Build 10 was released today. Download it.

With today’s release, Universe has graduated from Pre-Alpha stage and is now considered an alpha product.

Major HUD Pointer Overhaul:

  • Now pointers and distance text will disappear when you get too close to an object. Distance text also disappears if you’re really far away.
  • Distance numbers are cleaned up. Numbers larger than 1,000 are abbreviated and show only one decimal place. Numbers smaller than 1,000 show no decimal place.
  • Pointers no longer jump around (which was especially visible at high speeds) and don’t move in ways that were not intended.
  • Pointers now actually point the direction you should go, instead of the angle between the ship and the pointer.
  • Pointers are now positioned in a way that more accurately reflects the relative distance between your ship and the object being pointed to.

Note to self about pointers: Everything is complete on the pointers to a level I’m happy with–except the font. I’m still trying to figure out how to get a small font that is legible. Other than that the pointers are finished. At least until more features are added to the game which can allow or require more changes.

Other changes:

  • I found out that in the process of making planets very distant, it broke their orbits. This has been fixed so that planets actually orbit the sun, but it still needs work.
  • mouser made improvements to dcuhelper so now using the updater should work properly.

Note to self: Orbits still need tweaking since the very close ones to the sun move quickly but the ones far away take hours before showing any movement. This is somewhat realistic in regard to planetary orbits, but I’d like to see closer planets move less noticeably and farther planets move a little more noticeably.

  • Pointers are now spaced out more appropriately.
  • Pointers disappear when you get close to the destination.
  • The numbers have been cleaned up.
  • Pointers get closer to you as you approach the destination.