Author Topic: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game  (Read 18034 times)

Offline sh0v0r

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Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« on: 02/16/2011 10:56 pm »
Hi everyone,

My name is Sean and I have been developing a fun little game called Lunar Flight using Unity 3D for PC.

You can watch a video demonstration of the latest version here:

Please watch the 720p or 1080p HD version with youtube annotations on for the best experience.


I wanted to find people who would appreciate this sort of game which led me to this forum. :)

The game is not meant to be a full simulation based on reality but instead a fun immersive experience. Therefor there are somethings that are not accurate or realistic.

The main focus is flying the Lunar Module using a thrust based low gravity simulation.

To make things more interesting you can take missions to ship cargo between moon bases and this will add weight to the craft which will change things like inertia and fuel usage.

The game still has some amount of features to be developed and is still in a prototyping stage.

I am looking for people who are interested in testing the game and providing feedback on an ongoing basis.

You can email me at [email protected]



« Last Edit: 02/17/2011 03:10 am by sh0v0r »

Offline Paul Howard

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #1 on: 02/16/2011 11:12 pm »
Will it be free when you've finished it?

Offline sh0v0r

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #2 on: 02/16/2011 11:26 pm »
Will it be free when you've finished it?

Hi Paul,

I do eventually plan to sell it for around $10 US but that is a long way off as I work fulltime and have a family so I work on this in my spare time.

Anyone that actively provides feedback on an ongoing basis, lets me know of problems they have will receive a free copy though. They will have access to regular builds.

Offline tigerade

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #3 on: 02/16/2011 11:37 pm »
Hey there,

The game looks great!  I'd like to try it out when you have it finished. 

What are the objectives in the game?  Does the player just do cargo delivery between the lunar bases?

Offline Paul Howard

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #4 on: 02/16/2011 11:44 pm »
Will it be free when you've finished it?

Hi Paul,

I do eventually plan to sell it for around $10 US but that is a long way off as I work fulltime and have a family so I work on this in my spare time.

Anyone that actively provides feedback on an ongoing basis, lets me know of problems they have will receive a free copy though. They will have access to regular builds.


Ok cool. Just don't want the thread to get reported as spamming.

Online Chris Bergin

Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #5 on: 02/16/2011 11:47 pm »
Welcome to the site's forum Sean. Looks very cool (apart from the landing :D)


Ok cool. Just don't want the thread to get reported as spamming.

No, it's ok. Spammers hit and run with "buy this!" and vanish. Sean's asking for help develop it.

Plus, our simulator partners like SSM2007 http://www.space-shuttle-mission.com/ may be interested on several levels, so it's all good.
« Last Edit: 02/16/2011 11:48 pm by Chris Bergin »
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Offline sh0v0r

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #6 on: 02/17/2011 02:08 am »
Hey there,

The game looks great!  I'd like to try it out when you have it finished. 

What are the objectives in the game?  Does the player just do cargo delivery between the lunar bases?

The basic premise is that your are private contracted pilot operating on the moon.
When you start out you begin your career with some money, it ends when you are bankrupt.
Fuel and Repairs cost money as do replacement LM's and recovery of an LM that has run out of fuel out in the field.
As you do the missions you earn money and your pilot ranking increases. Which unlocks access to more advanced maps requiring greater skill.

I hope to include upgrades to increase fuel capacity, sensor range, engine power for example to spend the money on as well and provide long term goals for the player. The upgrades will increase your range allowing you to recover more valuable samples further away from the Bases.

In addition to Cargo missions there are 'Survey' missions which is what is demonstrated in that video. You fly to a location and 'acquire data' the main challenge for these missions is learning to maintain a stable hover. The further away the location is from the base increases its value but you then have to be carefull with your fuel consumption.

Another way to earn money is to recover valuable samples e.g. 'Ilmenite' from the field and sell them. The upgrades  you can buy will increase your range allowing you to recover more valuable samples further away from the Bases.

I am also planning an online leaderboard system with time trial waypoint sequences for people to compete on.

The game also includes an Achievement system with many achievements to attempt to get, adding another level of gameplay objectives.

