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.