We all know that our computers contain worlds. Amazing, fascinating worlds full of dangerous creatures and bold heroes. Powerful starships defending the starlanes from the invading alien hordes. Inscrutable creatures from beyond space itself. Black holes and stargates.

Galactic Simulator is a tool that lets you see those worlds, examine those spaceships, and watch as all those amazing things happen inside the computer.

Galactic Simulator is also an ongoing project. Changes are constantly being made to make Galactic Simulator better, deeper, and more interesting, and I can't think of all those changes by myself.

So Galactic Simulator is about YOU, and your participation. Galactic Simulator needs you to participate in the forums, join the IM chats, tell your friends, and demand the kind of product you want.

FAQ

-- Is this a realistic simulation of the stars in the Milky Way?
No. If you want a hyper-realistic simulation of stars and planets, you can find them here and here and here.

Galactic Simulator is a simulation of space captains chasing each other "round the moons of Nibia and round the Antares maelstrom and round perdition 's flames." It's a place you can see "attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion" and "C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. " It's a complex simulation that can generate a character that says, without any scripting, "Years ago, you served my father in the Clone Wars; now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire."

So, realistic? No. Fantastic and complex and endlessly fascinating? Yes.

-- Is Galactic Simulator free?
YES! Totally free. Well, except for the whole donation thing. And if you donate, you get special access to the developers. You can even become a member of the Council for Creating Space Itself (CCSI), which is the real power behind the throne.

But you can download and experience Galactic Simulator right now, for free, no pre-conditions. Click here.

-- Is Galactic Simulator a game?
Well, yes, in the larger sense that it's going to be a lot of fun to play with. But the way you play with Galactic Simulator is a lot closer to SimCity than Team Fortress or Wing Commander.

-- What were your inspirations for Galactic Simulator?
Well, I've been making procedurally generated spaceships for 10 years now, and I've always loved space games. While my development work has been scattered and eclectic, I've always come back to "little spaceship" games.

As far as the Galactic Simulator project's structure, I've been really impressed by the way Dwarf Fortress works. I want Galactic Simulator to have that same avid player community, and I'm prepared to commit myself to Galactic Simulator, AND to its community, for the long haul.