The Galaxy In Detail

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

This page details the large-scale structure of the simulated Milky Way galaxy within Starship Simulator. The Galaxy Generation system aims to create a realistic, 1:1 scale representation of our home galaxy, incorporating distinct structural components that influence the distribution and types of stars players encounter.

Overall Structure

The simulated galaxy mirrors the known structure of the Milky Way, primarily consisting of:

A central Galactic Core housing a supermassive black hole.
A dense Galactic Bulge surrounding the core.
A flattened Galactic Disc containing spiral arms, where most star formation occurs.
A vast, spherical Galactic Halo encompassing the disc and bulge.
Numerous Globular Clusters scattered primarily throughout the Halo and Bulge.

Galactic Regions

The galaxy is divided into distinct regions, each with characteristic stellar populations and densities, influencing both the simulation and potentially gameplay:

Galactic Core

Description: The innermost region of the galaxy, centred on the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (located at galactic coordinates 0,0,0 in the simulation, as per Build 0.225.0.14).
Characteristics: Extremely high stellar density, dominated by older stars, and permeated by intense radiation fields. Likely contains a high concentration of exotic objects like neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes.
Simulation Influence: Highest star density. Navigation may be hazardous due to gravitational effects and radiation. Sagittarius A* itself is a unique, volumetric object (Dev Build 0.225.0.16).

Galactic Bulge

Description: A dense, roughly spheroidal region of stars surrounding the Galactic Core.
Characteristics: High star density (though less than the core). Contains a mix of older stars (Population II) and some younger stars. A significant population of Globular Clusters may reside here.
Simulation Influence: High star density. Predominantly older Star types.

Galactic Disc (Thin & Thick)

Description: The flattened, rotating structure containing the galaxy's spiral arms. It's often considered to have two components:
- Thin Disc: Where the majority of current star formation takes place. Contains younger stars (Population I, like Sol), open clusters, gas, and dust concentrated along the spiral arms.
- Thick Disc: A more diffuse, older component surrounding the Thin Disc, containing intermediate-age stars.
Characteristics: Moderate to high star density, especially within spiral arms. Rich in heavier elements ("metals"). Sol is located within the Thin Disc.
Simulation Influence: Contains a mix of Star types, with younger, hotter stars more common in the Thin Disc/spiral arms. Star density varies, potentially higher along arm structures.

Galactic Halo

Description: A vast, roughly spherical region extending far beyond the visible disc and bulge.
Characteristics: Very low star density. Dominated by very old, metal-poor stars (Population II), often found in Globular Clusters. Also believed to contain a large amount of dark matter (though its direct simulation effects are TBD).
Simulation Influence: Lowest star density. Primarily older, cooler Star types. Oort Cloud sizes may be larger here due to galactic tides (mentioned in Build 0.225.0.67).

Globular Clusters

Description: Dense, gravitationally bound collections of hundreds of thousands to millions of very old stars.
Characteristics: Found mostly orbiting within the Halo, with some associated with the Bulge. Contain Population II stars.
Simulation Influence: Represent localized areas of extremely high stellar density within the Halo or Bulge. May be unique locations to visit or scan.

Regional Influence Summary

The Galaxy Generation system uses these regional definitions to influence:

Star Density: The number of stars generated per cubic light-year varies dramatically between regions.
Star Types: The prevalence of different spectral types, ages, and metallicities changes based on the region's typical stellar population.
Other Factors: May affect phenomena like background radiation, distribution of resources, or parameters used in procedural generation like stellar Hill Sphere / Tidal Truncation limits.

Navigation & Exploration

Understanding the galaxy's structure can aid players in navigation and exploration. Searching for specific types of stars, avoiding navigational hazards near the core, or reaching sparsely populated areas might involve targeting specific galactic regions.

Development Status

The precise implementation details, density values, stellar population ratios, and gameplay effects associated with each galactic region are part of the ongoing development and may be refined as outlined in the Roadmap.