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Author Topic: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*  (Read 12688 times)

Matt

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Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« on: May 19, 2011, 04:43:49 AM »
Dear all,

I've just joined the forums and saw a brilliant idea from "Monkyman" about the use of using better textures for Spacecraft. While that would be a really nice new feature, with my idea I was wondering if we could put Spacecraft to some use other than just for general appeal.

My idea is similar to the "Light Pulse" feature already used in Universe Sandbox, but instead we have another options feature next to it, which saids "Launch Spacecraft"

This brings up a new options menu where the user/player can select,
  • What type of launch vehicle he wishes to launch (Examples: Saturn V or Space Shuttle) Each launch vehicle would have different properties, (Examples: Weight, Speed, Thrust, Fuel)
  • Destination, (Optional: Return) the user/player selects what the spacecraft is aiming for and if he/she also selects "Return" once the Spacecraft has reached it's destination it will then return to the planet from which it was launched. (So the user/player could re-create the famous moon landings)
  • Launch Button, clicking the "Launch Button" would launch the spacecraft from that planet towards it's destination

Once launched the spacecraft would have it's own sub-menu in the GUI showing the time (days, hours, years etc...) in which it will reach it's target. If the player has selected "return" then it will show how long until it returns to the planet from which it was launched.
It will also show forces which are currently having an effect on the spacecraft (Example: Gravity), Fuel that it is using, how much Thrust it is producing, Speed in which the spacecraft is at and its current x,y,z axis in space.

But,
There would be some draw backs to launching a spacecraft, examples are,
  • If an explosion happens near by and your spacecraft is too close, there would be a chance that the spacecraft explodes.
  • If the spacecraft is hit by a comet/asteroid, the spacecraft would explode.
  • If the spacecraft get's too close to another planet there is a chance that the spacecraft will be pulled by the gravitational pull of that planet (depending on the plants gravity force) (Example: If the spacecraft gets close to the planet: Jupiter, which has a high gravity force, the spacecraft may be pulled into that planet, or if it passes by a smaller planet: Neptune, which has a medium gravity force, the spacecraft may be pulled into an orbit around that planet.

Other features which a user/player could do is make a "Custom Spacecraft" in which he/she sets how fast the spacecraft goes, how much fuel it has on board, whether it gets effected by gravitational forces etc...

Well that's my idea for you, and while it may sound very complex and Dan has probably just had a heart attack after reading it. :P I don't mean for it to be that way. I just thought my idea would be a great learning tool for people who wish to see how long it would take to get Saturn V from Earth to the Moon, or Earth to Neptune etc..

I hope you like my idea and any feedback good or bad is welcome. Also first post in the forums, hope to be active around here and support Universe Sandbox is as many ways I can, can't get enough of it! :)

See you around,

Matt

« Last Edit: May 19, 2011, 04:50:14 AM by Matt »

ChemicalBR0

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2011, 06:18:33 AM »
that would be awesome .

FiahOwl

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2011, 11:40:08 AM »
Awesome, Just Plain Epic. you should have a sattlite option too so ii could like launch HUBBLE into orbit or something-Or and actual Voyager

biggles1

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2011, 05:48:18 PM »
That would be epic, maybe also have some fictional spacecraft like USS enterprise? or something earth-related like an olympic runner, cheetah and fighter jet. To show how slow they all are in comparison over space-distances?

Darvince

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2011, 08:20:51 PM »
Hah, light pulse! I use that sometimes, and that doesn't sound like Light Pulse at all.

Maxpm

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2011, 08:29:54 PM »
Universe Sandbox is not a spaceflight simulator.  The logistics of getting spacecraft to reach their destinations are nontrivial; I recommend trying Orbiter if you want to try it out for yourself.

http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/

karakris

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2011, 05:52:44 AM »
That option would not help me and my "pirate gang" in 2137

Our "Spacecraft" are real Interstellar Ships - with very fast FTL Drives,
but manouverable In-System Drives as well.

We have finally got up to really big Ships - via ones 22 Km long,
we now have Ships 45 Km x 15Km.
These BIG ones and the BBs can only be launched or land on Asteroids, Moons or Orbital Bases / Shipyards.

We CAN use Uni Sands for modelling our Star Systems though, Star ( or Stars ), Planets, Moons.
Asteroid Belts are an absolute pain though - really.

Matt

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2011, 04:52:18 PM »
Hah, light pulse! I use that sometimes, and that doesn't sound like Light Pulse at all.

Light Pulse measures how fast light travels from a certain object to another, as said in the tutorial in the simulator. My idea is the same but instead it measures how long Spacecraft "A" would take to travel from one object to another depending on how fast the Spacecraft is going etc...

Quote
Universe Sandbox is not a spaceflight simulator.  The logistics of getting spacecraft to reach their destinations are nontrivial; I recommend trying Orbiter if you want to try it out for yourself.

http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/

I never said Universe Sandbox was a "spaceflight simulator". As I took it Universe Sandbox is known as a "Gravity Simulator" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe_Sandbox and in my idea I clearly said that Spacecraft would be affected by Gravity, as well as distancing distances between objects "A" and "B" and for showing the player the time it would take for that Spacecraft to reach it's destination like another feature already added into the simulator (Light Pulse).

Quote
That option would not help me and my "pirate gang" in 2137

Our "Spacecraft" are real Interstellar Ships - with very fast FTL Drives,
but manouverable In-System Drives as well.

