Dan Govier

Dan Govier is the founder of Fleetyard Studios and the lead developer responsible for the creation of the space exploration sandbox game, Starship Simulator.

Background and Motivation

Dan Govier's work on Starship Simulator stems from a lifelong passion for space simulation games, science fiction, engineering, and architecture. His interest in the genre dates back to playing the original Elite on the Commodore 64 in his childhood. Growing up influenced by various sci-fi universes like Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Stargate Universe (citing the Destiny from Stargate Universe as a favorite ship design), he developed a keen interest in the design and potential function of fictional starships.

After a career primarily spent as an IT Manager, a combination of factors including redundancy provided the opportunity for Dan to pursue his dream of full-time game development. He had already been working with Unreal Engine on various hobby projects for several years prior. His core motivation for Starship Simulator was described as a thought experiment: how would humanity build a realistic interstellar vessel using plausible science and engineering principles? This drive informs the game's focus on deep simulation, realistic design based on extensive research (from astrophysics to electrical engineering), and architectural influences (such as Zaha Hadid and the film Passengers).

Previous Projects

Before focusing solely on Starship Simulator, Dan Govier gained experience working on notable fan projects and related ventures:

Stage 9: Joined the team developing the Stage 9 Enterprise-D recreation project (a fan-made virtual tour of the Star Trek: TNG ship) as a developer in 2017.
Messy Desk Interactive / The Orville Interactive Fan Experience: Co-founded Messy Desk Interactive in 2018 and served as a joint project lead on The Orville Interactive Fan Experience, another project focused on recreating a sci-fi ship environment.

Fleetyard Studios & Starship Simulator

In 2020, Dan left Messy Desk Interactive to establish Fleetyard Studios with his wife, Claire Govier. Fleetyard Studios was founded with the specific purpose of developing Starship Simulator, allowing Dan to fully realize his vision for the game. As the lead and primary developer, he oversees the design and technical implementation of the game using Unreal Engine 5, leveraging his combined passions to ensure a high degree of scientific plausibility and simulation depth.

Role and Community Interaction

Dan Govier is the main driving force behind the development of Starship Simulator's code, systems, and design. He is known for his open development approach and active engagement with the game's community. This includes hosting regular bi-weekly Developer Live Streams (Full List) on the official Starship Simulator YouTube channel, where he showcases development progress, works on the game live, discusses design decisions, and interacts directly with viewers through Q&A sessions.

Trivia

Dan Govier's choice of beverage is often Tea, Earl Grey, hot (with milk). He has clarified this is not specifically due to the famous Star Trek reference associated with Captain Picard, but rather because it was the tea his mother drank when he was growing up.
His passion for the space simulation genre was ignited at age five playing the original Elite on a Commodore 64.
Sci-fi television influences he grew up watching include Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Battlestar Galactica. He has specifically named the ship Destiny from Stargate Universe as a personal favorite starship design.
Architectural and stylistic influences mentioned for the Magellan Class include the work of architect Zaha Hadid and the visual aesthetic of the film Passengers (2016).
He emphasizes designing the game's starships using real-world CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software and principles analogous to modern naval architecture before implementing them in the game engine.
AVA & RM-84 is voiced by Dan using software to change his voice.
Dan likes to give speeches at conventions in Shorts.

Quotes

"The material shader is using a time node to move the magic space clouds around"
"It's probably safer if I do it, because it's going to involve tweaking the coriest of core galaxy code"