Starship Simulator Project

[Section31]

Hi everyone,

recently, I found Celestia by chance during my search for space-visualization programs. I must say Celestia is a really cool piece of software! I love it.

After reading the thread(s) about the "Flight simulator mod", I came up with the following idea: since I am playing STAR TREK (c) live action roleplaying games (yes, I'm one of the nuts wearing a starfleet uniform), our game master team would like to offer a starship / space combat simulation. Does "Kobyashi Maru Test" ring a bell?

I thought of Celestia as a part of the render engine for that starship simulator. Encouraged by the response to the flight sim thread and some ideas (especiall from Raavin who had almost the same ideas), I would like to know who'd be willing to contribute to a physics engine or help programming one?

Graphics is one thing but you also need a good physics engine with a damage system, collision detection, generation/destruction of objects (e.g. torpedos and probes, etc.) and much more. We think of this spacehip simulator as a multi-client / server architecture where you have mulitple terminals (flight control, tactical, science, engineering, etc.) which control one ship alltogether. Of course, the game master has a single "master terminal" from which he can control all other (non-player) ships. What we see on the output terminal (i.e. main screen) should be like Celestia but with more starships.

This is what I would like to exist. However, there is also the possibility to make this project a general engine. It could then be customized with the help of skins for the control panels and the import of arbitrary spaceship models (either Star Trek, Star Wars, B5 or whatever). So this project could also be interesting for fans of any other science fiction universe.

If you are interested, please drop me a mail at direktor@section32.de

Sincerely,

Section31

[claudewest]

definitely would like to see this done design program capable of starship designs of one own choosing and same for space stations.will we get to that....

[Starman]

You know You're a trekkie when you understand what Section 31 is, and beyond that you've heard of the Kobyashi Maru test. I would LOVE if somebody build a trek game using Celestia. That would totally rock, especially if it was open source.

--Starman

[Size_Mick]

I sure hope it's based on the "old" Star Trek Universe and not the "new" Star Trek Universe (and I most definitely hope that anything from "Enterprise" is not included).

TOS stuff just has a more dangerous feel to it than anything from the movies or later TV shows (except for a few things from the 70's cartoon, which could justifiably be used).

It's like this: They have games based on modern warfare of today, and ones based on warfare of the WWII era. Which is cooler? The WWII games almost every time. Why? I can't say in words. But it's like the difference between a field radio and a cell phone. One is heavy duty and made for battle conditions, while one is made to sit around inside someone's trouser pocket or purse all day.

Maybe this sums it up best: The TOS Enterprise looked like the 23rd century space version of a naval destroyer. The movie enterprise looked like a 23rd century space version of a naval destroyer designed by the village people. All other enterprise vessels which followed looked more like modern home appliances. All glowy and rounded off and stuff. I mean, hell the old Enterprise had an actual deflector dish! the new ones just have some glowing swirly hole or something, makes no sense whatsoever and makes it look like a vacuum cleaner or something.

I don't know why I wasted this time posting this reply here. I apologize. CELESTIA ROCKS!

[Starman]

I disagree, especially when you look at STDS9. WARSHIPS are not Cruise vessels.

--Starman

[Seb]

Think some of the suggestions here maybe quite a big project, but I personally do like to see some further development on the current 'flying' controls, as to make you feel you are in space-ship actually going around & leaning about planets that do actually exist.

-Seb