Militarization of KSP

[Netskimmer]

Space Engineers was one. (video looked OK)

Simple Rockets was another, think there was a third

A mesh of KSP and Space Engineers would be pretty cool. We also need the guys making 'Rouge System" to design IVA and cockpit controls.

[rcp27]

While I can see that the KSP physics and building methods could form the core gameplay elements of a warfare game, there is so much more to making a good warfare related game than just adding parts and mechanics. Good warfare related games depend on there being an underlying story to provide motivation, a believable enemy to fight against and a clear objective that can provide for a victory or defeat scenario. None of these elements exist in KSP. A warfare game could be made that employs the KSP methods of building and flying space ships, and it could even work with green Kerbals as protagonists, but ultimately it would be an entirely different game.

To take a parallel from a different Genre, Valve created the Source engine for first person perspective run around with a gun type games. They used it to produce a number of very successful games. They created the single player warfare type game Half Life 2, they created the multiplayer combat game Team Fortress 2 and they created the puzzle game Portal. They all are built around the same physics engine and have similar aspects of gameplay mechanics. They are each very good at what they are, but they are entirely different games, and people play one and not the other for entirely different reasons. If you tried to take gameplay elements from one of the games and shoe-horn it into the setting of one of the others, the result would most likely be a terrible game, because the setting would be all wrong and the story that successfully motivates you in one style of game would fail in another.

[Fleb]

It's a sandbox game, do whatever you want. I just like watching things explode, which happens to me even without making weapons.

[yorshee]

I never got why KSP fans made weapons mods until I saw things like Macey Dean's and HatBat's Kethane Station videos. KSP is a good medium for telling stories, even space war stories.

I would never like things like warfare and weaponry to be in stock KSP though, it's not what KSP is about.

[moogoob]

I think career should start with ICBMs, like our own history of space travel. Other than that, each person's game installation is their own to do with what they feel.

[rkman]

It is not clear whether OP means weapons in stock KSP or weapons in someone else's KSP.

In stock: no weapons.

Someone else's KSP: why would i even care?

[Wallace]

Kerbals are just too cute to be violent.

On the other hand, Minions are very similar cuteness level to Kerbals and they are pretty violent.

[The Destroyer]

Let it be possible with mods, I've seen some great stuff come from it (kerbals at war, anyone?)

[Netskimmer]

I edited my original post to be a little more clear on what the poll is about. It's mostly about your philosophy in your own game and how it might effect multi-player.

[Tank Buddy]

The Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies advocates peace in space.

Honestly, KSP is a game about spaceflight and orbital mechanics, not a mindless murdering game*. Not only is it more kid friendly, but it just goes better with the overall theme of KSP (although we do have a disregard for kerbal lives).

I'm not going to stop anyone from modding weapons into their game; as a matter of fact, have at it! I just don't see a place in my game or the official game.

*I don't consider weapons mods to be condoning mindless murdering or anything like that. I don't consider many games to be so either.

[comham]

It's kind of inevitable, yeah, but it's nice to have a non-military game. Although I'd kill for a physics based shooty game similar to KSP.

[Fizwalker]

Generally, I couldn't really care less. On the other hand while I was in the military, I worked with a system that was intended to shoot down ICBMs and the like, so I'm kinda curious to try and create a Kerballized version.

[Mister Dilsby]

I went with "just doesn't feel right". Of course I say this, and I write a comic where the main characters are all "officers" in an organization called "Kerbfleet" and have words like "Majer", "Looey", "Enzin", or"Comder" in front of their names. Allow me to explain

I think that Kerbals are essentially meant to be human-like, but with all human traits removed that would be inconvenient for space exploration. Human traits that interfere with spaceflight include:

• limited lifespan
  
• need for air, water and food
  
• desire for comfort
  
• desire for wealth
  
• basic regard for personal safety
  
• belief that life has, or should have any purpose other than spaceflight
  

and, of course,

• the capacity to willingly harm one another
  

Let's face it, if we humans removed all the above from our programming we could have put a person on Mars within ten years of Yuri Gagarin. Of course we would have blown up a few dozen people trying, but we wouldn't have cared! Instead we were distracted by our other desires in life, and we spent all too much of our energy on violence and the threat of violence. And here we are.

