Genesis System

This page is a Work in Progress as much of the lore/Development for the game is yet to be established.

The Genesis system is the game mechanic used to create and generate the game world in Starship Simulator. It serves as both the galaxy and system generation mechanic, creating the layout of both the Milky Way galaxy and the various star systems that populate it.

Overview

The Genesis System utilises galaxy and star system generation using astrophysics papers and astronomical data gathered from multiple sources. There are fourteen steps split between each phase. In Phase 1, it generates the galactic density and star generation around the Milky Way galaxy. In Phase 2, star-forming regions and HII-fit arms in the outer regions of the galaxy. In Phase 3, the star systems and their regions are developed, including planet locations and types, Kuiper belts, moons and stellar remnants.

Phase 1: Galactic Density Model

The Galactic Density Model phase is generated in four stages:

1. Three component galactic density model:
The Genesis System calculates the size of the galaxy and the location of the disc characteristics. It uses Sloan Digital Sky Survey provide data for calculating the thick disc, thin disc, halo, Sérsic bulge and disc breaks in the galaxy. The system then uses spatanic structures to calculate mono-abundance structures around the galaxy.

2. Log-period spiral arms, bar, warp and flare:

3. Per class-distribution: arm contrast, vertical scale heights, younger-star cluster rational:

4. Real-sky catalogue:

Phase 2: Star-forming regions and HII-fit arms

The Star-forming regions and HII-fit arms phase is generated in a single step:

5. HII-fit spiral arms and the SFR layer:

Phase 3: Star system generation

The Star system generation phase is generated in nine steps:

6. Proto-planetary disc modeling:

7. Planet growth:

8. System architecture:

9. Planet properties:

10. Moons:

11. Stellar multiplicity and binary planet suppression:

12. Per-position metallicity and age:

13. Stellar remnants:

14. Validation:

Development

During development of dev build 0.227.0.22, multiple engine crashes occurred during development due to flaws in the Galaxy Generation blueprint and overuse of GameState systems. It was eventually determined that the system had to be broken up and split into multiple files. This also meant breaking up and merging systems such as star and planet generation mechanics.

As of August 2026, it was announced that the Galaxy Generation and Star System Generation had both been combined into the Genesis System. The new systems allowed more features comparted to the previous galaxy generation systems, such as the ability to view stars from 2,000 lightyears away, the removal of per-ly CPU hitching and hampering, and the ability to travel at speeds faster than 300ly/h. It also allowed stars to be seen from outside their 1ly cube, made multi-star system possible to generate and added star constellations visible from Earth. It also implemented features planned for version 0.225.1.0 such as atmospheric and ocean chemical modelling.