Science of the Spheres - development

[cantab]

IANAL, but a nickname isn't likely to be copyrightable. Though it may be trademarked, and other legal issues may arise if the intent or effect is to impersonate someone else.

[The Destroyer]

Don't worry, it's just "Novahsilisko". But I do wonder what that game is, looks fun.

I said it, altitude it's a little game with tons of fun game modes. It recently went free. And by free I mean FREE. No microtransactions, no other bs, no ads, no waiting times. Really free.

[NovaSilisko]

Spec maps are fun:

[Daishi]

Spec maps are fun:

http://i.imgur.com/8IEimAu.png

Oh, shiny. Looks like pretty thick steel, what's inside?

[NovaSilisko]

Oh, shiny. Looks like pretty thick steel, what's inside?

Space. Lots of it

[NovaSilisko]

Primary control console. I am thinking there will be two modes of UI for the game. The first will be the UI shown a while ago, a traditional 2d overlay of a game screen. The second however will be a "you're literally sitting in front of a console" view, very much like KSP's IVA. All the buttons will have physical equivalents there, the joysticks will move as you maneuver the craft, etc. Double-clicking on the main monitor will turn it into a fullscreen view (like you're sticking your face right in it), for screenshots or if you just want to see more detail.

Opinions on a UI with sound? I've always felt more games need interfaces that have some nice clicky clacky noises as you hit buttons. Makes it feel a lot more real.

[vexx32]

As long as you have appropriate-sounding click noises for different styles of buttons, that would work pretty well. I've always found it an annoyance where games use the same sound or same set of sounds for every button press in the game.

[NovaSilisko]

As long as you have appropriate-sounding click noises for different styles of buttons, that would work pretty well. I've always found it an annoyance where games use the same sound or same set of sounds for every button press in the game.

Oh, definitely. I have enough gizmos around to acquire sounds for buttons of all types and sizes. Trying to figure out where I can put some toggle switches on the control panel as well, because toggle switches are highly enjoyable.

[Dodgey]

I see insane hardware setups in the future.

[NovaSilisko]

I see insane hardware setups in the future.

I would be so happy if someone made a simpit based on however the final console turns out...

[Souper]

Is interstellar travel implemented yet? I'd like to try it out, everytime i do it in the current alpha build it goes nowhere, and my lander becomes unstable (it rips itself apart)

Is this a bug?

Edited September 13, 2014 by Souper

[NovaSilisko]

Is interstellar travel implemented yet? I'd like to try it out, everytime i do it in the current alpha build it goes nowhere, and my lander becomes unstable (it rips itself apart)

Is this a bug?

Well, interstellar travel is implemented in the current version of the game, which the version you played has utterly no relation to. The prototype zero released a while ago can't even really be considered an alpha. It's just, well, a prototype. One system, pre-made planets, basic control systems, etc. No really connection to the final game beyond the most basic concepts.

That prototype rips you apart when you fly far away because it uses the default unity physics system, which hits floating point issues at such a distance. Our physics system uses double precision, and is accurate to something like several millimeters at Pluto's orbital distance. The whole tiny galaxy can exist at 1:1 scale in the physics engine with no problems. We have to offset the visual aspects of the objects though, since we can't override Unity's unfortunate love of floating point coordinates.

Edited September 13, 2014 by NovaSilisko

[NovaSilisko]

Made a very basic implementation of the control panel. No interactivity right now

And a gif of looking around it, plays a lot faster than real speed for some reason...

Edited September 14, 2014 by NovaSilisko

[Kinglet]

Made a very basic implementation of the control panel. No interactivity right now

http://i.imgur.com/tBoBTs9.png

And a gif of looking around it, plays a lot faster than real speed for some reason...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/575558/SotS/lookaround.gif

Will there be the screen lines effect on the console screen? It looks kind of unrealistic without one.

[Souper]

When shall we be sending MANNED missions to the Microverse?

[Whirligig Girl]

When shall we be sending MANNED missions to the Microverse?

Manned missions will be more of an afterthought, though Nova said he'd like to do it.

