Be the Captain of your own ship (simulator)

Always wanted to captain the QE2? Tonight's interactive game / application, a ship simulator by PlanetInAction.com, allows you to do that.

From the application's description [links omitted]:

In this ship simulation program you get to be the helmsman of your own fleet of ships. "Ships" will take you past worlds incredible scenery at a leisurely pace. All you need to play ships is a small Google Earth plugin.

The idea to use Google map data for a game came almost 2 years ago. The "Ships" concept was initially written in Scratch Since the release of the Google Earth plugin and it's versatile programmers interface it became feasible to write a comprehensive application using Google Map data.

"Ships" is a case study / Technology show piece that demonstrates what can be achieved with Google Earth. While map data has a tremendous value for practical purposes, it can also be used as a backdrop for a range of games.

Special thanks go to Frank Taylor. As a blue water skipper and a well informed blogger on issues related to Google Earth he was a valuable source of knowledge and I enjoyed the many hint's and tips that came my way. Keep an eye on his excellent blog. There, You'll read the latest news related to Google Earth. Visit GEarthBlog.com here

And a video demo'ing the application:




The application requires the Google Earth plugin.

Play Ships here. Bon Voyage!