What's the point to this game?

[S.R. Krol]

Originally Posted by RegnorVex

What's the object of the game? I can't figure it out. Is the point simply that you travel around and acquire goodies and fight bad guys until time runs out and then you run back to your starting point and check your score?

Pretty much. You explore, you meet critters, you kill critters, and you get phat lewt, all for the glory of the score. Of course the score is really secondary, it's just fun to zoom around and unleash your inner Captain Kirk.

If you don't heed the warnings and keep playing, you can just go on as long as you'd like and the only penalty is a lower score?

Yes, you lose points based on how long you're overdue. Bear in mind that even on a large map you'll probably explore everything in about 45 minutes, so even if you're not playing for a score there is a finite amount of exploration you can do. Of course, you'll also find that the more you explore the greater you chance for destruction is, all depending on how the universe was randomly created for that particular game. Some sessions you'll barely have any hostile contact while others the universe will be a harsh and unforgiving mistress, and the more you're out there, the more likely you'll end up as floating space dust.