[NovaSilisko]

Manned missions will be more of an afterthought, though Nova said he'd like to do it.

Starting to wonder if it shouldn't be an afterthought after all. It's mostly a matter of making a character controller that works well enough in the environments provided, as well as the models needed. Making man-capable spacecraft would just require some manner of harness or seat, and could utilize the same construction methods as other things. Pressurized vehicles are a different matter, not sure how those would work, but I also don't know if they'd even be terribly necessary given the small distances you'll usually be traveling.

[NovaSilisko]

More fiddling with the UI

I made the toggle switches for the mini screens and the HUD work, too.

[Souper]

Will there be a monetary / science / rep system like in KSP? I'd LOVE to manage something like that.

[NovaSilisko]

Will there be a monetary / science / rep system like in KSP? I'd LOVE to manage something like that.

It'll mostly be money, with reputation on individual suppliers. Only a little bit of proper research for new parts is really needed, mostly for creating stuff that you can't really buy (microverse-capable solar panels, harpoon guns, etc). Everything else will be acquired from shady suppliers, who generally require an "admission fee" for you to be able to start buying their stuff.

Science will be handled in an "information-based" way. You conduct experiments and make observations, and your science teams bring up hypotheses based on those observations. Those in turn will have recommended experiments and observations to conduct to either help prove or disprove that hypothesis. Over time, you develop a good picture of how things work.

You don't necessarily have to even do any science in the course of a normal game, if you don't want to. You can just focus on the moneymaking aspect and conduct mining operations and sell the resultant minerals, or even re-sell purchased materials for a profit as markets change, if you're really that bored.

[Souper]

Will you do anything to increase FPS? I find the current prototype to be inefficient and slow.

[NovaSilisko]

Will you do anything to increase FPS? I find the current prototype to be inefficient and slow.

Allow me to state again... the released prototype has next to no link to the present in-development version of the game. It is old, slow, and inefficient, and simply serves to demonstrate the basic gameplay concepts. No other aspect can really be considered relevant.

[Souper]

Questions:

Will the final product be free?

If not, how much will it cost?

Not to ask for a release date, but how fast is the production going?

Will you be able to build your spacecraft like in KSP?

---

Suggestions:

Navball thingy for maneuvers

Explosions

Saving / "quicksaving"

Weapons (we don't exactly want those cube guys attacking our spacecraft, do we?)

Alien civilizations

[NovaSilisko]

Questions:

Will the final product be free?

If not, how much will it cost?

Not to ask for a release date, but how fast is the production going?

Will you be able to build your spacecraft like in KSP?

---

Suggestions:

Navball thingy for maneuvers

Explosions

Saving / "quicksaving"

Weapons (we don't exactly want those cube guys attacking our spacecraft, do we?)

Alien civilizations

Most of these have been answered at various places in the thread, but for quick direct answers...

Questions:

Will the final product be free?- No, but there will be a demo. That'll be the first part of the game released.

If not, how much will it cost?- Not decided yet. Probably in the 20 dollar range for the final version.

Not to ask for a release date, but how fast is the production going?- Slow to fast, depending on the day.

Will you be able to build your spacecraft like in KSP?- Yes. It will involve some more micromanagement though, you will need to place individual RCS thrusters, flight computers, make sure fuel sources are connected properly, etc.

---

Suggestions:

Navball thingy for maneuvers- Already done, in the form of a fighter jet esque HUD.

Explosions- Numerous.

Saving / "quicksaving"- Absolutely. Also could be turned off if that's desired.

Weapons (we don't exactly want those cube guys attacking our spacecraft, do we?)- There might be some simple handheld weaponry for manned expeditions, given that it's the player themselves venturing out there, and dying would result in issues.

Alien civilizations- Nope. Absolutely none. No indication of any sort of civilization whatsoever. Definitely not...

[Whirligig Girl]

Alien civilizations- Nope. Absolutely none. No indication of any sort of civilization whatsoever. Definitely not...

Let me guess... Sarcasm? IS THAT WHAT THAT CONCEPT ART OF SPACEBUILDINGTHING IS?