Space simulator...?

[lame-o]

Why hasn't anyone done this yet? I'm thinking like a game that may or may not realistically dramaticize the eeriness of slowly floating towards a distant planet. All while putting on full display the dark, weird, weightless, endless, and noiseless vacuum in between. You could create so many disturbing sensations it would be perfect for horror sci-fi games. As far as I'm concerned, it's never been done. I mean, I'm sure there have been small dabbings in that direction (ie. Dead Space) but no real attempt.

It would have the potential for tons of unexplored gameplay scenarios, and I'm sure you can think of some.

Some pics from 2001: A Space Odyssey which I think are a great example of what I'd like to see in a game:


*wow, bastards don't like hotlinking, but if you've seen 2001 you get the idea*


The only problem with this I think, would be hardware capabilities. But if Crysis can emulate an entire island, I'm sure you could make something similar and split up everything into separate levels. It doesn't need to be a freeform kind of game like GTA; it doesn't have to let the player "go fly where you want because you're in space LULZ!". I think it would work better in a linear space setting.

Anyways, comments?

 

[Krynn72]

Space Simulation

Nathan Fillion is good at it.

 

[lame-o]

Space Simulation

Nathan Fillion is good at it.

It's an okay game, thanks.

Spoiler

dick ass. dick.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

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

 

[The Brick]

No, there hasn't been a space simulation game because frankly, being in your cramped ship with nothing to do or see for 3 months isn't an appealing concept.

If you're talking about recent games like Frontier or Elite, look at X3. There's a space simulation MMO in the work called Infinity: The Quest for Earth.

http://www.infinity-universe.com/Infinity/

You'll have to be patient though. It's a very interesting and unique concept and requires a lot of work, which is being done by one guy.

 

[Gargantou]

No, there hasn't been a space simulation game because frankly, being in your cramped ship with nothing to do or see for 3 months isn't an appealing concept.

If you're talking about recent games like Frontier or Elite, look at X3. There's a space simulation MMO in the work called Infinity: The Quest for Earth.

http://www.infinity-universe.com/Infinity/

You'll have to be patient though. It's a very interesting and unique concept and requires a lot of work, which is being done by one guy.

Yeah and a pay-to-play MMO done by one guy is BOUND to be a success.

Honestly, I doubt it'll ever get finished but we'll see.

 

[The Brick]

His purpose is to make a game to fulfill his dream, not to make a hugely successful game.

 

[Ennui]

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

I was gonna post this, it's a hyper-realistic spaceflight simulator. extremely precipitous learning curve but if you're into this kind of shit it's totally worth the effort. it comes with like 600 pages of pdf manuals about the math behind spaceflight and spacecraft operating schematics and the like.

 

[Reginald]

Just started playing Orbiter again after reading this thread. God I love this game. Nothing beats breaking through the atmosphere the first time and seeing all those stars.

Just conducted a mission to Mars.

Failed but still attempted to conduct it.

 

[Gargantou]

I was gonna post this, it's a hyper-realistic spaceflight simulator. extremely precipitous learning curve but if you're into this kind of shit it's totally worth the effort. it comes with like 600 pages of pdf manuals about the math behind spaceflight and spacecraft operating schematics and the like.

There is a more realistic spaceflight simulator out there, called SSM2007, or Space Shuttle Mission 2007, it's the most accurate public simulation of the NASA space shuttles ever made.

His purpose is to make a game to fulfill his dream, not to make a hugely successful game.

Yeah good luck to him with that. I used to hang around the forum and the IRC chat for the game, but then I got sick of how incredibly overambitious he was and how he became so overly defensive when people dared criticize that parts of his dream was not feasible.

 

[CyberPitz]

I played X-3...it was one of the worst games I've ever played.

EVE is like X-3 done right.

Other than that...

X-WING!

 

[lame-o]

Okay, the problem with all the games you guys listed is that none of them give a true sense of being in space. Orbiter isn't exactly what I was going for, it is interesting, but the graphics are dated and I'm not interested in playing a NASA space shuttle simulation. It doesn't look like it has anything to do with recreating the space environment, more to do with having realistic movement physics with thrusters and trajectories.

