Spaceflight Simulator is a simple game that simulate rockets. It has many features that are similar to the real world, but also many differences, making the gameplay more simple.
1. Spaceflight Simulator is a two-dimensional game.[]
The simulator is a 2D game. Basically, the game takes place in a plane that intersects all planets and the Sun. All rockets fly in the same plane. The orbits of planets are circular, unlike the oval shaped ones in real life.
Because of this, it is far more easy for rockets to dock with each other. Also, reaching another planet is easier than that in a 3D simulator. In particular, rovers can reach one another but cannot pass side by side.
Runaway rockets and detached stages tend to spin around a perpendicular line to the game plane.
2. Rockets have some resistance to the SFS universe.[]
While passing through an atmosphere, rockets slow down. However, this does not affect the integrity of a rocket, but heat does this. Rockets are not affected by the corrosive atmosphere of Venus and Jupiter. Rockets do not also get crushed with the intense atmospheres of Venus and Jupiter. There is no weather in the game.
This is not the case for collisions, which can dramatically affect any rocket.
Space capsules can take astronauts to other planets. They seem to be self-sufficient. Astronauts are protected against heat, cosmic radiation and space vacuum. Even more, they can wait a very long time for a planetary alignment to occur.
3. It has no pre-made rockets when you start.[]
At first, the game does not include any space debris and other rockets. Also, the surfaces of any planet are free of buildings and the sun has no orbiting asteroids and comets in it. This allows the player to send rockets anywhere.
4. Celestial bodies always are at daytime.[]
No matter where the Sun is, on all planets and moons it's daytime. Luminosity is the same at any point. There is also no rotation of the planets whatsoever in the game.
5. Celestial bodies have their own realistic terrain.[]
All planets and moons have their own planetography. This includes mountains, hills, valleys, plateaus, depressions and plains. Usually, these features look smaller than those on real celestial bodies.
6. If you leave the game, time won't change in your worlds.[]
Each time you leave the simulator, planets, moons and rockets remain in the same position you left them. All rockets remain with their engines turned off.
It appears that planets and rockets move much faster than in reality. For example, a real rocket spends about an hour to complete a low Earth orbit, while in the game it takes at about 15 minutes. Also, during time accelerations, one can see that the Earth rotates around the Sun in far less than an year.
7. It has realistic orbital mechanics.[]
Starting from version 1.35, orbit data is shown (including apoapsis and periapsis). Based on this data, we can see that celestial bodies are far smaller than in reality. For example, the Earth has a diameter of 12756 kilometers, while in the simulation it appears to be around 600 kilometers. However, the atmospheres are as high as in reality (and this makes them very fluffy).
Surface features appear to be also far smaller (but on a comparable scale with the planets). For example, it is possible to fix a low Moon orbit at 1.5 kilometers above surface, without impacting anything.
Conclusion[]
Unlike any other rocket simulator, Spaceflight Simulator is very simple, does not consume much storage space, can save power and is much more easy to use.