We have finally got up to really big Ships - via ones 22 Km long,
we now have Ships 45 Km x 15Km.
These BIG ones and the BBs can only be launched or land on Asteroids, Moons or Orbital Bases / Shipyards.

We CAN use Uni Sands for modelling our Star Systems though, Star ( or Stars ), Planets, Moons.
Asteroid Belts are an absolute pain though - really.

That was more confusing to understand than learning about Einstein's E = mc2 method. I'm not sure whether your giving an idea, or being sarcastic.

Other than that, thanks to the feeback, good or bad doesn't matter, all feedback is "good". While I agree my idea does go against the "norm" of this simulator, I thought my idea would add a little bit of fun into it, while adding that extra science also, as i'm not sure about others, but I for one love learning about spaceflight, distances, time and gravity. When you have a good platform as Universe Sandbox with it's already brilliant physics, adding something as in spacecraft's would be a major positive in my eyes, but that is just my opinion and I know people don't always share the same idea. :P

Matt
« Last Edit: May 31, 2011, 04:58:43 PM by Matt »

karakris

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2011, 08:03:14 AM »
Oh - Sorry Matt.  No Sarcasm intended.

What I described is "real" - it is what is happening in a Sci Fi Gme which started in January, and which I became the G.M. of in late March.
It is a Play-By-Post Game on another Site, quite an intense Game - started in 2130, now 2137.
There were six Players originally - went down to 4 - now up to to a total of 16 Players.

So - we have "normal" FTL Drives at 100,000 times the Speed of Light, don't ask about the Physics, it IS Sci Fi after all.  We can get across the Galaxy in feasible time.
We also have the Z-Drive in addtion, one way only ( there or back ), at 10,000,000 times the Speed of Light.  It has been used twice as a "getaway" or escape Drive - to get back from Hostile Systems.  It is also impossible to trace, another advantage for a "getaway" Drive.

Matt

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2011, 03:42:17 AM »
Oh - Sorry Matt.  No Sarcasm intended.

What I described is "real" - it is what is happening in a Sci Fi Gme which started in January, and which I became the G.M. of in late March.
It is a Play-By-Post Game on another Site, quite an intense Game - started in 2130, now 2137.
There were six Players originally - went down to 4 - now up to to a total of 16 Players.

So - we have "normal" FTL Drives at 100,000 times the Speed of Light, don't ask about the Physics, it IS Sci Fi after all.  We can get across the Galaxy in feasible time.
We also have the Z-Drive in addtion, one way only ( there or back ), at 10,000,000 times the Speed of Light.  It has been used twice as a "getaway" or escape Drive - to get back from Hostile Systems.  It is also impossible to trace, another advantage for a "getaway" Drive.

Hey Karakris,

Thanks for clearing that up for me, it's mainly my fault, when I was writing my reply it was 1:00am in the morning and I was just baffled about what you where saying (as I didn't know until now) what you meant. Sorry if I seemed a little rude, didn't mean to, I was just doing a little joke :P

Thanks for your input anyways :) reading over your reply again, does seem interesting, may look further into it! :)

Take care,

Matt

jgold98

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2011, 06:29:23 AM »
PERFECT

Quontex

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #11 on: June 13, 2011, 07:17:03 AM »
One Word, Epic

Dan Dixon

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #12 on: June 13, 2011, 03:52:28 PM »
Spacecraft has been mentioned before, but it's always interesting to get different takes and impression on a similar idea.

If you're interesting in spaceflight, 'Orbiter' is definitely worth checking out, but the learning curve is very steep.
http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/

Be sure to check out 'Go Play in Space' for a very helpful guide to getting started:
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/tutorials.php

Matt

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #13 on: June 21, 2011, 06:50:26 AM »
Spacecraft has been mentioned before, but it's always interesting to get different takes and impression on a similar idea.

If you're interesting in spaceflight, 'Orbiter' is definitely worth checking out, but the learning curve is very steep.
http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/

Be sure to check out 'Go Play in Space' for a very helpful guide to getting started:
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/tutorials.php


Hey Dan,

Thank you for taking the time to read my thread, and giving feedback on it. I must give my two cents in saying you have created a simply stunning simulator and I wish you all the best and hope Universe Sandbox grows bigger and bigger!

I have played Orbiter and while it is indeed fun, I just feel that having spacecraft in Universe Sandbox would add greater appeal to the overall simulation and giving a player a greater feeling of how big Space really is. I may give Orbiter another go and see whether it has the same effect that I want placed in Universe Sandbox. Last time I played I did overlook certain features, so I may have been mistaken on how good Orbiter actually is!

To everyone else, thank you for all your feedback, good or bad is all "good" feedback.  :)

I leave my idea with Dan, after all it is his simulator :P, whether or not spacecraft are added into the simulator, i'll carry on playing and enjoying Universe Sandbox for many months and years to come!

Matt

Dan Dixon

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Re: Better Spacecraft *My Idea*
« Reply #14 on: June 24, 2011, 02:47:09 PM »
You're welcome. Thanks for the ideas.

Again... Orbiter is very technically impressive, but hard to use (I, admittedly, struggle with its complexity).

I realize progress may seem to have slowed since the Steam release, but I assure you there are some awesome things to come.

In short... I will likely be taking a few months to make some major internal changes to the code that need to keep moving forward and to prepare the simulation for the ideas I want to develop over the next few years.