Space Station Designer News

Welcome to the first Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In this article, we'll provide an overview of the game and discuss some of the details behind the 'Campaign' mode. Whether you've just found out about 'Space Station Designer' or you have been following its development for a while, this post, and the upcoming part II, are a perfect entry point to learn more about the game.

[h3]What is Space Station Designer?[/h3]

'Space Station Designer' is a construction and management game for PC where you are in charge of leading a private space company that works closely with one of four partner governments. Your job is to set up a network of space stations in Earth and Lunar orbits, with the ultimate goal of assembling and operating an ambitious megaproject: the 'Lunar Space Elevator'.

'Space Station Designer' follows the footsteps of our previous strategy game 'Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager' (BASPM), also published by Slitherine. For this new game, we decided to move slightly away from the historical angle that made BASPM so successful, and create something that starts around the turn of the millennium and extends into the near future. While some of the elements found in the game don't exist yet, the overall setting of the game is closer to the realm of possibility than it is to science fiction, and we strongly believe this makes 'Space Station Designer' unique.

Our main sources of inspiration for the game were the visions for a permanent human presence in Earth orbit, including NASA's Space Station Freedom, which ultimately became the International Space Station (ISS). We'll go into details regarding our inspirations, which includes technical books and computer games from the 1980s and 1990s, in a future diary entry.





[h3]The 'Campaign' Game Mode[/h3]

'Space Station Designer' features three game modes: 'Campaign', 'Sandbox', and 'Free Builder', and all of them include modding support (more on this later). The 'Campaign' mode starts with the selection of a Partner Government and a Core Module for the first station, which is located in Low Earth Orbit or 'LEO'.





As shown in the screenshots above, all Partner Governments and Core Module variants provide a series of bonuses and special attributes. Once the initial selections have been made, the Core Module is launched and deployed to LEO:





Which marks the proper start of the 'Campaign':



As you can see from the screenshot above, there are quite a lot of options on this screen. We'll be covering the details behind them in subsequent entries but, for now, here's a non-comprehensive list of activities that you'll be able to perform while playing 'Space Station Designer':

• Purchasing and installing a wide range of modules.
  
• Keeping the station operational by balancing a diverse range of stats, such as electricity, cooling, orbit and attitude control, overall maintenance, etc.
  
• Hiring and managing astronauts.
  
• Launching crewed and uncrewed resupply spacecraft to the station, dispatching them back to Earth, and even transferring them to stations in other orbits.
  
• Unlocking research technologies from a vast tech tree, which includes over 60 unique technologies.
  
• Installing manufacturing modules and setting up production lines that create valuable commercial goods, which can be sold in a dynamic commercial market.
  
• Opening stations in higher orbits and even around the Moon, and making them all interact and work in sync as part of a large network.
  
• Acquiring Industrial R&D technologies from a second tech tree featuring over 20 entries, which can be commercialized to external entities.
  
• Leasing modules, providing commercial services, and even hosting space tourists.
  
• Accepting and fulfilling a series of 60+ unique contracts, which provides supplementary revenue to keep the network of stations operational.
  

As developers, we understand that this can be a lot to learn at once. To address this, the 'Campaign' mode has been carefully crafted to gradually introduce some of these mechanics by completing nearly 70 campaign objectives, which can be accessed via the 'Campaign Objectives' button located in the top-left corner of the screen.





Completing the 'Campaign Objectives' takes approximately 8 hours, with the last objective being the acquisition of the 'Expansion in LEO' research technology.



Acquiring this research technology opens 'Phase II', which brings a whole new set of mechanics. Unlike 'Phase I', in 'Phase II' there are no fixed objectives. The game switches to a 'Contracts system', where you'll get the chance to discover and master a new set of mechanics and systems.

In addition to 'Phase II', there's also a 'Phase III'. This phase starts with the acquisition of the 'Expansion Beyond LEO' research technology, and culminates with the construction and operation of the 'Lunar Space Elevator' megaproject. All these mechanics are already implemented, and our internal playtesting has revealed that an expert player needs over 40 hours to complete the Campaign from start to finish. Clearly, setting up a 'Lunar Space Elevator' requires a heavy investment in supporting infrastructure.

[h3]Development Status[/h3]

At the time of writing, the game is in a very advanced state of development. We released a large update in mid-December followed by another one a week ago, which includes the 'Lunar Space Elevator' megaproject. If you're interested in trying out the game and helping us improve before its final release, you can sign up for the ongoing closed beta here.

[h3]Coming Up Next[/h3]

We believe 'Space Station Designer' will be appealing to both players who are into management games and those who have an interest in space exploration. A lot of care has gone into the design and development of the game, and we are confident you'll find it enjoyable.

The 'Campaign' mode is just one of the game modes available in Space Station Designer. In the next article, we'll give an overview of the remaining game modes, including modding support. Don't hesitate to contact us via the Steam forums if you have any feedback or questions about the game.

