Think you can design a NASA-based educational MMO?

[Trippy]

Well here's your chance to submit a proposal:

http://procurement.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/synopsis.cgi?acqid=128415

[Samwise]

Hunh.  I can't really tell if they just want a design or if they want a design and a commitment to actually implement it.

Making it a MMO seems like a really strange choice to me.  I'm thinking the way to go would be to do ATitD but with launching rockets instead of building pyramids.

[IainC]

Alpha Centauri + physics + network code = win.

[stray]

I think a fledgling moon or mars colony would be neat.

[Yegolev]

Giggity.

I'm going to just assume this works like any other bid, which means I don't have to have anything real, just an unrealistic proposal.

EDIT: My new term for MOG is "persistent immersive synthetic environment", or PISE.  Sounds like PIES when you say it.  I like PIES.

[schild]

Persistant Immersive Environmental Synthesis.

I think that's an actual system in place in Spore.

I hear Will Wright likes PIES too.

[Krakrok]

This Orbiter sim was linked from the slashdot comments.


Here was my Space Elevator game idea from 2004:

Sim Space Elevator is a simulation environment where the user builds their own Space Elevator. It could be along the same lines and in the same vein as games like Outpost, Sim City, and Space Station Manager. The purpose of the sim would be to generate interest in Space Elevator technology and of coarse at the same time be fun.

The user would receive X amount of money to research the technologies required to build a Space Elevator. The user would allocate their research funds towards different fields such as rocketry, nano technology, military, and others. Once a sufficient level of research was achieved the user would be in charge of selecting a site to build the Space Elevator and then actually building the elevator out of modules. Other elements like protecting the elevator from attack, union strikes, accidents, and other events while it was being built could be included.

Earth could be the original building location for the space elevator but other locations like Luna, Mars, or asteroids could be included at more advanced levels.

Prototype DirectX7 planet screen shot included!

[Mrbloodworth]

I just forwarded this to the people who need to know in my company. I have a good proposal for this, And its in our field.

/Crosses fingers it gets acted on

[Waldo]

We've been toying with a game prototype at the University of Central Florida a while - it's an MMO set in a sort of retro-future moon colony which will experiment with teaching physics concepts to college freshmen.  Here's a link to some info on the project --> http://sulley.dm.ucf.edu/~retro/LunarQuest/

It's definitely interesting to think about what it would take to make a game like this for NASA.  Firstly, it can't be completely realistic.  Realism isn't fun except for flight sim-type geeks.  Realism means you'd sign up for playing on a Mars colony game, then wait 200 days before your character "arrived". 

Think about how you'd make a game that could have thousands of players simultaneously in space - which means forget modern day or even near future, unless you're willing to change history a bit or not allow players to interact together.  Think about how you set up a game that lets players advance via showing knowledge and learning.  Think about a game that has no combat (but perhaps death) but still allows some competition. 

It's an interesting design challenge that goes far beyond just being a game, or just being an educational tool.

[Jack9]

C64's http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/projectspacestation was awesome.

Scheduling launches, planning science experiments on the space station, half the flights were needed for reassembling/repairing/restaffing the station (along with weight and volume limits), and the ever-unpopular "land it or lose it" for the 2 shuttles.

[Yegolev]

I guess my "reskin ATITD" was a bad idea.

[Rasix]

C64's http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/projectspacestation was awesome.

Scheduling launches, planning science experiments on the space station, half the flights were needed for reassembling/repairing/restaffing the station (along with weight and volume limits), and the ever-unpopular "land it or lose it" for the 2 shuttles.

Can you stop necroing random crap in this forum?

[Stephen Zepp]

C64's http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/projectspacestation was awesome.

Scheduling launches, planning science experiments on the space station, half the flights were needed for reassembling/repairing/restaffing the station (along with weight and volume limits), and the ever-unpopular "land it or lose it" for the 2 shuttles.

Can you stop necroing random crap in this forum?

Why exactly? Not everyone is a guest or member when things are posted, and his point was completely on topic.

[bhodi]

And besides, that game was great. I don't even know how many hours I dumped into it.

[Slayerik]

C64's http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/projectspacestation was awesome.

Scheduling launches, planning science experiments on the space station, half the flights were needed for reassembling/repairing/restaffing the station (along with weight and volume limits), and the ever-unpopular "land it or lose it" for the 2 shuttles.

Thanks, new guy, I barely remember that game but it gave me a quick blast to the past. I remember watching my older brother play it. Good stuff.

[Trippy]

Stop posting in here unless you are discussing the original topic and no, games about NASA on the C64 don't count.