Small Map
The Small Map is “MSD in a nutshell”. It spans a 10 x 8 grid (80 tiles), of which 71 are planets and 9 are voids. It is suitable for a small number of players (≤ 5), otherwise the map will be too crowded to provide much fun.
The map is defined by a sequence of zones. Each zone type (gravity, structure, planet distribution) is specified as an ordered list. Zones later in the list override earlier ones where they overlap.
Map Structure (Voids)
The map contains 9 void tiles (impassable areas with no planets).
These voids create obstacles that players need to navigate around, adding strategic depth even on this compact map. The voids can be defined as either individual tile zones or larger rectangle zones. The following table lists the void zones and their locations.
| Geometry | Coordinates | Number of tiles in zone |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangle | (1,1) to (1,3) | 3 |
| Rectangle | (3,6) to (3,7) | 2 |
| Tile | (4,3) | 1 |
| Tile | (7,4) | 1 |
| Rectangle | (7,0) to (7,1) | 2 |
Zones for Gravity and Planet Types
The Small Map is structured into three concentric ring zones that are used to define the distribution of planet types, resources, and gravity levels across the map.
Zone A forms the outer border of the map (two outermost rings), Zone B is the middle band, and Zone C is the innermost core. Resources become rarer and more valuable toward the center, while gravity increases, making movement more costly. The following table summarizes the zones and the number of planets in each.
| Zone | Rings | Planets |
|---|---|---|
| A | 0 - 1 | 49 |
| B | 2 | 15 |
| C | 3 | 7 |
Gravity Zones
Gravity increases from the outer edge toward the center (green / yellow / red), creating a gradient of movement costs across the map.
Moving through the center (Zone C) costs three times as much energy as traveling along the outer edge (Zone A). This encourages players to weigh the trade-off between taking a shorter but more expensive path through the center versus a longer but cheaper route along the border.
| Zone | Rings | Gravity Level |
|---|---|---|
| A | 0 - 1 | light (1) |
| B | 2 | medium (2) |
| C | 3 | intense (3) |
Planet Type Distribution
The image below illustrates the distribution of planet types and resources across the map zones. Each symbol corresponds to a different planet type, with resource mines highlighted according to their resource type.
The planet types and resources are distributed across the zones in the following
sequence. The expressions for “Count” (i.e. the number of each planet type) use meta variables such as empty_planets,
as explained in the chapter on map definition. The order matters:
empty_planets in a count expression refers to the planets still unassigned after all preceding zones in the list
have been applied. Note that the planet types are assigned randomly to the available planets,
based on the evaluated count expression. After applying all distributions, the resulting planet counts are as follows:
| # | Planet Type | Zone | Count | Total Number | Resource |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Space Station (spawning) | A (outer ring) | 5 | 5 | |
| 2 | Space Station (no spawn) | C | 2 | 2 | |
| 3 | Black Hole | B | 4 | 4 | |
| 4 | Resource Mine (Bio Matter) | A | empty_planets * 0.25 | 11 | 5000 bm |
| 5 | Resource Mine (Cryo Gas) | B | empty_planets * 0.25 | 3 | 2500 cg |
| 6 | Resource Mine (Dark Matter) | B | empty_planets * 0.5 | 4 | 1000 dm |
| 7 | Resource Mine (Ion Dust) | C | 2 | 2 | 800 id |
| 8 | Resource Mine (Plasma Cores) | C | 2 | 2 | 500 pc |
| Total | 71 |
The general principle is: common resources (Bio Matter) are plentiful in the safe outer zones, while rare and valuable resources (Ion Dust, Plasma Cores) are only found in the dangerous center where gravity is intense.
JSON Payload
The full JSON payload for creating this map template via the REST API can be found in
small-map.json.