3 Different states of playing:

The above shows the three possible states that the player can play the game (not including main menu or other UI screens). The three states, which encompass the three main aspects of the game, are the Free-Flying aspect, or the exploration and combat part of the game; the Mining and Producing aspect, or the trade part of the game; and being docked with a space station, which encompasses the idle part of the game, and trade, along with Mining and Producing. It shows the flow between the 3, and really emphasizes on the exploration part, due to the fact that both other states require the central part.

3 Different kinds of AI 

I used the same technique as to detail game states as to detail the possible states that the player can be with relation to AI, and the effect that this will have on his ability to play the game in certain areas/certain ways. It shows the benefits of being allies with people, which promotes following missions and doing things that help drive the players enjoyment and help them to achieve their prime goal, which is to increase their number of credits so they can buy better ships and other goods.

Included in that is two cybernetic feedback loops, which act to keep the game from spiraling away or towards the players favour. Under allies, the clause “May increase enemies in certain factions/groups” serves the purpose of not having the player become allies with every single faction, and thus take away one of the more enjoyable elements of the game; combat. A check will be made to see how many allies the character has made. As that number increases, so does the likelihood that one of the factions or groups will denounce you because you are allies with one of their enemies; police denouncing you because you work with pirates for instance. Not only does this make sense from a story perspective, it helps eliminate a player getting into a situation where they can’t lose because they have everyone as their allies.

Conversely,  if the player finds themselves in the unlucky situation where every faction hates them, the failsafe that allows them at least one group to ally with is that when you increase in number of enemies, the likelihood of one of their enemies allying with you is increased. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” is the logic, and it means that the player can still get the benefits of having an ally, even if they have managed to successfully antagonize the rest of the galaxy.