Each section also has hard points of various size (small, medium, large, and special) to which weapons can be attached. The engine section determines the speed of the vessel. Command sections can add a secondary function to the ship, such as a deep scan ability. The mission sections define the ship's purpose (e.g. A ship consists of three sections: command, mission, and engine. Players must design new ships to take advantage of breakthroughs in technology. There are three different types of hull sizes available, namely destroyer, cruiser, and dreadnought. Any game can be saved and then later continued, both on-line and off-line. When a player leaves, he or she is replaced by an AI that is given specific orders as to how to continue play.

To that end, there are timers in place to limit the duration of strategic turns, as well as the duration of the battles, which are fought in real-time. The goal with Sword of the Stars was to create a relatively fast-paced multiplayer-focused game. Each of the races has been supplied with a detailed history and back story that adds flavor to the game. These races include humans, insect-like Hivers, dolphin-like Liir, reptilian Tarkas, marsupial Zuul, and the crow-like Morrigi. In the latest version of the game, there are six different alien races to choose from, each with its unique form of faster-than-light travel and preferred technologies. The game is turn-based with battles played out in real-time, similar to the Total War series of strategy games. Finally it features a detailed ship design system and the simulation of combat using a physics-based engine instead of probability calculation, provides a large variety in combat engagements. Sword of the Stars is fully multiplayer-capable allowing players to leave and enter the game at will. Also the game provides a high amount of randomness from technology availability, to map features, to large scale independent threats. Each of the four races has a unique method of strategic movement among other differentiators. Sword of the Stars consists of turn-based strategic gameplay highlighted by real-time battles. In order to win, the player must expand territory by colonizing new star systems, exploit the resources available to their colonies, design and build starships, and improve their empire's technology through research and strategy. In the game the player chooses one of four unique races to form an interstellar empire and conquer the galaxy. Sword of the Stars is a space 4X game developed by Kerberos Productions.

Sword of the stars gameplay