Event Log Window Layout
Added: v2026.01.25
The Event Log (also called the Events Window) is Aurora C#’s primary communication channel to the player. Since the game processes events in batches during time advances rather than in real-time, the Event Log records everything significant that occurred during each increment. Learning to read, filter, and respond to events is a core gameplay skill. The event-check loop (advance time, check events, respond, repeat) is the fundamental rhythm of Aurora gameplay.
Events can also be displayed directly on the Tactical Map (controlled by the Events checkbox in the map layer toggles), using the same colour coding as the Events Window. Double-clicking any event centers the map on the event’s location.
Window Layout Diagram
+============================================================================+
| Events Window [X] |
+============================================================================+
| [1] Date/Increment Header |
| 14 March 2150 08:00:00 - Increment: 5 days |
+============================================================================+
| [2] Filter Controls |
| |
| [x] Combat/Military [x] Exploration [x] Research [x] Economic |
| [x] Colony [x] Commander [x] Diplomacy [x] Misc/System |
| |
| [3] Sub-Filters: [ ] Ship Movements [x] Mineral Finds [x] Fuel Warns |
| [x] Hostile Contacts [x] Damage Reports [ ] Promotions |
| |
+============================================================================+
| [4] Event Log Entries (Main Area) |
| |
| +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |
| | Date/Time | Category | Event Description | |
| |--------------------+-------------+-------------------------------------| |
| | 14 Mar 2150 08:00 | COMBAT | Hostile contact detected in Sol | |
| | | | system. Thermal signature bearing | |
| | | | 045, range 182Mkm, est. 8,000t | |
| | [BG: RED TXT: WHITE] | | |
| |--------------------+-------------+-------------------------------------| |
| | 14 Mar 2150 08:00 | COMBAT | DD Valiant engaging target with | |
| | | | 10cm Railgun battery. 3 hits, | |
| | | | target armor penetrated. | |
| | [BG: RED TXT: WHITE] | | |
| |--------------------+-------------+-------------------------------------| |
| | 13 Mar 2150 14:30 | RESEARCH | Research Complete: Fire Control | |
| | | | Range 80,000km. New options | |
| | | | available in Component Design. | |
| | [BG: BLUE TXT: WHITE] | | |
| |--------------------+-------------+-------------------------------------| |
| | 12 Mar 2150 00:00 | EXPLORATION | Geological Survey Complete: Mars. | |
| | | | 5 mineral deposits found. | |
| | | | Duranium: 2,400t (Acc: 0.7) | |
| | [BG: GREEN TXT: BLACK] | | |
| |--------------------+-------------+-------------------------------------| |
| | 11 Mar 2150 16:00 | ECONOMIC | Construction Complete: DD Stalwart | |
| | | | (Tribal-class) at Earth Shipyard. | |
| | | | Ship assigned to default TG. | |
| | [BG: CYAN TXT: BLACK] | | |
| |--------------------+-------------+-------------------------------------| |
| | 10 Mar 2150 12:00 | COLONY | Terraforming progress: Mars atmos. | |
| | | | O2 increased to 0.12 atm. | |
| | [BG: DKGRN TXT: WHITE] | | |
| |--------------------+-------------+-------------------------------------| |
| | 10 Mar 2150 00:00 | ECONOMIC | Mineral Depletion Warning: Gallicite| |
| | | | deposit at Asteroid Colony #3 | |
| | | | exhausted. 0 remaining deposits. | |
| | [BG: YELLOW TXT: BLACK] | | |
| |--------------------+-------------+-------------------------------------| |
| | 09 Mar 2150 20:00 | COMMANDER | Promotion: Lt. Williams promoted | |
| | | | to Lt. Commander (experience). | |
| | [BG: GRAY TXT: BLACK] | | |
| |--------------------+-------------+-------------------------------------| |
| | (scrollable -- additional events below) | |
| +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |
| |
+============================================================================+
| [5] Event Detail Expansion |
| |
| Selected: "Hostile contact detected in Sol system" |
| System: Sol | Location: X: 142.3 Y: -87.6 Mkm |
| Detection: Thermal (2,100 rating) | Est. Tonnage: 8,000 |
| Detecting Ship: DD Valiant (Active Sensor Res-100) |
| Interrupt: YES (time advance halted at this event) |
| |
+============================================================================+
| [6] Colour Configuration |
| |
| Event Type: [Combat/Military___v] BG Colour: [###RED###] |
| Text Colour: [##WHITE##] |
| [Apply] [Reset Default] [7] [Import Colours] [Export Colours] |
| |
+============================================================================+
| [8] Auto-Scroll / Navigation Controls |
| |
| [x] Auto-scroll to latest [<< Previous Increment] [Next Increment >>] |
| [ ] Show all races (SM only) Events this increment: 7 | Total: 2,341 |
| |
+============================================================================+
