Lexes
What a lex is
A lex is a law for your whole empire, bought with ideology. A lex you own does nothing until it is active. Many lexes have a drawback next to their benefit. Each lex's own page lists both.
The lex tree
Every lex except the first needs one lex before it, its ancestor. The first is Age of Exploration, in the Origin branch.
The rest of the tree is split into more branches, which differ by game mode (see Game time):
- Legacy and Tactic: Expansion, Navarchs, Erased, Siderians
- Flash: Expansion, Characters
Buying a lex
You need the lex's ancestor and enough ideology. Every lex you own makes the next one dearer. See How prices grow.
A lex is yours for the rest of the game. You can't sell it back, and there is no refund.
A lex's card also has Buy and Activate. It buys the lex and picks it for your next change of active lexes. You still apply that change yourself, as the next sections explain.
Active lexes
Only active lexes give their effects. Each one takes a lex slot. You choose them by picking lexes you own in the lex panel, then applying that set. A new set works at once for your empire, every system, every dominion and every agent on the board.
Lex slots
You start with one lex slot. The +1 slot button buys another with ideology, at once. There is no limit on the number of slots. Each slot costs more than the one before, up to a maximum price. See How prices grow.
Changing your active lexes
You pick a new set of lexes in the lex panel, then apply it. After each change, you must wait before the next one. That wait grows with every change for the rest of the game.
While you have a change picked, the lex panel shows the wait applying now would start, as in the lex panel screenshot below. See Changing active lexes for the exact waits and what counts as a change.
Limits
Active lexes raise your System, Dominion, Navarch, Erased and Siderian Limits, and Age of Exploration is the first to raise your agent limits above zero. See System and dominion limits and Agent limits. A change that would leave you over one of those limits is refused. See Changing active lexes.
The lex panel
Press L to open the lex panel. See hotkeys. Once you own a lex, the panel has one tab per branch other than Origin, and each tab starts from Age of Exploration.
- Click a lex you can buy to buy it. There is no confirm.
- Click a lex you own to pick it. Click a picked lex to take it out.
- Apply these lexes applies your picks. If you pick fewer lexes than you have slots, it asks for a second click.
- +1 slot buys a lex slot, with no confirm.
- The Cancel the changes button puts your picks back to your active lexes. The Remove all lexes button takes out all your picks.
- While a wait runs, you can't pick or take out lexes. See Changing active lexes.
- Lexes you picked but didn't apply are dropped when you close the panel.
On a phone, tapping a lex opens its card instead of buying it.
All lexes
| Lex | Branch | Requires | Base price | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age of Exploration | Origin | — | 50 | +2 Erased Limit; +2 Navarch Limit; +2 Siderian Limit |
| Proto-Empire | Expansion | Age of Exploration | 7,000 | +1 System Limit |
| Extended Administration | Expansion | Proto-Empire | 20,000 | +1 System Limit; -30-600/h Technology |
| Freedom of Movement | Expansion | Extended Administration | 2,000 | +20 Mobility |
| Decentralized Administration | Expansion | Freedom of Movement | 60,000 | +2 System Limit; -4 % Credit; -20-400/h Technology; -50-1,000/h Ideology |
| Trade Secrets | Expansion | Decentralized Administration | 10,000 | +10 % Mobility; -100-2,000/h Credit |
| Second Core | Expansion | Trade Secrets | 200,000 | +3 System Limit; -8 % Credit; -16 Stability; -150-3,000/h Ideology |
| Centralization of Power | Expansion | Extended Administration | 2,000 | +2+40/h Credit per Population; -25 % Defense |
| External Colonies | Expansion | Centralization of Power | 50,000 | +1 System Limit; +2 Dominion Limit; -3 % Credit; -50-1,000/h Ideology |
| Empire's Edge | Expansion | External Colonies | 180,000 | +2 System Limit; +4 Dominion Limit; -6 % Credit; -8 Stability; -100-2,000/h Technology |
| Exclusive Trade Zone | Expansion | Proto-Empire | 9,000 | +3 Dominion Limit |
| Business Integration | Expansion | Exclusive Trade Zone | 5,000 | +20 % Dominion Tax Rate |
| Protectorate | Expansion | Business Integration | 40,000 | +4 Dominion Limit; -8 Stability; +5 % Dominion Tax Rate; -30-600/h Ideology |
| Incorporation of Protectorates | Expansion | Protectorate | 20,000 | +30 % Dominion Tax Rate |
| Federation of Protectorates | Expansion | Incorporation of Protectorates | 120,000 | +7 Dominion Limit; -12 Stability; +5 % Dominion Tax Rate; -90-1,800/h Ideology |
| Reaction Force | Navarchs | Age of Exploration | 50 | +2 Navarch Limit |
