SpaceSimCentral

Hello, this looking more a more like a really interesting game. But I have have a short question. Will this game be open for modification or plugins? I'm asking because I have some extensive experience with creating hard sci fi modding for KSP called KSPIE and would like to put my teeth into this game as well.

Posted by: @d-c-elington
I think that for the sake of simplicity we'll go with strikingly human-like beings

That is probably wise - lore can become complicated.

@freethinker Oh sorry I missed your post!
About modding the honest answer is that I'll look into this and other additional features after the initial release. For the anecdote I was just answering a comment on YouTube telling me I should publish the contraption "as is" in case I should unexpectedly die But as a matter of fact I'm trying to keep the scope in firm check and get the game out ASAP even if there's still quite some work in the todo list.

Hello SSC,
Here's the quarterly dev report. That one is about maintenance as parts can now be serviced and replaced. Keeping the ship in good shape and at reasonable cost should hopefully provide some persistent gameplay objectives, and to be factored in during missions. That could mean choosing specific routes to be able to stop at high-tech shipyards, or be prepared to deal with some failing parts if overextending the flight times etc...
Here's the vid:

Following this the next item in the todo list is the front section and life support. However I don't want to gratuitously add complex systems with no attached "gameplay sliders" to fiddle with. So that will certainly include some abstract model for the crew.

Safe stars!

Awesome stuff, DC!

@cody Thank you Sir!

 Great work as always DC
You mentioned in the video that a high tec component can be manufactured at a low tec station but will not work properly, will the crew on the ship be able to do the same thing or jury rig parts together in case the ship is long way out from any stations.

Hello @pinback
Yes I think that the mechanism can be applied to a repair drone that would have a limited "tech-level" and "maintenance output". And so jury rigging in deep-space would take time but that's generally not a problem in the game with the long coasting legs. Also simple parts such as valves would be properly repaired. With high tech equipment the implemented mechanism supposes that the technical characteristics are restored (part working fully again) but that the life expectancy is severely reduced in the process, making the repairs in effect only temporary (the amount of degradation depends on the initial damage and tech-level differential). Such a drone would also carry a limited amount of repair material, so with a maximum number of "servicing hours" in reserve.
Beyond the new set of buttons to press in the right order the expectation is that this maintenance system will provide some proper gameplay actually: taking a longer route to stop at a proper shipyard, choosing to delay some repairs to go for a time critical mission at the risk of in flight failures etc. In the same vein that jury-rigging option would cost one heavy-duty drone slot to begin with (out of 3), and as described would essentially destroy shiny parts just to make them last a few hours!

Hello SSC,
Sorry for the long radio silence, I've been working on the ship's front section and life support systems, and I had not anticipated this would be so complicated. Also as the dev goes each new part model needs to interface with more and more systems (controllers, diagnostic, maintenance...) and that does not help. So the work is still in progress but here's the dev log vid:



Regarding gameplay the feature adds another set of systems to properly configure and maintain. However that still felt a bit gratuitous compared to the main engine which shares the same level of detail... but produces the ship's motion. So more info when that's implemented but the idea is that properly managing the crew and the life support systems will maximize the career progression rewards, and also provide some kind of training points to unlock specific missions or equipment, and also to use in non-technical interactions (typically with NPCs).

Fly safe

Hello DC - ça va?

Hello @Cody Happily adding new parts to the contraption thanks!

Looking good DC just as a rough estimate how much would you say still has to be done. 

Hello @pinback.
Right after the life support systems I'll start working on the gamification layer. So over a year or so the game should evolve toward a space trucking sim with a very heavy emphasis on the ship and systems. Then the matter will be to add the necessary elements to make it the intended "space police" game. However I'm definitely planning on working on the project after the initial release so that could mean adding the most complex features of space warfare later. TBD!

Am I really seeing this?! This is exactly how I imagined the spaceships of the future! Nothing is missing, it seems

Posted by: @spaceship-buran
Am I really seeing this?

Yep... good, ain't it!

@spaceship-buran Thanks, whenever applicable I'm trying to use IRL tech as a reference... Well... conveniently forgetting about the nasty real physics implementation details and dividing the equipment mass by 1000 ! ‍ 

Hello SSC,
I hope everyone's fine, back to the station for the quarterly dev report! After dealing with the atmosphere control systems this update is about the crew itself. Basically it's based on a model of the metabolism (had to take a "Physiology for Dummies" crash course on that one ^^) with a little "Sims" layer on top for the long term endurance.

The following objective is to complete the rest of the life support equipment (notably the part about the ionizing radiations model) before moving to the fancy stuff at long last!
Fly Safe!

Hey DC - good to see you! Posted by: @d-c-elington
"Physiology for Dummies"

Crikey!

That looks like some complex crew simulation going on their and I don't think I have seen anything like it before in this type of game.

Hello Captain @cody Yes nothing that complicated but I learned a thing or two on the run, about the "heat index" for instance (that's the relative humidity affecting the rate of evaporation of the perspiration i.e. the efficiency of our cooling system).