| [9] Interrupt Configuration |
| |
| Interrupt on: [x] Hostile Contact [x] Damage [x] Ship Destroyed |
| [ ] Research Complete [ ] Construction Complete |
| [ ] Fleet Arrival [x] Jump point discovered |
| |
+============================================================================+
Element Descriptions
| # | Element | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Date/Increment Header | Shows the current game date and time at the top of the log, plus the time increment that was just processed. Displayed even if no events occurred during the increment. Matches the format shown on the tactical map events display. |
| 2 | Filter Controls (Category) | Major category checkboxes to show/hide entire classes of events: Combat/Military, Exploration, Research, Economic, Colony, Commander, Diplomacy, and Miscellaneous/System. Unchecking a category hides all events of that type from the display. |
| 3 | Sub-Filters | Granular toggles within categories for specific event subtypes. Examples: Ship Movements (routine transit notifications), Mineral Finds, Fuel Warnings, Hostile Contacts, Damage Reports, Promotions. Allows fine-tuning what appears without disabling entire categories. |
| 4 | Event Log Entries (Main Area) | Scrollable list of timestamped events. Each entry shows: date/time of occurrence, category label, and the event description text. Entries use configurable background and text colours per event type for rapid visual identification. Events are listed chronologically with most recent at top. |
| 5 | Event Detail Expansion | When an event is selected (clicked), this panel shows expanded information: the system where the event occurred, precise coordinates, detection details, the ship or installation involved, and whether the event triggered a time interrupt. Double-clicking an event centers the tactical map on the event location. |
| 6 | Colour Configuration | Per-event-type colour settings. Select an event type from the dropdown, then choose background and text colours. Custom colours persist across game sessions and apply to both the Events Window and the tactical map events display. |
| 7 | Import/Export Colours | Buttons to save and load colour configuration files (CSV format containing Event ID, Background Colour, and Text Colour). Enables sharing colour schemes across races and games. Partial imports only update referenced event types, leaving others unchanged. |
| 8 | Auto-Scroll / Navigation | Auto-scroll toggle keeps the display scrolled to the latest events. Navigation buttons step through events by increment (Previous/Next Increment shows events from the prior or next time advance). Counter shows events in current increment and total event count. SpaceMaster mode option shows events for all player races. |
| 9 | Interrupt Configuration | Checkboxes controlling which event types halt time advancement automatically. Critical events (Hostile Contact, Damage, Ship Destroyed) are typically always enabled. Optional interrupts (Research Complete, Construction Complete, Fleet Arrival) balance awareness against fragmented time advances. |
Event Categories Reference
Combat/Military Events
Default colours: Red background, white text
Triggers: Any sensor contact with an unknown or hostile entity, weapons fire by any party, damage to ships or installations, missile launches and impacts, crew casualties.
| Event Type | Trigger Condition | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Hostile Contact | Unknown thermal/EM/active signature detected | CRITICAL |
| Weapons Fire | Any ship fires beam or kinetic weapon | CRITICAL |
| Missile Launch | Missile salvo launched by any party | CRITICAL |
| Missile Impact | Missiles reach terminal phase | CRITICAL |
| Shield/Armor Damage | Weapons strike penetrates point defense | HIGH |
| Ship Destroyed | Hull strength reaches zero | CRITICAL |
| Crew Casualties | Combat or accident causes crew deaths | HIGH |
| Target Lost | Contact signature drops below detection threshold | MEDIUM |
Exploration Events
Default colours: Green background, black text
Triggers: Survey ships completing geological or gravitational surveys, ships transiting unexplored jump points, first entry into new systems.
| Event Type | Trigger Condition | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Jump Point Discovered | Gravitational survey detects new JP | HIGH |
| System Explored | First ship enters unexplored system | MEDIUM |
| Geological Survey Complete | Survey ship finishes body scan | MEDIUM |
| Minerals Found | Geo survey reveals mineral deposits | MEDIUM |
| Lagrange Point Surveyed | Grav survey completes LP scan | LOW |
| Comet Surveyed | Survey ship scans comet body | LOW |
Research Events
Default colours: Blue background, white text
Triggers: Scientists completing research projects, breakthroughs occurring, new technologies becoming available.