Ultimately the core experience of flying and the ever present danger of running out of fuel is what I hope motivates people to play and I have spent allot of time getting it to look and feel engaging. 

I am deliberately trying to keep the level of complexity low as to make the game more accessible to more people, as a full realistic simulation has a very small niche appeal.

If you would like to see more videos here is my youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MrSeanCE

Offline tigerade

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #7 on: 02/17/2011 02:24 am »
Well you definitely have my interest.  I played a demo last summer called "Moonbase Alpha", it was a free download off of Steam.  It was only about 20 mins long, but having a semi-accurate moon simulation was very appealing to me.  I played it a good couple weeks, and that's for a short demo.  So this kind of game is in my alley. 

Maybe you should release a demo and let some folks test it out, that way you can iron out any bugs and make sure your core gameplay works.  Also, will the final version have multiplayer?  It'd be kinda cool having multiple lunar craft flying around.  :)

Offline e of pi

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #8 on: 02/17/2011 02:36 am »
Well you definitely have my interest.  I played a demo last summer called "Moonbase Alpha", it was a free download off of Steam.  It was only about 20 mins long, but having a semi-accurate moon simulation was very appealing to me.  I played it a good couple weeks, and that's for a short demo.  So this kind of game is in my alley. 

Maybe you should release a demo and let some folks test it out, that way you can iron out any bugs and make sure your core gameplay works.  Also, will the final version have multiplayer?  It'd be kinda cool having multiple lunar craft flying around.  :)

Moonbase Alpha! Man, I enjoyed the heck out of that when it first came out. Something else to get reinstalled now that my PC's working again. I'd play it in un-timed mode so I could wander off into the scenery when the mission was done. I'm not sure it was technically a great game, but it was a great experience.

Offline sh0v0r

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #9 on: 02/17/2011 02:39 am »
Well you definitely have my interest.  I played a demo last summer called "Moonbase Alpha", it was a free download off of Steam.  It was only about 20 mins long, but having a semi-accurate moon simulation was very appealing to me.  I played it a good couple weeks, and that's for a short demo.  So this kind of game is in my alley. 

Maybe you should release a demo and let some folks test it out, that way you can iron out any bugs and make sure your core gameplay works.  Also, will the final version have multiplayer?  It'd be kinda cool having multiple lunar craft flying around.  :)

Good to hear, I still need to get MBA and try it out, it would be good reference material since its funded by NASA.

As I mentioned above, if you would like to be able to try out the latest version and provide feedback, shoot me an email at: [email protected]

Re: Multiplayer, I have no plans to add multiplayer.

Offline sh0v0r

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #10 on: 02/17/2011 02:42 am »
Welcome to the site's forum Sean. Looks very cool (apart from the landing :D)


Ok cool. Just don't want the thread to get reported as spamming.

No, it's ok. Spammers hit and run with "buy this!" and vanish. Sean's asking for help develop it.

Plus, our simulator partners like SSM2007 http://www.space-shuttle-mission.com/ may be interested on several levels, so it's all good.

Thanks Chris!

Re: Landing, er that was deliberate so I could demonstrate the damage system  ;D

Offline e of pi

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #11 on: 02/17/2011 02:57 am »
Well you definitely have my interest.  I played a demo last summer called "Moonbase Alpha", it was a free download off of Steam.  It was only about 20 mins long, but having a semi-accurate moon simulation was very appealing to me.  I played it a good couple weeks, and that's for a short demo.  So this kind of game is in my alley. 

Maybe you should release a demo and let some folks test it out, that way you can iron out any bugs and make sure your core gameplay works.  Also, will the final version have multiplayer?  It'd be kinda cool having multiple lunar craft flying around.  :)

Good to hear, I still need to get MBA and try it out, it would be good reference material since its funded by NASA.

As I mentioned above, if you would like to be able to try out the latest version and provide feedback, shoot me an email at: [email protected]

Re: Multiplayer, I have no plans to add multiplayer.

MBA is only surface stuff, basically just moonwalking around, fixing a busted base over and over, just ON THE MOON! It's fun, though. If you need a hand when you try it out, let me know--I'm missing playing it now that I think of it and the game is really built around multiplayer.

