Designing a Symbol-Based Portal System for a Web Browser MMO Strategy Game

Source: Dev.to

Symbols as Addresses

In Interstellar Empires, a web‑based sci‑fi strategy game, portals are not just fast travel. They are a system built around addresses composed of symbols, even if players usually interact with them through missions, intel, or map clicks.

Key rules

• A portal address consists of 6 unique symbols selected from a pool of 18.
• Symbols cannot repeat.
• A single symbol has no meaning on its own.
• Only the full 6‑symbol combination resolves to a destination.

Players rarely need to input these symbols manually. Most of the time, addresses are provided by missions, events, or intel and can be launched directly from the map. Manual dialing exists, but it is optional.

Missions on interactive map

Selected missions show the symbols and allow you to send units directly without manual input.

Internal Representation

Internally, each complete symbol combination resolves to a location on the galaxy map.

• The address corresponds to a specific position in the galaxy.
• There is an additional hidden coordinate (Z) that players never see.

From the player’s perspective, symbols are opaque. They are not presented as coordinates, and the game provides no direct way to decode how symbols relate to locations.

The Hidden Z Coordinate

Known addresses always point to the same location; they never redirect elsewhere.

The hidden Z coordinate acts as a validity layer:

• If Z matches, the portal connects.
• If Z changes, the same visible address no longer works.

The destination still exists, but the portal rejects the input. This allows addresses to expire or be disabled without changing what players see or breaking spatial consistency.

Known vs Manual Dialing

Most portal usage comes from known addresses:

• Missions
• Events
• Intel rewards

Players can also attempt manual dialing. However, without knowing the hidden Z value, the chance of success is intentionally low. Manual dialing exists as a risk‑driven option, not the primary way to interact with the system.

Design Constraints and Scalability

Using 18 unique symbols and 6‑symbol combinations creates a hard limit on how many distinct addresses can exist. As the galaxy expands, this becomes a real constraint.

To scale the system long‑term, the plan is to:

• Introduce additional unique symbols.
• Increase address length to 7 or 8 symbols.

This preserves the core interaction while allowing the galaxy map to grow without redesigning the mechanic.

Design Goals

The portal system was built with these goals:

• Portal travel should feel intentional, even when launched by a click.
• Exploration should not rely on visible randomness.
• Addresses must be reusable, shareable, and verifiable (except individual missions, which are unique and can’t be shared).
• The system must support long‑term expansion.

Final Thoughts

The mechanic looks simple in the UI, but it supports exploration, content rotation, and future growth without exposing complexity to the player.

The important part is not that symbols are coordinates, but that the system behaves consistently even if players never understand why.