Why is KSP so addictive?

[DodoBird]

I've tried at least 12 million times to land on the Mun, and I've failed every time. But I always come back to try again. Did anyone else feel this when they were starting?

[Mohole]

Yup, you buy the game thinking it will be easy WRONG You buy the game thinking it will be a game to play in your off time or for short breaks WRONG AGAIN!

This game not only consumes your time, but also your life, you will slowly stop communicating with family and loved ones.... Next KSP will take your soul and you will lose sleep and next thing you know everything you look at reminds you of KSP... This is just the beginning...

[Bigulp]

Probably because it mixes challenge with satisfaction in just the right way. I've got hundreds if not thousands of hours into KSP and there is always something new to attempt or mod to try. I got my 1st successful mun landing return done in a far fewer attempts though.

[Curveball Anders]

KSP is addictive because every time I fail I feel like it's my fault and I should be able to learn and do better next time.

So every time I fail, I whack myself on the my forehead, with or without the 'doh', and try again.

[Aerindel]

Because the better you get, the easier it gets, but that makes you try something harder, which makes you want to get good at that new thing so that its easy again...which sticks you in an endless cycle. Minecraft was the same way.

[Fleb]

I remember the first time I landed on the Mun, there was no landing legs then so it was more of a crash landing, but it was a great feeling.

[Freshmeat]

Because there is no succes without a real chance of failing.

[theend3r]

I've done a return mission to the mun in a first few days (quicksave spam though) but yes, the feeling of accomplishment is incredible. The game challenges your intelligence and creativity while posing a great number of challenges you can set for yourself so it doesn't get old easily. I've never played a game that taught me even remotely so much while remaining enjoyable and probably never will again. I'm suffering from a permanent burnout now it seems but new features of 1.0.x and a completely new FAR could change that when the rest of the essential mods update.

Edit: grammar

Edited May 10, 2015 by theend3r

[Yakuzi]

1. Engineering problem solving

2. Creative design

3. Exploration

4. Profit/addiction

[Flayer]

My brain can only think in terms of orbital mechanics now. Every problem in my life has only one solution: moar boosters. If I forget something, I'm like "oh, rev.. wait, that doesn't work in real life".

...I think I need a support group.

[Pixel of Life]

Because the better you get, the easier it gets, but that makes you try something harder, which makes you want to get good at that new thing so that its easy again...which sticks you in an endless cycle. Minecraft was the same way.

You can't really compare KSP and Minecraft. Minecraft's progression is based around collecting materials and reprocessing and crafting them to make new things. The problem with this is that at some point, you will inevitably run out of things to do. Mods can alleviate this problem, but only to a certain degree.

That doesn't happen with KSP. There's none of this scavenging and reprocessing fuss before you can build things. It just hands you all the tools you'll ever need, and says "You can do whatever you want - your imagination is the limit!". And when something does work, it gives you this awesome sense of accomplishment that encourages you to try even more ambitious things. And while it does get boring sometimes, it always keeps you coming back for more because there's just so much to do. Even after playing it for hundreds, even thousands of hours, it can STILL offer new and interesting things to try.

To me, this is what makes KSP so addictive. The laws of physics are my only enemy. An enemy that is unforgiving but not unbeatable. An enemy that rewards you not only for success, but also for failure. An enemy that becomes your friend as you gain experience.

[Mipe]

I just put KSP into Science Jr., the report it spat out lists traces of cannabis. Afterwards, the report was all scrambled up with incoherent lines.

[Frozen_Heart]

Because the possibilities are endless and more are added with every update. It allows you the creative freedom to build anything you want while making you work for it by having semi accurate physics.

[LostOblivion]

You can't really compare KSP and Minecraft. Minecraft's progression is based around collecting materials and reprocessing and crafting them to make new things. The problem with this is that at some point, you will inevitably run out of things to do. Mods can alleviate this problem, but only to a certain degree.

That doesn't happen with KSP. There's none of this scavenging and reprocessing fuss before you can build things. It just hands you all the tools you'll ever need, and says "You can do whatever you want - your imagination is the limit!". And when something does work, it gives you this awesome sense of accomplishment that encourages you to try even more ambitious things. And while it does get boring sometimes, it always keeps you coming back for more because there's just so much to do. Even after playing it for hundreds, even thousands of hours, it can STILL offer new and interesting things to try.

To me, this is what makes KSP so addictive. The laws of physics are my only enemy. An enemy that is unforgiving but not unbeatable. An enemy that rewards you not only for success, but also for failure. An enemy that becomes your friend as you gain experience.

I think the two are very comparable, and what you say about KSP can be equally be said about Minecraft. :-)

[Galileo Kerbonaut]

Ever since my childhood, I am fascinated by space. It all started when I was 11 years old and heard about Halley's comet passing Earth on the news (just gave away my age ). They told the next time it will pass, would be 76 years from then. And that got me thinking I would most likely never experience this event again in my life time, which sparked my interest in the vastness of the universe.

Being a computer aficionado, needless to say I have played tons of space games. But it was all just games; sci-fi. KSP is different for me. It makes me feel like I am the scientist who makes it all possible to go to space in more or less realistic circumstances. It lets me explore worlds on my own, but only if I am smart enough to figure out how.

KSP is much more than just a game, it is a learning tool. Thanks to KSP I now have a way more realistic view on how space travel works. The downside of this, is that every inacurate representation of space flight now stands out. When I look at StarWars for example, I can't help thinking: no way you can fly directly to that planet's surface from orbit.

KSP caters my inner nerd like no game has ever done before.