Orbit

In the summer of 2019, I began work on Orbit, my first non-university project. My main intention with this project was to push myself to learn new game development skills outside the confines of an academic setting. I sought to discover the basics of mobile game development, specifically with the Android platform, and also learn about the surprisingly complex mechanics of saving a game. The result is a simple prototype where the player is able to construct a modular space station, spanning outwards from a central 'node'. Each module serves a specific purpose, such as providing oxygen or power to the rest of the station. A complex resource management system was envisioned, with the player needing to provide enough food, water, oxygen, power and living space for the station's inhabitants. They would also be able to construct research modules, earning more funding for the station and allowing further expansion, as well as receiving specialised missions and equipment from key players in the space exploration arena.

Whilst Orbit had potential, it was never truly intended for release, instead serving only to further my own programming knowledge, a goal it fulfilled admirably. Through the development of Orbit, I learned more about 3D modelling, intuitive UI design, programming in the Android SDK environment, and, most importantly, how to save a space station with thirty or more modules and be able to successfully load it back up in the next play session. I still believe that Orbit has the potential to be developed into a full game, and fully intend to revisit the project at some point in the future.

Orbit would not be my only attempt at a mobile game, being followed by titles such as Food Fortress and Fission - Splitting the Atom, nor was it my final attempt at a space-themed game, as Space Truckers would emerge the following year.

Contact

Telephone: 07895 839 807   |   Email: saul.ashbridge@gmail.com