Starbase Simulator

Transport, stack, fuel, launch and catch Starship and Super Heavy Booster using Mechazilla, an SPMT or the Tank Farm at SpaceX Starbase Texas, Boca Chica! All from a first person perspective or in VR. 

There are some general tips here below. For more details check out the topics in the community section at the bottom. 

I recommend to use the Itch App (similar to Steam) to install the game and keep it up to date. But you also can just download the zip file, unzip and play it, if you want. The current version is the one on the top without date in the name.

Since Itch doesn't have an option to show download numbers to the public, I will re-post it here for everyone once in a while:

Current Status

The Unreal version single-player edition is live in the download section now!

This version has been created freshly from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5.2, enabling large world and multiplayer support (see also devlog).

Please note, that this is a very early version still with a lot of stuff missing. That's also why it is here alongside the Unity version. All the text here applies to the Unity version. 

You can find Unreal related topics here and a FAQ. If you have any questions or issues, please also put them there.

In the future, when most of the missing features from the Unity version are added, the Unreal version will replace it here completely.

Until then we will have to live with a little bit of confusion, sorry :)

You can find more info about the Unreal version also on Twitter or Youtube

If you want access to the multiplayer version, please contribute via ko-fi or Patreon.

Fixed first bug in latest version: The keybind for flying up/down with the player character didn't work.

Follow the latest developments: https://twitter.com/StarbaseSim

Main version is for Windows 10, where I am also developing on (should also run on other Windows versions since 7). Other builds are less tested. Check the download instructions if you have problems. The very old WebGL version is still available for nostalgia.

Mac users: Best is to use the  Itch App to run the game. Then you don't need extra steps to start it. There were some problems with the mods on Mac, so you have to download them separately and copy the "mods" folder into the Resources/Data/ folder. I don't actually now yet, if this works, so please report back, if it does.

Mobile/Phone Version: Since some people have been asking. I tried a mobile build, but it runs really bad, unusable. Would need quite some optimization work as well as UI work. I'll stick to PC for the moment.

VR

VR works only in the Windows version. It uses OpenXR, so it should run on any headset that supports it, hopefully. It's tested with an Oculus Rift CV1. Enable VR mode from the main menu. The community section at the bottom has a thread with more info, where you can give feedback also. VR is pretty basic still. So don't go in with too high expectations.

Gameplay Notes

The game is set up for mouse and keyboard. However, while it can accept input from other devices, they might make issues, so better disconnect all other input devices.

It has standard WASD control for moving with Space to jump and LeftShift to run. ESC for menu to change quality and other settings. Reduce quality, if it runs slowly.

For VR see community thread at the bottom.

There are two control boards at the top of the tower and the launch mount to control the control everything. You can also place your own panel anywhere with 'C' or use a floating version with 'Q'.

Here you can find helpful videos and tutorials that show how to do some of the things that are possible in more detail.

Please let me know, how it goes for you in the feedback thread or send me a message on Twitter. I am especially interested about what the people think, that found the game via Itch search/suggestions. Because currently it is made for the hardcore Starship addicts that already know what all the stuff is supposed to do, at least to some degree. But I wonder, how is the experience for people that don't have any prior knowledge about Starship/-base?

You can also give feedback or try to get quick help by other people on the new Community Discord Server.

Find known issues here or report new.

Hardware requirements: It runs usable on my laptop with a Ryzen 3 4300u on low quality. For ray tracing and such you should have an RTX2060 or higher.

Your system also has to support DirectX12 on Windows, Vulkan on Linux and Metal on Mac.

I recommend a somewhat recent graphics card that has more than 2 GB of RAM (so 4 or more). With 2 GB or less the game might crash often or won't even start.

If your game crashes at launch, check this thread.

Features

• Transport the rockets with fully functional SPMTs from the Build Site to the Launch Site.
• Stack them with a fully controllabe Mechazilla.
• Load propellants with an almost fully controllable orbital tank farm.
• There are oxygen, methane and nitrogen tanks - all with reasonable accurate volume, pressure and temperature calculations.
• Fill nitrogen into subcoolers to cool the cryogenic propellants before loading. The methane even freezes, if you go too far...
• Launch the rocket with all its 33 engines blasting off. The 13 inner engines can be gimballed to steer it.
• Fly up to the Kármán line. There is no orbital stuff yet though as focus is on Starbase operations. Moving very far away from Starbase is problematic due to floating point precision.
• There is simple aero drag calculation, but no supersonic regime or re-entry heating as the scope of the current flying simulation just is to be able to catch Starship/Superheavy with Mechazilla at sea level somewhat realistically.
• For landing the rocket it can be spawned with a defined velocity and downrange.
• Starship has controllable flaps to adjust pitch during descent.
• Most of the flying is currently automatic. With the default settings, you only have to find the right point when to start the engines.
• Automatic control is done with simple PID controllers which you can tune yourself, if you want. The idea is that you focus on controlling the chopsticks to catch the rocket while it automatically hovers into place.
• Starship can dispense Starlink satellites and has optional legs to land on.
• Rockets can float in the ocean.
• There is night time, but the lighting setup is a little scuffed currently as it's quite time consuming to setup.
• On Windows there is support for raytracing and VR.

Stuff for the future:

• tank farm tank pressurization using water tanks
• parallel propellant loading to load ship and booster at the same time
• more stuff to look at on the launch site
• raptor QDs
• improve ship and booster also with insides, add RCS and grid fin control
• improve OLM
• other construction equipment like cranes, boom lifts
• orbital stuff
• moon/mars bases or KSC Florida
• improve VR
• mobile version of game
• suborbital test stands / tank farm
• assembling of a booster/ship

My focus is on the ground base stuff, the things that we Starship addicts see on the live streams and pictures every day.

