How did the obsession with "snacks" become a part of the KSP lore?

[MisterFister]

I get that "snacks" and snack-references are a running gag and part of the cutesy kerbal-ish parody that is so endearing about this game.

But, where did it come from? Was it a mod, or a viral forum post / reddit thread / YouTube cinematic? Was it something mentioned nonchalantly in a comment by NathanKell in the discussion thread below a devblog back in v0.17 and it just got dragged along by the Hype Train? (That's an oddly specific but totes random example I can think of.)

Where did the Lore of the Tasty originate??

Edited October 6, 2015 by MisterFister

[lodger]

That's a good question I kept asking myself as well. Being rather new to the game I'd say it comes from the interior views of the command modules and crew / science containers where they have compartments labelled "snacks". So maybe this inspired that running gag? Just guessing though

[Yukon0009]

I came into the idea of snacks from Brotoro's excellent Laythe exploration mission reports.

(Also I don't think NathanKell was around back in 0.17.)

[RogueMason]

First instance of 'Snacks' that I recall is a cabinet in the Hitchhiker IVA. I think it ballooned out of control from there, so now we're all doomed to a lifetime of snack-induced diabetes... Well, our Kerbals are, anyway

[Streetwind]

Kerbals have less to worry about dying from diabetes though, because they usually don't live long enough to get sick.

(macabre, I know, but then again it is October...)

[Scotius]

Yep. It began with new IVA for Hitchhiker Module. Then it snowballed, trickled into AAR section, sneaked into mods to finally entrench itself firmly into community's hive mind.

[StainX]

"Snakes on a Plane"(the movie title)...."Snacks on a Plane"!?

[J.Random]

Yep. It began with new IVA for Hitchhiker Module. Then it snowballed, trickled into AAR section, sneaked into mods to finally entrench itself firmly into community's hive mind.

I'm sure that "PS: I ate all the snacks" on some sticker somewhere existed way before HM has got the IVA. Not sure if it was stock or some mod.

[Dman979]

Don't forget about the Observation Capsule!

[p1t1o]

Invader Zim?

[Brainlord Mesomorph]

I'm always amused when I sit down to play KSP and I have snacks.

[monstah]

...I'm always amused when I've been playing KSP and notice it's 2 a.m. and I NEED snacks.

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

There are references in the Mk3-Pod aswell. It's a little fuzzy but it is written on the Postals there.

[Melonfish]

It was Definitely around v0.17 this came in, I remember people all shouting for more snack easter eggs.

[Highguard]

Sugar is not required for snacks.

What could be more Kerbal than a handful of mixed nuts?

[monstah]

There are references in the Mk3-Pod aswell. It's a little fuzzy but it is written on the Postals there.

Something like "P.S.: Jeb, I ate all the Snacks ~Bob", right?

[MisterFister]

Something like "P.S.: Jeb, I ate all the Snacks ~Bob", right?

I think you're right.

[Renegrade]

Something like "P.S.: Jeb, I ate all the Snacks ~Bob", right?

Not sure about the mk3 monstrosity, but the Cupola definitely has a note like that.

[FlyingPete]

...a handful of mixed nuts?

Are you referring to the in-flight food, or the flight crew?

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

Something like "P.S.: Jeb, I ate all the Snacks ~Bob", right?

Indeed, thats the one

And I think there is another one, "Fuses/Spares are not Snacks" IIRC

[Highguard]

[a handful of mixed nuts] ... Are you referring to the in-flight food, or the flight crew?

Why can't it be both :-)

[goldenpsp]

It also became a mod.

[Scoundrel]

The snacks thing started with some fan art, IIRC, back around 0.10, and was further cemented into KSP lore in a few posts from HarvesteR on the Orbiter forums - mostly to do with some off the cuff replies, though... hmm... I could be wrong... I might be misremembering one of the IRC chat things. Anyways, that was back in 2011 when I was just a forum lurker, and the snacks meme had yet to take off. IIRC, it really didn't hit full steam until 0.17ish, where it didn't come from any single source... I think people just heard "snacks" and ran with it. Amusingly enough, if you search for my old posts in the suggestion forums back in 2012, you'll see me arguing that life support should just consist of "snacks" rather than "Life support should require a 200 page manual"... which was about the time that "snacks" as a meme really started to take off. I'm not taking credit for starting it, just saying it wasn't prevalent until about that time, as I had seen someone else post it so I glommed onto the idea for an argument about life support. And of course, a year or two later, someone made a mod that did just that.

[Nikolai]

Regardless of where it originated, I think it "stuck" because -- well, look at them! Kerbals are 40% mouth! So of course they'd think about snacks a lot.

[FirstSecondThird]

Actually, Kerbals can live forever. If provided for properly, of course.