The game has a procedurally generated galaxy and is open world, so you can chose to be either a trader, a miner, a pirate, an explorer, or any mix of those. There are currently 7 factions to ally with, each with its own story-line quest, not to mention local missions available in each system if you don't want to follow any of that.The game has an “Asteroids†feel, with obviously a lot more content, and was inspired by the “Elite†series and Master of Orion.
