Generationship News

[p]This update focuses on onboarding: a new in-game Help window and a fresh tutorial flow make it much easier to learn navigation and ship operations. Along the way we also added gyroscope control, navigation and docking polish, and input improvements so everything feels more reliable. [/p][h2]Navigation Tutorial System[/h2][p] A new tutorial guides you through the basics of navigation step by step, from understanding the controls to executing your first maneuvers. It is designed to work together with the Help window, so you can jump to deeper explanations when needed. [/p][hr][/hr][h2]Gyroscope Control & Activity UI[/h2][p] Ships now support gyroscope control, including the Supply Ship. The gyroscope is a complete new interior item next to thrusters, and there is already a small version with a bigger one planned later. Gyros are tracked in the Astronomic Force analytics, and there is a new UI element that shows gyroscope activity so you can see when stabilization kicks in. This brings much more predictable rotation behavior during maneuvers and docking. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Navigation & Docking Polish[/h2][p]
Navigation planning and docking got a pass of practical improvements: clearer error reporting in navigation checks, more precise angular-velocity requirements, a new deltaV panel, and better formatted navigation log values. We also improved orbit camera defaults and added a timewarp button for navigation tasks to cut down on waiting.
[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Controls & Options Overhaul[/h2][p]
Key bindings are now managed through a new input action system with categories, special key support, and better localization (including German keyboard layouts). Shown keys in the UI now reflect the player's actual bindings, making the controls screen finally match what you use in-game.
[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Stability & Visual Tweaks[/h2][p] A long list of fixes landed across UI, savegames, and autopilot edge cases. Highlights include improved problem icons on vessel lists, better need indicators, and several crash and exception fixes to keep long sessions stable.[/p][p] [/p][hr][/hr][h2]New In-Game Help Window[/h2][p] The Help window has been rebuilt around reusable Help Entries. You can now search across topics, open items directly, and the list scrolls to the selected entry automatically. We also added Interior Item help pages so the most common objects explain themselves right where you need them. [/p][hr][/hr][h2]New Wiki - More Details, Always Updated[/h2][p] We also launched a new wiki that collects game data, resources, and interior items in one place. It is generated from the game data and will be updated automatically with every release. [/p][p]https://wiki.generationship.scifanstudios.com/ [/p][hr][/hr][h2]Discord AI Assistant - Work in Progress[/h2][p] I am working on a Discord AI assistant that can answer game-specific questions. It is still early, but the goal is to make help on the server faster and more accurate in the future. [/p][hr][/hr][p]
I also post the progress and more pictures to our Discord:[/p][p]https://scifanstudios.com/discord

And don't forget to wishlist and follow us to keep up to date.

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]This iteration introduces the Navigation Plan system, enabling autonomous orbital maneuvers like docking, orbit changes, and interplanetary transfers. The crew now handles autopilot selection and maneuver planning autonomously. [/p][h2]🌌 The Navigation Plan System[/h2][p] The navigation system has evolved significantly! We've introduced a comprehensive Navigation Plan system that enables your ships to perform complex orbital maneuvers autonomously. You can now dock with other vessels, change orbits, transfer to the moon, or even travel to other planets—all managed automatically through the Navigation Plans.[/p][p] [/p][hr][/hr][h2]🔄 Autonomous Task Scheduling[/h2][p]
The navigation plan contains periodically checking tasks, where the crew will check the vessel's state regarding your navigation plan.

During these checks, they handle autopilot setup and monitor for deviations. If they notice significant or complex maneuvers requiring more brain power, they set up Navigation Tasks, such as calculating trajectories for rendezvous with other ships and calculate/schedule Mid-Flight Corrections.

This creates a more living, breathing ship where crew members contribute meaningfully to navigation operations, reducing your micromanagement burden while adding strategic depth.

[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🖥️ Navigation Console[/h2][p]
Planning is done through new Navigation Console interior items. The astronauts from your crew can perform these tasks there, taking over the complex navigation planning responsibilities. Crew skills and experience will directly impact planning efficiency and maneuver accuracy.

[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🏛️ Ground Station Support (While It Lasts)[/h2][p]
Initially, you as the player need to handle the planning yourself. The ground station on Earth provides support for complex navigation tasks, offering expert oversight. However, as the war on Earth intensifies, this support will become unreliable and eventually disappear entirely.

