Getting Started and Connected Identity

• Connected identity
• What persistence changes
• Before the first decision
• Official source
• Related reading

Terminus begins at its public home page, which introduces the persistent frontier and is the entry point into the experience. Beyond it, the command surfaces require identity — and in a persistent world that requirement means something more substantial than it does elsewhere. Your colonies, fleets, research and reports exist continuously and are attached to you. Identity is not a convenience here; it is what makes the world yours.

Connected identity#

Terminus connects to the Xdripian Sanctum, the Universe's identity and Ally profile space. That relationship is why your presence in Terminus is not an isolated account but part of a wider identity across the Universe. Sanctum remains authentication-gated in its own right, and Terminus holds its own game state.

What persistence changes#

Three things, and all three are worth internalising before you start. Time passes whether or not you are present. Decisions compound, so early choices constrain later ones. And other commanders exist and are acting — the roster and the alliance surfaces are there because the frontier is shared.

Before the first decision#

Read the manual. It is the versioned, player-facing reference, and in a persistent game the cost of learning by experiment is paid in a world you cannot reset. Then open the command centre for the overview and the colonies register for what you hold.

Official source#

Canonical source for this subject: Terminus Home. Checked 21 August 2026 — where this guide and the live service disagree, the service is right.

Related reading#

• Manual and Versioned Rules — The authoritative player-facing reference, and why its version matters.
• Xdripian Sanctum Guide — The authenticated personal space for profile, achievements and the Ally journey.
• Command Center — The operative overview of your frontier and what it is designed to surface.