This is the first post where I would like to introduce Frutiverse properly and summarize the current state of the game.
Frutiverse is a 2D space simulation featuring realistic orbital dynamics and destructible environments. Every object is affected by gravity and, where applicable, by drag in planetary atmospheres. Solar systems can be fairly large, with thousands of asteroids and hundreds of other ships and creatures moving through them.
Trying to keep the simulation realistic comes with its own set of problems, though. I never wanted to create a KSP clone, so the solar systems in Frutiverse are much smaller and ship engines are far more powerful. If you want to, you can cross an entire system within a few minutes.
Unfortunately, having planets so close together also created a lot of instability, especially with planetary rings. In some simulations, an entire ring could collapsed within an hour. This was one of the things where I had to make a compromise. Planetary orbits are therefore fixed, and the gravity well of planets has a limited range.
The ships operating in the system occasionally bump into asteroids as well, knocking them out of their stable orbits. One collision leads to another, and a few minutes later an entire meteor storm can be heading straight towards a planet.
I wanted long-running simulations to remain reasonably stable without introducing some completely artificial cleanup mechanic, so I added Fireflies. They fly between asteroids, find those that have drifted away from their stable orbits, and slowly guide them back where they belong.
All of these systems are already working, and I think they have reached a very high level of quality.
The problem is that while launching asteroids into an atmosphere and watching them tear chunks out of a planet is entertaining for a while, that alone does not make a game people will want to keep playing.
Over the next few weeks, I want to put together the first playable demo that shows what Frutiverse can actually do.
Fresh Freight will be a racing mode where your goal is to deliver cargo containers across an unstable solar system as quickly as possible. You will fight your way through asteroid fields, cut through planetary atmospheres to shorten your route, risk burning up during aggressive atmospheric passes, and compete with up to three other players in local split-screen multiplayer.
You will be able to choose from several different ship types.
Fast and agile fighters are not particularly good at hauling heavy cargo, but they carry more weapons, giving you plenty of ways to make life difficult for the other players.
Or you can take a cargo hauler capable of pulling several containers at once. It will make transporting cargo much easier, but do not expect much in the way of firepower.
The goal of Fresh Freight is not just to create a small racing game. It is meant to turn the simulation systems already built for Frutiverse into something immediately playable, competitive, and hopefully a little chaotic.