[/p][hr][/hr][p]
I also post the progress and more pictures to our Discord:[/p][p]https://scifanstudios.com/discord

And don't forget to wishlist and follow us to keep up to date.

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]We’ve completely overhauled the SupplyShip: handling is tighter, stages are fully integrated, and Crew Capsules now manage oxygen and food just like on the main ship. Low-altitude operations are more stable than ever thanks to the new Surface Mode, while the polished time and astronomical systems make every mission precise and reliable.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]The New Supply Ship[/h2][p]The SupplyShip handling has been completely overhauled. Ships now require an integrated Crew Capsule, which consumes oxygen and food after launch—just like on the main ship. This lays the foundation for future mission updates.[/p][p]Players can now purchase and manage stages, and the ship handles them automatically when needed.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Stages[/h2][p]Stages are fully integrated and automatically triggered during ascent or orbital adjustments. Each stage can include tanks, thrusters, and separators, allowing modular ship design.[/p][p]The “Enable at Stage” system lets components activate automatically at a specific stage.[/p][p]To make mission planning transparent, each stage now displays DeltaV calculations, showing exactly how much maneuvering capability is available. Players can plan precise missions and see the impact of each stage clearly.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Surface Mode[/h2][p]A new Surface Mode improves low-altitude flight and landing stability. Takeoffs, landings, and close-to-surface maneuvers are now precise, preparing the game for future atmospheric gameplay.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Time System & Astronomics[/h2][p]The time system has been polished and fully synchronized with the astronomical simulation. Fuel consumption is now accurate even at high speeds or accelerated simulation rates.[/p][p]Astronomics can trigger events in the task system, and players can now see which system is currently affecting game time. This makes long missions more predictable and reliable.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Credits Over Time[/h2][p]The player now receives credits over time, providing a clearer feedback loop for ongoing operations. In future updates, credits will also be affected by events and resource trading (e.g., mining Helium3 on the Moon to sell back to Earth).[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]UI Improvements[/h2][p]The interface has been restructured for clarity and usability:[/p]

• [p]Vessel Selection now has tabs and a more organized layout.[/p]
• [p]Resource panels support AutoBuy/Sell, with animated panels showing credit changes clearly.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Navigation planning uses a consistent style across all screens.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Internal Improvements & Visuals[/h2]

• [p]Planets now feature dynamic surfaces, adjusting curvature based on distance, so SupplyShips always appear correctly positioned.[/p]
• [p]Mass and thrust calculations are now relative to parent objects, allowing docked thrusters to contribute to the ship’s overall thrust.[/p][p][/p]

[hr][/hr][p][/p][p]I also post the progress and more pictures to our Discord:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]And don't forget to wishlist and follow us to keep up to date.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]It’s been a while – the last three months have been quiet in terms of updates. But behind the scenes, we’ve been working on a major feature: Your ships can now move. Really move.[/p][p]In the previous version of Generation Ship, you could build your ship and configure it – but it remained locked in a static orbit. That has changed. Dramatically.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🚀 Realistic Spaceflight – Built on Orbital Mechanics[/h3][p]There is now a complete new navigation system, using real orbital physics. Planets and moons now move along proper trajectories. Your ship isn't just a visual object in space – it's a physical entity obeying gravity, inertia, and thrust.[/p][p][/p][p]Placement of engines, mass distribution, and the center of mass (COM) all matter. Ships with unbalanced designs may spin, drift, or behave unpredictably — just like in real spaceflight.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🔧 Engines, Gimbals & Thrust Balancing[/h3][p]Each thruster now applies real directional force, and most engines support an adjustable gimbal for steering.[/p][p][/p][p]To help stabilize things, we’ve introduced an automated thrust balancing system that adjusts outputs across all engines to maintain control, even in asymmetrical designs.[/p][p]The UI now includes a directional control overview, letting you see at a glance how maneuverable your ship is in each axis — ideal for debugging tricky ship layouts.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]🕹️ Keyboard Control & NavBall Flight Interface[/h3][p]You can now pilot your ship directly using keyboard input. To support orientation and spatial awareness, we’ve added a full NavBall UI – showing orientation relative to prograde, retrograde, normal vectors and more.[/p][p][/p][p]A simple autopilot is also included: stabilize your orientation, point toward targets, or align with maneuver vectors – all at the push of a button.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🌌 New Star Map & Maneuver Planning[/h3][p]The new star map lets you visualize planetary orbits, moon paths, and your own trajectory in real time. [/p][p]You can set maneuver nodes directly on your orbit – tweaking speed and angle to reach your goals.[/p][p][/p][p]Need help? An early maneuver planner can automatically calculate common tasks: orbit changes, lunar transfers, and more.[/p][p]In the future, these plans will be handled by your crew, with planning time and skill factors. But for now — it’s fully interactive.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🛰️ Multiple Ships, Autonomous Flight, and Docking[/h3][p]You can now switch between multiple ships, like your supply vessels and support craft. Each ship can be manually piloted or assigned to an autopilot – letting your crew perform planned burns, execute maneuvers, and approach rendezvous targets.[/p][p]The rendezvous system is also in development:[/p]