| Event Type | Trigger Condition | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Research Complete | Project reaches 100% completion | MEDIUM |
| Research Breakthrough | Random bonus progress occurs | LOW |
| New Technology Available | Prerequisite tech unlocks new option | LOW |
| Scientist Idle | Research completes with no queued project | MEDIUM |
Economic Events
Default colours: Cyan background, black text
Triggers: Industrial production completing, shipyard tasks finishing, resource thresholds reached, mining operations status changes.
| Event Type | Trigger Condition | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Complete | Shipyard finishes vessel | MEDIUM |
| Shipyard Task Complete | Refit/repair/expansion finishes | LOW |
| Mineral Depletion | Deposit exhausted or below threshold | HIGH |
| Fuel Warning | Sorium reserves below configured threshold | HIGH |
| Fuel Critical | Sorium reserves below emergency threshold | CRITICAL |
| Industrial Project Start | Factory/mine begins new task | LOW |
| Ordnance Production Complete | Missile/munition batch finished | LOW |
Colony Events
Default colours: Dark green background, white text
Triggers: Population changes, terraforming milestones, infrastructure status, colony stability shifts.
| Event Type | Trigger Condition | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Colony Established | First colonists arrive at new body | MEDIUM |
| Terraforming Progress | Atmosphere parameter changes | LOW |
| Infrastructure Alert | Infrastructure insufficient for population | HIGH |
| Population Growth | Colony reaches growth milestone | LOW |
| Unrest/Stability | Colony stability drops below threshold | HIGH |
| Radiation Hazard | Colony lacks adequate radiation protection | HIGH |
Commander Events
Default colours: Gray background, black text
Triggers: Officer experience thresholds, age-related events, academy graduations, assignment changes.
| Event Type | Trigger Condition | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Promotion | Officer reaches experience threshold | LOW |
| New Commander Available | Academy graduates new officer | LOW |
| Retirement | Officer reaches retirement age | LOW |
| Commander Death | Officer dies (age, combat, accident) | MEDIUM |
| Assignment Change | Officer reassigned between postings | LOW |
| Skill Improvement | Officer gains experience in specialty | LOW |
Diplomacy Events
Default colours: Purple background, white text
Triggers: First contact scenarios, diplomatic status changes, treaty interactions, espionage operations.
| Event Type | Trigger Condition | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| First Contact | Ships encounter unknown alien race | CRITICAL |
| Diplomatic Status Change | Relations shift (war, peace, alliance) | HIGH |
| Treaty Offer | Foreign power proposes agreement | HIGH |
| Treaty Signed | Diplomatic agreement finalized | MEDIUM |
| Espionage Results | Intelligence operation completes | MEDIUM |
| Communication Received | Message from alien power | MEDIUM |
Miscellaneous/System Events
Default colours: No highlight (default background)
Triggers: Various operational thresholds, maintenance requirements, routine operations completing.
| Event Type | Trigger Condition | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment Time Exceeded | Ship exceeds maintenance interval | MEDIUM |
| Fighter Construction Complete | Fighter factory completes batch | LOW |
| Movement Complete | Task group reaches waypoint | LOW |
| Conditional Order Triggered | Automated order condition met | LOW |
| Jump Transit Complete | Fleet exits jump point | LOW |
| Overhaul Complete | Ship finishes maintenance cycle | LOW |
Filtering Strategies by Game Phase
Different phases of gameplay benefit from different filter configurations. These presets help you focus on what matters most at each stage.
Early Game (First 10-20 Years)
Focus: Establishing infrastructure, surveying home system, initial research
Recommended filters:
- Enable: Research, Economic, Exploration, Colony
- Disable: Combat (no threats yet), Commander (routine), Misc
- Sub-filters: Enable Mineral Finds, disable Ship Movements
Rationale: Early game is about building your foundation. Research completions drive technology choices, economic events track construction progress, and exploration reveals resources. Combat events are irrelevant until you encounter other races.
