NPC Empires
What are NPC empires in Old Light?
NPC empires are computer-controlled players that claim systems, build structures, and grow by the exact rules humans follow. There is no AI cheating. A few spawn near every new human, so the galaxy already has neighbours when you arrive.
Not every rival you spot is a human. The galaxy is populated with NPC empires: computer-controlled players that claim systems and grow just like you do.
How to spot them
NPCs render in a neutral grey palette. Every human empire, yours included, flies its own banner colour across its territory; NPC empires ignore their banner and are always grey. So a grey neighbour on the map is the tell that it's computer-controlled.
How they behave
NPCs play by the same rules you do. They have the same structures, the same energy budget, the same depot caps, and no exemption from any of it.
A few NPCs spawn near every new human player, so the galaxy isn't empty when you arrive. As they grow, they push their own borders outward.
Pace
NPCs aren't trying to win the game. They scale to the humans in their part of the galaxy, hovering around the strongest human near them. If you race ahead, they'll grow with you. If no human is nearby, they idle.
This means NPCs are practice opponents and ambient pressure, not existential threats.
The one exception is a long-inactive empire. Once a human hasn't played for 14 days, nearby NPCs start capturing its stars, see Capturing.
Scouting and fighting
NPCs don't only build. The more aggressive ones will probe human systems near them, just like you would. A report lands in your reports inbox the moment their probes arrive. As a result of their probing they might choose to attack you.
Where they come from
Most NPCs are seeded around new human spawns, but some are former human empires. A player who stops logging in long enough loses control of their empire, see Account. A substantial empire becomes a fresh NPC under a new name, inheriting every system, structure, and queued build. The grey neighbour you've been scouting for weeks may have started as a human.
When they disappear
A small NPC with no human empire anywhere near it is doing nothing for the game, so it's quietly removed. A grown NPC, or one with humans nearby, stays put. You won't usually notice a prune; it just keeps the map from filling with dormant nobodies.
Here I am, brain the size of a planet, and they ask me to take you to the bridge.
Common questions
How do I tell NPCs apart from human rivals on the map?
NPCs always render grey and ignore their banner. Every human empire, yours included, flies its own banner colour across its territory, so a grey neighbour on the map is the tell that it is computer-controlled.
Will NPCs attack me?
More aggressive NPCs probe human systems near them, and a report lands in your inbox when their probes arrive. Probing can lead them to attack. NPCs scale to nearby humans rather than trying to win outright.
Was that NPC once a human player?
Sometimes. Some NPCs are former human empires. A player who stops logging in long enough loses control, and a substantial empire becomes a fresh NPC under a new name, inheriting every system, structure, and queued build.
