Space Station Designer News

[p]Welcome to the fifteenth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry (Dev Diary #14), we discussed some of the influences behind the game, including NASA's Space Station Freedom and various technical and history books we used for reference. In this entry, we'll expand on some of the games that inspired the design and aesthetics behind 'Space Station Designer'.[/p][p][/p][h3]Project Space Station (HESware, 1985)[/h3][p][/p][p]'Project Space Station' front cover of the Commodore 64 version (source: MobyGames).[/p][p][/p][p]'Project Space Station' is a simulation game originally released for the Commodore 64 back in 1985. It puts the player in charge of NASA, and the main goal is building a functional space station using a fleet of space shuttles while keeping a positive cash flow.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Project Space Station' intro screen (source: MobyGames).[/p][p]
The game was very advanced for its time in terms of UI/UX design, and featured a wide variety of interesting mechanics, including outlining the layout of the station, providing commercial services, and managing crews.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Project Space Station' station design screen (source: MobyGames).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Project Space Station' crew management screen (source: MobyGames).[/p][p][/p][p]Moreover, it also sprinkled some 'arcade' elements on top, where players had to use their joysticks to keep the shuttles correctly centered during the launch, guide them back to Earth through the re-entry and landing phases, and move around astronauts conducting Extravehicular Activities (EVAs) in pods to perform installation and maintenance duties.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Project Space Station' space shuttle launch minigame (source: MobyGames).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Project Space Station' space shuttle landing minigame (source: MobyGames).[/p][p][/p][p]'Project Space Station' is a game that perfectly captures the optimism and the possibilities opened by space exploration in general, and setting a permanent presence in orbit in particular. Unfortunately, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster -which took place the year after the game's release- had a negative impact that greatly affected the public perception on crewed space exploration and the risks associated with it. Regardless, 'Project Space Station' was one of the main sources of inspiration for 'Space Station Designer' and its mechanics, including station design, crew management, and the launch of resupply spacecraft.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Project Space Station' space shuttle launch preparations (source: MobyGames).
[/p][p]There's plenty of great information online about 'Project Space Station', including the original game manuals and extensive playthrough videos. Its MobyGames entry has screenshots for all the platforms where it was originally available, including the Apple II, Commodore 64, and DOS. Lastly, 'The Digital Antiquarian' blog has a three-part series of articles about the game (Part I, Part II, and Part III) that are well worth a read.
[/p][h3]Space Station Manager (Mistaril, 2003)[/h3][p]'Space Station Manager' is a game made by solo developer Kai-Peter Backman back in the early '00s. Unfortunately, his website www.mistaril.com is now defunct, and a lot of information about the game is now lost. You can find an announcement in the flipcode.com forums from March 2003, shortly after the game was released.[/p][p][/p][p]'Space Station Manager' gameplay, featuring a station with large solar panels.[/p][p][/p][p]Just like 'Project Space Station' back in the 1980s, 'Space Station Manager' was very unique for its time. Before writing this article, we thought it was the first game that allowed players to build plausible space stations in Earth orbit in 3D, but we found out that this other game that came out in 1998 did it first![/p][p]'Space Station Manager' was rebranded as 'Shorthike' a few years later, and it was eventually discontinued. Luckily, the developer made the last build available online for free.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Space Station Manager' gameplay, featuring the Skylab station and the Apollo CSM.[/p][p][/p][p]It can be a bit difficult to run 'Space Station Manager' on a modern system, so if you're curious to learn more about it, there's this very nice gameplay demo video available on YouTube.[/p][p][/p][h3]Shuttle: The Space Flight Simulator (Virgin Games, 1992)[/h3][p][/p][p]'Shuttle' front cover of the DOS version (source: MobyGames).
[/p][p]'Shuttle' is a space flight simulator released in 1992 for DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST. Being a 30+ year old game, its graphics look quite simple by today's standards, but it was a very impressive technical achievement back in the day that fit in two floppy disks. The game box came with a very chunky manual and it was an absolute treat for those who wanted to have a taste of what realistic spaceflight feels like, including going through extensive checklists and conducting lengthy maneuvers.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Shuttle' gameplay: external view of the launch pad (source: MobyGames).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Shuttle' gameplay: the pilot area (source: MobyGames).[/p][p][/p][p]Although 'Space Station Designer' is more focused on space station construction and management, the aesthetics behind 'Shuttle' certainly provided an inspiration for us during development. Just like 'Project Space Station', there's also a wide range of material for this game available online, which is well worth checking out if you're interested in this spacecraft.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Shuttle' gameplay: technical information of the Space Shuttle Main Engines  (source: MobyGames).
