Two days which I spent working non-stop - I'm not even kidding, I can't stop working on this - lead to a functioning Tradelane prototype and the first Planet you can land on with a very sudden transition! Take a look at the preview video below if you want to see it for yourself.
I'll also use this post to talk a little bit about multiplayer, which I was sure I'd be able to implement. However, Unreal Engine has a maximum level size of 20 x 20 kilometer, which may sound like a lot, but for a game like Freelancer it isn't, cause that level cap could be reached by 20 Ish'tars doing a Conga Line.
The solution: Level Streaming.
The downside: No multiplayer.
Level Streaming as far as I understood it basically links multiple levels together into larger ones which is exactly what I need, but the official documentation also clearly states that this breaks the default multiplayer component. To fix this I'd have to do some things with dedicated servers etc. - Stuff I don't understand.
Another solution would be to just downsize the models, but that would take away some of the authenticity. I'd prefer to just scrap multiplayer for now, even if it hurts my soul to do so as I already dreamed about going out into the new freelancer universe and doing missions, exploring derelict stations etc together with friends, but there isn't really a choice. I haven't made a decision yet so if someone wants to share their thoughts on the topic they're welcomed to do so. I'd be happy to hear some other peoples opinion on this.
Thanks for reading, enjoy the preview below if you haven't already.
PS: I'm also taking suggestions on how to name both the Station & Planet in this system as this isn't really a copy of an existing system.
The video might stutter here and there, there's too much cr*p going on for my CPU to handle it and the recording flawlessly.
