The size, resource requirements, and availability of blocks depends on the type of structure they are attached to. 'Small' and 'large' structures can be connected together using connectors creating sub-grids. Stations use the same blocks as large ships, and can be converted into large ships by disconnecting them from the terrain (though a world setting can be changed to permit unanchored stations). If a large block is placed in such a way that it intersects terrain voxels (such as an asteroid or planetary surface), a station is created instead. The player can toggle between placing small and large block sizes placing a small variant of a block will create a small ship, while placing a large variant will create a large ship. Three types of structures are available: small ships, large ships, and stations. Once being produced, power is automatically distributed throughout the entire structure and can also be stored in batteries. While reactors must be supplied with uranium, and produce large amounts of power while active, solar panels will continually produce a low output of power when there is line-of-sight to the sun. 'Functional' blocks require power, which can be provided by solar panels or nuclear reactors attached to the same structure.

To be functionally connected however, and to transport materials, blocks called 'conveyors' must be used to connect the desired machines. Some blocks have attached keypads, which can be used to view and manipulate the status of other specific blocks attached to the structure. Armor blocks, the most basic and common of all blocks, can be realistically damaged and deformed through collisions or the use of weapons.

Additional blocks can then be added to this grid to create a structure.Įach block takes up a different amount of space, and can serve a structural, functional, interactive, and/orĪesthetic purpose. Construction begins by choosing any block from the Engineer's inventory, and placing it anywhere in open space to create a new voxel grid. Once in-game, the player is given control of a single astronaut (referred to as a 'Space Engineer') and a set of tools comprising a drill, a welder, and a grinder (if spawn with tools is on). Many of these quotes are from notable scientists such as Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, Albert Einstein, as well as authors such as Arthur C. The message may be either a helpful gameplay hint, or one of many quotations concerning space, science, and/or engineering. This screen consists of a random in-game screenshot as a backdrop, the game's logo, an animated loading icon, and a randomly selected message at the center. Upon confirming the world settings, a loading screen appears while the world is generated. This includes changing the speed with which several tools and machines will work, the size of the player's inventory, and whether procedural generation will be used (effectively making the world infinite). When creating or editing a world, several advanced options are available to change how the player will interact with the world, and how the worlds will appear. Gameplay of Space Engineers begins with the player selecting or joining a world with specific settings, such as the number of asteroids (an 'empty world' can also be picked) and the available starting equipment. First-person view from the cockpit of a small ship.

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