Celestia the Lonely Universe

[Starman]

I love Celestia. No qualms about it, Celestia is hands down the best program out there for astronomers of all experience levels, and even for those who'd just like to escape to the stars.

However, on occasion I find myself feeling a little bit alone in the depths of space. Sometimes that's the point. Other times I wouldn't mind a conversation in the glow of the 2-D Horsehead Nebula or sitting on Pluto watching the distant sunrise over Charon.

That brings me to my question: Has there ever been talk of a Celestia server? A live place based in the Celestia universe where starlovers from every planet can meet and greet, and discuss astronomy in real time?

From that whole new topics are spawned. We would need to have some way to see each other in Celestia; I can imagine 3-D ship models being created. Hailing; general and private channels. For fun we could have mini-games and from that clans based in the Celestia universe; all beginning with an online server.

Hmm, I'm probably getting ahead of myself here, please, let me know what you think.

--Starman

[Paolo]

Hi starman

See this thread: http://www.shatters.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2752

- Paolo

[Starman]

Thanks Paolo, wow, so this idea has been discussed before. We need a single place to put and categorize each of these ideas where chris and the rest of the developers can read them. A thread specificially for that, and commentary in a seperate one.

I like the addon manager idea. It took me a little while to figure out exactly how to work with individual addons, but I was discouraged at first. We should make it easier for the newbies, so eventually they'll make it easier for us by their contributions.

Thanks again Paolo, if anybody knows if there' s already a post for outlined ideas, let me know here.

--Starman

[Paolo]

In my website

http://members.xoom.virgilio.it/pangeli70/Feature%20requests.htm

I've started a some time ago collecting many ideas from the forum. It's a while that I haven't much time to update this section of the site.
Some FR were implemented like locations management, other are under developement like add-on manager.

If you are interested you can help collecting and updating the status of these requests.

- Paolo

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[Evil Dr Ganymede]

Only problem is that since space is so big what are the chances of everyone ending up in the same place to chat?!

[Roy]

Now lets not turn Celestia into a funky chat program.

[Mikeydude750]

Now lets not turn Celestia into a funky chat program.

Of course not...but what's the harm in someone creating a program using the Celestia engine to do this? It's a very capable engine for many things...

[Starman]

Thanks for seeing my viewpoint Mikey. No, I do not want to turn Celestia into some kind of funky chat program, but frankly it'd be nice for online purposes as a meeting place for programmers and astronomers alike (including programmer/astronomers). How can one find another in space? Every star/planet has a name, or at least a barcode number (lol). Press enter, type the name, and hit enter again to "go-to". Every user would have a findable ID of his/her own.

Mikey's right roy, Celestia can fit a lot of purposes and things from a serious hardcore 3-D planetarium, to fantasy universes, games, and yes, a funky chat program that lets people met and discuss more ways to make the program better. That's another thing that makes it a great program. Just to reassure you though, I love Celestia the way it is, and if I had to choose, there is no way I'd want to change its original purpose.

--Starman

P.S.: Thanks Paolo. Just read the post; I'm headed to your website now to look it over.

[CitizenZed]

This is a fun idea. Of course it's unlikely you'd see other people much....especially extra-solar.

You could have a sensor range though and....talk to or shoot at people beyond the Kuiper belt.

Course.... it might be interesting to have some kind of game using the Celestia system, wherein fictional extra-solar systems were randomly populated.......... you'd have to tech up to a faster-than-light level in order to go and harrass your neighbors. Ancient alien tech/artifacts could be hidden .... very hidden...... You could automate defense commands for your system, and the server would email you in the event hostiles and/or contact were established.

[rthorvald]

This is a fun idea. Of course it's unlikely you'd see other people much....especially extra-solar.
You could have a sensor range though

I?d like the idea of meeting people inside Celestia, though such functionality does not really fit the program?s purpose. But i can imagine many interesting ways to use a chat function (for example in a classroom).

Now, if something like that ever would make it?s way into the program, it could be fun, and intuitive, to do it like this:

- Each user could have an avatar (choose your own spaceship for that )

- Use the browser to find out where another user are (if online)

- When in visible range, lock on to another ship, and the command dialog turns into a chatbox. Drift out of range or lock onto something else, and it becomes the command dialog again.

- To chat with several users, lock onto a dedicated satellite instead

The problem with this concept is that it requires a server. Since Celestia is opensource, that is something of a challenge: not easy to fund and maintain it.

-rthorvald

[Starman]

I never want to alter the original project; you have to remember Celestia can be used for multiple (meaning other) projects too. For example, there's a game in progress using the Celestia universe called Mostly Harmless. Celestia, the 3-D stellartarium project, the original and best is still here and will continue to be.

I can see a Celestia chat program/server as an extension to the online community we already have here in the forums.

Citizen Zed I like your thinking; i'd like to get Chris' and selden's opinion first, but I may post this idea in another thread, and ask for some mini-game ideas on the proposed server. Rethorvald, I think that schools everywhere will someday have Celestia as part of their ciriculum, and I think creating a chat program will help that along.

Finding people in the Celestia Universe would be easy, as everybody has a unique ID. Just use the Enter (go-to) function, type in their name, and if their on the server, press enter to go directly to them.

Paying for the server may be a problem, but then again, I see tons of open source servers online, free of charge. We could always have advertisements at the beginning of the program sequence. Space craft near the Solar System with billboards on the side; heck, that'd be a great start up sequence; jumping from craft to craft would probably only take 15 sec max. Plus any events we have on the server could have real advertising nearby.

--Starman

[selden]

Starman,

I'm not sure why you want my opinion: I don't do any of the coding, am not a gamer and don't use any of the IMs.

If you can find someone willing and able to write the appropriate software mods, go for it!

[Starman]

Because you're like a community leader Selden, people pay attention to what you think. *shrug. Anyway, I'm glad you approve. I just need to find the programmers willing to give such a project a shot. Its not just about gaming potential, its about the educational aspects Celestia started out with.

Think of the possibilities for the schools. Interactive virtual lecture halls on a network with the chat program based in Celestia. People can actually teach a class interactively, within the program, about astronomy!

Heck, I'm sure there are plenty of people in this forum alone who would be willing to lecture with this chat program on a Celestia server. I know I'd virtually attend.

--Starman

[Jugalator]

This is a fun idea. Of course it's unlikely you'd see other people much....especially extra-solar.

You could have a small list of names "online" in a format like:

CitizenZed [Betelgeuse]
Jugalator [Jupiter/Io]
etc...

Could be a convenient way to get their location.