Wing Commander inspired VR Space Combat Sim

Squadron: Mercenaries - 2025 Trailer

This is my hobby project for 2024. The latest build is not public on itch yet but I’ll put an update post here when it is. I’m hoping to get the last bits ready for release tomorrow.

Also, I want to thank the Babylon.js team! You are all always so quick to provide help, accept feedback, really care about the community, and build amazing things for others to use. Thank you!

Latest release is up in itch.io, you can jump into VR or play with mouse+keyboard or gamepad+keyboard.

Thanks again!

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Instant like :smiley: Retro at its best.


I would just say, “just go play it and have fun”. But, well, I remembr back in the day part of many games was figuring out how to play them and what to do there yourself.

Ok, figuring out what buttons do. I will give you that. But if I click the menu button “Instant Action” and then I am just drifting through empty space, I will get annoyed. If I then cannot even go back to the main menu (ESC??), and look whether there are other game modes, I am done.

If I had gotten into a dogfight, I am suspecting I would have failed. The keyboard controls are all over the place. The right hand is occupied by steering with either mouse or direction keys. Left hand needs to do everything else. To accelerate/decelerate have to use 0 and 9. Switch weapons and lock targets is W, G, and T. How the in the world should I place my left hand on my keyboard in order to reach these keys efficiently? My left hand is trained to either WASD (gaming) or ASDF (typing).

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Thank you for giving it a shot!

No doubt the controls are archaic, they are lifted from Wing Commander 1 from 1990 :joy:
The original games had the benefit of lengthy packed in paper manuals you could read while waiting for it to install from ELEVEN 5.25" floppy disks, but I think I had the 6x3.5" version as a kid.

I do need to add playability polish over the whole thing, instructions and a control-scheme splash with a “plays best with a controller” warning. It does support gamepads which have a modern layout and in VR you have access to motion controls for the throttle and joystick and can interact with the "VDU"s directly.

Once again thanks for giving it a go and adding feedback! =D

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Ok, gonna check with gamepad. :slightly_smiling_face:

Any tips on where I can find some enemies in “Instant action” mode?

I should rename “Instant Action” to “Mission Select”… :s

When in space you hit “N” to change selected “nav points” and then “A” to autopilot to that nav. The mission select screen has a description of the nav points and the kinds of encounters you will find at them

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The smoke trails and the explosions are awesome! I like this project just from watching the videos!

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This is so good!! I love the low poly particles so much!!

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Really nice !!!

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