High Frontier version 0.08

We’ve just released version 0.08 of High Frontier, which adds a bunch of new parts for your colony: solar panels, power plant, radiators (including “skirt” style), docking bay, and communications dish.  These are currently cosmetic, but will start impacting the simulation soon.

Screen Shot 2014-09-12 at 9.08.34 AMThe image above shows the new parts.  At the very bottom is the nuclear power plant (which is actually pretty large; it just looks small compared to a space colony!).  Above that is a somewhat redundant solar panel, facing the sun on the right, with a radiator facing black sky to the left.  Above the habitation torus is a stationary docking station, with enough bays for eight ships at once; and finally a communications dish, pointed at the ground.

Our development road map shows that the next release will simulate power balance — so, those power sources and radiators will suddenly be very important.  A small spacecraft loses heat quickly, but a big one (like a colony) holds it in, so without sufficient radiators, it’s going to get toasty in there!

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