TERRA — a browser-based space economy MMO where the “game UI” is an operating system
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Discord link! https://discord.gg/w2Z2HuZhJN
I’m working on a PBBG-style browser MMO called TERRA — short for Trade, Expansion, Resource & Route Administration.
Development has just started, a play test will be a while away yet!
The idea is that you run a frontier space logistics company through an in-universe operating system called Terra OS. Instead of walking around or manually flying ships, you manage everything through programs like:
BASE.exe — your planetary baseBPROD.exe — production chainsSTORAGE.exe — inventory and cargoSHIP.exe — ship condition and cargo statsRTE.exe — route planningMKT.exe — marketsCNT.exe — contracts and missions
The core loop is intentionally simple for MVP:
Build base → produce goods → store cargo → send ships → sell goods → expand
Ships aren’t flown manually. They’re logistics assets. You choose the ship, cargo, destination, reactor usage, fuel/risk balance, then the backend calculates travel time, route risk, possible damage, and profit.
The current MVP is scaled right back: one stable gameplay loop, persistent progression, simple workers, basic production, one wallet, station selling, and shared market visibility. No huge fake economy yet. No overbuilt politics. No deep combat system. Just proving whether the base → route → profit loop is fun.
TLDR MVP feature list:
- One starter base
- Basic production chains using node based graphs
- Storage and cargo handling
- One basic ship
- Route timers and simple route risk
- Station selling
- Simple market visibility
- Credits-only wallet
- Basic workers
- Terra OS app-style interface
TLDR Version 1 feature list:
- More star systems and routes
- More planets and moons
- More ship types and upgrades
- Expanded production chains
- Better station services
- Contracts and missions with reputation
- POIs, probes, scanning, pointcloud data, ship mining and ship salvage
- More market depth and regional supply/demand
- Route hazards, piracy risk, and insurance
- Worker needs, satisfaction, and base stability
- Stronger Terra OS apps, alerts, logs, and dashboard tools, SSH, Terminals
- Basic shared economy pressure without going full simulation-heavy
The UI direction is probably the thing I’m most excited about. I want the whole game to feel like a dark sci-fi corporate dashboard, with movable OS-style panels, logs, alerts, terminal commands as an optional advanced input, and a 3D base/starmap running behind it.
I’m trying to keep it realistic for a browser MMO, so the actual simulation is backend-driven values, timers, inventories, and policies — not thousands of physical items or NPCs walking around.
Note on AI images / concept work:
Some images I share during development are AI-generated and are used for ideation, inspiration, mood, layout, and visual direction only. They are not final game assets, not promised production art, and not representative of finished in-game visuals.
I’d be interested in general feedback on the idea, especially:
- Does the OS-style interface sound interesting or too much?
- Does the logistics loop sound clear enough?
- What would make you want to check back every day?
- What would make the game feel multiplayer without needing constant live interaction?
- Is there anything that feels missing?