Offline sh0v0r

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #12 on: 02/17/2011 03:11 am »
I added some additional screen shots.

Offline tigerade

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #13 on: 02/17/2011 03:42 am »
Well you definitely have my interest.  I played a demo last summer called "Moonbase Alpha", it was a free download off of Steam.  It was only about 20 mins long, but having a semi-accurate moon simulation was very appealing to me.  I played it a good couple weeks, and that's for a short demo.  So this kind of game is in my alley. 

Maybe you should release a demo and let some folks test it out, that way you can iron out any bugs and make sure your core gameplay works.  Also, will the final version have multiplayer?  It'd be kinda cool having multiple lunar craft flying around.  :)

Good to hear, I still need to get MBA and try it out, it would be good reference material since its funded by NASA.

As I mentioned above, if you would like to be able to try out the latest version and provide feedback, shoot me an email at: [email protected]

Re: Multiplayer, I have no plans to add multiplayer.

Ok, I'll send you an email.  I'll still play it and probably enjoy it single player, but I do suggest making multiplayer at some point.  I think there would be a bigger market for it.  However, it would be much more complex to program that in, I think.  We'll see.

But yeah, I am a fan of this semi-new genre of space simulations.  I'll send you an email shortly and I look forward to helping test this game!

Offline sh0v0r

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #14 on: 02/17/2011 03:48 am »
Well you definitely have my interest.  I played a demo last summer called "Moonbase Alpha", it was a free download off of Steam.  It was only about 20 mins long, but having a semi-accurate moon simulation was very appealing to me.  I played it a good couple weeks, and that's for a short demo.  So this kind of game is in my alley. 

Maybe you should release a demo and let some folks test it out, that way you can iron out any bugs and make sure your core gameplay works.  Also, will the final version have multiplayer?  It'd be kinda cool having multiple lunar craft flying around.  :)

Good to hear, I still need to get MBA and try it out, it would be good reference material since its funded by NASA.

As I mentioned above, if you would like to be able to try out the latest version and provide feedback, shoot me an email at: [email protected]

Re: Multiplayer, I have no plans to add multiplayer.

Ok, I'll send you an email.  I'll still play it and probably enjoy it single player, but I do suggest making multiplayer at some point.  I think there would be a bigger market for it.  However, it would be much more complex to program that in, I think.  We'll see.

But yeah, I am a fan of this semi-new genre of space simulations.  I'll send you an email shortly and I look forward to helping test this game!

Yes the main reason is the technical issues of which it is too late to integrate into the way the code base has been structured. Perhaps a future project after this one may include it. But for now the core experience is and will only be a single player one

Offline sh0v0r

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #15 on: 02/18/2011 01:29 am »
Lunar Flight has a Facebook Page which is a good way to find out the most recent updates, hit the Like button to receive updates to your home page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunar-Flight/131535973572188

Offline sh0v0r

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #16 on: 02/23/2011 02:24 am »
Lunar Flight is now on IndieDB if you want to follow it.

http://www.indiedb.com/games/lunar-flight

It will soon be available on Desura and closed testing will begin.

Online Chris Bergin

Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #17 on: 02/23/2011 02:38 am »
I've started to nail missions now (after racking up some debt running out of fuel). It's a lot of fun, especially when there's more missions (I know it's a beta).
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Offline Robert Thompson

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #18 on: 02/23/2011 03:32 am »
Fun and adrenaline aside, the importance of what you're doing cannot be overstated. It is up to motivated common persons, imparting momentum to other common persons, to cause temperature to increase at ground level.

LCROSS / Cabeus crater results contain a printed non-trivial value for gold spectra in the vapor plume. Oops I let that slip.

Offline sh0v0r

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Re: Lunar Flight - A fun independent game
« Reply #19 on: 02/24/2011 12:20 am »
Fun and adrenaline aside, the importance of what you're doing cannot be overstated. It is up to motivated common persons, imparting momentum to other common persons, to cause temperature to increase at ground level.

LCROSS / Cabeus crater results contain a printed non-trivial value for gold spectra in the vapor plume. Oops I let that slip.

ermmm....ok?  :o

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