Tech Demo 2

Tech Demo 2 refers to the public demonstration version of Starship Simulator made available by Fleetyard Studios starting in mid-2023. It represented a significant step up from any earlier tech previews and served as the primary public build for an extended period, including during the game's successful Kickstarter campaign.

Release and Availability

Tech Demo 2 was officially released on June 19, 2023, coinciding with the Steam Next Fest event of that month. It was available as a free download on the Starship Simulator Steam store page.

While the demo on Steam continues to be updated internally via Dev Builds, the version launched in June 2023 remained the main public access point until development shifted towards the next major public iteration (referred to as "Tech Demo 3" in later Dev Build notes).

Purpose

The release of Tech Demo 2 aimed to:

Showcase the core technological foundation of the game, including the Unreal Engine 5 implementation.
Demonstrate key gameplay concepts like detailed ship interaction, seamless galaxy exploration, and basic station operation.
Allow the public to experience the unique depth of simulation planned for the full game.
Gather valuable feedback from a wider audience to guide further development.
Build community interest and support ahead of the Kickstarter campaign launched in early 2024.

Content and Features

Tech Demo 2 provided a snapshot of the Magellan Class starship and core gameplay loops, including:

Ship Exploration: Ability to walk around several accessible decks and numerous rooms of the starship interior.
System Interaction: Included interactive tutorials, most notably the detailed "Cold & Dark" start-up sequence for the ship's Fusion Reactor.
Bridge Operations: Players could operate basic functions at the Helm station (manual flight, FTL jumps) and the Sensors station (viewing stellar data, basic scanning).
Galaxy Navigation: Capability to fly the ship seamlessly through the 1:1 scale procedurally generated Milky Way galaxy.
Proof of Concept: Demonstrated the deep simulation approach, with visible hardware, simulated systems, and detailed environments.

Successor

Tech Demo 2 is scheduled to be succeeded by Tech Demo 3 in Q2 2025. This version of the Tech Demo will include an extensive update to the galaxy generation, a new external design to Magellan Class with an updated interior, and new functions to the sensors gameplay.