1. Live Servers Only

No Solo mode. No hiding. The galaxy is dangerous because of both NPCs and other commanders. If someone wants to pirate me for four tonnes of biowaste, so be it.

2. Survivor’s Permadeath Rule

Every ship matters. If the ship I’m piloting is destroyed, that vessel is permanently gone — no insurance rebuys allowed. If I own another ship, I can continue the diary from there. But if it was my only ship? That’s it. True Game Over, commander lost.

This keeps the tension high: every trip could kill not just a ship, but potentially the whole run.

3. The Ship Graveyard

Every lost ship gets recorded — name, cause of death, and lifespan — and ceremonially mocked in the diary. Think of it as the cosmic equivalent of my blog’s Graveyard, but for unlucky spaceships.

4. Fragile Commander Rule (Odyssey Only)

Once Odyssey comes into play, on-foot survival matters too. If my commander suffocates, gets shot, or otherwise faceplants into permadeath territory, all gear is considered lost. A new suit must be purchased, and the diary will note the “clone replacement.”

5. No Reloads, No Do-Overs

What happens in a session stays. Docking crashes, pirate ambushes, fuel starvation — if it kills me, it counts. The rebuy screen is ignored, and the diary moves on with whatever chaos remains.

6. The Naming Convention Rule

Every ship and SRV must have a name, and the name must reflect its role, my misplaced confidence, or the disaster waiting to happen. Disposable Mistake, Rock Biter, Cargo Cult — all fair game. If a ship dies, its replacement earns either a new moniker or a “Mk. II” tag of shame.

7. Endgame Condition

Survival continues until one of two fates:

• I achieve a long-term milestone (Colonia, Sagittarius A*, etc.), proving that chaos can travel far.
• Or I lose everything — all ships, all credits, all hope. True permadeath, diary closed.

Why Play This Way?

Because Elite Dangerous is a survival game hiding inside a space sim. Without consequences, a Sidewinder crash is just a shrug and a rebuy. With these rules, every undock, every fuel scoop, and every pirate encounter is a life-or-death diary entry. And honestly? That’s far more fun.