See also: Trade
SlowTime is designed to be an empire building simulation that runs in real time. It's set up like an RTS game - build colonies which mine resources which are used to build spaceships which conquer other planets and found new colonies. It is loosely based on VGA Planets, though only in style. Playability isn't actually a principle aim - it's more an excuse to play around with some ideas, which is why I call it a simulation rather than a game.
The SlowTime bit comes in because things happen slowly - it may take a few hours real time to build a scoutship or corvette, days for a cruiser and maybe weeks for a super dreadnaught. Likewise, it may take days or weeks for a fleet to traverse the distance between planets. How long everything takes depends on the level of technology. You might be able to move at 1ly/day at tech level 1, but 100ly/day at tech level 10.
It is being written in Java, and currently enough has been written to generate a galaxy of planets, with planet types and attributes randomised and resources set. It will use JSP at the front end.
What does this have to do with FullThrust? The idea is to use an FT-like engine for ship building and combat. Resources will be used instead of 'points', and tech level will give access to different and better weapons. A ship built with TL10 technology will be better than a ship built with TL5 technology, even if they use the same basic weapons. It will also be cheaper for a TL10 civilisation to build a TL5 ship than it would be for the TL5 civilisation.
The ultimate aim is for this to be online, possibly multiple 'players', though most nations will be AI. Unlike in VGA Planets, where planet natives are static, every nation has a chance to develop and achieve space travel equally.
Just a few simple types of planets. Each system consists of a single planet.
* Garden World * Ice World * Desert World * Barren World
Each world consists of 32×16 grid, into which can be constructed bases.
* Residential * Industrial * Agriculture * Mining * Defence * Research
Each world has resources
* Silicates * Metals * Radioactives * Rare Metals * Food * Unobtainium