Drive Needed | Stellar Metal Available |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow (F/G-class) | Base Hyperdrive | Copper |
| Red (K/M-class) | Cadmium Drive | Cadmium |
| Green (E-class) | Emeril Drive | Emeril |
| Blue (B/O-class) | Indium Drive | Indium |
| Purple | Atlantid Drive | Rare and exotic finds; added in Worlds Part II |
Stellar metals refine into Chromatic Metal, and the further down the list you go, the more Chromatic Metal you get per unit. That single fact makes blue systems the standard destination once you own an Indium Drive, since Indium refines at the best rate and Activated Indium sells for a lot on its own. Full crafting requirements and drive progression live in the Hyperdrive Upgrades & Warp Guide, and the refining chains are catalogued in the Resources & Items Index.
Purple systems sit behind the Atlantid Drive and later-game progression, holding unusual planets and rarer finds. They do add a fifth stellar metal, Quartzite, but it breaks the pattern of the earlier four: Cadmium, Emeril, and Indium each fund the next drive in the chain, whereas the Atlantid Drive is the last one, so Quartzite refines into Chromatic Metal instead of unlocking anything further. The unlock path, the questline that grants the drive, and what is actually worth visiting up there are covered in the Purple Systems & Atlantid Drive Guide.
The Three Ratings, Side by Side
Economy type, wealth, and conflict are independent of each other. A Wealthy system can be peaceful or a warzone; a mining system can be destitute or booming. Reading all three together is what turns the map into a targeting system.
| Rating Type | What It Tells You | Why You Care |
|---|---|---|
| Economy type | The system's industry (mining, trading, manufacturing, scientific, and others) | Sets which trade goods are produced cheaply here and which are in demand |
| Wealth rating | How rich the system is, on a 1-to-3 star scale from poor to Wealthy | Higher wealth means better prices, richer mission board payouts, and higher-class ships on the pads |
| Conflict level | How dangerous the system is, on a 1-to-3 scale from peaceful to lawless | Predicts pirate frequency, combat missions, and freighter distress calls |
| System race | Which of the Gek, Korvax, or Vy'keen dominates | Determines the NPCs, mission board flavour, and which faction's standing you build |
| Star colour | Which drive is required, plus the stellar metal | Gates access and sets the mining payoff |
Economy Types
Every system with a space station has an economy descriptor, shown as a category plus a flavour name. The category is what matters for trade. Each economy produces its own product line cheaply and pays above average for goods it does not make.
| Economy Category | Typical Descriptors You Will See | Produces Cheaply | Pays Well For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mining | Ore extraction, mineral prospecting | Raw metals and extracted ores | Technology and advanced components |
| Trading | Mercantile, commercial | Broad mixed stock, good general markets | Most categories; a solid selling stop |
| Manufacturing | Industrial, mass production | Manufactured components and parts | Raw materials and scientific goods |
| Scientific | Research, experimental | Research and science goods | Manufactured and industrial items |
| Technology | Advanced materials, high tech | Technology modules and components | Raw ores and mined material |
| Power Generation | Energy supply | Energy-related trade goods | Component and technology categories |
| Alchemical | Material fusion | Refined and fused materials | Technology and scientific goods |
| Pirate / Outlaw | Black market descriptors | Contraband and illegal cargo | Stolen and illicit goods |
The rule holds without needing exact numbers: buy a category where it is made, sell it into a system that does not produce it. Station terminals show a percentage above or below galactic average for each good, so the map narrows the search and the terminal confirms the margin. The Trading Guide turns that into a repeatable loop.
Outlaw systems are the exception. They replace the standard station with a pirate-run version, drop the usual security, and open smuggling and contraband markets, as covered in the Piracy & Outlaw Systems Guide.
Wealth Ratings
Wealth sits alongside the economy descriptor and is effectively a three-band scale, each band using several flavour words.
Wealth is shown on the galaxy map as a star rating from 1 to 3, and the wordy descriptors map onto those three bands:
| Stars | Band | Example Descriptors | What Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ★ | Poor | Failing, declining, struggling, destitute, low supply | Thin station stock, weaker mission rewards, mostly C and B-class ships |
| ★★ | Average | Balanced, adequate, developing, comfortable, sustainable | Middling prices and a mixed spread of ship classes |
| ★★★ | Wealthy | Prosperous, flourishing, affluent, advanced, Opulent, Wealthy, high supply | Deeper stock, larger payouts, and the best odds of A and S-class ships landing |
Three stars is the number to filter on. The trading guide covers how the same 1-to-3 rating drives buy and sell price modifiers, and why tier 4 and tier 5 trade commodities respond to it most sharply. Wealth is the single most useful filter for money-making. A wealthy system carries more units in circulation, so its buy and sell terminals move more stock, its mission board posts higher-value contracts, and the ships that cycle through its landing pads skew toward higher classes. If you are chasing income, see the How to Make Units Fast Hub.
