Info about SpaceEngine PRO:

Official game description:
This DLC changes the SpaceEngine license to allow for personal commercial use, and unlocks some "professional" features helpful for capturing video footage and creating space assets for your own projects:  
*   Camera path editor  
*   Ability to save video and screenshots with transparency  
*   Unlimited resolution for exporting skyboxes, including with HDR DDS cubemap format  
*   Unlimited resolution for exporting planet textures  
*   Unlimited rendering resolution in the fisheye/dome and equirectangular projection modes
Details about commercial usage permissions can be found in the EULA.  
**Reselling via third party (ie. using the software to create content for re-sale via third parties such as ShutterStock) is expressly forbidden.**  
Note: unlimited resolution means that SpaceEngine will not restrict you from using any resolution you want, but there are practical limits due to limitations in your graphics hardware. If you have a very recent high-end card, you will be able to use much higher resolutions (e.g. 32768x32768) than you would be able to achieve with older or low-end hardware (e.g. 8192x8192).

Release date: Jun 11, 2019

Categories: Space Exploration, Procedural Generation, VR Support, Video Creation, Asset Export, Educational Game, Sandbox


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $20.00 - $30.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews consistently express that the game and its content are worth the asking price, highlighting the game's beauty, scale, and optimization. While no explicit base-game price is mentioned, the strong positive value sentiment and the premium scope of the simulation suggest the community would consider a fair base-game price in the typical indie/AA range for such a large-scale experience.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 4.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The first quote directly reports a playtime of 'a few hours' for SpaceEngine PRO, which supports a session length estimate. The second quote implies the user has played the game but does not specify a duration, so it only corroborates that playtime occurred. No evidence addresses game completion, story completion, or endgame content, so those metrics remain null.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Pro version enhances asset creation (weight 0.89): Multiple reviews highlight that the Pro version provides essential tools for exporting planet textures, skyboxes, and creating videos, which are valuable for game development and digital art projects. This makes the upgrade particularly useful for content creators and media professionals.
- Realistic astronomical visuals (weight 0.7): The simulator is described as ultra-realistic, with beautiful nebulae, creepy black holes, and realistic stars with glares and halos. The Pro version enhances phenomena like black holes, adding to the visual fidelity.
- Base product is outstanding (weight 0.65): The base product is considered outstanding, with rich capabilities and nice features. It is extremely optimized for its size and yields good images, making it a solid foundation even without the Pro upgrade.
- Video creation is satisfying (weight 0.61): Users find the video creation process easy, satisfying, and rewarding, with support for high resolutions like 4K ultrawide and stereoscopic 3D. The camera path editor and recording tools work well together, enhancing the overall experience.
- High commercial value (weight 0.51): The software is considered a cheap and easy way to generate deep space sci-fi imagery, with great commercial value for film production and commercial use. The Pro version includes a commercial license, making it suitable for professional projects.
- VR experience is exceptional (weight 0.41): The VR mode is praised as wonderful and priceless, especially when watching videos on a huge ultrawide 3D screen. The Pro version is noted for providing the most amazing VR experience, making it a standout feature.
- Educational potential is strong (weight 0.4): The simulator has overwhelming educational potential and is used as a tool for astronomy education. It is even called the Rolls Royce of planetarium applications, indicating its high regard in educational settings.
- Procedural planet exploration (weight 0.28): The ability to land on planets and explore procedurally generated surfaces is a notable feature, adding depth to the exploration experience. This is complemented by the star log feature to track visited places.
- Camera editor script flexibility (weight 0.28): The camera path editor's lack of point editing is compensated by editable scripts, which can be exported and edited. This provides flexibility for users who want to fine-tune their recordings.
- Graphics limited by hardware (weight 0.16): The graphics are limited only by the video card, indicating that the software can scale with hardware capabilities. This is a positive point for users with high-end systems.
- Support for author appreciated (weight 0.15): Some reviewers express a desire to support the author by purchasing the Pro version, indicating a positive relationship between the developer and the community. This support is seen as a way to encourage further development.
- Idea of importing 3D models (weight 0.15): The idea of importing 3D models is loved by users, suggesting a feature that could enhance creativity and customization. This is mentioned as a positive aspect of the software.
- Useful for scenery and videos (weight 0.15): The software is useful for creating scenery and making videos about space engine, indicating its versatility for content creation. This is particularly relevant for users who focus on space-themed projects.
- Intoxicating galactic center travel (weight 0.15): Walking through the galactic center at high speeds is described as intoxicating, providing a thrilling experience. This highlights the immersive nature of the simulation.
- Experience feels heavenly (weight 0.15): The overall experience is described as feeling like heaven, indicating a high level of satisfaction and enjoyment. This is a strong endorsement of the software's quality.
- Great platform for building (weight 0.14): The software is considered a great platform to build upon, suggesting it serves as a foundation for various projects. This is a positive aspect for developers and creators.
- Beautiful game overall (weight 0.14): The game is described as beautiful, with beautiful nebulae and realistic visuals. This aesthetic quality is a key selling point for many users.
- Extra features are handy (weight 0.14): The extra features in the Pro version are considered handy and fun, adding value to the upgrade. This includes tools for video recording and asset export.
- Gets the job done (weight 0.13): The software is described as getting its job done, indicating reliability and effectiveness. This is a simple but positive endorsement of its core functionality.

