The Game

[Huwanna]

Hello,

I was thinking about getting the game but before I do so I have a few questions:

1. Is it hard to learn to play? (I know nothing about all the fancy smart space stuff)

2. Is the game itself difficult to play?

3.  What is the Super Colonisation Mod and how would I get it? (I have been watching Videos and Youtubers have been using it.)

4. Is it hard to build epic ships just like in this video?:

 

 

I know that to you guys this thread may seem stupid, but please understand I am a new player and I want to learn how to play as the game looks EXTREMELY fun.

[MinimalMinmus]

1.There is an in-game tutorial to learn plenty of stuff, including orbiting transfers and stuff like that, but eventually the best tutorial is your own experience

2. The game is hard! It features the same "learning cliff" dwarf fortress does, and you WILL need several tries to make your first orbit. But eventually, you'll go from "Wut's a roket lulz?" to "The rocket n°6351 to Laythe will leave in five minutes. All passengers must go aboard."

 

4. Well, building really large ships is time-consuming, and it is even harder to send them in orbit. Really, small but efficient ships do the job as well (and the so-called "motherships" you will hear about here are modular). So don't worry too much.

[James Kerman]

Most things in KSP are hard at first - especially if you've had no background in orbital mechanics (like me) however it has been the most rewarding game I have ever played.

Before you try going epic you really need to learn the basics, and it is quite a steep learning curve, in respect to other games.

Always remember that the community is here to help you.

[KerikBalm]

1) You learn by doing, some things will be frustrating at first (docking, most likely), but it wont take too long to learn how to get to orbit, and then how to get to a moon and land and return.

The game has so much freedom, you can set yourself bigger and bigger challenges. You can still be learning years later, but at the same time have learned all you need to play around in the Kerbin system

2) The game itself is easy to play, the UI isn't terribly complicated, career mode is a bit grindy, but thats about it. Sandbox... its easy to start playing and building stuff and seeing how it works

3) There is a plethora of mods for KSP, if you dont like that mod, you can get extraplanetary launchpads... or whatever, personally I don't bother with those mods, I like the challenge of getting hardware to destinations, not building it on site.

4) The only hard part about big ships is experienced by your computer, you need a good computer or complex high partcount ships will murder your framerate

[ottothesilent]

1) There's a MASSIVE learning curve, but eventually you'll find things get easier, especially as you find the things you're good at

2) That depends on what you want to do. For example, I've flown hundreds of Mun missions, so they're pretty simple, but I have yet to go to Laythe

4) Building a functional ship is pretty easy, and building a cool looking ship is pretty easy, but building a ship that's both is VERY difficult and time-consuming

That being said, get KSP, it's awesome!

[Samszee]

1) I'm gunna say yes, getting into space is easy enough, then the challenge of orbiting, then landings, then docking, then interplanetary travel. Each is a new challange. I knew nothing about space stuff but the game inspired me to teach myself all the maths and science behind it (some of the people on the forum are geniuses and explain it really well). So if you enjoy games where hours of youtube tutorials or reading are kinda needed then you will like it (Paradox games/Dwarf Fortress/KSP player, apparently I like torturing my mind). Once you get over the initial hurdle there is a lot of repeating the same thing on a different scale

2) assuming you mean controls, its fine. Bit odd at first maybe if you haven't played flight sims but the controls all make sense. Some odd stuff happens like your probe stops responding and you are like 'errrrrrrrr controls hello' but it is because you went out of signal range or signal is blocked. 

3) Most mods can be found from the forums with a download link and you then just extract it into the game data folder. Very similar to WoW or Skyrim if you manually installed those with mods. Think Curse does support some mods but I never used it as Curse sucked when I learnt about it 8 years ago ish. Old habits.

4) Not too hard provided you understand the game, such as getting out of the atmosphere with big odd shaped space ships, or understand docking and are comfortable with it.  

 

[LordFerret]

The game has a demo. You should just download it and try it.

[Dazpoet]

My first thought when I saw this post was "I just lost it, damn"

[Ty Tan Tu]

This is a pretty well done easy to understand tutorial on orbital mechanics from NASA. It is were I started.

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/basics/bsf3-4.php 

[Iamsodarncool]

11 hours ago, Huwanna said:

The Game

You son of a poodle!

[Alshain]

1. Given question 2, I take this to mean "Is it intuitive?".  Yes, for Rocket Science this is very intuitive and easy to learn how to play.

2. Yes, the game is very hard, but failure in this case is part of the fun.

3. No clue.

4. That is a modded part ship, not exceptionally hard to build with the B9 mod.

The main thing you need to know is that this isn't Airplanes in space.  If you want that, go get Star Citizen or Elite: Dangerous.  This is real world rocketry.  It behaves just like anything from NASA, ESA, or Roscosmos would within a certain degree of realism.  You aren't going to be dog fighting in space, you won't point straight at a moon to get there and fire the engines.  You have to learn realistic orbital mechanics.  The B9 mod tends to make the game look more like SciFi style ships, but that really isn't the case at all.  Real spacecraft do not fly like Star Wars fighters in space and they don't in KSP either.

Edited December 18, 2016 by Alshain

[wumpus]

0.  The easiest way to get to know the game is via the demo.  There are actually two demos available (last I checked): the Steam demo: which is from something like version .13 or so, but I think it includes both moons.  There is one from Squad that is based on the 1.0.0 release as well, and list limited down to similar capabilities.  The catch is that the aerodynamics was improved a lot in between 0.13 to 1.0.0, so you may have to relearn a lot (just like plenty here did) when moving to a full release (needed for Mods in the video).

