First of all, thank you all for reporting issues and for contributing to the simulator. This patch had a long delay due to a blocking issue surrounding Rendezvous in Gemini. This bug was triggered by some major logic changes needed to fix a few if the issues reported. However, we should be good to go again!

This patch aims to fix some of the critical issues reported from the 0.65 update, and has the following fixes:
- Infinite Roll Program Rates fixed during the ROLL PROGRAM on Gemini ascent.
- Bad save state in Gemini: Due to a bug, when loading a save state, the free play mission state was loaded instead.
- EVA offset position is fixed and you will spawn next to the spacecraft.
- Radar range and Encoder now works when docked.
- Mercury abort in Atlas had a bug that would bring the capsule into a proper orbit. This is now fixed can the campaign mission should be working agian.
- New feature: Launch Azimuth logic and inclination (see below).
- Exit button should be visible and longer scrollable main menu, for those using wide screen.
- Gemini thruster volume reduced.
- Agena engine is tuned down.
- Gemini FDAI sphere texture.

Still looking into some of the other bugs reported but this is a start.


New features:
Azimuth calculations (basics)
Special thanks to pclaurent for helping me with the new azimuth calculations logic. This is just a start, and will be the basis for improved ascent guidance algorithms.
Using the OBC, can you insert the target inclination into the OBC Core 09, and it will automatically calculate the roll needed in the roll program, and reconfigure the OBC (Core 10 and 11). You will need to run the pre-launch program to align the platform. Keep in mind that the target inclination can not be less than your launch latitude, and should not deviate too much from 28.5 and 32.5.

Ap, Pe and ascending/descending node markers in Gemini orbit view
New markers are placed to easier visualize where the orbits apogee and perigee is located. These points are important as they are used to move the point on to opposite side of the orbit in or out. The ascending and descending nodes are the points where it's best to perform inclination/plane changes. These are still WIP, but I wanted to start testing the logic.

If the IVIs show a dV in the middle field (plane change), you should null this at the ascending or descending node.

I'm happy to announce that Reentry has been update to version 0.65. This version contains all the preliminary Gemini features needed for the upcoming 0.7 update.

Feature list:
- Full rewrite of the integration layer between the rendering engine and the physics engine(s) aka. the True Scale System (TSS). This is the major part of the update.
- Seamless ascent
- Realistic docking and rendezvous
- New mandatory steps for aligning the Gemini inertial platform added to the preparations needed to launch Gemini into orbit.
- Manual ascent controls for Mercury and Gemini
- Gemini EVA placeholder has been replaced
- Gemini cockpit and panel modelling improvements
- Added the TC-50R (Cassette Player) to all spacecrafts. Use this to listen to the game soundtrack or add your own music (wav or ogg) to your journeys in space
- Basic Gemini crew models
- Overhaul of the Mercury and Gemini Rate Command flight modes, and the Mercury manual proportional flight mode
- Gemini Rendezvous Radar improvements
- Rendezvousing is now harder as you need to manually perform the final approach, but still more realistic, smooth and stable. The OBC is being worked on to give you better dV suggestions. In a future update, the rendezvous technique (currently Hohmann) will be replaced with a Trigger Angle Targeting method. This was the method used in Gemini and in the Lunar Module/CSM rendezvous after lunar ascent.
- 2 new Steam achievements added for Gemini
- Input binding available for Gemini and Apollo numeric keypad, as well as Plus, Minus, Enter, Proceed, Read Out, Clear, Reset, KeyRel, Verb and Noun - you can now use the keyboard to interact with the computer.

You can read more about the major features of 0.65 here:
https://store.steampowered.com/newshub/app/882140/view/2727444223258669220

The work towards 0.7 can finally begin. As mentioned in the post above, this includes a new Gemini campaign, the Gemini Mission Editor, prelimineary VR support in Gemini and some Apollo features. In addition, the work to bring Apollo over to the new TSS enabled engine will also begin.

Thanks a lot for your patience, your feedback, you bug reports, and to everyone who are part of the Official Reentry community at Discord (discord.gg/reentrygame).

A special thanks goes out to all the Test Pilots who has been testing these bits.

The main feature of the already released version 0.6 was the full rewrite of the integration layer between the rendering engine and the physics engine(s), something I call the True Scale System (TSS). The old integration logic was the weakest point of the simulator, and the benefits of its rewrite can clearly be seen and felt when playing Mercury. In addition, version 0.6 introduced a lot of new things to Mercury as well, making 0.6 one of the largest updates yet. The work surrounding the rewrite for TSS is immense, but well worth the efforts.

TSS for Gemini required new things to be solved, in addition to what was needed in Mercury: Rendezvous and Docking. Once this works well, the knowledge can be applied to add TSS to Apollo as well.

