Wanting to learn the real science and physics in game [helps pls].

[justicarab]

I intent to play on hard, so no room for errors or trial and error.

so I've read almost all of the wiki. so many of the equations i have learned.

I honestly want this to be what i do for a living and the earlier i can learn and "master it" [in ideal situations i.e. a video game]

is there any other equations or concepts that would aid to this game or real life to make playing this game much more calculated and planned rather than the "YOLO" attitude.

[Gaarst]

Newtonian mechanics and Keplerian laws for orbits and manoeuvres, basics of aerodynamics for the atmospheric part.

Knowing typically spaceflight related concepts such as aerobraking, rendez-vous techniques are useful.

Rocket equation for delta-v is essential; being able to do quick calculations for TWR, acceleration, fuel... will also be helpful.

And a bit of spaceflight history is always interesting when wanting to go "beyond" the game.

A thing you have to understand is that even if you know all the equations, master all the physics involved, nothing will replace experience in the game to succeed. Actually, for most players (I guess) the game came first and the science in it after. Knowing the physics will help you, but only when you'll have played the game for a few 100s of hours then you'll be able to say that you truly master it.

Don't worry, you don't need to be an astronaut or to have a PhD in aerospace engineering to do well in KSP, you'll learn while playing.

[JTpopcorn]

For launches maximum effeciency is just below terminal velocity. Also tall skinny rockets = Good Short fat rockets = bad

[justicarab]

thank you for the info, like i said, i actually care more for the science than the game. I've played a mere 87 hours in the game but i want to actually do this kindof science in real life. i enjoy seeing this applied physics and math simulated in game as a way to see the math and science in use. granted it's just a game but i see it more like a simulator for engineers than a video game. :]

[FancyMouse]

Depending on how you define "real" - we don't have 3-body (even restricted)! So IMO it's good for learning basic science, get interested in it, see how unexpected surprising consequence it results in, and then for the more advanced stuff, you need to go back to textbooks.

And trial and error - I wouldn't go to against that. It's hard to do a design without trial and error, even if you have experience of building thousands of rockets. Real life stuff (not just rockets) would go through countless simulations before a design claimed to be done, and hey our game itself is a simulation!

[purpletarget]

If you've gone through he Wiki already, there's also The Drawing Board, which lists a variety of resources, some of which include more math based type tutorials or vids which may touch on the kinds of science you're looking for.

[justicarab]

thank you guys

i found a delta v mapping for the system, did they discover this by trial and error or is there a really cool equation to calculate this?

Edited May 11, 2015 by justicarab

[Reddeyfish]

thank you guys

i found a delta v mapping for the system, did they discover this by trial and error or is there a really cool equation to calculate this?

A combination of both.

delta-v is easy to compute if you know the orbital velocity and altitudes of the two bodies. However, it's sometimes easier to get the orbital velocity by just putting something in orbit instead of doing math.

[cybersol]

Another way to approach it, would be to understand the source code that is used to make a mod like Kerbal Engineer Redux. In order to give you the information it can display, it usually has to to use the relevant math equations to solve for the information it wants to show you. This will likely lead you to learn how a lot of Kepler's orbital mechanics are used in a very practical sense. For example, before it was available in any of the mods, I made my own mod to display your current ejection angle to prograde. It was very satisfying to combine learning orbital mechanics with how to get the information from the game and transform it with math to show what I wanted.

[FancyMouse]

Another way to approach it, would be to understand the source code that is used to make a mod like Kerbal Engineer Redux. In order to give you the information it can display, it usually has to to use the relevant math equations to solve for the information it wants to show you. This will likely lead you to learn how a lot of Kepler's orbital mechanics are used in a very practical sense. For example, before it was available in any of the mods, I made my own mod to display your current ejection angle to prograde. It was very satisfying to combine learning orbital mechanics with how to get the information from the game and transform it with math to show what I wanted.

Based on my experience, you probably need a way better coding skill to learn physics/formula from code, in which case learning from textbook might be easier.

Writing code yourself is totally different from reading others'

[Red Iron Crown]

You might find this site useful for some of the math involved in rocket science, including interplanetary tranfers: http://www.braeunig.us/space/index.htm

[DarkGravity]

If you are a young person seeking a career in aerospace engineering, there are some more things you can do. Embracing the math and science behind this game is a great step forward, but you might also consider finding some professionals in the field and sending them some emails. Say you are interested in the field and would like some suggestions on how to get started. We live in a world where too often what you know matters less than who you know. And many career professionals will enjoy hearing from a young person interested in their field. Of course many won't as well, so you might need to send out a few emails before getting a single response. Maybe google the aerospace engine professors at the university you wish to attend or google some folks from NASA. Or search for a really old person, long retired, who once won a Nobel prize in physics. Good luck and may you be the first human to play a video game on the surface of Mars!