[/p][h3]Other sources of inspiration[/h3][p]The three games covered earlier provided the main sources of inspiration for 'Space Station Designer'. However, there are three more that we recommend you check out if you're interested in the subject of space stations.[/p][p]The first one is 'Space M+A+X', which originally came out for DOS in 1986. Its text-heavy UI was then remade for DOS and Amiga in 1992. Unfortunately, there isn't that much information available about its gameplay online. Luckily, Ignacio managed to hunt down a used copy of the 1986 edition on eBay more than 10 years ago. Its printed manual was definitely helpful in order to get a good overview of the game.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Space M+A+X' front cover of the DOS version from 1986 (source: MobyGames).
[/p][p]The second one is 'Earth Orbit Stations' or EOS. This game came out in 1987 for the Commodore 64 and the Apple II, and it shares some similarities with 'Project Space Station'. Although the game looks quite dated (understandably so, as it came out nearly 40 years ago!), we encourage you to check the playthrough videos available online.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'Earth Orbit Stations' front cover of the Commodore 64 version (source: MobyGames).[/p][p][/p][p]Lastly, there's 'SpaceStationSim', which came out back in 2005. The game can be described as 'The Sims in a space station environment', and it provides a very deep level of control of the crews' activities. For 'Space Station Designer', we decided to put the focus on higher-level mechanics, but 'SpaceStationSim' certainly inspired some of our visuals.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]'SpaceStationSim' front cover of the Windows version (source: MobyGames).
[/p][h3]Coming Up Next[/h3][p]This blog post provided an overview of the games that inspired the initial development stages of 'Space Station Designer'. This will be the last Dev Diary entry for 2025. Early next year, we'll be publishing a series of articles on the topic that makes 'Space Station Designer' unique among other games in the genre: the construction of the Lunar Space Elevator Megaproject.[/p][p]Don't forget that our closed beta is still active (more information here). A few weeks ago we published another large update (version 0.5.90), which includes several Quality of Life (QoL) improvements and loads of polish. The game is shaping up nicely, and we definitely encourage you to join the beta so that you can help us refine the game during the last leg of development.[/p][p][/p][p]Merry XMas and Happy New Year! See you in our next Dev Diary in 2026!
[/p][p]--Ignacio, Mauricio, and Nicolas (Polar Motion)[/p]

[p]Dear Station Designers,[/p][p]Back in early September we released 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.72, which included a series of improvements and a whole revised set of Interactive Tutorials. Today we're happy to unveil 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.90, which is exclusively focused on polishing the overall game experience. Please read on to learn about the main highlights. You can find full detailed release notes here if you're interested in the details.
[/p][h3]Improved Visuals, Music, and SFX[/h3][p]We went through every screen in the game and added a coat of paint by including a series of animated backgrounds, which add a touch of personality compared to the dark backgrounds used in previous versions.[/p][p][/p][p]In addition to this, we expanded the game's OST by including a range of new tracks, and added sound effects across the whole user interface. Unfortunately, we cannot provide any screenshots for these two additions, but we're sure you'll like them!
