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[_Madk]

Demo 3
Demo 2
Demo 1

Planetarium is a small project I've decided to take up. My goal is to create a 2d space RTS with gameplay not dissimilar to Stars! but with more of a focus on management (and micromanagement) than combat.

[eyeliner]

Tools used?

[_Madk]

I'm writing it in BlitzMax, and have used nothing else so far.

[_Madk]

Basic UI

[Pixelulsar]

Looks cool, I'm interested to see what it is going to be like after a while.  Reminds me of the Planetoid games on yoyogames (just the name and the look kind of simmilar).  I like the details you're putting into it, like height and composition of the atmosphere.

Will it have randomly generated solar systems, or pre-made ones?

[_Madk]

Will it have randomly generated solar systems, or pre-made ones?

likely both. also, the game does work with more than just one system at a time even though it hasn't been shown.



gravity is calculated using mass and radius. I'm planning similar things for surface temperature, and whatever else I can think of. I want terraforming to be a much more interesting activity than it is in most games.

[Pixelulsar]

Very cool, There is going to be so much detail, that you will need to make tabs in the planet info UI.

It would be cool if you added characteristics like this to stars too, like mass, gravity, heat, age, and luminosity.  Also black holes are cool.  If you can make teraforming interesting, that will be awesome, because I find it boring in most games.

[_Madk]

after working a bit on an accurate model of the solar system I've realized that the game just isn't going to work if I use accurate sizes and distances. scrapping that idea.

[_Madk]

because I can, that's why

[_Madk]

once I've had a chance to better tune the camera controls I'll put up a demo

[_Madk]

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10116881/program/planetarium/planetarium_demo1.exe

lmb: select body
mmb: pan
mouse scroll: zoom
+/- keys: zoom
shift +/- keys: zoom
mouse on edges: move camera
arrow keys: move camera
f11: screenshot (requires a screenshots/ directory)

Ideas for improving the camera control would not go awry

[_Madk]

Some musings:

There will be several different possible victory conditions and before beginning a skirmish you'll be able to specify which work and which don't.

- Elimination
Be the only power left in the system. This would be the typical tactics-based gameplay familiar to RTS players.

- Territorial
Control 75% of all settled bodies in the system, and at least some specific quantity. I imagine Civ fans would be at home with this victory condition.

- Economic
Control 75% of all possessed wealth in the system, and at least some specific quantity. This would be the main attraction, encouraging surgical strikes upon high-value targets rather than blowing all your resources on a large armada, and exploitation of as many resource-bearing bodies as possible.

- Technological
Research 75% of the final tier technologies before any of the opponents. Also rings of Civ.

[_Madk]

I made this, it's the code that will drive the viewports in the game.

I never really understood what the point was in only letting the player see one place at a time while playing an RTS.

[_Madk]

[_Madk]