Fixed a bug in the movement of the character and made it smoother; also made the fuel burn rate dynamic and also made the gravity pull smother and varied with the distance between the ship and the planet.

🚀 Orbit Master Devlog #4Today’s development session was a little different from the previous ones.Instead of focusing entirely on gameplay features and mechanics, I spent time documenting the project and creating a proper README. While it might not be as exciting as adding new systems, it is one of the most important steps in turning a prototype into a real project. Creating the Project READMEUp until now, most of the development has been focused on building systems and experimenting with gameplay ideas.As the project continued to grow, I realized that it was becoming harder to explain exactly what Orbit Master is, how it works, and where the project is heading.To solve this, I spent time writing a comprehensive README that documents the project in detail.The README now covers: Project overview Gameplay loopGravity mechanics Fuel management Collectible system📈 Score system Camera features Technical details🔮 Future plans🎯 Design philosophy📚 Defining the VisionOne of the biggest benefits of writing the README was that it forced me to clearly define the direction of the game.Originally Orbit Master started as a simple experiment involving a spaceship and planetary gravity.Over time it evolved into something much larger.While writing the documentation, I refined the project’s core vision:Use gravity to travel efficiently.Collect stars.Manage fuel.Refuel strategically.Achieve the highest score possible.The game is moving away from traditional level progression and toward an endless score chasing experience where every run is unique.🧠 Understanding the Project BetterAn unexpected benefit of writing documentation was gaining a better understanding of the project itself.When building features one at a time, it is easy to lose sight of how everything fits together.Writing the README helped connect all the systems into a single cohesive experience.It highlighted:What currently works well.What systems still need improvement.What features should be prioritized next.What ideas should be postponed.🔭 Planning Future FeaturesThe documentation process also helped establish a clearer roadmap.Future systems currently being considered include:💎 Rare collectibles⚫ Black holes☄️ Asteroid hazards🏆 High score tracking🚀 Gravity assist bonuses✨ Visual effects and polish🌌 Procedural galaxy generationHaving these ideas written down makes future development much more organized.🛠 Development ReflectionAlthough no major gameplay systems were added today, this was still a productive session.Good documentation makes development easier, helps other people understand the project, and provides a record of how the game evolves over time.As Orbit Master continues to grow, having a detailed README will make it easier to maintain, share, and expand.📈 Current StatusThe project now includes:✅ Physics based spaceship controls✅ Planetary gravity✅ Fuel management✅ Fuel stations✅ Dynamic collectible spawning✅ Score system✅ Camera improvements✅ World boundaries✅ Space environment✅ Comprehensive project documentation🚀 Looking AheadWith the README completed, development can now return to expanding gameplay and making the experience more engaging.The next focus will be adding systems that create more excitement, challenge, and replayability while staying true to the core idea of mastering gravity and exploring space.Orbit Master continues to grow with every development session, and the foundation is becoming stronger with each new feature and improvement. 🌌

Orbit Master Devlog #5Today’s development session focused on improving the core gameplay loop and making the game feel more rewarding to play. Fuel Stations Now MatterOne issue I noticed during testing was that fuel stations were simply a way to refill fuel and continue playing. While functional, they didn’t create much excitement.To make them more meaningful, I added a new mechanic where refueling now causes additional stars to spawn across the map.The gameplay loop now looks something like this: Collect stars Find a fuel station Refuel New stars appearExplore and collect againThis creates a continuous cycle of exploration and gives players a reason to actively seek out fuel stations rather than treating them as simple checkpoints. Encouraging ExplorationWith new stars appearing after every refuel, players are encouraged to travel around the map instead of staying near a single planet.The game now feels much more dynamic because the world constantly refreshes with new opportunities to score points.🎥 Camera ImprovementsSome time was also spent improving the camera system.The camera now feels smoother and provides a better view of where the player is heading. Small adjustments like this make a surprisingly large difference during gameplay and help space travel feel more fluid.🛠️ Bug FixesA number of bugs were tracked down and fixed throughout development.Some of the issues included:🔧 Crystal spawning problems🔧 Scene instantiation errors🔧 Camera behavior issues🔧 Spawn positioning bugs🔧 Various testing and balancing problemsA lot of time was spent debugging systems and making sure everything worked together correctly.🎯 Current Gameplay LoopThe game is gradually moving toward a score-focused endless experience rather than a traditional level-based game.The current loop is:🚀 Fly between planets⭐ Collect stars⛽ Refuel✨ Spawn more stars📈 Increase score🔁 Repeat for as long as possibleThis direction feels much more suitable for the gravity-based mechanics and encourages players to keep improving their runs.📊 Current Features✅ Spaceship movement✅ Planetary gravity✅ Fuel system✅ Fuel stations✅ Score system✅ Collectibles✅ Dynamic crystal spawning✅ Camera improvements✅ World boundaries✅ Space background🔭 Next StepsSome of the ideas being explored for future updates include:💎 Rare collectibles🏆 High score tracking☄️ Asteroid hazards🚀 Gravity assist bonuses⚫ Black holes✨ More visual polish and effectsOrbit Master is starting to evolve from a simple prototype into an actual arcade-style space game built around exploration, resource management, and chasing higher scores.Looking forward to seeing how far the project can go. 🚀🌌

I faced some problems regarding the space and gravity mechanics of the planet and fixed those using some new mechanics and also added a smoother way of travelling and added a bounce-back mechanic at the boundary to avoid overflow and added a fuel statiuon to refuel; but only once

Orbit Master Devlog #2

Today was one of the biggest development days for Orbit Master so far. The project has officially moved beyond being a simple physics experiment and is starting to feel like an actual game.