Conflict Levels
Conflict is unrelated to wealth. It describes how contested the system's space is.
There are 3 conflict bands, and like wealth they are shown as a 1-to-3 rating on the map:
| Level | Band | Example Descriptors | What to Expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low | Peaceful, tranquil, harmonious, unthreatened | Quiet warps, few pirate interceptions, safe hauling |
| 2 | Medium | Balanced, wavering, unpredictable, cautious | Occasional pirate attacks, moderate combat mission availability |
| 3 | High | Dangerous, volatile, aggressive, lawless, warzone | Frequent pirate raids, more freighter distress calls, more combat contracts on the board |
High conflict is a feature, not a warning, once your ship can fight. Pirates drop cargo, destroyed raiders leave salvage, and freighters under attack reward you for the rescue. Low conflict is what you want when you are ferrying a hold full of expensive trade goods and do not want to defend it.
System Races
One of the three main factions dominates most systems, and that shapes the NPCs at the station, the language plaques on the planets, and the missions on offer.
| Race | Station Flavour | Common Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Gek | Traders and merchants | Commerce, trade goods, economy missions |
| Korvax | Scientists and machines | Research, technology, science-leaning contracts |
| Vy'keen | Warriors | Combat missions, weapon technology |
Working a system repeatedly builds standing with its resident race, which unlocks better prices and gated blueprints. See the Faction Reputation & Standing Guide for how standing tiers pay off.
The Economy and Conflict Scanners
Both are starship technologies, installed in your ship's technology inventory. Once installed, their information appears on the galaxy map for systems you have not yet visited, and the map gains filtering options so you can hunt by rating instead of guessing.
| Module | Reveals | Blueprint Cost | Where It Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy Scanner | Economy type and wealth rating of systems on the galaxy map | 150 Nanite Clusters | Starship technology slot |
| Conflict Scanner | Conflict level of systems on the galaxy map | Comparable nanite cost | Starship technology slot |
The Economy Scanner blueprint costs 150 Nanite Clusters from the Starship Upgrades vendor on the Anomaly, and crafts from 5 Microprocessors and 1 Wiring Loom — the trading guide covers the build. Both are cheap relative to what they save you. Install both, since running one without the other leaves half a picture. Then get in the habit of switching the map to its filtered view, picking the rating you are hunting for, and plotting a path through systems that match. Warp Cells are finite, and blind jumping wastes them.
Putting It to Work
Hunting an S-class ship
Set the galaxy map to show wealth, then find a cluster of Wealthy or Opulent systems in range. Wealthy systems put higher-class ships on station pads and trading post landing zones more often. Park at a trading post on a busy planet, wait for ships to cycle, and scan each arrival for class before speaking to the pilot. The full method, including the trading post loop, is in How to Get an S-Class Ship.
Building a trade loop
Find two or three wealthy systems close enough to reach on a single tank, with different economy types. Buy the goods each one produces cheaply, sell them into the neighbour that does not produce them, and repeat the circuit. Wealth raises the value of both ends of the trade, and short hops keep fuel costs down.
Farming combat
Filter for high conflict systems and fly the space lanes between station and planet. Pirate interceptions come faster, freighter attacks are more common, and Vy'keen-dominated high-conflict systems tend to stack combat contracts on the mission board. Bring shield upgrades before you commit.
Staying safe with cargo
The reverse of the above. When you are moving a hold of Activated Indium or stacked trade goods, route through low conflict systems even if it costs an extra jump.
FAQ
Do I need both scanners, or is one enough?
Both. The Economy Scanner covers economy type and wealth, while the Conflict Scanner covers danger. They occupy separate technology slots and answer separate questions, so running only one leaves you guessing about the other.
Does wealth affect the class of ships that spawn?
Yes. Wealthier systems produce higher-class ships more often on landing pads and at trading posts. It is a probability shift rather than a guarantee, so you still need to check several arrivals.
Can a system be both wealthy and high conflict?
Absolutely. The two ratings are independent. A wealthy warzone is excellent for combat farming with high-value mission rewards, provided your ship can survive the traffic.
Does star colour change the economy or wealth of a system?
No. Star colour gates access and determines the stellar metal available on the planets. Economy, wealth, and conflict are assigned separately, so blue systems can be poor and yellow systems can be Opulent.
Are outlaw systems just high conflict systems?
They are a distinct type. Outlaw systems have pirate-controlled stations, black market terminals, and different rules for scanning and security, rather than simply carrying a high conflict rating.
Key Takeaways
The four labels on a system stack into a single decision. Star colour tells you whether you can get there and what metal is waiting. Economy type tells you what to carry in and what to carry out. Wealth tells you how much the trip is worth and which ships will be on the pads. Conflict tells you what will be shooting at you while you do it.
Install both scanners early, because they convert the galaxy map from a list of destinations into a search filter. Chase wealthy systems for units and ships, chase high-conflict systems for combat rewards, and route valuable cargo through peaceful space. Every warp after that is a choice rather than a gamble.