Editing Nationbuilder in Space (section)

== Exploration ==
[[Image:NationbuilderInSpace_session4.png|400px|right]]
The map will be a large hexgrid, 21 or 23 hexes on a side.  Each hex
represents enough space for one solar system with planets (and comets and
Oort cloud, etc) Not every hex will have a solar system.  Those that do 
are important assets for an empire, as they provide resources for the
military and Planetary Bonuses to improve an empire's Actions.  

The map starts out empty, with just the home systems for each empire
revealed.  The rest of the map is unknown and must be exposed by using
Actions for exploration.  The first exploration will expose the six hexes
around the home system, and exploration Actions after that will expose six
hexes in a specified direction.

When hexes are exposed, their background colour is changed from black to
the colour of the exploring empire.  The exception is new systems, which 
have a white background until they are successfully colonized, then they
have the background colour of the occupying empire.  

<div style='float:right;margin-left:1em;'>
{|border=1
|- valign=top
! Roll !! System type uncovered
|- valign=top
|    1 || Blue (see below, malevolent)
|- valign=top
| 2-50 || lifeless (grey, no useful worlds)
|- valign=top
|51-70 || average (light red, one useful world, +1 x1)
|- valign=top
|71-80 || good (dark red, two useful worlds, +2 x2)
|- valign=top
|81-90 || excellent (yellow, three useful worlds, +3 x3)
|- valign=top
|91-99 || paradise (green, four useful worlds, +4 x4)
|- valign=top
|  100 || Blue (see below, miraculous)
|}
</div>
The roll used for the exploration Action will also tell the referee the quality of systems found in the exposed hexes.  See the chart below for the value of the system uncovered and the colour used to mark that world.  Note that each world in the system provides a Planetary Bonus, so colonizing a excellent/yellow system can give the empire up to three +3 Planetary Bonuses.

Blue systems are special.  They mark places with cosmic anomalies or
precursor artifacts that can be exploited.  They are often already
inhabited by indigenous sapients or hazards that must be overcome before
colonization.  Roll d6 to determine how many useful worlds there are and
the Planetary Bonus for them, and the referee will have a surprise prepared
for whomever manages to conquer that system.

<br clear='all'>