Why Early Access?

“Reentry - An Orbital Simulator is a physics-based space flight simulator where you will learn how to operate and fly spacecrafts used in real life. The project is in active development and currently has the spacecrafts from Project Mercury, Project Gemini and Project Apollo. The goal of the simulator is to create a game that meets the balance between realism and gamification.

In such a complex simulator as this I believe in a development process where the community is involved early, and through Early Access I hope to both get feedback on what's already in the box, as well as suggestions on improvements, details and feature requests.

I'm constantly working on new features, as well as adding more and more details and improvements so you can get a realistic experience, but not too overwhelming. After the 1.0 release, the development will continue to add new systems to existing space crafts, improve existing systems, and add new game modes.

The target of Reentry is not to initially create a 100% replica of each module and their system (that would take more than a lifetime), but a playable craft that will let you experience how they mainly were operated, while also getting to experience more than one craft.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Given the complexity of building a realistic space simulator, it is hard to give an accurate estimate. I hope to have all the current spacecrafts (Project Mercury, Project Gemini and Project Apollo with the Lunar Module) as a stable release candidate early 2023 with the most needed systems in-place, where gamification vs. realism is considered per. system. The game might be expanded further with VR, multiplayer and other space programs like the Space Shuttle or the Russian programs as an expansion/DLC to the simulator.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“In the full version of the simulator I wish to have the following improvements and features ready:
- Support for the Command Module and the Lunar Module of Project Apollo with their core systems needed to land on the Moon in the game. Some systems will not be simulated for 1.0, as the target is a general simulator for multiple spacecrafts.
- Able to land on the Moon in the Lunar Module, and perform lunar EVA's
- Campaigns where you start with the basic suborbital flight (Mercury) and end up having landed on the Moon (Apollo)
- Custom missions and Steam Workshop support
- The basics of a multiplayer mission control module for Project Mercury and Project Apollo so you and your friends can fly a mission, where one controls the spacecraft and the other plays mission control. This will allow you to create your own flight plans, and execute them.
- Initial system failures and emergency procedures”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Reentry - An Orbital Simulator has been in development for 7 years (2015). The simulator is already in a fully playable state where you can complete missions and enjoy the simulator, and the view of Earth from orbit, and land on the Moon.

It currently allows you to sit inside a highly interactive virtual cockpit for Project Mercury, Project Gemini, Command Module and the Lunar Module. Almost every switch, fuse, gauge and button can be modified and will trigger a reaction in the simulator.

The simulator also has a high resolution representation of Earth (64k) so you can see landmarks and details on Earth from orbit, as well as a realistic view of the stars surrounding you. The current Earth and Moon model and transitions between landing areas is the target for 1.0, but improvements can be made as I progress towards 2.0. However, you can currently reach the Moon and land on it using the Lunar Module and the Command & Service Module in Project Apollo. As mentioned, the Earth and Moon textures might get an update after the v1 release.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“The price will always reflect the value of the implementation that is live right now and will most likely increase when the game is released, and during development as major updates are released. The simulator might further expand with DLCs etc.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“I'm actively seeking community feedback and suggestions.

There are many details and systems to simulate in Reentry, in addition to the realistic physics on launching into space, orbiting Earth and landing on the Moon. Community feedback helps me prioritize the tasks and features I wish to implement, as well as fixing serious issues and bugs.

There are many other space enthusiasts who might know some details I don't, as well as have feature requests I haven't even thought about. By involving the community, I can learn about these and add features and functionality based on the feedback.

My goal is to work with the Community to create a fun, realistic (but with simplifications), and fun space flight simulator.”