Pete and I have begun making a galactic sailing game that might one day be comparable to a combination of oregon trail and Gran Turismo 3. I’ve actually already been working on this sporadically for about a year because I’m a nerd, and sometimes I just make useless simulations of space. Regardless, this game project is now underway – with more definition – and a unique scope\niche, thanks to pete’s encouragement.
So. These are some rendered point clouds showing stars in our made-up galaxy. One interesting thing is that galaxies, in the real world, are relatively flat, so modelling one might, at times, turn out to be a 2D affair. These point clouds represent 3D data, but in terms of defining space – the regions containing the stars – I haven’t really decided on a data structure or model. This is probably important, because based on your position in the galaxy, flight dynamics of an interstellar ship will likely be entirely driven by the (however faint) forces \ physics associated with nearby stars & the (although very low density) – material composition of the space you are flying through.
next I’ll probably move on to solar systems. all of this is a rough draft, but it seems important to rough out each granularity level of this simulation. Most of this world will be automatically generated, but I’m making sure to riddle the code with careless deviations from science – e.g. allowing a comet filled with only rabbits and lesser beasts/bugs/plants to exist.
Also, I’ll probably update this on sundays, since that’s also when I update morningfeathers.com.