All I'm saying is, and this hasn't been done nor is it being done, is instead of games showing space as a star dotted skybox as seen through squeaky clean 10 foot x 10 foot windows inside a spaceship that's more like a stationary platform with earth gravity and fire that looks like fire on earth... instead of that, I want someone to actually try to portray space the way it should be. Living in space is nothing like living on earth, just like living underwater is nothing like living on land. Come to think of it, has anyone made a realistic looking underwater game yet? Complete with condensation, diminishing levels of light, haze, faster sounds, etc? I would like to play something like The Abyss with Crysis level graphics, too.

Also thinking about the parts in Doom 3 where you have to cycle the air locks and go outside into the Mars atmosphere, those parts were ****ing awesome.

 

[Gargantou]

I played X-3...it was one of the worst games I've ever played.

EVE is like X-3 done right.

Other than that...

X-WING!

You sir, are a moron.

'Nuff said.

X3 is the best freeform single-player space games there are, and a lot more dynamic than EVE, especially with mods.

Please do show me how I can build up an economic empire in EVE, consisting of hundreds of space stations, and hundreds of missile frigates and carriers, all under MY direct control, not other players.

 

[Shakermaker]

You sir, are a moron.

'Nuff said.

X3 is the best freeform single-player space games there are, and a lot more dynamic than EVE, especially with mods.

Please do show me how I can build up an economic empire in EVE, consisting of hundreds of space stations, and hundreds of missile frigates and carriers, all under MY direct control, not other players.

Sir, you are comparing apples and oranges (mmo vs sp). And you're blurring opinion and fact.

 

[TheHamster22]

Thing with X3 is though is its more of a view of civilization in the future living in space but totally fails to grasp to aspect of exploring nebulae, analysing supernovae, visiting a neutron star, you know all the cool astrophysical objects around and about the universe.

That is what a space game should involve exploration with plenty of science that is obviously accessible to everyone. I think space games are just lazy really, keeping it all confined to Earthly experiences and not really grasping the potential of a space setting. Hell X3 could be recreated as a ship captain trading around the world during the time of imperial Britain and the like.

 

[staticprimer]

I played X-3...it was one of the worst games I've ever played.

EVE is like X-3 done right.

Other than that...

X-WING!

I see your X-Wing and raise you a...

TIE FIGHTER!

 

[Top Secret]

Sir, you are comparing apples and oranges (mmo vs sp). And you're blurring opinion and fact.

Actually, it was CP who first compared them in such a way, not him.

 

[Viperidae]

Tie Fighter **** yeah.

You sir, are a moron.

'Nuff said.

Great argument.

 

[Gargantou]

Tie Fighter **** yeah.


Great argument.

Argument? I was merely stating my opinion of him which I have because of the opinions and beliefs he holds, nothing more.

 

[lame-o]

Make your own thread for this "argument". Only one person has actually contributed to my topic.

Thing with X3 is though is its more of a view of civilization in the future living in space but totally fails to grasp to aspect of exploring nebulae, analysing supernovae, visiting a neutron star, you know all the cool astrophysical objects around and about the universe.

That is what a space game should involve exploration with plenty of science that is obviously accessible to everyone. I think space games are just lazy really, keeping it all confined to Earthly experiences and not really grasping the potential of a space setting. Hell X3 could be recreated as a ship captain trading around the world during the time of imperial Britain and the like.

I agree. There are tons of untapped ideas and scenarios that could be opened up in gaming if developers would be willing to try to create different environments. That applies to everything else too, not just space.

 

[Gargantou]

Well Elite IV is due to resume development shortly according to David Braben(The father of open-ended space sims).

 

[jverne]

ahahahahahahah

ahahahahhahahahahhahahahahaha


ahahahahahahahaha

you're hoping for such a "complex" game in today's time when a game compass for finding quests is the norm or tweaking more than 3 parameters in a strategy game is considered micromanagement???

you're such a comedian :thumbs:

 

[Paulaner]

you're hoping for such a "complex" game in today's time when a game compass for finding quests is the norm or tweaking more than 3 parameters in a strategy game is considered micromanagement???

^ This, sadly.