Expansion Phase
Focus: Colonizing new systems, expanding survey operations, building fleet
Recommended filters:
- Enable: Exploration, Economic, Colony, Combat (precautionary)
- Disable: Commander (still routine), Research (check manually)
- Sub-filters: Enable Jump Points, Mineral Finds, Fuel Warnings
Rationale: Jump point discoveries determine expansion opportunities. Colony events track new settlement viability. Keep Combat enabled as you may encounter NPRs. Economic events show ship completions for your growing fleet.
Pre-War Buildup
Focus: Preparing military forces, stockpiling ordnance, positioning fleets
Recommended filters:
- Enable: Economic, Combat, Diplomacy, Misc
- Disable: Exploration (lower priority), Colony (stable)
- Sub-filters: Enable all Combat sub-filters, Ordnance Production
Rationale: Economic events track warship construction and ordnance stockpiles. Diplomacy events reveal enemy intentions. Combat filters prepare you for hostilities. Misc category catches deployment warnings for fleet readiness.
Active War
Focus: Tactical engagement, damage control, fleet coordination
Recommended filters:
- Enable: Combat only
- Disable: Everything else
- Sub-filters: Enable all Combat sub-filters
Rationale: During active hostilities, combat events are all that matter. Filtering out everything else lets you reconstruct battle timelines and assess damage without distraction. Check other categories only during lulls in fighting.
Post-War Recovery
Focus: Assessing losses, repairing ships, rebuilding fleet
Recommended filters:
- Enable: Economic, Combat (aftermath), Commander, Colony
- Disable: Exploration (paused operations)
- Sub-filters: Enable Damage Reports, Construction Complete
Rationale: Economic events track repairs and new construction. Combat events may continue as damaged ships succumb to earlier injuries. Commander events matter as you fill positions left by casualties. Colony events reveal any damage to population centers.
Late Game / Large Empire
Focus: Managing complexity, preventing information overload
Recommended filters:
- Enable: Combat, Diplomacy, key Economic sub-filters
- Disable: Routine events (most Commander, Misc)
- Sub-filters: Aggressively filter routine notifications
Rationale: Large empires generate thousands of events per advance. Over-filtering risks missing critical events; under-filtering creates unmanageable noise. Focus on events requiring decisions: threats, diplomatic shifts, critical resource warnings.
Common Workflows
Finding Combat Events
- In Filter Controls (element 2), uncheck all categories except Combat/Military
- The log now shows only combat-related events: contacts, weapons fire, damage, and destruction
- Scroll through to reconstruct the engagement timeline
- Click individual events to expand details (element 5) – see which ships fired, what was hit, damage dealt
- Double-click events to center the tactical map on the combat location
- Check for “Ship Destroyed” events to confirm kills and assess losses
- After review, re-enable other categories to return to full event view
Filtering by Category
- Identify your current focus (peacetime development, combat, exploration, etc.)
- Peacetime: Enable Research, Economic, Colony; disable Combat, Commander (routine), Misc
- Combat: Enable Combat/Military only; disable everything else for clarity
- Exploration: Enable Exploration; optionally add Research (for survey-related tech) and Economic (for mineral finds)
- Economic Build-Up: Enable Economic, Colony; disable Exploration, Combat, Commander
- Use Sub-Filters (element 3) for finer control: disable routine ship movements but keep fuel warnings enabled
- Filter settings persist until changed – adjust as your gameplay focus shifts
Reviewing Events After Time Advance
- After clicking [Advance], the Event Log automatically populates with new events
- If Auto-scroll is enabled (element 8), the display jumps to the latest events
- Scan event colours first for rapid triage: red = combat (urgent), yellow = warnings, blue = research (positive)
- Address interrupt events first – these halted the advance for a reason
- Check for red/combat entries even if no interrupt occurred (sub-threshold contacts, distant engagements)
- Note yellow/warning entries (fuel depletion, mineral exhaustion) for medium-term planning
- Acknowledge blue/green entries (research complete, survey complete) – assign new projects or orders
- Use [Previous Increment] / [Next Increment] navigation to step through events by time period
Tracking Mineral Discoveries
- Enable the Exploration category filter and the Mineral Finds sub-filter
- Survey completion events show: body name, number of deposits found
- Individual mineral entries follow with: mineral type, quantity (tons), and accessibility rating
- Accessibility above 0.5 is generally worth mining; below 0.3 is marginal
- Cross-reference with the Mineral Search Window for empire-wide mineral planning
