Orbiter is a free and realistic space simulator that's been around since 2000. The concept is fairly simple - learn how spacetravel works, fly around the solar system with futuristic aircraft, or remake historic missions to space.
It comes with a few scenarios for the Space Shuttle Atlantis, along with a few other defaults which are mostly concept aircraft, but there is an
uncountable number of mods and addons which add more to the experience.
You can see planets, land on planets or moons, dock to space stations or other spacecraft, build bases*, launch satellites, the list goes on.
* Requires the UCGO and UMMU mods, both of which are must-haves.
For BeginnersWhile Orbiter is a blast when you figure it out, it's not something you can just dive into - if you want to play Orbiter, you must be willing to learn. There are many excellent tutorials floating around the web - YouTube is a good place to start.
Your first takeoff, dock to the ISS, re-entry, and landing are good points to look up if you're new. The
Delta Glider IV is a good beginner's aircraft as well since it forces you to learn, and even has autopilot for the faint of heart.
There is a free e-book called
Go Play In Space that basically explains Orbiter in and out. I've never read the whole thing but from what I hear it's good for newbies.
Questions that Blocklanders new to the game might ask, and answers to themQ: How good are the graphics?
A: Who cares? It's a free simulator with tons to do.
Q: How big is the game?
A: From what I remember, a fresh install is between 600-700 MB. This can quickly rise if you actively hunt out addons - my Orbiter folder is 1.7 gigs and counting.
Q: Is there multiplayer?
A: Not by default, but there's a mod for that. Last I heard though, it was pretty buggy and generally unused.
Q: Where's the sound?
A: Orbiter doesn't come with sound by default. There is, however, the crucial
OrbiterSound mod adds (somewhat) accurate sound to the game.
Q: Most of the controls require a numpad, and I'm on a laptop with a hard-to-use numpad/no numpad.
A: Open keymap.cfg in your Orbiter folder and change everything.
Q: How come my craft doesn't burn up in an atmosphere such as Venus' or Jupiter's?
A: By default, they don't, but more well-designed spacecraft are meant to take atmospheric conditions into account. And yes, you can land on gas giants for some reason in this game.
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