Larp Experience has an article about using a starship bridge simulator in a blockbuster larp called Odysseus, and how to set it up to provide roleplaying opportunities rather than mechanical gameplay:
The sim they used is Empty Epsilon, which is open-source, scriptable, and runs on anything (even a droid phone). They had it set up for multiple player ships (so there were fighter crews, and a main ship crew), which meant intership communications were important, and an opportunity for roleplaying.
All of which sounds cool. Too complicate for a three-hour game, I think - but maybe worth it for a campaign?