A multiplayer space simulation game featuring realistic orbital mechanics, persistent player bases and a procedurally generated, cozy universe.
Junkyard Space Agency is a project dedicated to developing an open-source game for space enthusiasts who love to learn, play and overcome the challenges of realistic spaceflight.
Realistic orbital motion
In space, nothing moves in a straight line—not even light—due to the bending of spacetime by massive celestial objects.
In Junkyard Space Agency, the motion of spacecraft and celestial bodies will be simulated according to Newton's laws, albeit simplified to the one-body case. While this may not be accurate enough by NASA standards, it is realistic enough to provide a genuine and challenging gameplay experience.
Real-scale systems
The sizes and distances of the solar systems, as well as the planets' masses and gravity, will match their real-world counterparts. This means that flying from one planet to another could involve traveling hundreds of millions of kilometers, requiring careful planning, calculations, and efficient use of propellant.
On the positive side, everything you know (or don't yet know) about rocketry and spaceflight will be helpful when attempting a soft landing on a distant moon. If your math is a bit rusty, fear not — your spacecraft's onboard instruments will help you execute the injection burn without needing to pull out pen, paper, and differential equations.
Multiplayer
Space exploration is rarely a solo endeavor! Venturing into deep space becomes easier (and safer) with companions, and in Junkyard Space Agency, players will be able to fly missions together online on either official or self-hosted servers.
As in real life, space agencies that collaborate can achieve goals that would be unimaginable alone. Players will be encouraged to work together—some might enjoy showing off their piloting skills by transporting ore from a mining outpost to an orbital refinery, while others may prefer planning complex expeditions using gravity assists to conduct science in the far reaches of outer space.
The game is built from the ground up with multiplayer in mind, aiming to allow dozens, if not hundreds, of players to manage space agencies and launch expeditions together.
Procedural, cozy universe
While nothing can truly match the beauty of Nature, we'll make our best to ensure that the celestial bodies in the game—though created by algorithms—capture the essence of their real inspirations, while keeping the game's cozy and warm tone.
Persistent worlds
The virtual worlds on the game servers will continue to exist, develop, and evolve even when players are offline.
Celestial bodies and spacecraft will keep moving along their trajectories, and player characters will still need consumables to survive, even in their players' absence.
Player bases
Orbital and surface bases will serve as both players' homes and spaceports.
Player characters will require food, water, and oxygen to survive, even when they are offline! The more players living in a particular base, the greater the demand for vital resources will be.
Spacecraft will also need to be built, serviced, and refueled. Larger and more complex ships will require more advanced production facilities.
In addition to habitats and space docks, bases will need hydroponic farms, water, oxygen, and fuel production units, and power generators. All of these will require a variety of resources to build and maintain.
Resource harvesting
Resources for constructing and maintaining bases and spacecraft, as well as producing consumables, will need to be harvested.
Mining ice from a comet for water, or reprocessing lunar regolith to obtain Helium-3 for the fusion reactor? These are just a few examples, as space exploration is resource-intensive, and running a successful space agency will demand a vast array of materials!
Non-linear progression
Space technology doesn't grow on techtrees. Many breakthroughs come from pushing the boundaries of the unknown—and let’s face it, some happen purely by accident.
Players will be encouraged to explore remote locations, investigate radio signals, derelicts, and other anomalies to unlock new technologies. However, sometimes a simple trade will do the trick: just fly to a trade hub with a load of uranium, and in return, you might walk away with a blueprint for a nuclear-pulse engine.
Time warp and parallel universes
In reality, spacecraft can take decades to reach their destinations, but we certainly won’t make you wait five years only to realize before landing that you forgot the parachutes! The game will feature a time-warp mechanic, allowing players to speed up their local clocks by hundreds or even thousands of times. But how will this work in a multiplayer game? Enter parallel universes.
There will be a "main" universe, where time flows at a constant rate — one second of game time equals one second in real life. However, whenever a player wants to accelerate time, a clone of the main universe will be created just for them, and their spacecraft will be moved to this "shadow universe." Time here can tick non-linearly, allowing players to cover distances that would normally take years in just seconds. Planets will also orbit their stars at accelerated rates, completing entire revolutions in mere minutes.
When the player exits the shadow universe, they will be reconciliated back to the main one, and their spacecraft will be placed in the same relative position and orbit as in the shadow universe. Intercepts and captures will function as expected, and other players' gameplay won't be interrupted. From their perspective, they'll simply see the player's spacecraft disappear and reappear later in a different location.