Space sims?

Just something that occurred to me the other day. Here we have a 3D virtual environment, but all we're doing is simulating the surface of the Earth (sort of). Wouldn't it be interesting to have a sim someplace that didn't have ground, but was rather instead a large, zero-gravity void, complete with spacey skybox? ( gives a whole new meaning to 'Void' sims ) No ground to render, so it'd be quick, and we could like, recreate the Battle of Endor or something.

in space, no one can hear you type.

it's still a good idea. check out starax's rocket in backstage.

if you go up high enough don't you end up in space?

Well, I was thinking more along the lines of a sim that doesn't have ground anywhere, and also doesn't have gravity by default.

I like the idea, but as a curmudgeon, here's what I see as the rub.

Lack of gravitational forces is impractical in a space as small as 256m2. think about it. You'd float on one side of the sim... then apply a force/impulse to move... Just like the old game Asteroids, you'd float all the across teh sim... and then what?

Stop?
Bounce off the sim wall? So much for space simulation.
Disappear - as in return home? Again.. end of simulation.

Continue floating ..... to somewhere? To where if it's "an island sim"? It'd be one thing of this was a group of interconnected and adjacent sims. But, eventually, you'd hit the wall/the edge.. and so much for the "suspension of disbelief".

I would love to hear how to implement this in anything short of a 4 x 4 sim grid and have it "be cool". I use the feeling of limited airspace that I get when trying to fly only in the are of he vehicle sims near and around Balance for comparison... and that has gravity to act as a limiting factor.

We have suspension of disbelief? When did LL add this feature?

Hehe, well, I'd certainly not expect realism out of this idea... it just always struck me as kind of funny that we go through the trouble of creating a virtual duplication of 'real world' conditions.

It'd be kind of cute, honestly, to have a sim with no default gravity, and allow users to create their own customized gravity for their individual builds. Things would get strange and surreal very quickly. A good thing, in my books.

Not that I seriously expect any of this to be implemented... I'm just throwing out ideas.

In terms of the edges of the sims, though... they should make it like Asteroids! Just have people leave one side and pop in on the other.

That's great, LOL -- maybe even have a combat space sims played like Asteroids, but multiplayer of course.

Any other such odd spatial anomalies they could attribute to being "a mobius loop".

this happens now when you hit the edge of the world or an island sim. boing. i didn't know we had suspension of disbelief either. it pretty much dies for me the moment i start typing in the air instead of talking.

no gravity is really easy to do with an attachment. IM me and i'll show you.

in one side.. out the other..

see? I knew you guys would get the reference...

asteroids? no.. the digestive system..... lol!!!!

(no I am not saying this is a fecal idea.. just making a joke)

Somehow, mixing the concept of the Asteroids wrap-around world with the human digestive tract really, really grosses me out.

Egggggsactly

Couldn't you just attach large builds to your body parts then fly up say about 500k meters above your land then drop them there? Guess the only problem at that point would be getting back there once you have came back to the ground without flying for half an hour.

you can plain old build at 500 meters if you wanted to. i think you can do it even higher. it's still blue sky and clouds though. not real spacy.

These ideas, along with the possibilities of "other world" sims -- Martian, Venusian, moons of Jupiter and Saturn, etc. -- have been discussed many times on the forums.

Still a great idea, though. Wish LL would do it.

There is a sky grid. Currently, however -- unless you have LL permission, it is rumored -- the only way to get there is to fly straight up using a scripted flyer, and only from certain sims. It's over "16 million" meters up, and it takes several hours of flying to get there. But it's worth it. The terrain and plant life are like nothing in SL, or in RL, for that matter.

you forget not to long ago someone went to the end of the sky so to speak and took pictures.

I was in Ganymede the other day and a little old man in an orange tunic hobbled up to me. He said that the world was hollow and that he had touched the sky.

And then he died.

Seemed like a nice little guy too.

Um...that was me.

Later I broke through the end and went further.

And Jack, I don't watch Star Trek, and hopefully you don't sing like William Shatner.

Um...that was me.

Later on, I broke through the end and went further.

And S. Jack -- I don't watch Star Trek. Hopefully you don't sing like William Shatner.

Speeking of things to do in a zero-G sim, has anyone ever read the book _Ender's Game_? For those that havent, a spoiler-free description: a large part of the book involves a game, used to train young soldiers, that is played in zero-G. It's played in teams, each side has special suits and "flashers", basicly light guns, and if someone tags you with one, you become immobalized where it hit you. There are also several asteroids to hide behind. The goal of the game is to get at least 4 of your team to the other side where they have to touch a target to win.

Just random ideas.

I've read Ender's Game a few times, and that game would be perfect for SL...
simulating the 'freezing' would be difficult though, as the inability to use certain limbs wouldn't affect us too much... something to think about, and hopefully, something for someone to work on

This would be very kewl. They could even add something to the physics engine for gravitational forces, that pull things toward it. And would only work so far from the object. Space Stations anyone, or make a 10x10x10 sphere, rotate it at a slow rotation, and make a mini-moon. Also think about the sensors in LSL. These could be used so much more. Since its a 3D space they will work all around. So many things in RL have been created because of Space travel, why not see if its true for SL?

They could even sell 'plots' in space as well. Just take the coords of the sim. Example:
Case
{
t = Top;
b = Bottom;
}

X.t = 187;
X.b = 207;
Y.t = 69;
Y.b = 99;
Z.t = 40;
Z.b = 70;

This would make a 30 x 30 x 30 meter plot. Allowing people to build what they please. Gravitational forces could only work in that plot, thus making it so that someones stuff from another plot doesn't get pulled into another. There would have to be designated areas that are open, like rivers on ground, so that people couldn't build there. Make it so that when people press the P button to show the property lines, a box is basically shaded where the sides of the property lines are.

Vehicles would be very kewl to do in these sims. Anything from space vehicles, to space suits will be created.

As far as weapons go, there could be a ton of things that can be done here. Missles will be able to move with no friction, making it able to turn when the Rot is changed while it has an applied force for its X axis.

Affects from ground will range from either space rockets being made to take travelers to that sim by flying up about 400 meters, then over to the space sims, and then possibly docking with a space station. Also there will be new items to be sold, and what the new space sims bring for SL research will be unlimited.

Problems though: They would have to address the mini-map 2D interface for a 3D Space void. But can be solved when they get the 2D interfacing in LSL. Make a radar type thing that moves with the Rot x, y, and z, of the person.

As you can see I am completely for this idea, heh. Couldn't tell. Gime some input on this for sure. Got a little carried away.