- Note which systems have critical minerals (Gallicite, Sorium, Uridium) for expansion priorities
Responding to a Hostile Contact Interrupt
- Time advance halts automatically – the interrupt event is highlighted in the log
- Read the event detail: system, bearing, range, estimated tonnage, detection type
- Note whether detection is thermal (passive), EM (passive), or active sensor return
- Immediately reduce time increment to 30 seconds or less (element 6 on main window)
- Double-click the event to center the tactical map on the contact’s location
- Open the Fleet Window to issue combat or evasion orders to nearby task groups
- Advance at short increments (5s-30s) until the situation is assessed and resolved
- Only increase increment again once hostiles are destroyed, fled, or identified as non-threatening
Configuring Event Interrupts
- Open the Interrupt Configuration panel (element 9)
- Essential interrupts (always enable): Hostile Contact, Damage Reports, Ship Destroyed
- Recommended interrupts: jump point discovered (exploration opportunities), Fuel Critical
- Optional interrupts: Research Complete (assign new projects promptly), Construction Complete (commission new ships)
- Avoid over-interrupting: Every interrupt fragments time advances. In large games with many events, excessive interrupts make advancing even one day tedious
- Balance awareness against gameplay flow – critical safety events always interrupt, nice-to-know events can wait until you check the log
Tips and Shortcuts
- Colour-code aggressively: Set distinct, high-contrast colours for event types you care most about. Red/white for combat and yellow/black for warnings creates instant visual triage.
- Import/Export colours when starting new races or games. Configure once, reuse everywhere via CSV files.
- Double-click events to jump the tactical map to the event location. This is the fastest way to find where something happened spatially.
- Hostile Contact is always an interrupt – never disable this. An undetected enemy fleet approaching during a 30-day advance means 30 days of uncontrolled combat.
- Mineral Depletion warnings are not emergencies but represent future bottlenecks. Note them and plan expansion to alternative sources within 1-2 years.
- “Deployment Time Exceeded” events (v1.9.0+) warn that ships need maintenance rotation. Set conditional orders to auto-return for overhaul when deployment exceeds limits.
- Combat events during long advances do not mean you missed the combat. Sub-pulse processing (5-second intervals) correctly resolved the engagement. The events show the results.
- Research Complete events are opportunities: immediately open the Research Window and assign the freed scientist to a new project. Idle scientists waste time.
- Pattern recognition: Multiple “Hostile Contact” events in the same system over several advances suggests an NPR is actively scouting your space. Prepare defenses.
- SM Mode multi-race display (element 8) shows events for all player races with a faction column. Invaluable for referees managing multiplayer campaigns.
- Events on the tactical map (enabled via layer toggles) provide spatial context for events without switching windows. The first line always shows date and increment even with no events.
- The Event Log tells your empire’s story: sequences of events create narrative arcs. Many players use the log as the basis for After-Action Reports and campaign journals.
Critical Events to Watch For
| Event | Urgency | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Hostile Contact | IMMEDIATE | Reduce increment, assess threat, issue orders |
| Ship Destroyed (yours) | IMMEDIATE | Assess battle outcome, reinforce or retreat |
| Fuel Critical | HIGH | Redirect to refuelling, check conditional orders |
| Mineral Depletion (Gallicite/Sorium) | HIGH | These are engine/fuel minerals – find alternatives |
| Jump point discovered | MEDIUM | Send scouts, assess exploration priority |
| Research Complete | MEDIUM | Reassign scientist, review new design options |
| Deployment Exceeded | MEDIUM | Schedule overhaul rotation |
| Construction Complete (ship) | LOW | Commission, assign to fleet, give orders |
| Mineral Depletion (other) | LOW | Note for long-term planning |
| Commander Promotion | LOW | Review assignments if skills improved significantly |
References
\hypertarget{ref-img-event-1}{[1]}. Aurora C# game interface – Event Log window layout verified against v2.7.1 game client. Event categories, colour coding, and interrupt/auto-turn functionality.
Related Sections
- Section 3.1 Main Window – Time controls, interrupt mechanics, colour import/export
- Section 3.2 System Map – Events displayed on the tactical map, double-click centering
- Section 3.4 Event Log – Full documentation of event types, filtering, and event-driven gameplay
- Section 11.1 Thermal and EM Signatures – Contact detection events and sensor mechanics
- Section 12.1 Fire Controls – Combat event resolution and damage reports
- Section 7.1 Technology Tree – Research completion events