See you next time.

--Ignacio, Mauricio, and Nicolas (Polar Motion)

Wishlist now
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1447650/Space_Station_Designer/

Back in mid-December we published 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.40. This update included what we refer to as 'Phase III', and included a whole new series of mechanics, such as being able to create stations in higher orbits, and even around the Moon.

After publishing the previous update, we've been hard at work implementing the last remaining large system in the game: the 'Lunar Space Elevator' megaproject. This megaproject is now available for playtesting as part of the newly released version 0.5.47. This is a major development milestone, as 'Space Station Designer' can now be technically played from start to finish.

Similar to previous updates, this new version also includes a series of Quality of Life (QoL) improvements, bug fixes, and new content. If you're interested in the full changelog, you can review our live document here.

[h3]The 'Lunar Space Elevator' Megaproject[/h3]

The 'Lunar Space Elevator' megaproject is the last large system in 'Space Station Designer' that ties all the elements of the game together into a meaningful ultimate goal. Without revealing too much, the megaproject can be accessed by unlocking the technology at the end of the tech tree.



Unlocking this technology enables a button in the orbital outpost screen that gives access to the management screen:



The megaproject comprises a series of milestones, which require a combination of payments in various currencies and astronauts assignments. These milestones range from installing a series of new modules to fulfilling specialized contracts.



We still have to tidy up some of the UI, but the implementation of the core mechanics is already in place, and we can confirm that all the milestones in the megaproject can be completed.

[h3]New content[/h3]

In addition to the 'Lunar Space Elevator' megaproject, we added some new content, such as the new 'Cargo Shuttle' resupply spacecraft. This is a non-crewed version of the existing 'Space Shuttle', modeled after the Shuttle C concept from NASA. We have also completely revamped the existing 'Industrial R&D' tech tree, which now features a series of relevant technologies, along with balanced acquisition costs and commercialization values.





[h3]Quality of Life (QoL) improvements[/h3]

Similar to previous updates, in version 0.5.47 we've added a number of Quality of Life improvements. This includes input binding/remapping, which has been a popular request from our beta testers, and a mechanism to unselect a large group of toggle buttons filters by using the right mouse button. We've also added a mechanism to quickly cycle through all the various stations using the 'next' and 'previous' mouse buttons (that can, of course, be remapped as well), which comes in handy during the late stages of the game.



Please note that the current input binding/remapping system (which is part of the 'Preferences' screen) is only a first implementation. In future updates, we'll polish the UI and include extra features, such as being able to adjust the sensitivity of the various axis.

[h3]Fixes[/h3]

One of the fun things about playtesting the late stages of the game is that we get the chance to stress some of its systems beyond their initial capabilities. As part of the current playthrough, some of our astronauts actually reached the retirement age. This made us realize that we weren't handling this scenario properly, and it has now been fixed.

Other issues we've addressed as part of version 0.5.47 include:

• Restricting players from transferring resupply spacecrafts to orbits beyond their range.
  
• Addressing a runtime exception when removing resupply spacecraft in the 'Free Builder' mode.
  
• A collision glitch in the solar panels of the 'Transporter' resupply spacecraft.
  
• The display of the cargo bay of the 'Chimera' and 'Starcarrier' resupply spacecraft.
  

We've also completely overhauled the handling of error scenarios, such as invalid or corrupted data files and save game files, which will provide a smoother gameplay experience.

[h3]Closing thoughts[/h3]

As mentioned in the introduction, 'Space Station Designer' can now be played from start to finish. However, we still have a lot of work ahead of us in order to take the game to the quality of level we want it to reach. In the next update, we'll be focussing on delivering solutions to some of the suggestions provided by our beta testers (you can sign up for the beta here).

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.

We'll be publishing our first dev diary in the upcoming days, stay tuned!

--Ignacio, Mauricio, and Nicolas (Polar Motion)


Wishlist now
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1447650/Space_Station_Designer/

We made a lot of progress since our last update in late August, and today we're very happy to release 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.40. This update picks up where the previous one left off and allows you to open stations in higher orbits and even around the Moon, which we refer to as 'Phase III'.

In addition to this, this update includes our usual Quality of Life (QoL) improvements, bug fixes, data balancing, and new content. Please read on for the highlights and, if you're interested in the full changelog, you can review our live document here.

New mechanics
If you played the previous version of the beta, you may recall that it ended right before the acquisition of the 'Expansion Beyond LEO' research technology.


After acquiring 'Expansion Beyond LEO', the game will now let you establish stations in Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO), Lagrange Point 2 (L2), and Lunar Orbit.

All these stations can accommodate astronauts and space tourists, and they all feature exclusive modules that open up a lot of possibilities, such as being able to manufacture new types of commercial goods, including 'Carbon Nanotubes', 'Organic Scintillators', and 'Refined He-3'. We've also implemented a new mechanic that gives you the option to 'transfer' resupply spacecraft between stations, which adds a whole new layer of planning and logistics.


