Game introduction

You live in the province city and the life around is not very good. The salary is low to be satisfied and there are no such good workplaces to work. Your family – the wife and three children deserve better live conditions, and you, - mid-age miner in Lviv region, decided to buy old space-ship, which designed to gather space debris and start to collect the garbage in Earth orbit to make more money.

Firstly, it is one player game, but the multiplayer version is also allowed.

Mathematical and physical model

A physical and mathematical models for this game can be chosen as simpler or more complicated, in perspective realistic.

The Cartesian or spherical coordinates may be chosen to set the positions and velocities of all game objects. The basic realization of motion mechanics may be Newton laws.

In far perspective, the game may include general relativistic corrections to motion or even motion model based on geodesic equations for test particles in Schwarzshild space-time.

Objects in the game

Scrap – has position (x,y,z) (or (r,theta,phi)), mass m_scr and velocity V=(Vx,Vy,Vz). Each of them is function of time t. The scrap is running at circular (elliptic) orbits. Each scrap has its value, mostly depending on mass but not limited to this. Scrap may be categorized with some properties.

Player(s) spaceship - has position (x,y,z) (or (r,theta,phi)), mass m_sp and velocity VS=(VSx,VSy,VSz). It is running at circular (elliptic) orbits. Position and velocity are functions of time. Spaceship has gas tank with volume V, m^3.

Spaceships that player can buy are classified by types. Each type has its radar range, scrap capacity in kg, maximal acceleration (absolute value) in m/s^2.

Each spaceship has a computer to calculate the distance to the scrap, gas needed, to draw the path.

The main game screen

It is the game global map. At this screen you see Earth, your spaceship, it orbit and transparent viewing sphere, radius of which is depended on the radar that is installed on your ship. You may see the scrap positions only in this sphere. When your ship is moving throw space, this sphere draws the torus. In the intersection of radar sphere and torus you see the scrap, but in volume beyond your radar sphere, you can see only average count of scrap per volume. This estimation is counted only when your spaceship discovers scraps before. Algorithm for average estimation of scrap should be developed.

In main screen player can change spaceship orbit.

Your local radar screen

At this screen you see your local radar sphere, and all the scrap you meet you see inside the sphere. You see your orbit (it is curve), some scrap that is moving, and you may see orbits of scrap if needed (Button show orbits of scrap). You may choose the scrap you want to reach, and the information about the position and its velocity arise. This information includes distance to the scrap position, which is changing in time.

There must be developed function to calculate path to the scrap, distance, which also count fuel needed to reach this position. Gasoline consumption depends on the power of rocket’s engine. The power of engine gives acceleration (absolute value) to the physical model and is bounded by maximum acceleration for this type of spaceship. All these estimation algorithms should be developed. The direction of acceleration must be chosen automatically. There may be option to set the control for engine as graph a(t).

When the goal scrap is chosen, the players confirm the order to reach it and engine is turned on. The changing of spaceship orbit begins.

Arcade screen

Arcade screen may appear with some probability for some time, and player may play the game, directly operating spaceship by keyboard, gathering small scrap, dodging from meteors. Additional fuel is used to maneuvering. There can be added solar activity events on the arcade game, and the spaceship must turn on the magnetic field for the time period when solar activity present. Additional fuel needed for switching on the shield.

The spaceship, Development of spaceship (screen)

You may update components of the spaceship, paying money - radar, scrap store, gas tank, engines (acceleration), computer power.

You may also sell you spaceship and buy new class of spaceship. There may be four different classes – first, …, fourth (more advanced). Each next class may have additional features. For example, interception of scrap (in multiplayer) may be the feature of classes greater than 1.

Beginning of the game

Your spaceship has start at some low circular orbit R_start. Few kilometers lower to R_start there is a place (R_0), where all scrap are burning in the atmosphere. Lower than R_0 there are no any game objects. Upper limit – R_max.

Economic for the game

If the spaceship reaches the scrap, the ship container is filling. In some moments, the player can send gathered scrap (some little gas may be needed) to the Earth, where at R_0 it disappears and the player gets money. This sent collection of scrap can be intercepted by another player in a multiplayer game.

Rules

Game starts.

The player can choose his local observed scrap and start reaching it.

During the traveling time spaceship can meet a meteor cloud with some probability. When it happens the arcade sub-game in arcade screen arises.

A spaceship computer can do only a few calculations, for example 5. And after that time it needs some time to restore used calculation possibilities. So, the player sees for example 10 parts of scrap and can calculate path details only for 5 of them. Then he may choose one of them to reach. Some of scrap to be reached may be achieved more successfully than others.

Additional fuel can be bought by game money. The cost may depend on the altitude of spaceship current orbit.

The player may become bankrupt and lose the game.

The goal of the game

The aim of the game is to reach, for example, 1 000 000 dollars from your entrepreneurship with gathering space debris on Earth orbits (one player). To be most rich (multiplayer).

Multiplayer

Time clocks as real or may fasted for all players. This consequence that players may be waiting a lot of time. When the game is developed as a smartphone application, the notification may come for the player, when their ship task is done.

Game aims

Educational – some elements of the game may teach how many resources are needed to clean the Earth space environment, how to move on Earth orbits.

Scientific - creating the state of the art model for navigation and flying on Earth orbits.