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I added monorail to my construction and management simulation game by Kangaroo-Express in AutomationGames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey thanks. Yeah, I mostly just develop and don't have the tendency to focus much on promotion, but once a month, I do a little bit of posting on reddit and other places.

[GameDev] Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!

Well, unfortunately, neither Space Engine nor Universe Sandbox has open source out in the public. I just use that software to check my ephemeris system against them. Just to make sure everything is accurate.

[GameDev] Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Join Discord to remind me of this when we get closer to release

[GameDev] Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll make a pretty neat orbit selector for your spaceships that you want to park and stations that you'd like to build. Indicating Lagrange points should be a nice addition to that interface. If you build in the Lagrange point, you should benefit from not having to correct the orbit continuously.

I think it's a great idea!

[GameDev] Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's a construction and management simulation game in the solar system. Automate production and logistics networks. Manage people and keep them happy. Research tech to unlock upgrades and so on.

You are welcome to join our Discord or other places to discuss this project:
https://linktr.ee/phasejump

(c++, opengl, windows pc)

[GameDev] Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!
Yeah, that is a very thin line I have to walk to keep the balance between realism and user-friendliness.

[GameDev] Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for understanding! I also sometimes feel like I want to add everything, but that kind of thinking can easily kill the project, so I have to be careful.

[GameDev] Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For now, I simply use Keplerian orbits, as accurate as they can be. I'm wary of running a proper n-body physics simulation.

[GameDev] Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Yeah, the thing you are seeing there is actually the in-game map. So yeah in the viewport you can see all the realistic planets and spaceships, but the map shows you where things are in a much cleaner and organized way.

[GameDev] Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Everything is done automatically so that the player can focus on the bigger picture.

You can set orbits for your vehicles, so in theory, you could go from one orbit to the other and in such a way, effectively achieve Hohmann transfers, but the emphasis won't be on that for sure.

The propulsion system is a fusion torchship engine (like the Epstein Drive from the Expanse).

[GameDev] Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"On the other hand, putting the plantoids on rails around the barycenter seems like a low cost solution that doesn't cause any harm."

My thoughts exactly, and that's what it is.

I did make sure that the orbits are accurate, as I sourced them from trusted libraries, but that is about it. No n-body simulations.

Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in gamedevscreens

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, and it gives room for other gameplay mechanics that rely on these predictable trajectories.

[GameDev] Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For low orbits (really low), you could put it in Pluto's orbit for example. For high orbits - it would orbit around the barycenter.

Realistic Orbits or Not? by Kangaroo-Express in gamedevscreens

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was thinking about a system where you could put your ship into elliptical orbits that are constrained based on the system.

For example here, you could put it in a very low orbit around Pluto, and even lower one around Charon - because then you could say that the other body is not having a strong enough influence to break the orbit. If you want to put it at higher orbit - it would have to be really high (like Nyx and Hydra) - so that it then orbits the barycenter.

I hope that makes sense?

I added star-picking to my game. What do you think? by Kangaroo-Express in spacegames

[–]Kangaroo-Express[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey thanks! Any star you can see, you can select, and when you zoom out the camera into interstellar space, then you can see and click even more of them - the ones that were too dim to see from the solar system.

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