Update#56 : Getting Better

I just thought I'd note that I'm feeling better; well enough at least to get back to work here.

Currently collecting planet info stats into a tidy 'package' to prepare it for database insertion. This will be followed by moons, and then a general test of the system; if it seems to work well, then I'll expand it to be able to make asteroid fields and 'large' moons.

Update#55 : Coughing, Sneezing, Everything

I WAS going to have all the coding done for the generation of whole solar systems. Enough to move on to start designing players assets... but it seems that the greater powers are really set to stress my resolve and budget. I have been stricken with a powerful cold these past few days, and don't know when it will let up. Basically, I'm being set back by another week. Why do I seem to get set back by whole weeks?

Also, I've currently decided that there will not be any upkeep cost for the 'volatiles' resource for cities or anything else... if I change my mind on that, it's because I'll have changed my mind on whether ships have limited or unlimited ammunition, food, fuel... and basically logistics would become a huge factor.

IF my mind ever changed on that, it would be after watching the beta play for a while and seeing the big forces steamroll too easily and often over the smaller empires, and needing something to keep them in check. I'm currently hoping that the upkeep system I have planned will do well enough of that.

Update#54 : Concepts, Completion

To the extent of my imagination thus far, I've now completely planned out the design of planets, moons and asteroids. Next up is the implementation, but that will be relatively easy.

With the real universe as a base model, I've set orbiting bodies in my UNIVERSE to move 4x faster than their equivalent would in reality; just so we can appreciate the motion of slower-moving bodies. I might slow this down to 'real' speeds if some objects seem to be orbiting too quickly... it's an interesting universe out there that I've modeled after, and some things orbit really really fast! I haven't gotten to simulate yet what I'll end up with...

An extra little hope that I have with this game, will be to induce some new interest in astronomy with people who play the game. The other games tend to ignore how varied and interesting the universe out there can be... even with this I'm limiting how much variation I have, just for the sake of getting the game assembled and viewable within a 'reasonable' timeframe; if I went for any more detail, I would have to drop the game idea for a while and just make an astrophysics simulator!

I might start implementation tonight or tomorrow, I'm not sure which. I had a big buffet lunch with my grandpa for his 85th birthday, and I'm just... it's mid-afternoon and it's bed time, and I don't know if it will sto being bedtime at all today XD

Update#53 : Volatility

Just a quick addition and ammendment to the last post. There will be FOUR (4) material resources.

The main three are light metals, heavy metals, and precious minerals. The fourth and new material resource will be 'Volatile Compounds' which is basically all of the ices, water, acids, and other such stuff that makes chemistry possible and interesting. More importantly, it's also the main stuff that enables life to happen. I've been wanting to add a 4th harvestable/tradeable resource for a long time, but until now I couldn't think of anything that I liked.

'Volatile Compounds' will mainly be required for the construction of the population centers in settlements, which are assumed to be self-sufficient regarding food production and water purification and all that. Industrual Zones and ships will also require this resource to represent various chemicals, fuels, and the large quantity of food that would be taken from the 'farms' for long-term ship rations. Also, certain weapons (like a 'particle beam' or whatever) might have a high cost of this material which it might use for ammunition.

Update#52 : Planets, on a roll!

It's a bit more chilly than I'd like to be for programming, but it's fine. I'll just throw on a little blanket or sweater and light a candle!

First I want to mention that I'm not 100% decided yet whether I want asteroids to host a base like other planets/moons, or, not have anything built upon them and instead having them mined by ships. It's annoying because I like both ideas but probably won't feel like implementing both! I'm probably just silly...

Moving on to the main topic, I do believe that I'm on schedule for having planetary formation finished by the end of the week! Here's a few things of what planets will have,
- definite mass and size and shape (sphere!)
- orbit distance and speed around the star
- 3 material resources, 1-2 energy resources
- rotation period
- habitability level

Habitability level will be 3 categories:
Habitable - Can support life and thus colonies relatively easily.
Semihabitable - Hardened settlements can be built that will survive the environment.
Uninhabitable - Impossible to build a settlement that will be safe to inhabit.

Habitability may change, however, such that planetary qualities are taken into account, and technological advancement may permit you to colonize worlds that were previously uninhabitable.

Revealed: That stuff I just mentioned.

Update#51 : Update#51

Yeah, I was feeling particularly uncreative about this update's title.

Quick update it is, too: Making steady and good progress in planetary formation. I'm certain to have basic planet formation finished by the end of the week. Asteroid and moon formation the week after.

When the new code can create that much of a full system, then I'll wipe away all of the old stars and make a blob of new stars. As long as there isn't something terribly wrong, they will probably be fairly permanent as I shift out of the god phase of world-building and get to the player phase, introducing resources and construction and all those good things that we look forward to in these games.

Revealed: There is a lot of variety in the stars of UNIVERSE. Unlike most games in which stars have little or no effect, the stars of UNIVERSE are the heart of everything, as the planets are born from them and their properties rather than randomly generated next to them. Of course, even for two seemingly identical stars, the planets won't end up the same either. No two star systems will be the same; and possibly not even similar! Opportunity will lie in the diversity.

Update#50 : A New Dawn

It's official update#50 and it's a whole new year!

I have a renewed sense of determination and duty to this project, and it wasn't bad at the end of the year but now I have a more concrete sense of what I need to do.

I did finish that whole thing with stars and planets planning, and so now I've been editing some of the foundation code and removing obsolete code... tidying up for the new year and the next steps forward.

So now I'm just taking a little break, just after a backup and while having supper, doing a bit of everyday life stuff... and then I'll be getting to building the whole new solar-system-design process, which will all-at-once generate a star, its planets, and their moons.

I'm sure there's a few kinks I'll have to work out along the way, but I don't think I'll have too many difficulties.

I know I'll get the game running some time this year... It's going to be a good year!

!*~2013~*!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

!*~2013~*!