Tech Example - Mercury approach from ~0.5ly.

Approaching Mercury from outside of the Sol system on autopilot, demonstrating how you can now see large system objects moving in real-time while you're flying at FTL speeds. Still WIP, but it's much smoother now.
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Discord: / discord

[@ludbud57]

You are making what I have dreamed of for many years. A fully immersive starship simulator. The problem I have always found with simulator games is that the immersion runs out after you find the meta of how to play the game, tricks you can do to fool NPCs or something.
It looks like you are setting the foundation of this game on such a complex level that it would be very difficult to find that meta in this game.
This is truly something which people will love, as long as you keep going and keep putting this amazing amount of skill and effort into it consistently until it is done.
Thank you for your work!

[@R3C0i11]

Looks amazing. So hyped to see where this game goes, you could even build you own star trek style universe given enought time.

[@BPond7]

Wow! With every new video, the ship interior keeps looking better and better! Mercury is looking pretty sweet, too! I can barely fathom how much work this must be. I’m looking forward to the eventual release, and I truly hope it’s a big success for you. 🖖😀

[@sandwiched]

Huh! That really makes it hit home just how far a lightyear really is!
Would it not make more sense, when approaching a planet, to approach into an orbital insertion, instead of bullseye-center?

[@StarshipSimulator]

Yeah definitely, I'll be building a "standard orbit" function into the autopilot at some point. Essentially that will be 90 degrees to the horizon with the planet on the Port side. The main crew lounge and arboretum will actually be positioned with that in mind, so it affords the best view of anything you happen to be orbiting.
The bigger challenge right now is getting the autopilot on target, because it's slowing from 5,000,000C to to 300km/s, and then it has to disengage the engines at the correct moment. Accuracy seems to be within 50km or so, which is fine for a planet, but if you're approaching something small you could end up literally miles away :P

[@sandwiched]

@@StarshipSimulator Sounds like good challenges to have. :)
Unrelated question: Hollywood seems to think that absolutely anything entering the atmosphere from space would be travelling at a velocity that would cause a fireball. Now, I haven't done the math into that phenomenon, but I'm pretty darn sure that the fireballs are only caused because _orbital velocity_ has to be so darn high. So if something isn't actually at orbital velocity and it enters the atmosphere... no fireball, right?
Not sure if you're gonna have planetary landings or not, but if you do, please PLEASE only implement fireballs at appropriate velocities (depending on the atmospheric composition, I presume). :)

[@StarshipSimulator]

@@sandwiched I think a good example of your question is the SpaceX booster landings. Those things are very much sub-orbital, but they still produce a significant amount of plasma around the grid fins on reentry. In fact, they actually perform a reentry burn in part to create a cushion of exhaust gases against the hot plasma. They don't turn into a fireball, but they're still very toasty. In fact I recall reading somewhere that Mach 6 is enough to make metal glow hot.

[@vonrosphe3098]

Looks very nice

[@cajltd1737]

Beautiful!

[@linz8291]

Wow... little Mercury floating city😉

[@allKnowingCraig]

are we there yet? 😛

[@BD12]

WTF, I need this

[@Mr76Pontiac]

hmm... Should you really aim right at a large body like that? ... what happens if the brakes fail?? ;)

[@AlMcpherson79]

nice video.
also
youtube: Is it six days ago (video posted) or 2 hours ago (when the notification showed up)?

[@Cleeeer]

Hmm Interesting

[@nathanwailes]

What are those objects you pass by (e.g. 0:25)? Other planets?

[@StarshipSimulator]

Yes :) As we come into the system, you'll see everything in it passing you by.