"Where corporations own the stars, and you own nothing but your ship."
A space game merging TradeWars 2002 sector-based trading with Wing Commander cockpit combat. Built in Python with Pygame. Dystopian near-future, 2387.
Five mega-corporations carved up human space after the Corporate Consolidation Wars. You are Vael Korr — former Apex Syndicate pilot, dishonorably discharged for refusing to fire on civilians. You own a battered freighter called The Cinder Pact and 5,000 credits.
The Fracture Zone is spreading. Ghost Fleet vessels are crossing sectors that were safe six months ago. Nobody is coming to explain it to you.
- Navigate a 500-sector galaxy connected by warp links
- Buy and sell 10 commodities at classified ports (fuel ore, organics, equipment, arms, contraband, and more)
- Ports are controlled by factions: Apex Syndicate, Helix Commerce, Ironveil Trading Co., Drift Cartel, The Remnant, Ghost Fleet
- Colonize planets, deploy fighters, build influence
- Every warp costs turns — manage them wisely
- Real-time 3D cockpit combat when you're intercepted
- Full HUD: radar, shield display, target tracking, weapon status
- Ship AI with three skill tiers: Novice, Veteran, Ace
- Guns, heat-seeking missiles, image-recognition missiles, photon torpedoes
- Afterburner for speed bursts, shield rebalancing under fire
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Click sector | Select |
| Double-click / Enter | Warp to selected sector |
| P | Enter port (trading) |
| C | Center map on your ship |
| Scroll | Zoom in/out |
| Middle-click drag | Pan |
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| WASD / Arrow keys | Steer ship |
| Space | Fire guns |
| F | Fire missile |
| T | Cycle target |
| Shift | Afterburner |
| 1 | Cycle missile type |
| Escape | Attempt to flee |
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Up/Down | Select commodity |
| Left/Right | Adjust quantity |
| M | Set quantity to maximum affordable |
| Enter/Space | Execute trade |
| L / Escape | Leave port |
pip install pygame-ce numpy
python main.pyRequires Python 3.10+.
fractured-void/
├── main.py # Game loop & screen transitions
├── engine/
│ ├── game_state.py # Central state (player, ship, cargo)
│ └── event_bus.py # Pub/sub events between systems
├── world/
│ ├── galaxy.py # Procedural 500-sector galaxy
│ └── sector.py # Sector, Port, Planet definitions
├── combat/
│ ├── combat_engine.py # Combat simulation
│ ├── ship_3d.py # 3D ships, perspective projection
│ └── enemy_ai.py # Novice/Veteran/Ace AI
├── rendering/
│ ├── space_renderer.py # Star field + 3D ship rendering
│ ├── hud_renderer.py # Wing Commander cockpit HUD
│ └── map_renderer.py # Sector map
├── screens/
│ ├── main_menu.py
│ ├── sector_map_screen.py
│ ├── trading_screen.py
│ └── combat_screen.py
└── data/
├── ships.json # Ship stats
├── weapons.json # Weapon definitions
├── commodities.json # Trade goods
└── factions.json # Faction lore & data
The combat renderer uses perspective projection — the same technique Wing Commander 1 & 2 used. Ships are polygon silhouettes scaled by distance (screen_scale = focal_length / world_z). No game engine required.
- Mission system with character portraits and dialogue
- Planet colonization mechanics
- Save/load game
- Ship upgrades at shipyards
- Corporation system (join/found a corp)
- Faction war events (dynamic sector control)
- Sound effects and music
- Sprite art for ships (replacing polygon silhouettes)
- Unreal Engine port (long-term goal)
| Faction | Controls | Starting Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Apex Syndicate | Weapons, mercenaries | -30 (they discharged you) |
| Helix Commerce | Food, medicine | 0 |
| Ironveil Trading Co. | Fuel ore, metals | +10 |
| Drift Cartel | Black market, information | +5 |
| The Remnant | Free sectors (growing) | +20 |
| Ghost Fleet | The Fracture Zone | 0 (enigmatic) |
Built with Python + Pygame-CE. Designed for eventual Unreal Engine port.