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[Deus_Vult]

Hi, fellas. Usually I am in read-only mode, but for now I felt I have to make a post.
So, it seems today we got numerous half-done space sims with ship-building (or at least internal parts of the ship). Most of them are based on minecraft building model (which is ok, I think), but it is kinda difficult to understand, what's the actual difference between them.

Look, we got Blockade Runner, Corneroids and Scrumbleship. And, guys, I fail to understand - what makes each of this games unique? What is the difference between ship-building or fkying in Corneroids and in BR? And in Scrumbleship?
So this is the first question. The second one - would you kindly name other such spacesims I forgot or never knew about?

Thanks.

[freeformschooler]

Masterspace.

[Viken]

The only constant variable between those games is the voxel, which when boiled down to its base form, is really good simply for building stuff. Regardless of genre.  I'm a community moderator for Blockade Runner though, so I'm partial to BR's set up, but I've played Cornernoids and the -old- demo of Scrumbleship before.

All three games are interest in the same thing, creating semi-realistic spacehips, fighting, and large multiplayer components.  But in my experience, Blockade Runner's is going to be more of a Dwarf Fortress fan's wet dream.  It'll have real complexity, making choices actually matter; designs that require actual thought on how power distrubition, gas and fluid dynamics work in space.  Not to mention the crafting system, which will NOT be like MC's or even Cornernoids; and will probably end up being very detailed and massively complex.

At the moment, there's not much else known about Cornernoids than what has already been released.  It already has gameplay features, but nothing innovative, and nothing polished beyond the basics of movement and flight controls.  I'm almost afraid that Cornernoids is going to run into the same problems MineCraft did by rushing in 'game' features without working on the backend programming first.

Scrumbleships, on the other hand, has been in development for almost as long as Blockade Runner has been, and until recently has been really hush-hush on its developement.  Point of fact, Scrumbleships' creator used to stop by the BR IRC channel every so often to talk shop and to spread the word.  Other than that, I cannot say.  All you used to be able to do was to select a block type and place it. I don't know how far its progressed now.

I hope this answered some of yoru questions, Deus Vult.

[Deus_Vult]

So, Corneroids is more arcade-y, but has something, while BR is planned to be hardcore?

[Viken]

Basically, yeah.  At the moment the Blockade Runner dev team are working on several projects, including getting the first 'characters' into the game, movement controls, multiplayer stability and changing over from XNA rendering to DirectX rendering.  They're really exciting, and working on alot of under-the-hood programming.

[Girlinhat]

Corneroid seems more focused on "soft real physics" which is to say that angle of thrust matters, you can't just slap an engine anywhere, but at the same time there's no stress on thin segments and ships slow down very quickly without burning engines.  You'll generally see a lot more varied designs because there's more wiggle room to be creative, while it sounds like Blockade Runner will mostly have similar ships and anything different will be a major design overhaul - after all, there's only so many ways to design your core systems.

[Ikaruga]

You forgot to mention Star-Made.

http://star-made.org/

You can build ships, save them, harvest minerals, build factories which can convert minerals into stuff, there's a (very basic) AI...

I've been playing it for a few months, and I highly recommend it !

[Viken]

Actually, Girlinhat, I think you have it a bit backwards.  Cornernoids' current system for thrusters specifically is a major pain without two people sitting at the controls.  Not to mention trying to tie in any of the weapon systems into it.  Blockade Runner's will be alot more accessible; once those systems are in.  Positining and whatnot will matter, but the 'thruster console' or equvilant will provide computer assisted control.  So you can have crazy lopsided ship designs that still are able to fly straight by moderating the thruster power.  At the moment, thruster blocks are omni-directional, as well; although that may be subject to change later on.

[Girlinhat]

Aha, computer-assisted thrust does change the game significantly.  But what I really meant was that Corneroids doesn't simulate any stress, so you can mount a solid titanium block on aluminum stilts and subject it to 50 g's and it won't crumple.  If BR simulates these stresses, then you have to make your craft at least strong enough to survive its own engines.  Once you get to that point, then there's only a handful of ways to design a skeletal support, while in Corneroids there's infinite ways to make spindly, unrealistic items.

[Neonivek]

Actually, Girlinhat, I think you have it a bit backwards.  Cornernoids' current system for thrusters specifically is a major pain without two people sitting at the controls.  Not to mention trying to tie in any of the weapon systems into it.  Blockade Runner's will be alot more accessible; once those systems are in.  Positining and whatnot will matter, but the 'thruster console' or equvilant will provide computer assisted control.  So you can have crazy lopsided ship designs that still are able to fly straight by moderating the thruster power.  At the moment, thruster blocks are omni-directional, as well; although that may be subject to change later on.

They are going back and forth between going with preset models and using blocks. (thankful they chose blocks)

The Omnidirrectional thrusters will likely always be in the game but represent more steering then propulsion.

However one thing that may annoy people about Blockade Runner is that there is a stronger focus on making bigger functional ships. Then ultra-self contained ships. With room required to allow your crew to move through the halls.

[Viken]

That's something that's been a subject of discussion between both players and devs of Blockade Runner.  But appearantly, it will be possible to make fully functual ship designs at about 16 meters; small enough to be one or two people only, and able to dock in a docking bay. *Chuckles*

Yes though, the devs finally did decide that they're going for the functional block design instead of those 'pre-fabs', which were very time consuming to create.  But at the same time, they're leaving the modding almost completely open-ended, so anyone who wants to add non-block pre-fabs can do so as a mod.