• [p]Ships can target other vessels[/p]
• [p]Autopilots execute approach maneuvers[/p]
• [p]The Docking Mode on the NavBall enables precision alignment[/p]
• [p]A “Hold Position” mode allows ships to stay in place near their target[/p]

[p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]🎥 Work-in-Progress Video[/h3][p]Want to see all of this in action?
We’ve put together a short work-in-progress video showing the new navigation systems, maneuver planning, and autopilot behavior in-game.[/p][p]Note that that's not the final version of the video and a lot of warnings were still shown up. But it should give you a solid impression of how things are coming together![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Let us know what you think — and what you’d like to see next![/p][hr][/hr][h3]🧪 What’s Next – From Systems to Simulation[/h3][p]The core navigation systems are now in place and working well.
I’m currently focused on polishing performance and stability, making sure everything feels smooth, consistent, and reliable in real gameplay.[/p][p]Once that’s done, the update will be opened up to all current playtesters.[/p][p]After that, the next step is deeper integration into the main gameplay: Autopilot tasks and maneuver planning won’t just happen instantly — instead, they’ll be handled by your crew. You’ll be able to give high-level orders like:[/p]

[p]"Send the shuttle to the outpost,"
and the crew will take care of the trajectory, planning, flight, and docking.[/p]

[p]This system will also apply to supply ships, which will initially be managed by ground control. Later, your onboard crew will handle them autonomously as well.[/p][p]We’re also exploring new gameplay layers, like sensor-based navigation, crew roles for flight control, and dedicated consoles or interior items for planning and piloting. These would take over some of the current autopilot functions — though you’ll always be able to fly manually if you prefer.[/p][p]These changes also mean that moon missions and supply transfers will become location-aware:
Your main ship’s position matters. Later in the game, you’ll be able to move into lunar orbit, reducing fuel needs and shortening travel times — making orbit management a real strategic choice.[/p][hr][/hr][p]I also post the progress and more pictures to our Discord: [/p][p] [/p][p]And don't forget to wishlist and follow us to keep up to date.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

We reached version 0.100!
A long journey lies behind us, and the game keeps improving. In this iteration, radiation was added as a new gameplay element.



As always, I aimed to use scientifically accurate values.
Radiation in space comes mainly from solar activity and cosmic rays.
While in Earth's orbit, you're still partially protected by the planet's magnetic field—but that protection is much weaker than on the surface. Once the ship leaves orbit, radiation becomes a much greater threat.





Radiation is now measured as a dose per crew member.
Higher doses reduce walking and working speed. Very high doses damage health and can eventually lead to death.
You'll need to carefully manage exposure to keep your crew safe.





There are now different ways to improve radiation protection.
One of them is the ship's hull. A second room type is now available, using more resources but offering better passive shielding through improved construction.
To support this, the Room Editor received a major overhaul.





Rooms can now include water storage in the hull, providing additional passive shielding.
You can install a Water Pump to fill or empty the hull space with water.
Water is a highly effective material for blocking space radiation and adds another layer of defense.





As a high-tech solution, you can build a Magnetic Field Generator.
It consumes a lot of energy but provides powerful protection, especially useful during critical radiation events.





The regular radiation level in space is manageable, but there are also solar events that pose serious risks.
These include solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)—massive bursts of radiation released by the sun.
Minor events may only cause discomfort or minor slowdowns, but larger eruptions can be deadly without strong protection.
Planning ahead and using the right shielding methods will be crucial for survival.




I also post the progress and more pictures to our Discord:



And don't forget to wishlist and follow us to keep up to date.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1638030/Generation_Ship/