[/p][h3]Improved Strings System[/h3][p]The strings system has been revamped so that it includes not only characters, but also the various symbols and icons used throughout the game. This helps reduce the amount of 'walls of text', while also helping reinforce the game's concepts with their associated icons.[/p][h3]
Information Awareness Tools[/h3][p]We continue conducting heavy playtesting of 'Space Station Designer', and despite the fact that we're getting really good at it, we realise that the late stages of the game can be quite intense: random events, multiple ongoing engagements, a large astronaut roster, four full stations to manage, etc. To help players stay on top of things, we implemented an overlay mechanism that identifies the modules that require their attention. This includes modules that:[/p]

• [p]Are being refurbished.[/p]
• [p]Are inoperative.[/p]
• [p]Are missing a connection with a Core Module or a Control Center.[/p]
• [p]Are too far away from a Cooling module.[/p]
• [p]Are too far away from an Electricity module.[/p]
• [p]Are partially inoperative.[/p]
• [p]Are part of a Production Line that doesn't have adequate inputs to complete its monthly production.[/p]
• [p]Is a Manufacturing module that isn't currently assigned to a Production Line.[/p]
• [p]Has reached the end of its Service Life.[/p]
• [p]Is getting close to reaching the end of its Service Life.[/p]
• [p]Has no astronaut assigned to it (note that this is only applicable for Research and Industrial R&D modules).[/p]

[p][/p][p]We also took this concept one step further and added a mechanism in the Global Screen that points to the stations that require attention, too.[/p][p]We've also added an indicator to let players know that there are no Research Technologies in development. This is particularly useful after the recently introduced changes in the Research system where technologies are no longer instantly acquired.[/p][p][/p][h3]Management Tools Enhancements[/h3][p]As mentioned in an earlier section, the cognitive load in the late stages of the game can be particularly high. To address this, we revamped the 'Dispatch Resupply Spacecraft' screen so that it includes the resupply spacecraft across all stations. We've also added additional sorting buttons, so that it's easier to find out, for example, which resupply spacecraft needs to be deorbited first based on its remaining autonomy.[/p][p]We've also extended the astronaut management screen by including additional sorting buttons, and added a visual indicator that indicates the number of astronauts approaching their max stay at the station. This is particularly useful when coordinating crews across all four stations.[/p][p]Some additional management-related QoL improvements include a mechanism to open the 'Production Lines' management screen from within the module information card, and a button to unassign astronauts from their current task, provided that it's not a long-term commitment (e.g., Space Tourism, or a Commercial Services engagement). [/p][h3]Other Minor QoL Improvements[/h3][p]In addition to the management-related QoL improvements mentioned earlier, we've included some minor ones, including 'trackers' to the Contracts and the Campaign Objectives, more 'input' settings, and the removal of some confirmation dialogs which were slowing down the game experience (we may end up removing even more in future updates). We've also extended the save game slots, which now support a short description. This is handy for managing multiple game files![/p][h3]
Bug Fixes[/h3][p]No update is complete without a bug fix or two! You can find the full list in the release notes, but some notable offenders in this release include UV mapping issues in the Spaceport modules and minor string glitches. A special mention goes to the one that was causing a 'black halo' around the Core Module's launch rocket.[/p][p]Which is now fixed:[/p][h3]
Closing thoughts[/h3][p]We hope you enjoy all the improvements brought by this new update. We're currently running a closed beta, so if you want to give it a go, please consider applying by using the following link.[/p][p]This will be the last update of the year. For the next version, we'll be focussing on gameplay additions, new content, and more QoL improvements. We continue monitoring our Discord server and the forums, so don't hesitate to let us know if you have any feedback or comments.[/p][p][/p][p]--Ignacio, Mauricio, and Nicolas (Polar Motion)

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[p]Welcome to the fourteenth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the two previous entries (Dev Diary #12 and Dev Diary #13), we went deep into the details of the Lunar Orbit station. In this entry and the next, we'll take a small break from discussing game mechanics and discuss some of the influences behind Space Station Designer.
[/p][h3]The initial idea and its evolution[/h3][p]When we set out to create 'Space Station Designer' (or 'Space Station Manager', as it was originally called), we had a few guiding principles that we adhered to:[/p]

1. [p]The game should evoke the sense of wonder and optimism behind the American Space Program from the early 1980s.[/p]
2. [p]The game should be based on an alternate reality where the designs of 'Space Station Freedom' (more on this later) became a reality, and humans had a permanent and productive presence in space.[/p]
3. [p]The game should be grounded on reality, with no sci-fi or fantastic elements. Near future and/or plausible technology is acceptable, though.[/p]

[p]The guiding principles above were our North Star during the first years of development and, initially, our goal was to create a game featuring a single space station in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Once we reached that point, we realised that managing a single station was too limiting, and we made the decision to add support for stations in higher orbits. These stations were originally meant to be uncrewed orbital platforms, but once the implementation was complete we realised during internal playtesting that there was so much to gain from turning these uncrewed platforms into full-fledged stations, so we went ahead and made changes in the codebase to make it happen.[/p][p]The Lunar Space Elevator was only introduced about a year ago. Among all the elements in Space Station Designer, the Lunar Space Elevator is the one that is probably the farthest from the current state of the art in space exploration. That being said, the in-game requirements behind its construction and deployment fall well within the realm of "plausible technology" from the guiding principles laid out above. The Lunar Space Elevator will have its own dedicated series of Dev Diaries in early 2026, which will cover all these requirements in detail.