Common complaints:
- Camera path editor difficult (weight 0.67): The camera path editor is hard to use, with no manual, no direct point editing, and independent camera movement and timeline. Users struggle to achieve desired shots and paths.
- Unlimited resolution export misleading (weight 0.61): The advertised unlimited resolution for skybox and image exports does not work as expected. Users find that exports are limited to monitor resolution or lack detail compared to direct screenshots, especially on static planets.
- Texture export tools broken (weight 0.51): Multiple clusters report that texture export tools fail on real celestial bodies, producing incorrect or dark textures. This affects both diffuse textures and skybox exports, with issues like dark spots and blurry clouds.
- Video recording confusing and limited (weight 0.5): The video recording method is extremely confusing and only allows rendering at 1920x1080 even when higher resolutions are set. This frustrates users who expect 4K output.
- Orbit visualization unclear (weight 0.28): Viewing planet orbits without VR is flat and confusing, making it hard to tell which orbit belongs to which planet, especially with many objects.
- Lack of geographical labels (weight 0.28): The program does not show names for craters, cities, or other geographical features, forcing users to compare with other software to understand what they are viewing.
- Earth textures dull and flat (weight 0.27): Earth textures in ultra HD look dull, lack relief, and only show traffic and water, which disappoints users expecting more detail.
- Documentation lacking (weight 0.27): The documentation is insufficient, forcing users to search online for answers without guarantee of finding solutions.
- Price increase concerns (weight 0.26): Users report sudden price increases and the program becoming more expensive, which may deter potential buyers.
- Performance and loading issues (weight 0.26): Users experience more lagging and loading times, and the program loads random items that are not of interest.
- Game library and launch issues (weight 0.26): The game does not show in the library, and clicking play opens the old version instead, causing confusion.
- Visual quality not impressive (weight 0.24): One reviewer is not impressed with how the game looks, and some objects appear dark due to camera resolution.
- Mars textures lose details (weight 0.15): Mars textures lose small rocks and appear less detailed than expected, reducing the realism of the planet.
- Spacecraft movement bug (weight 0.14): Spacecraft won't move but show relative velocity, indicating a control or physics bug.

