# Vision

## Elevator pitch
A multiplayer space survival game: crew a ship you build and maintain, warp across
a galaxy of star systems, land on planets to explore and gather resources, and build
persistent bases — both a space station and planetary outposts — as a shared base of
operations with other players.

## Reference pillars
Three games anchor the scope. Each contributes a pillar; none should be copied wholesale.

| Pillar | Reference | What we're taking |
|---|---|---|
| Modular ship construction & survival systems | Space Engineers / Empyrion | Grid-based building, power/thrust/hull as real systems you maintain, not cosmetic |
| Procedural galaxy & planet landing | No Man's Sky | Seed-based generation, seamless-feeling landing, exploration-driven discovery |
| Galaxy-scale travel | Elite Dangerous | Star map, jump/warp travel between systems, a galaxy big enough to feel unbounded |

## Scope reality check

Read this before getting attached to any specific milestone order.

**Persistent shared-world multiplayer**, **full grid-based ship construction**, and
**seamless procedural planets** are each, individually, the kind of feature a funded
studio spends 1-3+ years getting right. Combined, and solo, this is a multi-year project
even at hobbyist pace. That's not a reason not to build it — it's a reason to be
deliberate about sequencing:

1. **Architect for the full vision, build the small vision first.** Every system below
   is designed so it *can* scale to persistent multiplayer and a full galaxy, but the
   early phases run single-player or session-based, with one hand-built system and one
   or two planets. See [04_ROADMAP.md](04_ROADMAP.md).
2. **Cut scope at the hardest problems on purpose, not by accident.** The two hardest
   technical problems here are (a) truly seamless space-to-planet-surface transitions,
   and (b) a persistent world server that doesn't require you to run a 24/7 fleet alone.
   The tech stack doc calls out the pragmatic version of each (instanced landing zones,
   system-sharded servers) so you have something shippable, with a documented path to
   the more ambitious version later.
3. **Revisit ambition at each phase boundary.** It is completely reasonable to decide,
   after Phase 3 or 4, that a session-based co-op game (players host, invite friends,
   world doesn't need to persist on your infrastructure) is the right final scope rather
   than a persistent MMO. That decision gets easier once you can see the game running.

## Core pillars (functional)
- **Fly & fight** a ship across open space in a galaxy of star systems.
- **Build & maintain** that ship from modular components with real systems (power,
  thrust, life support, hull integrity) that degrade and require upkeep.
- **Warp** between star systems via a galaxy map.
- **Land & explore** planets on foot (or surface vehicle), gather resources, encounter
  hazards.
- **Build bases** — a space station as a persistent home base, and planetary outposts —
  that you and other players can return to, expand, and defend.
- **Play together** — multiple players sharing ships, stations, and eventually a
  persistent galaxy.