[/p][h3]Space Station Freedom[/h3][p]As mentioned earlier, one of our guiding principles is to make 'Space Station Designer' evoke the sense of wonder and optimism behind the American Space Program from the early 1980s. In case you've never heard of it before, 'Space Station Freedom' was an international effort led by NASA in the 1980s with the goal of establishing a permanent human presence in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).[/p][p]The proposal went through several iterations throughout that decade and the early 1990s, including the 'Power Tower' in 1984, and the 'Revised Baseline Configuration' in 1987. In 1993, the whole project was renamed as the 'International Space Station' (ISS) by the Clinton administration.[/p][p]Fig 1: The 'Power Tower' configuration.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Fig 2: The 'Revised Baseline' configuration.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Fig 3: The 'Dual Keel' design from 1986.

Fig 4: 'Space Station Freedom' design as of 1991.[/p][p]We made extensive use of artwork and technical documentation from this era when designing some of the modules included in the game, including the shape and texture of the solar panels, radiators, trusses, and laboratory modules.[/p][p][/p][p]Fig 5: 'Space Station Freedom' modules breakdown.[/p][p][/p][p]Fig 6: Another 'Dual Keel' concept illustration.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Fig 7: Concept art of 'Space Station Freedom' from the mid 1980s.
[/p][h3]Technical & History Books[/h3][p]In addition to the visual references and NASA's documentation, we relied on a series of technical and history books to inform the design of 'Space Station Designer' and ensure that we stick to our guiding principle of basing it in reality. Sadly, many of these books have been out of print for years, but used copies for some of them are still available in online stores. We highly recommend them if you want to go deeper into the background of 'Space Station Designer'.[/p][p][/p][p]Fig 8: 'Space Stations and Platforms', by Gordon R. Woodcock (1986)[/p][p][/p][p]Fig 9: 'Space Stations: Base Camps to the Stars', by Roger D. Launius (2003).[/p][p][/p][p]Fig 10: 'Project Space Station: Plans for a Permanent Manned Space Station', by Brian O'Leary (1983, reprinted in 2017).[/p][p][/p][p]Fig 11: 'Island in the Sky: Building the International Space Station', by Piers Bizony (1996).[/p][p][/p][p]Fig 12: 'Off the Planet: Surviving Five Perilous Months Aboard the Space Station Mir', by Jerry M. Linenger (2000).[/p][p][/p][p]Fig 13: 'Space Elevator Systems Architecture', by Peter Swan and Cathy Swan (2007).[/p][p][/p][p]Fig 14: 'Before Lift–off: The Making of a Space Shuttle Crew', by Henry Cooper (1987).[/p][p][/p][p]Fig 15: 'The Space Station Decision: Incremental Politics and Technological Choice', by  Howard E. McCurdy (1990).[/p][p]Fig 16: 'The Space Station', by Kent Alexander (1990).
[/p][p][/p][p]Fig 17: 'The Story of Manned Space Stations: An Introduction', by Philip Baker (2007).