Gameplay feedback:
- Space exploration simulator (weight 0.72): The game is a space exploration simulator with a large universe, including real and procedural celestial bodies, black holes, and gas planets with swirling clouds. It offers a comprehensive cosmic experience.
- Video creation and export (weight 0.51): The game supports creating videos and exporting planet textures and skyboxes, including HDR DDS cubemap format with unlimited resolution. This is useful for content creators and asset production.
- VR support (weight 0.3): The game supports VR, enhancing the immersive experience of exploring space. This feature is highlighted as a positive aspect.
- Procedural generation (weight 0.18): The game features procedurally generated stars and planets, ensuring a virtually infinite variety of celestial bodies to explore. This is a core feature of the simulation.
- Custom object creation (weight 0.18): Players can add custom stars, planets, and objects, allowing for personalized universe building. This is a key creative feature.
- Deep space imagery creation (weight 0.17): The game can be used to create deep space sci-fi imagery, leveraging its realistic rendering and export capabilities. This is valuable for artists and filmmakers.
- High-speed space travel (weight 0.17): The game allows space travel at speeds of 25 to 75 light-years per second, enabling quick traversal across the vast universe. This feature is appreciated for its convenience.
- 3D model import (weight 0.16): Players can import 3D models into the game, allowing for customization and creative integration of external assets. This enhances the sandbox nature of the game.
- Pro version optional (weight 0.16): The pro version is not obligatory to enjoy the game, meaning the base game offers a complete experience. This is a positive note for budget-conscious players.
- Custom travel paths (weight 0.16): The ability to create custom travel paths allows players to plan and share specific routes through space. This enhances the exploratory and educational aspects.
- Gameplay is acceptable (weight 0.15): The gameplay is described as 'alright', indicating a moderate level of satisfaction. It is not a standout feature but is not a major drawback either.
- Orbit viewing (weight 0.15): Players can view planet orbits, which aids in understanding celestial mechanics and enhances the educational value of the game.

Performance notes:
- Game is highly optimized (weight 0.31): Players report excellent performance, including constant 60 fps at max graphics on a mediocre laptop. This indicates strong optimization across a range of hardware.
- Graphics card compatibility issues (weight 0.3): Some users encounter errors requiring an OpenGL update, and the game fails to run on AMD graphics cards. This suggests potential compatibility problems with certain GPU configurations.
- High hardware requirements (weight 0.16): A player reports the game won't run on a $600 PC, indicating that despite optimization, the game may demand a relatively powerful system. This could be a barrier for budget gamers.

Recommendations:
- Pro version recommended for professionals (weight 0.48): Reviewers suggest the Pro version is beneficial for professionals, particularly those in astronomy or media production. It is seen as a worthwhile upgrade for commercial or advanced use cases.
- Game is worth the money (weight 0.3): Multiple reviewers state the game provides good value for its price, with some explicitly saying it is worth the money. This sentiment is repeated across several clusters, indicating a common positive view.
- Recommendation despite issues (weight 0.28): Several reviewers still recommend the game even though it has issues, indicating that the overall experience outweighs the problems. This shows a strong positive sentiment overall.
- Pro version not always worth it (weight 0.27): Some reviewers find the Pro version unnecessary unless for commercial use, and one notes the export feature fails on static planets, making it not worth the money. This highlights a conditional value based on specific needs.
- Will recommend to others (weight 0.15): A reviewer states they will recommend the game to many others, indicating a high level of satisfaction and willingness to spread positive word-of-mouth. This is a strong endorsement.

