How to play on Homeworlds Live

Playing on Homeworlds Live

In the lobby you can create game rooms or join rooms that exist already.
In the "join a game" view, click on a row to view details. From there you can join the room.
Sometimes players are invited into rooms. Invitees get priority over non-invitees.
If you are invited, the room will appear orange in the table.

Click the "Create a game instead" button in the lobby to create a room. You can specify the time control, make the game unrated, and choose specific players to invite.
Only 2-player games are supported, but you can invite more than one player (first come first serve).

The owner of a room (whoever has been in it the longest) can decide to start a game.
All players in the room must agree to start. If anyone declines, the start sequence is blocked.
When everyone (including the owner) confirms, the game starts.

You can also watch games in progress by clicking the links in the lobby.

This puts the symbols ⇆, +, ∧, and ✴ on all ships and stars.
Yellow ships have the movement symbol (∧) repeated 1, 2, or 3 times instead of pips.
Other colors have white symbols and black pips (except small ships, where the pips were removed).

Also, if you leave the turn in dangerous situations, a warning will appear below the star map and you must confirm you want to end your turn.
This can be disabled by un-checking the Warnings checkbox on the lower right.

If you mess up, you can click "Reset Turn" to undo your actions. You may use this any number of times.
Once you click End Turn, you may no longer undo it.

Most of the actions are pretty intuitive (except perhaps building and homeworld setup), but here is the list of what to do:

Homeworld Setup: Click your two stars first, then your ship. They are displayed below the star map. Use "Reset Turn" if you make a mistake.
Building: First click on a ship of the same color in the intended system, then click the Build button. (Example: if you want to build a red at your homeworld, click a red ship you already have there.)
Trading: Click the ship you want to trade, click the "Trade" button, then click a stash piece.
Movement: Click the ship you want to move, click the "Move/Discover" button, then click any piece at the target system.
Discovery: Like movement, but click a piece in the stash.
Capturing: Click the enemy ship, then the Capture button.
Sacrificing: Click the ship to sacrifice, then the Sacrifice button. Then do your sacrifice actions as above.
Catastrophes: Click any piece of the overpopulated color at the system, then the catastrophe button.

You must click "End Turn", even on the game-winning move!
You can also offer a draw. If your opponent offers a draw, you can click the offer button to accept, or reject it.
Threefold repetition is not enforced (but that is on my list).
However, mutual destruction DOES result in a draw.
When the game ends, you have the option to copy a log of the game. Currently, the games are NOT backed up to the server.

If you set a timed game, the clock is completely unforgiving. Either play with a comfortable delay or increment, or else make sure your internet connection is strong.
The map may rearrange dramatically if half a homeworld is destroyed, and also rearranges when systems become contested (i.e. occupied by both players).

This is mostly because right now the stars are positioned by a simple algorithm that has no memory of previous arrangements.
You may actually find this useful (because it emphasizes that things are different).
It might help to pay attention to the system numbers.

If you disconnect for more than 7.5 minutes, you forfeit the game even if it is not timed.
If you do the game-winning catastrophe or capture, but do not click "End Turn" until after your clock expires, the game is considered a draw.
I do not officially support mobile although it seems to work (though it has been subject to some bugs).