[/p][h3]Coming Up Next[/h3][p]This blog post provided an overview on the influences that shaped the design of 'Space Station Designer', including artwork and books. In the next Dev Diary entry, we'll cover some of the computer games that provided an inspiration for the game's mechanics.[/p][p]Our closed beta is still active (more information here). We're hard at work wrapping up the upcoming update (version 0.5.90), which we're planning to release in mid-to-late November. This update includes several Quality of Life (QoL) improvements and loads of polish, so if you haven't tried 'Space Station Designer' yet, we think this will be the ideal time to do so![/p][p]See you in the next Dev Diary![/p][p]--Ignacio, Mauricio, and Nicolas (Polar Motion)[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]Welcome to the thirteenth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry, we covered some of the details behind the Lunar Orbit station, including information about its location at the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point (L1), its associated orbit control and attitude control rules, and the type of resupply spacecraft available. In this second entry, we'll wrap up the overview of this station by delving into some other aspects, including manufacturing, space tourism, research and Industrial R&D, and the connection between the station and the Lunar Space Elevator Megaproject.
[/p][h3]Manufacturing of Refined Helium-3[/h3][p]The Lunar Orbit  station has specialized manufacturing modules that can produce 'Refined Helium-3' or 'He-3', which is a rare, light, non-radioactive isotope of helium that carries the solar wind. Since the Moon has no atmosphere and a very weak magnetic field, the constant bombardment of solar wind throughout millions of years has embedded a significant of this isotope in the lunar soil.[/p][p]Helium-3 is very valuable, as it currently has practical applications in Cryogenics and Quantum Technologies. More specifically, it's already used in small amounts for providing ultra-low-temperature cooling (dilution refrigerators for superconducting circuits, quantum computers, etc). Moreover, this isotope could one day be the key to cleaner energy with much less radioactive waste if the technology behind fusion power becomes mature enough.[/p][p][/p][p]The 'He-3' manufacturing modules come in three variants: Small, Medium, and Large. Similar to other manufacturing modules, they feature a range of electricity/heat dissipation requirements, so it's important to decide which variant is the most suitable for our station.[/p][p][/p][h3]Space tourism[/h3][p]The Lunar Orbit station can accommodate space tourists, which provides another revenue stream. Before being able to install space tourism modules in Lunar Orbit though, we'll need to execute a specialized 'Continuous Improvement Program' (CIP) in the 'Space Tourism Facility', which will also enable us to install them in GSO.[/p][p]Note that currently the mechanics for space tourism in the Lunar Orbit station are the same as in LEO and GSO. However, given the uniqueness of its location, we're planning to increase the rewards provided by space tours in Lunar Orbit in future versions of the game.[/p][p][/p][h3]Research and Industrial R&D[/h3][p]The acquisition of the 'Station in Lunar Orbit' research technology comes with a series of modules that are exclusive to this station. Since they allow us to conduct research that is not possible in Earth orbit, these modules provide a nominally higher throughput.[/p][p]Just like it happens with the Earth orbit stations, research modules in Lunar Orbit only produce Research Points when they have an astronaut assigned to them. Since bringing astronauts to the Lunar Orbit station is quite expensive and requires the use of specialized spacecraft, we'll need to take into account the number and type of deployed research modules when planning the layout of our station.[/p][p]Note that the 'Station in Lunar Orbit' research technology is close to the end of the research tree, and it's a pre-requisite for the 'Industrial R&D Lunar Orbit' technology, which unlocks three new modules.[/p][p]These modules generate 'Industrial R&D Lunar Orbit' points, which is one of the four types of Industrial R&D points available throughout the game. Having the ability to generate these types of points will allow us to accept some very lucrative contracts. These types of points also play an important role in the development of the Lunar Space Elevator Megaproject.[/p][h3][/h3][p][/p][h3]Construction platform for the Lunar Space Elevator[/h3][p]Lastly, one of the main reasons for establishing a presence in Lunar Orbit is because this station is the platform for launching the construction of the Lunar Space Elevator Megaproject (LSE), which is the ultimate goal of the game. We'll be covering the details behind the LSE in upcoming Dev Diaries entries. For the time being, here's a sneak peek of the various modules required in Lunar Orbit (there's more in GSO, more details in future entries).