| Tactical Scouting | Navarchs | Reaction Force | 500 | +20 Armed Forces Bombing; -50-1,000/h Credit |
| Galtacon Orthodoxy | Navarchs | Tactical Scouting | 1,000 | +4 Navarch Limit |
| Simplified Chain of Command | Navarchs | Galtacon Orthodoxy | 5,000 | -10 % Armed Forces Maintenance |
| Military Academy | Navarchs | Simplified Chain of Command | 18,000 | +5 Navarch Limit; +2 Erased Limit; -4 % Credit |
| Combat Drugs | Navarchs | Military Academy | 80,000 | +22 % Armed Forces Invasion |
| War Propaganda | Navarchs | Simplified Chain of Command | 18,000 | +5 Navarch Limit; +2 Siderian Limit; -4 % Credit |
| Component Standardization | Navarchs | War Propaganda | 80,000 | -18 % Armed Forces Maintenance |
| Modular Construction | Navarchs | Galtacon Orthodoxy | 2,000 | +10 % Armed Forces Repair; +12 % Production |
| Armed Forces Automation | Navarchs | Modular Construction | 60,000 | +20 % Armed Forces Repair; +8 % Armed Forces Invasion; +10 % Armed Forces Bombing; -8 % Credit |
| War Council | Navarchs | Reaction Force | 500 | +25 Defense; -50 % Production |
| Relaxed Production Standards | Navarchs | War Council | 3,000 | +30+600/h Production |
| Pace of War | Navarchs | Relaxed Production Standards | 20,000 | +50+1,000/h Production; +10 % Production |
| Navarch Tradition | Navarchs | Pace of War | 100,000 | +30 % Fighter Ships' Initial XP; +30 % Corvette Ships' Initial XP; +30 % Frigate Ships' Initial XP; +30 % Capital Ships' Initial XP |
| Stelloliberal Maze | Erased | Age of Exploration | 50 | +100+2,000/h Credit |
| Underground Networks | Erased | Stelloliberal Maze | 1,000 | +4 Erased Limit; -200-4,000/h Credit |
| Information Systems Surveillance | Erased | Underground Networks | 3,000 | +15 Erased Infiltration |
| RNA Camouflage | Erased | Information Systems Surveillance | 18,000 | +7 Erased Limit; +2 Siderian Limit; -4 % Technology |
| Simpler Practices | Erased | RNA Camouflage | 25,000 | +25 Erased Removal |
| Fixer Network | Erased | Simpler Practices | 90,000 | +0.3 Erased Cover Recovery Speed; -5 % Ideology |
| Parallel Military Strategy | Erased | Information Systems Surveillance | 18,000 | +7 Erased Limit; +2 Navarch Limit; -14 Stability |
| Industrial Espionage | Erased | Parallel Military Strategy | 25,000 | +40 Erased Sabotage |
| Deep State | Erased | Industrial Espionage | 80,000 | +25 % Erased Infiltration; +15 % Erased Sabotage; +15 % Erased Removal |
| Digitalization of Interactions | Erased | Underground Networks | 5,000 | +30 Intelligence; +20 Cybersecurity |
| Total Surveillance | Erased | Digitalization of Interactions | 80,000 | +30 % Intelligence; +100 % Cybersecurity; +5 % Credit |
| Decentralized Cryptocurrencies | Erased | Stelloliberal Maze | 1,000 | +10 % Credit |
| Confiscatory Policies | Erased | Decentralized Cryptocurrencies | 3,000 | +300+6,000/h Credit |
| Secret Organization | Erased | Confiscatory Policies | 25,000 | +15 % Credit; +2 Erased Limit |
| Embezzlement | Erased | Secret Organization | 20,000 | +500+10,000/h Credit |
| Financialized Society | Erased | Embezzlement | 100,000 | +40 % Credit; -10 % Technology; -10 % Ideology; -24 Stability |
| First Contacts | Siderians | Age of Exploration | 50 | +3+60/h Ideology; +3+60/h Technology |
| Linguistic Unification | Siderians | First Contacts | 300 | +6+120/h Ideology |
| Mass Media | Siderians | Linguistic Unification | 3,000 | +16+320/h Ideology |
| Public Relations | Siderians | Mass Media | 3,000 | +3 Siderian Limit |
| Soft Power | Siderians | Public Relations | 20,000 | +6 Siderian Limit; +2 Navarch Limit; -4 % Technology |
| Cultural Imperialism | Siderians | Soft Power | 80,000 | +20 % Siderian Propaganda; +20 % Siderian Destabilization |
| Embassy Arsenal | Siderians | Public Relations | 20,000 | +6 Siderian Limit; +2 Erased Limit; -10 % Production |
| Siderian Legacy | Siderians | Embassy Arsenal | 80,000 | +20 Siderian Seduction; +10 % Siderian Seduction |
| Propaganda | Siderians | Mass Media | 6,000 | +40 Stability |
| Stelloliberalized Entertainment | Siderians | Propaganda | 30,000 | +15 % Ideology |
| Fake News | Siderians | Stelloliberalized Entertainment | 100,000 | +30 % Ideology; -6 % Technology; -6 % Credit |
| Promotion of Science | Siderians | First Contacts | 300 | +6+120/h Technology |
| Sponsored Chairmanship | Siderians | Promotion of Science | 3,000 | +10+200/h Technology; +2 Siderian Limit |
| Synthetic Drugs | Siderians | Sponsored Chairmanship | 4,000 | +5 % Credit; +5 % Technology; +5 % Production |
| Predictive Sciences | Siderians | Synthetic Drugs | 30,000 | +15 % Technology |
| Technocracy | Siderians | Predictive Sciences | 100,000 | +30 % Technology; -6 % Ideology; -4 % Production |
Production, credit, technology, ideology and upkeep amounts are per tick.Production, credit, technology, ideology and upkeep amounts are per hour.