Comment by dvh | Hacker News Reader

Comment by dvh | Hacker News Reader

Couple months ago I started working on space shooter/simulator, just for fun. Newtonian physics, html canvas. It had 2D top view (F2 key) and 3D view (F3 key), but because canvas is quite slow on fullscreen I usualy switched rendering off (F1 key) and then I spent most of the debuging time there. I only needed few data to be displayed so I only rendered speed, distance fuel etc. as numbers. Then I added yaw pitch roll indicator and even though it was on canvas, because only small part was changing it was kinda fast, so I started adding more and more avionics and eventually the instrument flight [1] aspect of it become much more interesting that realistic planet renderings and I completely neglected 3D view [2]. The most fun so far was programing docking autopilot. So if you haven't make your own space simulator, you should, it's fun. (unfortunately it's not finished and not even in publishable state)

[1] https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5SCh06PKpVtZHowN1l0TEw3cGs...

[2] https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5SCh06PKpVtUzMxSGNhRy1vVlE...

Do you have more links or source code to your project available?

I also dabble with space-related programming projects and I'd be interested in seeing your stuff.

i polish it a little bit and release it as chrome app in few months

I am also interested. I've been curious what strategic elements a real space combat situation (on the scale of a solar system) demands, and if an interesting game can be made out of it.

Check out Atomic Rockets—great resource on realistic space combat ideas. (no stealth, lasers or missiles?, etc)

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/index.php

Lasers make a lot of sense in space, much more so than in the atmosphere.

I'm using real engines and fuel consumption (draco thrusters from Space-X) and somewhat realistic ship mass (3t) and I can tell you space combat is virtually impossible. Especialy "space pirates" kind of fight where they wait in ambush mid way. I fly mostly around jupiter and "eyeballing it" from one moon to another is impossible. You can fly reasonably easy within few km from space station but that's it. For everything else expect delta V more than km/s. Guided missiles would imho be impossible with FPS realistically achievable in game. Dunno about lasers, i'm trying to keep it real.

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