IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Rendering pretty sky in Around The World game

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Theme 1 – Praise for realistic cloud/sky rendering
- “The game itself is UE5 but clouds seem to be completely custom made, volumetric, and look amazing, especially noticeable as you're flying around/through them in the game.” – embedding-shape
- “Just this week I was working on a sky shader in Godot, and have yet to implement clouds.” – wyrdcurt

Theme 2 – Interest in open‑world sailing/exploration games
- “I’d love to play the game when it’s ready… Sounds like exactly what I was looking for…” – kylecazar
- “I had a lot of fun with Sailwind… Multi‑sail ships are an interesting challenge but manageable.” – jbattle

Theme 3 – Appreciation for a hopeful, non‑exploitative exploration narrative
- “‘On Earth, exploration often meant gruesome exploitation and violence… However, this game is not about any of that; it shows how things could have gone, if people had behaved more kindly towards each other.’ I love this concept… We need more fiction like this.” – wyrdcurt

🚀 Project Ideas

Generating project ideas…

Volumetric Cloud SDK for Unity & Unreal

Summary

  • Provides a plug‑and‑play volumetric cloud system that replicates the high‑fidelity, custom clouds seen in Ace Combat 8, with VR‑ready performance.
  • Core value: Lets indie and AAA developers add breathtaking sky visuals without building complex shaders from scratch.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Game developers (indie studios, middleware teams) seeking realistic atmospheric effects
Core Feature Real‑time volumetric cloud rendering with adjustable density, lighting, and VR stereo support
Tech Stack C++, HLSL/GLSL, Unity Shader Graph / Unreal Material Editor, optional compute shaders for GPU‑based simulation
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Per‑seat licensing ($199/seat) + optional royalty tier

Notes

  • HN commenters praised Ace Combat 8’s clouds and expressed interest in VR cloud experiences; this SDK directly enables that fidelity in any engine. ([embedding-shape] “clouds seem to be completely custom made, volumetric, and look amazing”)
  • Could spark discussion on rendering techniques and become a go‑to asset store/marketplace product, reducing development time for sky‑heavy titles.

Open‑World Sailing & Exploration Game with Procedural Cloudscapes

Summary

  • A sailing/exploration title where players navigate a procedurally generated archipelago under dynamic, volumetric cloudscapes that evolve with weather and time of day.
  • Core value: Combines the open‑world wanderlust highlighted by users with the stunning cloud visuals they admired in Ace Combat 8 and Ten Skies.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Players seeking open‑world sailing/exploration games (Steam audience, fans of Sea of Thieves, Windbound)
Core Feature Procedural island generation + live‑simulated volumetric clouds that affect visibility, wind, and lighting
Tech Stack Unity (or Unreal) with custom cloud shader, NavMesh for AI ships, NETCODE for multiplayer (optional)
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: One‑time purchase ($29.99) + cosmetic DLC

Notes

  • Users kylecazar and jimmydoe expressed desire for open‑world sailing/exploration games and loved the cloud focus; this game directly merges those interests. ([kylecazar] “I'd love to play the game when it's ready… open‑world sailing/exploration games”)
  • Provides fertile ground for HN discussion on procedural generation, cloud rendering, and VR potential, while delivering a tangible product players can buy.

VR Cloud Sanctuary: Meditative Sky Exploration App

Summary

  • A VR application that lets users float through realistic, evolving volumetric cloudscapes, offering calm exploration, timed sessions, and optional ambient soundscapes.
  • Core value: Delivers a serene, immersive “sky‑watching” experience for relaxation, inspiration, or light exercise, fulfilling the VR cloud enthusiasm from the discussion.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience VR enthusiasts, wellness users, fans of atmospheric experiences (e.g., Ten Skies, cloud‑watching)
Core Feature Free‑flight navigation through high‑detail volumetric clouds with dynamic lighting, optional guided meditations
Tech Stack Unity XR SDK, C#, custom volumetric cloud shader, Oculus/OpenXR support
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Freemium (free base, $4.99 for premium cloud packs & sessions)

Notes

  • Commenters highlighted the amazing VR experience of Ace Combat 8’s clouds and mentioned Ten Skies; a dedicated VR cloud app caters to that exact craving. ([embedding-shape] “The game is even more amazing in VR where you really get a better spatial understanding…”)
  • Encourages discussion on VR wellness applications and showcases cloud rendering tech outside traditional gaming, opening avenues for partnerships with wellness platforms.

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