Each player starts with one randomly given planet, with the starting name of "Homeworld" (which can be changed). Building from that one planet, he/she later has the option to keep on developing that planet or to expand his/her colony to include up to as many planets they can afford to build, originally 9 planets. All construction, research, and missions are performed and launched from a planet or moon. While playing the player has a chance of building fleets and defenses for their planet.