Unlimited Orbattle Dynamics Xrd

Game concept
Our logo

Inspiration

We were inspired by the intersection of art and physics because of the composition of our team. We are 3/5ths physicists and 2/5ths animators, so we wanted to make an artistically inclined game that teaches physics in an intuitive way.

What it does

You are a space pilot in charge of clearing the enemy battle of their planets, however your ships aim doesn't work! Instead, you use your own planets and their gravitational fields to curve your projectiles to hit the enemies planets! Be warned though, you can't see your opponents planets on the other side of the asteroid belt, and the only way to figure out where they are is by studying their own gravitational field...

How we built it

Using Pygame and Python for code, and Photoshop for the graphics.

Challenges we ran into

Large code bases and many asset files made organisation hard, especially with 5 people sharing files. We were able to circumvent this with tools like GitHub, and being about to speak to one another in person.
We originally all had very different ideas on what the final game would look like, so settling on the final one was hard. However, we collectively distilled the base gameplay mechanics and focused on getting that done, rather than debate on semantics.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Getting a workings gravity simulation was a huge point of pride for the team. IT worked in a realistic manner, but still usable for a game.

What's next for Unlimited Orbattle Dynamics Xrd

The eleventh installment will come in 2030. Until then, we want to see the project to completion, with a functional multiplayer across platforms rather than it being local gaming. Different planets and game rules will also tighten the gameplay to make it a fulfilling physics-fun experience!