So I have this thing called "Kerbfleet" in my comic, and it has all of the cool trappings of a military organization but none of the awful stuff having to do with war and violence. Is this reasonable? Certainly not! But none of it is reasonable, is it? Rather, I say it is unreasonable to give Kerbals any of those human traits listed above and expect them to be able to run a space program as we've come to expect in KSP...except maybe the need for food, because I've been playing with USI-LS and it's pretty cool.

[Netskimmer]

Generally, I couldn't really care less. On the other hand while I was in the military, I worked with a system that was intended to shoot down ICBMs and the like, so I'm kinda curious to try and create a Kerballized version.

That would be interesting. I may, at some point, try to create a manually controlled ICBM to send a warhead into orbit and see if I can hit a dummy target on the ground. It could be a good learning exercise on how to accurately hit a specific landing site when returning to Kerbin, or landing on another body with an atmosphere.

[Frozen_Heart]

I regularly create military craft in game and have been doing so for ages.

However I am completely against military parts being added.

[nadreck]

No need to add parts they are there, and in fact 1.0 just expanded their range! Structural Pylon, Fleas, Hammers, Nose cones on the atmospheric ones. You can have tele-operated ones outside of atmospheres.

Collateral damage potential is there too! Anyone who has, in the new atmospheric model used a high powered stack seperator/decoupler when pointed the wrong way on re-entry can attest to that.

[EdusacconBR]

there should be some contracts when you create or test military aircraft, just like nasa did,but no weapons

[Finnan]

I wouldn't mind as long there are missions that use the weapons. Like a mission to protected a station from an asteroid collision for example where the player has two hours to intercept the asteroid and the craft has be equipped with a 40 MW laser and 2000 EC or the asteroid won't be destroyed.

[Mister Dilsby]

I wouldn't mind as long there are missions that use the weapons. Like a mission to protected a station from an asteroid collision for example where the player has two hours to intercept the asteroid and the craft has be equipped with a 40 MW laser and 2000 EC or the asteroid won't be destroyed.

Sure, and I believe there is a difference between "incredibly destructive piece of machinery" and "weapon". Would a Kerbal engineer build a "gun"? Definitely, if he saw a need to hurl small, unguided projectiles with some accuracy. Maybe as part of a "Whack-a-Sattelite" program to clear up debris in LKO. Would he ever aim it at a fellow Kerbal in anger? Never! Kerbals don't have the capacity for intentional violence! But would he accidentally obliterate some poor Kerbonaut who happened to stray into his path while he was gunning down debris? Absolutely! As long as there's no blood, just a puff of dust and #lolsokerbal.

[Korizan]

I really just don't see the point. Besides if I want to kill off a Kerbal, there no shortage of ways to do it in KSP without the need of weapons.

[Boomerang]

Can we have a poll about how little we care about what people consider wrong or cheating or what have you in an open, single player game?

[lajoswinkler]

Nope, it's out of the question for me. KSP is a special game and we don't need to taint it with such crap. There are mods for it. Leave the stock game peaceful.

[LN400]

You could say I don't care. The way I didn't care when I lost all interest in Mount&Blade the moment they abandoned the one idea that set it apart from every other game it could compare to, by introducing guns. I don't play M&B now and it doesn't bother me at all. As long as I can have a game where the point isn't to shoot and blow up everything, I'll keep playing KSP. Turn it into just another space shooter and I'll be out of here looking for a game that interests me.

[Duxwing]

It just doesn't feel right.

-Duxwing

[annallia]

You could say I don't care. The way I didn't care when I lost all interest in Mount&Blade the moment they abandoned the one idea that set it apart from every other game it could compare to, by introducing guns. I don't play M&B now and it doesn't bother me at all. As long as I can have a game where the point isn't to shoot and blow up everything, I'll keep playing KSP. Turn it into just another space shooter and I'll be out of here looking for a game that interests me.

Warband is thankfully gun free. (Fire and Sword annoyed me to no end). But that is what happens sometimes when you cater to a vocal group, people wanted their flint locks and they got them.