To avoid one large update for version 0.7, where Gemini is in focus, I will split the update into smaller and more focused releases, the first being version 0.65.

Version 0.65 will add TSS for Gemini. This means a complete overhaul of the physics integration. You will see a seamless ascent, properly scaled spacecraft relative to the Earth, and a complete rewrite of Rendezvous, Docking and EVA. I also added logic for better manual control during ascent for both Mercury and Gemini, and guidance improvements. Still a long way to go here, but it's a good start. In addition, new cores has been added to the OBC so you can configure roll amount during the Titan II roll program, and target inclination at insertion, and some panel modifications has been made.




The development of 0.65 is now complete, and has rolled out to the Test Pilots for testing. Version 0.65 is the basis of the work needed by 0.7X.

0.7 will as mentioned be split into multiple releases. The main features of 0.7 is the in-game Gemini Mission Editor, a new Gemini campaign as we saw in Mercury for 0.6, random and mission scripted failures for Gemini, first iteration of Virtual Reality for Gemini (what you see in Mercury now), Optics for Apollo, Trans-Earth Injection for Apollo, and the addition of the Mercury Control Center (multiplayer mission control).

Version 0.8 is the last major overhaul update targeting Apollo. After this, I can start focusing more on missing systems, game mechanics and languages, content and more historical missions. Historical missions needs the simulator to be as stable as possible (right now, game mechanics, mission definitions etc are changing for each update), and this is why there aren't so many of them in-game, and that those that are (MA-6) is broken.

Here are some screenshots from version 0.65.

Rendezvous and Docking has changed. It is now slightly harder to rendezvous as precision is key, but translating and maneuvering around a target vehicle is more natural, smoother and realistic. The radar is also re-made and more stable/usable. It's now your primary tool when rendezvousing, as well as the line of sight to the target vehicle.




EVA has been re-made and you can maneuver around using the Hand-Held Maneuvering Unit (HHMU). Once you exit the spacecraft, you are a completely independent physical body, and all thrusts you make will impact your orbit.




The initial Gemini crew models has been added. It's static as the other crew models, but once I complete the rigging work required, I can start looking into IK to make it interact with the cockpit and items.



A Cassette Player/Tape Recorder has also been added. It's just a very simple system so you can play the soundtrack of the game (select tracks), as well as your own custom music while making the long journey towards the Moon. This can also be used in Mercury and Gemini (but in reality, they did not have it onboard).




I hope that the 0.65 update will fix some of the major pain-points in Gemini, and make the game play much smoother and realistic.

Thanks again for all the great feedback, bug reports and suggestions!

New feature:

- Procedural Star System using real star data for Mercury, Gemini and Apollo, replacing the skybox.
-- This will be the basis for the Apollo CSM Optics systems planned for 0.7 and 0.8.

The following patch covers these changes:

- Mercury retro pack rendering sprite offset is corrected
- Atlas guidance
-> Mercury had a YAW offset on ignition/roll complete, it should now be zero on roll complete.
-> Inclination is closer to 32 - 33 degrees on insertion
-> Insertion HDOT
-> Insertion Ap and Pe should be between 150km - 250km
- Fixed the occasional 90 degree offset on the virtual cockpit camera when looking out the window
- Save state file name input box on Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. The name generator is deprecated.
- P12 in the LGC (Lunar Module) received a hot fix for handling a sudden roll issue during APS ascent.
- Campaign mission 1, fixed so the lights don't work before connecting batteries, even when on internal power
- Apollo Orbit View Clip Range bug
- Open LM hatch from CSM impossible due to tunnel pressure bug. If it's -1. Should be fixed.
- Mission Editor: Culture invariant issue in mission editor fixed
- Mission Editor: LOAD mission fixed

Virtual Reality

- VR Mission Pad toggle on VR controller, sets the Mission Pad to hand position, or releases it without any "zero-g" forces. You need to bind the "MissionPad" boolean to the left controller, as a button.
- In VR Mode, mouse cursor is completely disabled

Thanks to everyone who has contributed with constructive feedback on the latest release! Please keep playing, suggesting and reporting issues.

This patch has the following fixes:
- A new checklist detector will show a message when the game loads if changes to the default checklists exists, and the option to install them. This is the same as pressing RESET DEFAULT CHECKLISTS. A toggle is also available to disable this feature.
- VR should not be toggled by default anymore
- Added two new free play missions to Mercury. Both starting with the cockpit in a Cold & Dark setup at T-90 minutes.
- Gemini Save State should work again
- The three stars has temporary been replaced with an INCOMPLETE or COMPLETE flag. The three stars will return once the Mission Analyzer is complete.
- Saturn V camera tilt issue solved
- Atlas should no longer keep going if fuel is depleted (dev flag removed)
- Confirmation messages appear when saving states, resetting checklists etc. This will roll out to additional critical features as well.
- Mission Editor: Saving missions from the Mission Editor has become easier.
- Mission Editor: You can also now use an Absolute Path to load and save mission files if needed.

