Orbital Margins: di...
 
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To all SSC Station occupants

Thank you for the donations over the past year (2024), it is much appreciated. I am still trying to figure out how to migrate the forums to another community software (probably phpbb) but in the meantime I have updated the forum software to the latest version. SSC has been around a while so their is some very long time members here still using the site, thanks for making SSC home and sorry I haven't been as vocal as I should be in the forums I will try to improve my posting frequency.

Thank you again to all of the members that do take the time to donate a little, it helps keep this station functioning on the outer reaches of space.

-D1-

Orbital Margins: dicerolling small-business rpg in a hard-scifi setting

(@thebob)
Trusted Member

Orbital Margins is a character-driven small-business dicerolling RPG that puts you into the shoes of an independent spacecraft operator in cis-lunar space of a potential mid-future. Try to survive in the margins of a merciless orbital economy where your most dangerous enemies are propellant costs, docking fees and customs clerks that are having a bad day.

The game is free to download from itch (no account required either):

https://randomactsofconstruction.itch.io/orbital-margins




The game is currently in early alpha stage and is missing quite a lot of things (most notably long-term goals and progression systems). What it does have right now is a core loop that might engage you for a couple of hours (or see you go bankrupt or lost in space a lot faster), a cool UI, some sound and music, and a tutorial to introduce the basic concepts of the game.

At the moment I'm mostly looking for feedback, which it turns out is really hard to get on game prototypes these days. If you play the game for a bit, please consider leaving a feedback on your experience either on itch or right here. I would highly appreciate it!

While updates are not entirely regular, I do post to the devlog every month to keep people informed about where development is headed:

https://randomactsofconstruction.itch.io/orbital-margins/devlog/767302/state-vector-july-24

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Topic starter Posted : August 3, 2024 05:45
(@thebob)
Trusted Member

Minor update with a couple of fixes this month, while I'm working on some chunkier mechanics:

https://randomactsofconstruction.itch.io/orbital-margins/devlog/788683/patch-notes-091

I'm talking a bit about what I'm working on in the new devlog, as well as about crickets...

https://randomactsofconstruction.itch.io/orbital-margins/devlog/788070/state-vector-august-24

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Topic starter Posted : August 26, 2024 17:23
(@thebob)
Trusted Member

It's been a while, but it's finally here: The new major feature changing a lot of the early game, and the first actual progression system. Now you'll have to build your network of business contacts to get good jobs, but maintaining good relations with them will also have other long-term benefits, making some things easier.
Expression is now finally a truly useful attribute. Quite a powerful one, actually, allowig you to build relations with contacts much, much quicker than the stick jockeys that think the business is just about flying spacecraft.
Just don't get cockey. Flying a spacecraft *is* still very much part of the business, and those that don't do it right will find that running out of remass is not economical at all...

download here (no account required), or through your itch app.

Patch notes:

https://randomactsofconstruction.itch.io/orbital-margins/devlog/832253/patch-notes-0100

More musings about the slight delay in development, the challenges, and the new feature:

https://randomactsofconstruction.itch.io/orbital-margins/devlog/831628/state-vector-november-2024

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Topic starter Posted : November 11, 2024 18:26
Pinback reacted
(@thebob)
Trusted Member

Devlog for december is up, revealing some of the struggles I'm having with getting orbital mechanics into the game. No actual update to the game yet I'm afraid, and probably not next month either.

https://randomactsofconstruction.itch.io/orbital-margins/devlog/857103/state-vector-december-24

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Topic starter Posted : December 27, 2024 14:57
(@thebob)
Trusted Member

A bit of info on the games background story and general philosophy behind its design, and some words on how the integration of orbital mechanics is going:

https://randomactsofconstruction.itch.io/orbital-margins/devlog/876022/state-vector-january-25

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Topic starter Posted : January 30, 2025 14:43
CaptainKal reacted