< This is a repost from a post of mine in Development. Makes sense to repeat it here i think>
I used to have Microsoft Space Simulator. Though old graphics and incomplete, it was really great! Celestia completely replaces it for me and it's free and I love it.
I would gladly PAY for Celestia with the following:
** Camera Panning that doesnt' affect your velocity. Perhaps use joystick while holding a key down so that it doesn't change your traveling direction.
** (or) "side" and "rear view" windows so you can watch things recede in the distance or just breeze by them.
** Real Landing on surfaces. I'd like to have a picnic on Mimas and watch Saturn.
** Solid planets. No going through them.
** Orbits. Not just circular. In Space Sim I'd get myself in eccentric orbrits and enjoy a nice wild ride. Thousands of miles high on one end (with slow velocity) and FAST mountaintop flybys on the other end.
** Orbit calculation computer. To do what I just mentioned in Space Sim, I had to whip out formulas and tables and determine exactly how much thrust to apply in exactly what direction and for exactly how long, to get the orbit I desired. That was cool, it worked, but a little tedious. I LIKE having to apply thrust in a specific manner, but felt Space Sim should have given you that information-- then let you go do it.
** Likewise, travel between planets could be done like in real life--you jump (or fall) from one orbit of the sun to another, and you time it right as well.
** A "realistic" mode with reasonable limits in speed and uses thrust and gravity to support those things listed above.
** A Save Feature. (A corresponding Load would be nice too
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
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For all my talk of wanting to do things the "real" way, I must admit I really really love being able to accerlerate to lightspeed and beyond.
Also, I must am new to this site and if this has been posted before or if there are any mods to handle such things, i am currently ignorant of them and will accept brutal chastisement if warranted.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)