[/p][p][/p][h3]Coming Up Next[/h3][p]This blog post concludes the two-part series that covers the details behind the 'Lunar Orbit' station. In the next Dev Diary entry, we'll start another two-part series, where we'll discuss some of the references we used throughout the development of 'Space Station Designer'.[/p][p]Don't forget that we're currently running a closed beta for the game (more information here). Last week we released another update (version 0.5.72), which includes updated versions of all 26 interactive tutorials, along with several gameplay additions and Quality of Life (QoL) improvements.[/p][p]We're currently hard at work on the next update, which will feature several QoL improvements and updated content. If you're interested in trying out 'Space Station Designer', please consider applying to the closed beta and help us shape its future.[/p][p]See you in the next Dev Diary![/p][p][/p][p]--Ignacio, Mauricio, and Nicolas (Polar Motion)
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[p]At the end of June we published 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.60. We have continued making progress since then, and today we're proud to share 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.72 with all of you. This new version comes with a lot of cool stuff that we're sure you'll enjoy. As usual, this post will cover the main highlights. If you're interested in the full overview, you can always go through our detailed release notes here.[/p][p][/p][h3]Graphics Improvements[/h3][p][/p][p]We continue finding ways to revamp the overall quality of the visuals. As part of this update, we've tweaked the lighting, improved the atmospheric halo around the Earth, tweaked the camera post-processing effects, and completely revamped the details of the Moon.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]In parallel, we continue working on an experimental branch featuring various techniques that we are planning to include in a future update. Once this branch is complete, we'll be able to include a proper "day/night" cycle, a variable orbit inclination, and a more realistic relationship between the orbit of the Earth around the Sun, the orbit of the Moon around the Earth, and the orbits of the various stations around the Earth/Moon. We still need to figure out a few technical issues, but we're hopeful we'll be able to share all this very soon.[/p][p][/p][h3]Revised Interactive Tutorials[/h3][p][/p][p]Back in 2021, we released 'Space Station Designer' version 0.3.6, which included a series of interactive tutorials that introduced the various concepts behind the game as a series of bite-sized lessons. The game has changed significantly since then, and at some point last year we made the decision to temporarily disable these tutorials, as many of them were really outdated and not very enlightening.[/p][p][/p][p]Now that the mechanics behind 'Space Station Designer' are starting to settle, we decided that it was a good time to go through all the tutorials and bring them up to date. The end result is seven tutorial categories: 'Basic Concepts', 'Astronauts', 'Resupply Spacecraft', 'Above and Below the LEO station', 'Currencies', 'Revenue Generation', and 'Station Upkeep', featuring a grand total of 25 tutorials.[/p][p][/p][p]The tutorials can be accessed from the main menu:
[/p][p][/p][p]Each category features its own progress tracker:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]And if you don't recall when was the last time you revised a tutorial, you can always reference the date when it was completed:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The tutorials present the information with pop-up dialogs, and many of them feature a series of 'tasks' to complete, which are similar to the 'Campaign Objectives' from the Campaign mode.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]One piece of feedback we received in the past was the fact that some tutorials required players to repeat a series of steps that they had already done in previous lessons. As part of this revision, we made sure that all tutorials remain focused, and don't ask you to retread the same concepts over and over. Depending on their complexity, completing a tutorial can take anywhere between 3 to 10 minutes.