The world map is the main interface of the game. It is an interactive hex-based map that you can zoom and pan to explore. The map size depends on which world you are playing in.

Your resources and income are displayed at the top of the screen. Active fleets are shown on the map as they travel between regions.

The world is made up of different terrain types. Terrain affects what you can build:

• Grassland — Standard land region.
• Forest — Standard land region.
• Hills — Standard land region.
• Mountain — Standard land region.
• Sand — Standard land region.
• Shallow Water — Water region.
• Water — Water region.
• Deep Water — Water region.

A region is considered coastal if it is a land region that shares a border with a water region. Harbors can only be built on coastal regions, and ships can only attack water and coastal regions.

Water regions can't be bought. Send ships to open sea next to one of your regions and occupy it when they arrive. You hold a water region only while you have units, a Sea Mine or a Sea Mine under construction on it; once the last units leave or are destroyed it becomes open sea again. Sea Mines are the only thing you can build on water.

Click on a hex tile to interact with it. What you can do depends on who owns the region:

• Your region: Opens the region panel where you can view your buildings and units, start construction, and send units to other regions.
• Enemy region: Shows attack options if you have units within range.
• Unowned region: You can buy this land region to expand your empire. The cost increases with each region you already own. Open sea can only be claimed with ships.