Spaceship

Spaceships are vehicles primarily designed for interstellar travel and exploration. While they technically can operate on planetary surfaces, their performance within a planet's atmosphere is severely constrained, making it generally uninteresting for such use.

## Control

Spaceships are navigated by the player through keyboard controls, which mirror the movement controls for the character. The turret's orientation is managed using the mouse, and a right-click command is employed to initiate firing. The weapon system has been meticulously engineered for effectiveness in the space environment only. Consequently, if the player attempts to use the cannon while on a planet's surface, it will remain inoperative until the player takes off into space. It's worth noting that the embedded cannons come with unlimited ammunition.

When the player is on a planet's surface, they can easily enter a spaceship by right-clicking, and exiting the spaceship is as simple as pressing the Jump key.

## Variants

There are four distinct variants of spaceships, each meticulously designed to meet specific technical requirements based on the era in which they were developed. Premium spaceships offer exceptional advantages, but they come at a considerable cost, whether through crafting or trading:

* Pathfinder: The initial spaceship design, an older but cost-effective option, making it an excellent choice for new pilots.
* Serenity: Ideal for space exploration due to its robust shielding capabilities.
* Fortune: A nimble and high-speed spacecraft, versatile and suitable for various mission types.
* Harmony: The pinnacle of its class, representing a state-of-the-art spaceship. While costly, it excels in all conditions and scenarios.

## Crafting

Spaceships are sophisticated vehicles that demand specific components for their construction. In all instances, the fundamental building block of spaceship structures is the robust hull. Additionally, spaceships necessitate a propulsion system and a weapon system to ensure their defensive capabilities. These three components are essential for any spaceship. Certain advanced spaceships also incorporate control stations to enhance their maneuverability and overall agility, resulting in improved performance. However, this feature comes with an additional cost. These components can often be found in hangars or acquired through crafting using an industrial assembler.

## Reparing

It is possible to repair damaged spaceships by using a wrench. The player simply needs to right-click with this tool on the spaceship, and it will initiate the repair process.

## Take-off

When the player intends to venture into space, the process begins by entering the spaceship via a right-click. Once inside, achieving the required take-off speed is essential. The player must accelerate in a specific direction at maximum velocity. After a few seconds of uninterrupted high-speed travel, and provided there are no collisions with obstacles, a take-off indicator will appear, signifying that the spaceship is ready for launch. At this point, the player can press the Jump key to initiate takeoff. It's crucial to ensure that the takeoff indicator has appeared, otherwise pressing Jump will result in the player exiting the spaceship. To facilitate an efficient take-off, it's advisable to clear the area by constructing a clear launch path, as obstructions can hinder the spaceship's departure.

## Shield

All spaceships are equipped with a shield, which serves to absorb incoming projectiles and prevent actual damage to the spaceship. Each spaceship possesses a technical characteristic known as 'shield efficiency,' which determines the likelihood of a projectile being intercepted by the shield. For lower-cost spaceships like the Pathfinder, this efficiency stands at 40%, while more robust vessels like the Serenity boast a 70% chance of deflecting damage upon impact.

When a spaceship is hit, it depletes one of the eight shield points it has. Once all points are used up, the shield becomes completely inactive. The player can monitor the shield's status on the heads-up display (as described in the section below). In the absence of the shield, the spaceship becomes vulnerable to real damage, and each projectile impact inflicts structural harm until the spacecraft is ultimately destroyed.

It's crucial to emphasize that the shield undergoes an automatic, gradual recharge after a brief period without sustaining any hits. Furthermore, shields do not function within planetary atmospheres. Consequently, when a spaceship is hit by any hostile entity, it will sustain damage. This is why traveling on spaceships within a planet's environment is discouraged, and it's advisable to utilize dedicated ground vehicles for planetary exploration.

## Head-up display (HUD)

When the player travels in space, the traditional inventory bar is replaced by a heads-up display (HUD). This HUD provides essential information, including the player's life, the current gravity factor, and the coordinates of the current sector. The status of the shield is represented by a gauge, showing the remaining shield power before depletion. The combat status is conveyed through a colored box, with red indicating combat mode and blue signifying a neutral state. In combat mode, the player cannot change sectors or land on a safe planet.

Sector coordinates are displayed to provide the player's location within the universe. The gravity cursor on the HUD becomes particularly valuable during space exploration, as it quickly identifies sectors with planets, facilitating planet location. Additionally, it serves as an indicator of potential threats such as black holes, where gravity is exceptionally strong.

## Sector map and hyperspace

While in space, the player can access the spaceship interface by pressing the Inventory button. This interface provides an overview of the surrounding sectors, including the current one. It is a convenient tool for identifying unexplored sectors and the locations of desired planets. Additionally, it offers the option to initiate space travel, but the player must ensure they have an adequate supply of hyperspace fuel to do so.

## Other spaceships in space

The player have the opportunity to encounter other spaceships in space, some piloted by individuals in Pathfinders or Serenity spacecraft. These encounters may include both peaceful and hostile encounters. To assist the player in identifying surrounding spaceships, arrows indicators are employed. A gray arrow signifies a neutral spaceship, while a red arrow signals a hostile one. The brightness of the arrow also provides information about the proximity of the spaceship. A brighter arrow indicates a closer proximity.

Destroying other spaceships is typically a relatively straightforward task since many pilots lack the skills to activate shields. As a result, most other spaceships in the game do not possess shields, granting the player a distinct advantage. When destructed, other spaceships in space typically yield irons.

## History

* It is now possible to control spaceships on planets
* Aded spaceship indicator to see other spaceships
* Take-off now requires to be at full speed during a few seconds
 0.1.0