Turns (also called ticks or energy in other games) are your action budget. Each turn lets you perform one task — building, researching, moving fleets, and more. Some tasks cost multiple turns.
Instead of waiting on other players or a timer, turns are given to you in advance. Unused turns are stored up to a cap, so you can log in at your own pace and spend them when you're ready.
This tells you how fast the galaxy runs. A shorter interval means faster gameplay — you need to log in more often and the round progresses quickly. A longer interval is more relaxed.
Turns accumulate up to a maximum. Slower servers have a higher cap so infrequent logins still feel productive. If your stored turns hit the ceiling, new turns are wasted — so check in before you hit the limit.
There are two game modes: turn-based and real-time. Both are the same game — the difference is pacing.
If you're new, start with a turn-based server. You can explore real-time once you're comfortable with the basics.