Contribute

If you like this project and send some money to show your appreciation, you help building it.

With a contribution of 15 $ or more you can get your name as a builder in-game, if you want. (I'll try to contact you via the mail address the payment provider sends me. If there is no reply, I'll put you in as Anonymous.)

At the moment the builder money will mostly go into improving the 3D art, which means buying assets or paying artists, if I don't need it myself.

Any contribution is of value. It doesn't need to be money. It could also be a video, maybe a tutorial (please tweet it at me), bug reports, feedback or just sharing it.

If you have Euros, it would be better to send them directly via Paypal, if possible. Then it wouldn't need to be converted back and forth from $.

Alternatively, there is also a  ko-fi or Patreon now, if you like to follow and contribute on a regular basis. I post a tiny bit of additional behind the scenes content there, but not much, and you can get early access to new versions. This is more for testing with a smaller amount of people though as the newest version is a bit more buggy usually. Also, now with the Unreal you get access to multiplayer only via ko-fi or Patreon, not via Itch as there is no automatic messaging here.

Who is the developer and what's the motivation

After finishing my Master in electrical engineering I worked  at a nuclear fusion research facility for 10 years. But I was always also interested in gaming, technology and space stuff. 

After seeing all the videos where all kinds of Starbase equipment is rendered and animated, I wanted to make an interactive version of this to re-create what it is like to stack, launch and catch the biggest fucking rocket ever. It should feel close to reality and include some of the interesting technical aspects.  

Currently I am doing most of it myself. Only with 3d models I get help by wonderful people like Owe,  SAMCG14, @Sushifoxxstudio, Nick @_AstroGuy_ and more below.

Become a Creator

You can become a creator by contributing 3D art.  However, I am getting a bit tired of importing and setting up individual models as it takes a lot of time always. Therefore I am now looking for someone to collaborate with on a more permanent basis. Someone who can create the models in Blender for example and then already set them up in the game engine exactly as I need it. If this works well and some money is coming in, I might even be able to pay a salary at some point.

You find my mail address when you open the game or send me a DM on Discord or Twitter. Please contact me first before sending any files.

(Note: If you send me a DM on Twitter, it might take a bit sometimes for me to respond as I often miss these.)

At the moment I don't want to open source the whole project. Maybe I'll post some of the code here or on Patreon. If you want to help with programming you can contact me and maybe we find a way. I want to open source as much as possible at a later point though.

Special Thanks

to Mo, Aeneas, Owe and the rest of the Senkrechtstarter Community for the initial inspiration and references as well as NASASpaceflight, Lab Padre, RGVaerialphotos and the whole Twitter/Discord Starship community, most of all Zack and the other Starbase addicts.

Credits and Asset Sources

If someone doesn't want their stuff to be used, please let me know (best on Twitter).

- start menu music by Ryer from @RingWatchers

- terrain images from Sentinel 2 via soar.earth

- elevation data from NOAA

- SPMT is based on this grabcad model by Anuj Kaushal

- high bay models by Nick@ChameleonCir 

- transport stand models by Nick@ChameleonCir / @RyanHansenSpace

- this pretty good character controller by Philippe St-Amand

- Starship/Booster control panel pics by @_brendan_lewis

- Raptor V1 by @AlexSvanArt

- new Booster, Ship and Starlink, Tank Farm, Ship QD arm by @Sushifoxxstudio

- Launcht mount by Owe

- launch tower is from the awesome SAMCG14 KSP mod Starship Launch Expansion

- old Starship, Booster and hopper .stl models by Nick @_AstroGuy_: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4930612

- Springblade leg design for Starship by Steve Mattinson

- @RGVaerialphotos, launch site photo from July 1st, 2021: https://twitter.com/RGVaerialphotos/status/1411457130213826563/photo/1

- PortaPotty by DocMyers: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4834503

- Cybertruck by denniswoo1993 (only in older versions of the game): https://www.cgtrader.com/products/cybertruck-ed8afb59-b0db-4ed2-b6ea-f3b24c39a53...

- Some smaller prop packs and basic starter stuff from the Unity Asset Store which you can find easily yourself

- The raptor flames are inspired by Zorg's KSP config

- Saturn V by MargetaCG: https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/aircraft/historic-aircraft/saturn-v-1479...

- Most of the sound effects are from freesound.org. I can make a list, if someone is interested.

- Some of the construction ambient is from NASASpaceflight videos. Follow them on youtube, if you don't already!

Other similar projects

If you really want to fly Starship and the booster, there are lots of mods for Kerbal Space Program. But I don't know much about KSP. You should definitely check out the mod Starship Launch Expansion though.

There is also the roadtomars project, which is pretty similar and has more of Starbase to explore and other stuff to do. But development has been halted for a while now. It's more a snap shot of Starbase a few years ago now.

Here is another Starbase sim at a different stage of development: Spaceport-x by Chris Schaller. It looks like work on this hasn't continued as well.

Another interesting project is this 3D experience of a possible Starship interior by @_DesignFreedom. Would be cool to have something like this also. It's quite detailed though.

Also interesting: HoppAR mobile app for alternate reality launches.

Licensing Terms

It's just a game. You can do almost anything you want with it. If you make a video or so please tweet it at me, if possible, and mention me somewhere. No need to ask for permission.

However, please don't extract assets and use them in your own projects without asking me or the original author before.  Some of it is public anyway. So you can just get it directly from the primary source. If you are interested in my modified versions, send me a message.

You can put the zip file of the game on your own page, but it needs to be free of charge and it is not allowed to package it with any installers or to change the content of the original zip file. Any additional content needs to be in a separate file. Also, you can copy the description from here, but you have to put a link to this page in the first sentence of your description.

:)