Other player notes:
- Pro version includes commercial license (weight 0.7): Multiple reviews highlight that the Pro edition of SpaceEngine grants a commercial license, enabling royalty-free use of created content. This is a key selling point for content creators.
- Pro supports content creators (weight 0.3): The Pro version is noted as useful for video, game, and animation creators, with no copyright issues for content made using it. This makes it attractive for professional use.
- Pro purchase supports developer (weight 0.28): Several reviewers mention buying the Pro version as a way to support the developer, indicating a community-driven motivation beyond just feature access.
- Steam purchase and issue (weight 0.24): One reviewer purchased both Pro and base editions on Steam, while another mentions a possible issue related to Steam, indicating platform-specific considerations.
- Visual fidelity highly praised (weight 0.17): The software is praised for its visual fidelity and accuracy of cosmic scenes, which is a core strength appreciated by users.
- Compared favorably to Universe Sandbox (weight 0.16): One reviewer compares SpaceEngine to Universe Sandbox, noting that SpaceEngine is more realistic and extensive, though Universe Sandbox is cheaper and exports textures as expected.
- Developer provided cloud bug workaround (weight 0.16): The developer communicated about the blurry clouds bug and provided a workaround by turning imposters off in debug mode, showing active support.
- Supports real star and planet packs (weight 0.15): The game supports adding packs of real stars and planets, enhancing its educational and exploratory value.
- Early beta status noted (weight 0.14): The software is in early beta, which may imply ongoing development and potential instability, but also future improvements.
- Developer is Russian (weight 0.13): The developer is Russian, which may be relevant for users concerned about regional support or geopolitical factors.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Users are frustrated by broken export tools, especially on static planets, and by performance issues on mid-range PCs. The lack of documentation and confusing camera path editor and video recording methods compound the difficulty, along with unclear Pro version features and unresolved bugs like blurry clouds.
- Disappointment (weight 0.14): Disappointment stems from unmet expectations: the game not appearing in the library, export resolution not matching claims, and the camera path editor lacking direct point editing. Dull Earth textures, missing geographical names, and lack of relief also contribute to a lackluster visual experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Satisfaction arises from the ease of creating videos and exporting high-resolution skyboxes and assets, which are seen as cheap and easy ways to produce deep space sci-fi imagery. The Pro version's features for HD skyboxes, video, and images are considered worth the purchase, and supporting the author adds to the positive experience.
- Confusion (weight 0.09): Confusion is driven by advertised unlimited resolution not working as expected, unclear version distinctions, and a lack of guidance on how to play. Technical issues like OpenGL version warnings and spacecraft movement problems with unknown fixes further add to the confusion.
- Appreciation (weight 0.07): Appreciation is expressed for the game's great work and commercial value, with the Pro version offering professional features and a commercial license. The ability to use the software's visuals outside the program for media projects is highly valued.
- Amazement (weight 0.07): Amazement comes from the game's realism and capabilities, particularly the new video recording system and camera path editor with exportable scripts. The VR experience is described as the most amazing the reviewer has ever had.
- Love (weight 0.05): Love is inspired by the idea of importing 3D models and the game's extensive features and realism, which resonate deeply with users.
- Anger (weight 0.05): Anger is triggered by the high price and lack of changes from beta, as well as a sudden price increase, making users feel the value is not justified.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is felt because the game is beautiful, with visuals that impress and captivate users.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Excitement is generated by the priceless experience of watching videos in VR on a huge ultrawide 3D screen, offering an immersive and thrilling viewing experience.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Enthusiasm is fueled by the Pro version's more realistic black holes and other phenomena, enhancing the overall experience and sparking excitement.
- Support (weight 0.02): Support is expressed by users who want to back the author even if they cannot play, showing a strong commitment to the project's success.
- Suffering (weight 0.02): Suffering is caused by dealing with video recording and resolution settings, which are complex and frustrating to manage.
- Intoxication (weight 0.02): Intoxication is experienced when walking through the galactic center at high speeds, providing a dizzying and overwhelming sense of scale and motion.
- Bliss (weight 0.02): Bliss is derived from the VR experience of space travel, offering a serene and awe-inspiring journey through the cosmos.
- Pleasure (weight 0.02): Pleasure comes from contributing to the developers' amazing work, giving users a sense of involvement and satisfaction in supporting the project.
- Awe (weight 0.02): Awe is inspired by beautiful nebulae and creepy black holes, which evoke a sense of wonder and fascination with the universe.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.02): Enjoyment is found in the extra features, which are handy and fun, adding to the overall positive experience of the game.}