Virtual Reality:
- The bindings has changed to not use a mirrored setup.
- In-game VR info and binding suggestion has been updated. Please check it out.

The following mappings has been added:
-- ResetView: This is a boolean and can be bound to a button on the motion controllers to reset the view, just like SHIFT+F5 does now. Please note that also the existing SHIFT+F5 key can be bound to another keyboard key and/or a joystick.
-- PushSwitchPositivie and PushSwitchNegative: The laser pointer has been upgraded to allow making changes and interact with the panels. If you point it towards a switch, the highlighter will be rendered on the switch, and you can use these two buttons to interact with it.

Please note: Most likely you will need to make changes to your VR bindings. To do this, open steamVR and make the changes there.


Thanks!

1) Recycle or toggle OFF the VR setting in SETTINGS
Unfortunately, the VR (Mercury Only) flag in Settings is enabled by default the first time you launch version 0.6 due to a bug. This prevents the game setup logic to execute properly and creates strange behavior for those who don't have VR, as well as for those who have VR.
The solution to this is recycle the setting: uncheck this setting (see image), and then either recheck if you wish to use VR, or leave it unchecked for normal play.



2) Install the latest checklists from the SETTINGS menu
In addition, if you have missing checklists, remember to press the RESET DEFAULT CHECKLISTS button to install the latest checklists.

Patch:
A patch is in development to fix the default VR setting issue, as well as a logic that will let you know if there are new checklists to be installed through a message box when you load the game.

Please know that VR is in a testing and early access state. If you stumble upon anything strange, please let me know so I can fix it.

Thanks you for bringing this to my attention!

Reentry has been updated to 0.6!

This update has a Project Mercury focus, but you will notice some new things in Gemini, the Command Module and the Lunar Module too.

As with the other major updates, it will take a bit of time to gather all your feedback and issues, but please except stead releases of minor updates covering the issues and bugs you report, so we can make 0.6 stable!


IMPORTANT
It's important to RESET DEFAULT CHECKLISTS from SETTINGS, and many of the Mercury Checklists has changed. This will install the latest versions, but be sure to make backups if you made changes to the default checklists.
In addition, verify that the VR checkbox is off in settings. I got feedback that it is on by default on some systems. Looking into this, but if this is ON, it will be hard to interact with anything in the cockpit.

RECORDING
You can find a recording of the Stream showing the 0.6 updates here:
https://www.twitch.tv/wilhelmsenstudios


TRUE SCALE SYSTEM (Mercury)
The main feature of the update is the introduction of the True Scale System (TSS). This make the scale of the universe in Project Mercury much more realistic. This is just the start of TSS and will evolve to cover the requirements for Project Gemini in version 0.7.

MERCURY SYSTEMS
Many of the Mercury Systems and physics has received an overhaul, such as pressure and a full electricity system overhaul. A Mercury Mission will now feel much more immersive and realistic (especially if you perform the full procedure from T-90 minutes - see the new campaign!). There are still things in the works, and things waiting for feedback, but this will evolve. Abort modes are also introduced, but not yet complete.

PANEL STATE
Mercury can now load custom panel states such as Cold and Dark. This can be done in the Mission Editor, or by using the Console.

MERCURY CAMPAIGN
The new Mercury Campaign will take you through many of the new features. I hope you will enjoy it and be inspired to make your own Mercury Campaigns and missions. The Campaign will be open sourced at github.com/reentrygame, so you can see how it was made.

FAILURES
Failures are added to Mercury. You will find emergency procedures and checklists in the mission pad. Random Failures can be configured in REALISM SETTINGS, and controlled failures can be triggered from the in-game menu. If you enabled random failures, missions could disable the setting for the duration of the mission (it does not make sense to have random failures in some scripted missions). This is a setting in the Mission Editor, and the mission designer controls this. Free Play missions has random failures enabled.

IN-TESTING ONLY: EXPERIMENTAL VIRTUAL REALITY SUPPORT
This update brings preliminary support for Virtual Reality in Mercury Missions. It leverages the SteamVR SDK. I have had support for VR in internal branches for a long time but have not yet had the time to focus on it. I decided to just release its current state for Project Mercury, so those who wish can start helping me in testing this. This is in an experimental phase and requires an HMD with motion controllers. Gaze is considered (do you wish to have support for Gaze? Let me know!) but it is not ideal for Reentry. Please see the VR lesson in the Mercury Academy.
Tested HMDs:
- Oculus Rift
- Windows MR
If you own a Vive or other headsets, it would be great if you can test it and see if it works. Please get back to me with you feedback on the forum here, Discord or on e-mail: petriw@gmail.com, so I can fix whatever issue we stumble upon.


