From:	alaric AT abwillms DOT demon DOT co DOT uk (Alaric B. Williams)
Newsgroups:	comp.lang.c++,comp.os.msdos.djgpp,gnu.g++.help,rec.games.programmer,rec.games.design
Subject:	Re: C++ Real Time Design Issues
Date:	Tue, 22 Apr 1997 18:00:13 GMT
Message-ID:	<335cfa13.4000191@news.demon.co.uk>
References:	<5jig34$pu9$1 AT alpha DOT hcst DOT com>
NNTP-Posting-Host:	abwillms.demon.co.uk
Lines:	72
To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway:	from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp

On 22 Apr 1997 09:56:52 -0400, bryan AT alpha DOT hcst DOT com (Bryan Murphy)
wrote:

>I'm putting in one last section.  I may have sparked your interest in my
>project, so I'm just going to tell a little bit about my plans.  I want
>to make a 3D Space Simulator.  I want it to support multiple objects
>(from space ships, to planets, stars, etc. etc.) and I will probably use
>a lot of physics to model it. 

Oh, /yes/! I've a friend who's been moaning for such a game for YEARS!

> I'm not trying for state of the art graphics,
>though they would be nice, I just want functional. 

Agreed. Our plans were for simple graphics over a very playable core.
Graphics are nice, but modern 3D texture mapped graphics are usually
at the expense of something else!

>  Hopefully this will serve two purposes, a fun atmosphere
>for blasting your friends out of the galaxy, and for some exploration and
>experimentation. 

Those are our goals, too :-)

> On of my main goals is to offer a multitude of methods
>for controlling the ship, including various levels of Flight Control Systems.
>I want to experiment with flying ships in 3D.  I'm not satisfied with the
>current methods used in games (Tie Fighter/Wing Commander specifically).

Our slant was more on large scale tactical control with a turn based
system. Due to the limitations of mice and monitors, we'd decided to
stick to 2D; the only advantage in using 3D would be scientific
realism, at the cost of usability.

Anyway, we decided to use long long ints as a coordinate system
measuring metres, to create a fine-grained universe of about 1,000,000
cubic light years. All objects are modelled as circles; they have
bitmaps, which are used if they would cover more than a few pixels,
otherwise a non-scaling symbol is used (you have completely smooth
zoom, you see). Laser-type weapons firing was instantenous, but
missiles and railgun rounds were tracked as objects. Everything
exerted gravity due to mass; the play was turn based, clicking on
ships to get status displays, and to edit their order lists (go to X,
chase Y, etc). The orders covered motion or focussing all attacking
strength on specific targets; most combat consists of telling your
ships to shoot on sight, or shoot when shot upon, and then telling
them to go into orbit around the enemy homeworld.

The computer controls the ships, which have real momentum. Thrusters
generate impulse; hyperdrives directly convert electrical energy
to/from kinetic energy, for instantenous acceleration!

There are also jump drives, which simply translate linearly (without
moving accross the intervening space), but which have time distortion
effects (the ship arrives at the target a few seconds later, but weeks
worth of supplies get used up :-)

The momentum thing is there just so ships follow realistic
trajectories, have to steer clear of black holes, etc.

ABW
--
"Plug and Play support: WfEWAD will autodetect any installed
Nuclear Arsenals, Laser Satellites, Battlefield Control Networks,
Radar Installations, Fighter Squadrons, and other WfEWAD compliant
devices, including the new Macrosoft Unnatural Keyboard, with
full support for the now-famous Big Red Buttom(tm)."

(Windows for Early Warning and Defence User's manual P26)

Alaric B. Williams Internet : alaric AT abwillms DOT demon DOT co DOT uk
<A HREF="http://www.abwillms.demon.co.uk/">Hello :-)</A>

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