Interactive demo
Volume Space Program
Adjust the volume by launching a rocket into orbit. The higher the orbit, the higher the volume.
(Note: this doesn't actually change the volume; the controller is purely visual.)
Instructions
Press the mouse button to boost the rocket.
If the rocket has exploded, click the mouse button to restart.
VOLUME SPACE PROGRAM
WEB-GAME DEVELOPMENT / 2023
This was a project for a web development course at Linköping University. The goal of the project was for each student to create their own creative but more or less useless input field. We were supposed to create something akin to the these. Volume Space Program was my contribution.
The task here is to launch a tiny rocket into orbit around the planet. The rocket's distance from the planet determines the volume.
When developing the idea for this, I knew I wanted to do something fun involving physics and gravity. It wasn't enough for it to be hard to use, it should also be enjoyable; easy to fail, but easy to try again.
ORBITAL MECHANICS
The goal is essentially to achieve a stable orbit around the planet. While hard, this is possible.
I created the orbital mechanics from greatly simplifying Newton's law of gravity, essentially saying, objects closer each other attract each other more than those further away.
SPACE DEBRIS
Crashing the rocket drops debris into orbit. These follow the same orbital mechanics as the rocket.
After many crashes, space can become quite cluttered.
This was a final touch I added to give more depth to the orbital mechanics. While it's not just quite mesmerizing to watch, it also gives the player a sense that their actions have an impact on the game world.
AVAILABLE ON GITHUB
The code is publicly available here on my GitHub.