Improved Spaceship Controls

One of the first things I focused on was making the ship feel better to control.

The ship can now:

Accelerate using thrusters

Rotate smoothly using A and D

Reverse and brake when needed

Drift naturally through space

The controls now feel much closer to piloting a spacecraft rather than controlling a character.

Planetary Gravity Improvements

The gravity system received several improvements today.

Planets now exert a much stronger gravitational pull which creates interesting movement around them. Flying near a planet requires planning and careful fuel management.

The game has started producing some really satisfying orbital moments where the ship curves around planets naturally.

Stable Orbital Gameplay

A major issue early on was accidentally colliding with planets.

To improve the gameplay experience, I introduced mechanics that encourage the ship to orbit around planets rather than instantly crashing into them.

This made movement feel much smoother and significantly more enjoyable.

Fuel Management System

Fuel is now a core gameplay mechanic.

Every time the player uses their thrusters, fuel is consumed.

This changes the way the game is played because players can no longer constantly accelerate.

They now have to think about:

Efficient routes

Using gravity to save fuel

Planning their next move

The fuel system immediately added more strategy to the game.

Fuel User Interface

To make fuel management easier, a fuel bar was added to the top of the screen.

Players can now clearly see:

Current fuel level

When fuel is running low

This small addition makes the game feel much more polished.

Collectible System

The biggest gameplay addition today was collectibles.

Energy crystals now appear near planets and can be collected by the player.

Collecting them increases the player’s score and introduces a clear objective beyond simply flying around.

Instead of:

Fly through space

The gameplay has become:

Explore planets

Collect crystals

Manage fuel

Improve score

This simple change made the game much more engaging.

Score System

A score system has now been implemented.

Each collectible increases the player’s score, giving players a reason to explore dangerous areas and optimize their routes.

Seeing the score increase after collecting crystals makes the game feel much more rewarding.

Visual Improvements

The game world received a major visual upgrade.

A proper space background has been added, replacing the empty gray prototype environment.

Combined with the planets, collectibles, and ship movement, the game finally feels like it takes place in space.

World Boundary System

A mission boundary was also added.

Players can no longer drift infinitely into empty space and get lost.

This helps keep the gameplay focused while still allowing the playable area to feel large and open.

Current Features

Spaceship movement

Rotational controls

Planetary gravity

Orbital gameplay

Fuel system

Fuel bar UI

Collectibles

Score system

Multiple planets

Space background

World boundaries

Next Goals

The next development goals are:

Mission objectives

Upgrades and progression

Asteroid hazards

Black holes

Unique planet types

Level progression improvements

Orbit Master is starting to take shape as a gravity based space exploration game where players use orbital mechanics, fuel management, and navigation skills to collect resources and achieve high scores.

Excited to keep building and see where this project goes next.

Orbit Master Devlog #1

Today was the first real development session for Orbit Master and I am honestly happy with the progress we made.

The game started as a simple spaceship on a blank screen. By the end of the session, it had transformed into the foundation of an actual gravity based space game.

Spaceship Controls

The first thing I worked on was getting the spaceship movement right.

The ship can now:

Rotate using A and D

Thrust forward using W

Reverse using S

Use retro brakes to slow down

Getting the controls to feel natural took longer than expected because the ship was initially moving in weird directions whenever it rotated. After a lot of testing, the movement now follows the direction of the ship’s nose properly.

Planetary Gravity

This was the biggest feature added today.

Planets now exert gravity on the spaceship and pull it toward them. Instead of simply flying in straight lines, the ship now curves around planets and can perform orbital style maneuvers.

This completely changed the feel of the game.

Before gravity, it felt like a basic spaceship controller.

After gravity, it actually started feeling like a space game.

Orbit Protection

One issue I ran into was that the ship would often crash directly into planets.

To solve this, I implemented an orbit protection system that prevents the ship from colliding with planets and encourages smooth orbital movement around them.

The result feels much more fun and forgiving while still keeping the gravity mechanics intact.

Fuel System

A fuel mechanic was also added.

Every time the player uses the thrusters, fuel is consumed.

This creates a new layer of strategy because players can no longer hold down the thrust button forever.

They now have to think carefully about when to accelerate and when to let gravity do the work.

🌌 Visual Improvements

The game world also got its first proper space background.

The empty gray screen has now been replaced with a space themed backdrop which instantly makes everything feel more immersive.

Even though it is still an early version, seeing the planets floating in space makes the project feel much closer to a real game.

Current Status

Current features include:

Spaceship movement

Rotational controls

Planetary gravity

Orbit protection

Fuel system

Multiple planets

Space background

🔭 What’s Next

The next major features I plan to work on are:

Mission objectives

Trajectory prediction

Black holes

Asteroid fields

Goal portals

Time based challenges

The goal is to evolve Orbit Master from a physics sandbox into a challenging gravity based puzzle game where players must use planets, fuel management, and orbital mechanics to complete missions.

Overall, a very productive first development session and a solid foundation for the project.