0RBITALIS
With simple graphics and simple sound effects to match, Alan Zucconi's entry for Ludum Dare 28, 0RBITALIS, suits itself well. Control the trajectory of a satellite in different celestial situations to have it orbiting the different objects for the entirety of the given time limit. No job is too big, and no gravitational pull is too small, so get your physics-themed thinking caps on and get flying!
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FINISHED...
Gamma is so tricky
For Gamma,
I found that the trick was just to launch very, very slowly. I kept trying to achieve a stable orbit. Not worth the time.
John -
That was the only way I could finish Gamma. If there is a stable orbit, I'd love to know how to get it!
The main problem with the physics looks to be that the dt parameter (how long in simulation time is allowed to pass between each update on the forces and accelerations) is too large. This is why at high velocities you end up with straight edges with sharp angles between them rather than a smooth curve. But the smaller you make it the more CPU load. To get really good accuracy without it slowing down the developer would've had to use a much more advanced mathematical method such as Runge-Kutta algorithms. But that is really advanced stuff and for such a time pressured build and the limitation of the platform it was built in it's a pretty good job! Fun little time waster.
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