Lastly, we've added a new type of currency named 'Industrial R&D Points'. These points are generated by specialized modules, and it comes in four flavours: 'Industrial R&D LEO', 'Industrial R&D GSO', 'Industrial R&D L2', and 'Industrial R&D Lunar Orbit'. These new currencies can be used towards acquiring 'Industrial R&D Technologies', which can be commercialized to private entities.


The 'Industrial R&D' tech tree is relatively small for now, but we're aiming to expand it in future updates. That being said, the options to commercialize technologies and improve their value by running marketing campaign are already in place.

New content
In addition to the mechanics listed earlier, we've also added four new space station modules: 'Space Telescope', 'Space Weather Forecaster Center', 'Quantum Communications Research Lab', and the 'Refueling Module', which is a requirement for transferring resupply spacecraft to other stations.


We have also included the new 'Union M' resupply spacecraft, which provides a cost-efficient way to transfer goods and astronauts between the LEO, GSO, and L2 stations.


Following the approach from previous updates, we've included more than fifteen new contracts, including 'Below, Around and Beyond the Moon', 'The King's Gambit', and 'Scientia Potentia Est'.

Quality of Life (QoL) improvements
'Space Station Designer' is certainly becoming a very complex game, and with so many menus, screens, and buttons, we are well aware that it is important to streamline the user experience accordingly. This update includes several welcomed improvements, such as:

• The ability to automate the launch of resupply spacecraft and skip straight to the outcome. The game also provides two options that let you decide whether you want to approach the automated launch using a 'bold' approach or a 'cautious' one.
  
• The ability to 'skip' the Debris Avoidance Maneuver (DAM) animation and see the results of the maneuver.
  
• An automatic system that returns astronauts to their original assignments once their temporary assignment to a module repair ends.
  
• A button in the 'Maintenance' screen that assigns all unassigned astronauts to maintenance duties. This is particularly useful in the late stages of the game, when the size of the crews become quite large).
  
• A mechanism that preserves the filter selection of the astronaut management and modules selection screens as part of the save game file. This helps reduce a lot of clicking when visiting these screens.
  

Gameplay and content improvements
We realized during testing that our astronaut hiring process had room for improvement, so as part of this update we revamped the whole system. Starting with this version, astronauts can now only be hired during specific months, which matches more closely with the way NASA conducts astronaut recruitment. The opening of the recruitment season is now communicated via the 'End of Year' report.

We also found out that the requirements and financial rewards in random events were completely unbalanced for the late stages of the game, so we've introduced some 'inflation adjustment' constants that affect currencies and goods and create a much more enjoyable gameplay experience (no more ridiculously low rewards in random events that come up while playing Phase III).

The research tech tree has also been revised, and we've not only added new technologies (e.g., 'Research Level IV' and 'Megaproject'), but also fixed existing dependencies to ensure that there's a better consistency with other parts of the tech tree.

Closing thoughts
As with previous updates, 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.40 represents another big milestone for us. For the next update, we'll be focussing our effort on graphical improvements and the initial implementation of the 'megaproject'. If you have any questions or feedback about the game, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the forums or our Discord. And if you're interested in helping us improve it, please sign up for the beta.

This will be our last update for 2024. Enjoy the Holiday Season, and see you again in 2025 🙂

-Ignacio, Mauricio, and Nicolas (Polar Motion)

We’re excited to announce the launch of the new beta for Space Station Designer.
Now is your chance to dive into space construction and management like never before. The beta includes all the content and game mechanics from Phases I and II, featuring three engaging game modes: Campaign, Sandbox, and Free Builder.

This beta version comes with fully balanced in-game data, providing a rich experience with more than 24 hours worth of content to explore.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on every aspect of Space Station Designer—from challenge level, balance, and AI to any bugs you encounter. We’re particularly interested in feedback on any areas you find unclear—whether in the user interface, tooltips, or in-game messaging—please let us know.

Join the Discord Server, shape the future of Space Station Designer, and experience the challenges of running a space station firsthand.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1447650/Space_Station_Designer/

Dear Community,

As we mentioned a month ago in this announcement, we've partnered up with Slitherine, who has now become the publisher of 'Space Station Designer'. The development of the game continues at a steady pace, and we're now focussing on the development of 'Phase III', which includes new game mechanics and content. We'll be sharing more details (and pretty screenshots) in an upcoming post.

As part of our partnership with Slitherine, we've decided to close the Steam Playtest this upcoming Sunday (October 20th). The Playtest will be replaced by a closed beta, which we're aiming to open sometime next month. If you're interested in helping us shape up the game, please register your interest here.

From this point forward, official communications will be published by Slitherine, please know that the developers and producers will always be here for you on the Steam forums and on Discord. Thank you for your support and engagement.

--Ignacio, Mauricio, and Nicolas (Polar Motion)