Each player commands or participates in the operation of a capital ship capable of interstellar travel. There are no 'wormholes' or other artificial conveyances to restrict movement from place to place within the Beyond War Universe. Various technologies permit interstellar travel, and though some may be interdicted in transit one rule governs all strategic thinking:

"That which is static cannot be held."

The sole hope of each species, each civilization, is the crew aboard their fleet. Should the planet fall, these souls will be the only witnesses to its passing - the only sentient beings that could testify what it was to live there. This realization is not one for the faint of heart, nor to be taken lightly when making friends and meeting new species in the vast expanse of deep space.

Empires will launch deep space expeditions to locate possible threats near their own space and actively pursue alliances with similar species to prevent or deter assault. These communities are central to the long-term success of Beyond War players. Many undiscovered treasures also wait between the stars.

Each ship is composed of modules which may be damaged during combat. Ships do not burn like rice paper nor explode when sustaining extensive or crippling damage. Each vessel is custom compiled - meaning that although they share a common blueprint, the outcome of their construction may result in radical long-term attribute differences that make them as unique a character as any sentient being. Core Artificial Intelligence also grants unique bonuses and personality traits to each ship.

Some groups actually specialize in severing components of vessels and then snatching them in combat for analysis. These embolden species usually fail to realize the overwhelming nature of weapons of stellar mass destruction, risking all to obtain advantage in their own conflicts.

A large part of the social aspect of the game involves the location and rescue of crippled vessels who have drifted beyond sensor range but are unable to return home under their own power or require immediate assistance. Triage, emergency salvage, search and rescue, and supporting roles are very large parts of the interaction in the Beyond War Universe.