Draft:Spaceflight Simulator
| Spaceflight Simulator | |
|---|---|
 Logo since Update 1.5 | |
| Publisher(s) | Štefo Mai Morojna |
| Programmer(s) | Štefo Mai Morojna, Jordi van der Molen, Chris Christo, Aidan Ginise, Andrey Onischenko |
| Composer(s) | Davi Vasc, Ashton Mills |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | iOS, iPadOS
|
| Genre(s) | Space flight simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Spaceflight Simulator is a 2D space flight simulation video game developed and published by Štefo Mai Morojna for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. In the game, players build rockets to explore different planets. The game features a realistic orbital physics engine, allowing for various real-life orbital maneuvers such as Hohmann transfer orbits and bi-elliptic transfer orbits. As of May 2024, the game has more than 10 million downloads on Google Play.[1]
The game features a 1:20 scale of the Solar System, which includes the Sun, the inner planets and their satellites. There is a DLC that adds Jupiter and the Galilean moons. The game also supports adding modded planets and parts, with mods for the PC version only.[2]
On June 5th and 6th, 2020, the 1.5 Foundation Update was released, reworking the base of the game, and allowing more content to be added in the future. There are no plans to release on Xbox and Playstation, but the developer has said that they will bring it to the Nintendo Switch in the future.[2]
Gameplay
Main Menu
The player loads into the game seeing the main menu, which includes the options to view credits, community, settings, DLC, and choosing worlds. The player can make a world by creating one, and choosing the world name and the solar system. On PC, difficulties go from Easy (1:20 scale), Hard (1:10 scale), and Realistic (1:1 scale). The only available mode is Classic, but Career and Sandbox will be available in the future. [citation needed]
Build Menu
The build menu has parts that can be dragged into the build area. With the help of the symmetry option (below the staging button), players can build rockets with ease. Parts that can be used to build the rocket are split into 10 categories, listed as Basics, 6 Wide, 8 Wide, 10 Wide, 12 Wide, Engines, Aerodynamics, Fairings, Structural, and Other. Players can set up staging by clicking the staging button (below the parts selection), and manually choose how their rocket stages. The interior view option (below the symmetry button) allows the player to view their rocket either with or without the fairing covering.
The menu option allows the player to save or load their rocket at a "blueprint," and can save up to an unlimited amount. In the blueprint menu, players can delete, rename, import, or load their creations. Other options include being able to move the rocket, clear the build screen, load example rockets that are pre-made, cheats, and settings, among a few other options. After the player has built their rocket, they can launch it by clicking the launch button, although a warning will pop up if you don't have a control part, heat shield, and/or a Thrust to Weight Ratio (TWR) of more than 1.0.
Launching
When the player loads into the game, they start on the launch pad on Earth, which is a green ball orbiting the Sun. The player can activate and deactivate parts by clicking on the part itself, such as Engines and Reaction Control Systems (RCS). The UI depends on whether the game is on mobile or PC, as the throttle is controlled by the interface on the right side of the screen (Shift, left ctrl, and X/Z on PC), staging by clicking the button below the throttle (Enter), maneuver buttons (Q/E, W/A/S/D for RCS), the on/off for engines (spacebar), and time warp (, or .). The map can be accessed by the map button (M), and shows every object the player has launched, celestial objects, atmospheres, orbits, and object names.
The player can seamlessly switch objects by clicking on them, and "switch to," along with targeting, focusing, and renaming controllable objects. The map can be zoomed out as large as the furthest object is in the game save, in which the time warp also depends on the furthest object. The player can also access the game menu from here.
The player can, from here, launch their rocket into orbit, and can decide to do about anything they can think of. A few options include:
- Building a Space Station around any object,
- Orbit satellites and land rovers,
- Send a crewed mission to any object and return them to Earth,
- Build a surface base.
There are three video tutorials to help the player, along with the in-game tutorial.[3]
Development
Versions
The game was created by Štefo Mai Morojna as a job application for the development team of Kerbal Space Program, which was declined.[4]
Štefo teased an upcoming water update and astronauts, although As of 2024, there has been no conformation of any updates.
| Version no. | Release Date | Changelogs |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 30/11/2017 | Initial public release |
| 1.1 | Reworked building
Added new parts Bigger build space | |
| 1.3 | Improved building | |
| 1.31 | Added wheel
Added a docking tutorial | |
| 1.35 | Added electrical parts and rocket sharing (Later removed)
Added fuel transfering | |
| 1.4 | Adaptable tanks and fairings | |
| 1.5 Foundation Update | Added worlds and custom solar systems
Graphical changes | |
| 1.52 | Improved staging
Add rocket naming Allowed movement of multiple parts at once | |
| 1.5.3 | Added heat damage and reentry effects
Added physics time warp | |
| 1.5.4 Infinite Build Area Update | 2022 | Added Infinite Build Area DLC |
| 1.5.4.3 | 2022 | Added clipping cheat
Engines are now affected by heat damage |
| 1.5.6 | 2022 | Added space centre |
| 1.5.8 | 2023 | Added Redstone-Atlas DLC |
| 1.5.9 | 2023 | Added docking assist
Added round fairings |
| 1.5.10 | June 2023 | Added challenge and hard modes
Added captured asteroid |
See also
- Space flight simulation game(genre)
- List of Spaceflight Simulation Games
- Kerbal Space Program
- Kerbal Space Program 2
References
- ^ "spaceflight simulator - Android Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ a b Shadow, Gray. "Spaceflight Simulator Touches Down on Steam Early Access Jan. 25". Noobfeed. Adam Siddiqui. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ "Spaceflight Simulator Preview". Thumb Culture. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ Rivera, C. Anthony (12 October 2021). "Spaceflight Simulator Travels Between the Stars Next Year in Early Access". The Nerd Stash. Retrieved 8 September 2022.