[/p][p][/p][p]The full list of tutorials is as follows:[/p][p][/p][p]Category 1: Basic Concepts[/p][p]I. The User Interface (Phase I)[/p][p]II. Buying & installing modules (Phase I)[/p][p]III. Acquiring Technologies from the Research Tree (Phase I)[/p][p]IV. Cooling & Electricity (Phase I)[/p][p]V. Storage space & waste (Phase I)[/p][p]VI. Orbit Control (Phase I)[/p][p]VII. Attitude Control (Phase I)[/p][p][/p][p]Category 2: Astronauts[/p][p]I. Hiring Astronauts (Phase I)[/p][p]II. Onboarding And Training Astronauts (Phase I)[/p][p]III. Astronauts Autonomy and Morale (Phase I)[/p][p][/p][p]Category 3: Resupply Spacecraft[/p][p]I. Bringing Resupply Spacecraft To The Station (Phase I)[/p][p]II. Dispatching & Transferring Resupply Spacecraft (Phases I & III)[/p][p][/p][p]Category 4: Above and below the LEO station[/p][p]I. Earth Facilities (Phase I)[/p][p]II. Orbital Outposts In Higher Orbits (Phase III)[/p][p][/p][p]Category 5: Currencies[/p][p]I. Research Points (Phase I)[/p][p]II. Public Reputation Points (Phase I)[/p][p]III. Industrial R&D Points (Phase III)[/p][p][/p][p]Category 6: Revenue Generation:[/p][p]I. Production Lines And Goods Manufacturing (Phase I)[/p][p]II. Modules Leasing (Phase II)[/p][p]III. Commercial Services (Phase II)[/p][p]IV. Space Tourism (Phase II)[/p][p]V. Commercializing Industrial R&D Technologies (Phase III)[/p][p][/p][p]Category 7: Station Upkeep[/p][p]I. Maintenance And Modules Failures (Phase I)[/p][p]II. The Debris Avoidance Maneuver (DAM) (Phase I)[/p][p]III. Service Life and MTBF Of Space Station Modules (Phase I)[/p][p][/p][p]Note that the Campaign provides a large range of objectives that progressively introduce you to the various game mechanics. The tutorials aren't meant to be a replacement for these objectives. Instead, they complement them, and they are a great mechanism to learn the nuance of the various mechanics and ensure that the concepts stick.[/p][p][/p][h3]Overhaul of the 'orbit control' system[/h3][p][/p][p]As part of this new update, we made significant changes to the 'orbit control' system. More specifically:[/p]

• [p]The LEO station needs to be kept at an altitude of 460 km by maintaining an 'orbit control' score equal or greater than 100%. Failing to maintain the minimum score will cause the altitude to drop. If the altitude goes below 160 km, it will burn up on re-entry and the game will end.[/p]
• [p]The GSO and L2 stations have no need for 'orbit control'.[/p]
• [p]The Lunar Orbit station also requires 'orbit control'. Unlike the LEO station, the Lunar Orbit station doesn't need to maintain a certain altitude. Instead, the 'orbit control' is used to keep the station fixed at the Earth-Moon Lagrange point 1, or 'L1'. Failing to provide adequate 'orbit control' will cause the Lunar Orbit station to 'drift'.[/p]

[p][/p][p]We'll be providing more details regarding the Lunar Orbit station in the upcoming Dev Diaries #12 and #13.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]In addition to all these changes, we introduced some improvements to the way the propulsion-related information is displayed in the spacecraft filters panel, including more descriptive messages, more variety of font colors, and code to ensure that the various 3D widgets are shown in front of the modules. These changes, coupled with the revised interactive tutorial on 'Orbit Control', should make this mechanic a lot easier to understand.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Conversion of subsystems from turn-based to real-time[/h3][p][/p][p]One of the most noticeable changes in version 0.5.72 is the fact that several subsystems have been converted from turn-based to real-time. In practice, this means that instead of seeing abrupt changes at the end of the month/turn, you'll see smaller incremental changes throughout it.[/p][p][/p][p]These changes include: maintenance trend adjustments, research points and Industrial R&D points generation, supplies consumption/waste generation, and altitude decay (for the LEO station) and distance to L1 drift (for the Lunar orbit station). The game world feels a lot more dynamic after these changes, and we're confident you'll love them![/p][p][/p][h3]Fixes and QoL improvements[/h3][p][/p][p]As part of this update, we're including a series of fixes and Quality of Life (QoL) improvements. Some of the most notable ones include:[/p][p][/p]

• [p]Fixed the geometry of the 'NEXUS Module' used in the Lunar Space Elevator megaproject.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the representation of the GSO station in the Global screen. Now the station's rotation speed matches the Earth's.[/p]
• [p]The filters dialog can now be opened directly using the F keys (e.g., F1 for 'Cooling', F2 for 'Electricity', F3 for 'Orbit Control', etc).[/p]

[p][/p][p]As always, you can find the full list in our public release notes here.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Closing thoughts[/h3][p][/p][p]We hope you enjoy this new update. We're currently running a closed beta, so if you want to try out all these changes, please consider applying by using the following link. We're specially interested in getting your feedback regarding the newly revised interactive tutorials, so let us know your thoughts.[/p][p][/p][p]As always, we'll be monitoring our Discord server and the forums, so don't hesitate to let us know if you have any feedback or comments.[/p][p][/p][p]--Ignacio, Mauricio, and Nicolas (Polar Motion)[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]