This document outlines ideas for gameplay mechanics in a space-based game focused on close-quarters navigation and drone-style racing. Key points include: - Orbital mechanics would not be a core focus; gameplay would involve navigating nearby objects with short distances traveled. - Rotation would be stabilized by thrusters or reaction wheels, each with pros/cons like jittery control or need for cooldown. - The game would include many non-racing navigation courses for skill improvement, along with options for player-created courses and multiplayer racing. - Drone racing courses could also be imported to take advantage of their design expertise and community sharing features. - Delivery or taxi games set in dense fut

1. What I want in a Space Game
Episode 1
Just some ideas that will apply.

2. First, the physics engine, some points
• I don’t care about orbit. Well, I don’t see where what’s fun about
close quarters navigation will be affected by orbital mechanics. In my
game, all joystick navigation will happen within very short distances.
Imagine drone racing in space.
• I think that vector should be non-stabilized (thrust in a direction and
you will keep going that direction), and rotation should be stabilized
(rotate only while deflecting the stick, similar to first person shooters)
• Basically, orbit is a bigger factor and automated, you will fly around
nearby objects only, and rotation is much “cheaper” to stabilize,
requiring much less fuel than vector stabilization.

3. What inspired me to write this presentation:
• There are multiple ways to “stabilize” rotation. All of them would
have unique effects on space flight.
• Reaction wheels would be smoother
• Thrusters would be more powerful
• A combination would allow for powerful, smooth, easily controlled
rotation.
• In-game, each could have problems: reaction wheels can require
“cooldown” where they are gradually slowed down if they spin too
fast,, and thrusters alone would result in jittery imprecise
stabilization.

4. More on stabilization problems in game
• The reaction wheels would naturally try to maintain a speed that is not too fast,
and allows plenty of maneuvering headroom, but that is fast enough to still
provide gyroscopic stability to the vehicle while not maneuvering, and be
smoothly, consistently responsive when acted upon.
• The resulting gameplay would see a wheel charge percentage, and different
maneuvers would speed or slow each wheel an amount. If the pilot rotates the
same direction too many times in too short of a time-span, the associated wheel
would result in too high of a speed to continue being used, and enter cooldown.
• During cooldown, the wheel would be “offline” and the pilot would be stuck with
(still automatic) thruster-only stabilization. This would cause the craft to jitter as
the thruster would have “minimum” thrust values, and would be unlikely to result
in exactly the desired attitude.
• During cooldown, the pilot would find it difficult to shoot accurately, and overall
evasive maneuvers would be less effective.

5. Second concept: non-racing competence
courses,,, many of them.
• For the player of the game, if all they desired was continuous improvement
in navigation competency, it should be possible for them to only play that
portion, and never run out of courses.
• Racing would of course be an option, with both racing oriented course
design, as well as delicate navigation course design.
• Courses should be graded if possible, and a course editor should be
available.
• The best example of this format I can personally imagine, is drone racing
simulators, with community map sharing. It is possible to create a course,
and then to share it with anyone who would like to try it.
• It should be possible to practice flying any type of craft or course regardless
of in-game development,,, so,, , you don’t have to “buy” it with accrued
wealth or points.

6. It would be nice if drone racing courses were
also available.
• Space flight and drone flight have many similarities despite their differences.
• So much work has been done by the drone racing community on course
development, it would be excellent if the same courses were easily portable into
the space game.
• Courses are pieces of art and engineering. They, like other game-type maps,
would become familiar, with the most popular rising to fame.
• Some drone racing courses are already famous, and within the simulators you can
“relive the excitement”, but also you can see where certain elements became
essential building blocks. Course theory is infinite.
• I have one time actually written to a drone racing simulators suggestion box to
include a “zero-gravity” feature that makes it possible to fly as though in space
through their familiar favorites, it might actually be a plausible idea, so it might
be possible to “port” space game mechanics to other racing game engines.

7. A new kind of “Space Taxi”
• Space trading and delivery games are historically popular.
• Most space games focus on warping goods from one solar system to
another, with the challenge being generally unrelated to ship maneuvers.
The exception is combat with pirates if needed to reach the destination,
although such combat virtually never involves course navigation.
• Perhaps a “city-based” space game, where the game takes place (almost)
entirely within futuristic dense urban environments in zero gravity would
allow for delivery based navigation through various close quarters
environments,, similar to the sort of driving done in “Grand Theft Auto”,
where various goals are reached by driving various routes around a normal
earth city.

8. “Space Pizza Delivery”
• Perhaps a good example of gameplay would be a space pizza delivery
driver.
• Homes would be in various settings, some in denser locales, some in areas
with more open space, enabling various difficulties of trip.
• The pizza itself could be delivered via 6dof drone,,, enabling each trip to
provide two challenges,, a faster paced, more rocket-like experience with
lots of forward momentum while the driver travels from the pizza
restaurant to the home,, and secondly a slower, but much more
challenging bit of navigation into a package airlock at the home., which
might require very careful turns but offers very responsive controls
associated with very small vehicles. (like drones vs. helicopters).