NEW REALISM SETTINGS
Make sure you check out the realism settings for new possibilities. Lots of changes here. You can now for example disable the auto proceed feature in checklists, so switches in their correct position can still be highlighted. This applies to missions as well. If a switch is in the correct position, a green box will highlight it. The off-screen indicator will help you find them too.

INTEGRATED MERCURY MISSION EDITOR
The Mercury Mission Editor has been integrated into the game and can be used to create missions!

APOLLO CSM TEI
Getting back to Earth is not streamlined and supported yet, but the major blocker for this feature has been solved. From the CSM Burn Planner and the Lunar Globe View, you can see the Earth/TEI Node, and data on passing it. This point can be used to plan a TEI burn. The CSM Burn Tool should now work when returning from the Moon, and can be used to alter your trajectory, or get into an orbit around Earth (unrealistic, entry was direct). TEI development can then finally start and is scheduled for version 0.7!

GRAPHICS CHANGES
The entire game has been upgraded from being based on Unity 2018 to now be based on the latest 2019 version. The Mercury capsule a realistic model of an astronaut in the seat, and some updated features on the panels. Gemini has received a new interior model (while panels remains the same).


BREAKING SAVE AND LOAD STATE CHANGES
This update contains a lot of changes to how the Save and Load state works. Old save states might not work correctly.

It's been over a month since we showcased some of the main features of version 0.6, in addition to showcasing the Mission Control feature scheduled for a later release. This Saturday we will be giving you the latest update from the development of version 0.6.



You will be able to watch the stream from here:
https://twitch.tv/wilhelmsenstudios

Reentry version 0.6 has been in development for a while, and will introduce many new changes to Project Mercury. This post aims to briefly cover the main parts of 0.6, as well as showing you another feature in planning: Mission Control Live



True Scale System
The major work we did with version 0.45 can be seen in-action through the True Scale System. This is currently only available in Mercury, but it changes how Reentry works with the floating points limitation. TSS now allows you to maneuver in a true scale environment with seamless ascent (no transition), and a much more realistic sized Earth. Zooming no longer affects the scale of Earth like it did before, and the "floating rocket parts" are no longer a thing.

Failures
With random failures, mission scripted failures, or failures triggered by a troublemaker in the Mission Control multiplayer module, you now have to pay much more attention to all of the internal systems. If a fault is detected, you will need to work the problem and figure out if the mission can continue or not. A basic implementation of the Mercury Abort Modes are also available, where the Escape Tower is used to drag the capsule away from a failing launch vehicle (see video below)



New missions & in-game Mercury Mission Editor
Version 0.6 will also add a few new missions for Mercury, where your abilities will be tested outside of the Academy. A new mission editor has been created, allowing you to create Mercury missions directly in the game.


Mission Control Live
The Mission Control Live module is a multiplayer mode scheduled for version 0.7 where multiple players can join a game session as Mission Control for an astronaut. The Mercury Control Center has been remade with a focus on details, gamification and functionality. I have been doing a lot of research into how it looks, feels and works, as well as how one person or a team can be Mission Control, following realistic flight plans, or private training sessions.

Here are some comparison pictures from real life, vs. what I have in Reentry









The mission control room is populated with custom avatars where each player can design his or her own character to be used as a mission controller (and eventually as the face of your astronaut).



Saturdays stream
Many of you saw the stream on Saturday where the Test Pilots and I were playing the new Mission Control Live module for Reentry, with Serpatron in the capsule. Unfortunately, we were unable to bring him down due to an unfortunate event where the retros were jettisoned too early.

If you wish to see the session, you can do so here:
Mission Control Perspective:
https://www.twitch.tv/wilhelmsenstudios

Astronaut Perspective:
https://www.twitch.tv/RealSerpatron

When will 0.6 or Mission Control Live be released?
I do not yet have an ETA on when version 0.6 or the Mission Control Live feature will be released. Version 0.6 will need to be released before Mission Control Live can be a part of the game. Mission Control Live will hopefully make it into 0.7.

Tune in this Saturday to see a dev-stream from Reentry 0.6! The stream will start on April 18th at
20:00 GMT / 1 pm PDT.

The stream will happen here on Steam and on Twitch:
Main coverage:
https://twitch.tv/wilhelmsenstudios

In addition, there will be another live stream directly from the Astronaut here:
https://www.twitch.tv/RealSerpatron