ExperienceLike many other RPG style games, SEI uses Experience Points (EXP) to control how effective a player is in combat and other aspects of the game.
Your Player Level is related to your EXP on a curve (You need more EXP to gain each additional level). Your next level is gained when you reach the EXP determined from this equation:
6000 * [Current Player Level]^3In order to gain certain advantages in the game it is important to reach a decent level in SEI. However, SEI is also setup to allow a player to play at a low level relatively competitively.
Almost all actions in game add to your EXP. Chief among these are
Trading and Gathering.
Level BenefitsEach level your player progresses you gain additional abilities, mainly in combat. Currently each level will add to your Maneuverability and Artificial Intelligence during combat. This allows you to dodge shots from lower level players easier as well as hit ships easier. If players are at an equal level, this affect is almost void. Lvl 1 vs Lvl 1 = almost no advantage, however Lvl 12 vs Lvl 1 is a significant advantage (The exact equations on what benefits you gain in combat are currently private).
Your player level may also affect the ability of certain equipment (specifically Cloaking Devices) to perform at higher rates than at your base level.