Our perspective shifts to the mass driver installation, where players enjoy a brief cutscene that ends with the player in the cabin of their rig, which is in the process of being launched (or "goosed" as operators call it) towards its' destination.
Players drive their space-rig along the previously defined space-route as it twists and turns towards its destination. To keep the player aware of where they are versus where they need to be, UI elements combine with space-highway road signs to provide contextually relevant information about the route.
Some hazards are passive, like space-junk or space-rocks. Others are more aggressive in nature and will make attempts to hamper, impede, steal, or even destroy cargo!
Possible threats:
- Space-junk
- Space-rocks / comet debris
- Space-hulks
- Solar storms
- Space-beasts
Players have two resources during this phase, represented by two values
- Stomach Meter - drains over time and due to player or hostile action. As it empties, players gradually experience more and more random control movements -- drifting -- that makes it difficult to control the vehicle
- Bladder Bar - fills over time. May be affected by external factors, but is mostly an hourglass-type of measure. If it ever reaches full capacity the game is over.
WIP
When/if the space-truck approaches a potential destination, the local space-traffic control takes over terminal guidance, ending the game phase.