1.  Learning the basics of rocket science is easier than you think.  Applying it is another story.  At first you learn a lot of basics, then you learn that 90% of that is "if you fire your engines here, the other side of your orbit increases (assuming you were pointing the way you were going, otherwise your orbit gets smaller).  The other changes are pretty similar.  Oh, and once you understand the concept of "delta-vee" you can pretty much build rockets to go anywhere.

2.  It can get pretty hard.  I'm not sure I've played a harder game since machines required quarters.  The combination of rocket science and piloting with a keyboard makes for a tricky game.  The "little green men" theme is mostly to make light of all the death and destruction you wreck trying to get them into orbit (and if you feel bad about this, I'm sure googling "NASA bloopers" on youtube could show what real pros went through learning the same (I don't think the Soviets ever released such footage, but they only announced missions after they were successful).

3. No idea.

4. With mods it shouldn't be hard.  After a certain size, it can be tricky to build large rockets in the Vertical Assembly Building.

[Harry Rhodan]

15 hours ago, Huwanna said:

1. Is it hard to learn to play? (I know nothing about all the fancy smart space stuff)

4. Is it hard to build epic ships just like in this video?:

I want to learn how to play

Then you should look for tutorial videos and not for videos of people building ginormous ubermodded stuff.

[Red Shirt]

14 hours ago, Huwanna said:

I was thinking about getting the game but before I do so I have a few questions:

1. Is it hard to learn to play? (I know nothing about all the fancy smart space stuff)

2. Is the game itself difficult to play?

Forget questions 3 and 4 for now. The answer to those depends on how creative and willing you are to stick with it - after you pay your dues to learn the basics.

1. Using Google, YouTube, and this forum make learning the basics doable but it takes patience, work, and a desire to learn. Most of us felt a bit overwhelmed at first.

2, Every thing you try in KSP is impossible, until you do it. Once you see a concept, it gets easier. Eventually you forget just how hard it was. 

I am not a gamer. I don't really enjoy them. KSP is something unique. It challenges my brain and satisfies my imagination like nothing else. I literally have thousands of hours invested and am looking forward to thousands more. 

If you just like shoot-em-ups, you'll likely not enjoy this. If on the other hand you can draw inspiration from geeky old scifi movies and you find reading technical manuals enjoyable, you'll be fine. 

[Scarecrow]

A lot of the game isn't particularly intuitive, but there are a lot of Youtube videos out there to help you learn.  For me, a lot of the fun of playing this game is the learning and and the understanding that comes with that learning.  Be prepared to fail a lot, but if you can learn from each failure and understand where you went wrong each time, you should find it enjoyable too.

There are quite a few milestones to achieve, and each one gives a lot of satisfaction - successful launch, finally getting to orbit, making it all the way to Mun, actually landing on Mun, rendezvous and docking in orbit, going interplanetary, successful returns from Mun landings and interplanetary flights.  And that's just rocket flight, I haven't mentioned mastering aircraft, or coming up with designs that I am sure the game never intended, such as submarines and helicopters.

 

[Vanamonde]

18 hours ago, Huwanna said:

I was thinking about getting the game but before I do so I have a few questions:

1. Is it hard to learn to play? (I know nothing about all the fancy smart space stuff)

2. Is the game itself difficult to play?

3.  What is the Super Colonisation Mod and how would I get it? (I have been watching Videos and Youtubers have been using it.)

4. Is it hard to build epic ships just like in this video?:

I know that to you guys this thread may seem stupid, but please understand I am a new player and I want to learn how to play as the game looks EXTREMELY fun.

1) Yes, which is the point. It will teach you stuff. 

2) No, as long as you don't mind crashes as you learn to make stuff work. 

4) Not hard to make epic ships, but it is hard to make them fly the way you want. 

This thread does not seem stupid. And the game is extremely fun, though there can be a frustration factor. 

[paul23]

Btw to learn things: 

I suggest you start off with ONLY doing pro/retrograde burns for orbital shape changes; and (anti)normal burns for "inclination" changes. Ignore radial burns for a long, long time and also don't try to start with combining burns. Doing that and using the node planner constantly and actively you get a feeling & understanding for what each type of burn does. Also remember it is KSP, you don't have to know the numbers, just the idea (If I burn prograde at periapsis the apoapsis goes to a higher altitude, same for apoapsis).

Really don't be afraid you'll have to do mathematics: understand why a thing happens and you'll be fine.

[KerikBalm]

If you can already understand that you don't just fly straight up to get to orbit (in which you travel in a circle, tangent to the planets surface), you'll be off to a good start. Do *not* watch pewdiepie's KSP video except as an example of what not to do.

[elpollodiablo]

On 18.12.2016 at 7:19 AM, Huwanna said:

1. Is it hard to learn to play? (I know nothing about all the fancy smart space stuff)

2. Is the game itself difficult to play?

3.  What is the Super Colonisation Mod and how would I get it? (I have been watching Videos and Youtubers have been using it.)

4. Is it hard to build epic ships just like in this video?:

1) Yes, very. I yelled at the screen after the 5th or so botched attempt at a Mun landing: "There's no way you can do it all, break horizontally and vertically while pointing at that retrograde thing and watching distance to the ground without at least flipping that damned rocket over1!". And i'm not even mentioning docking.. But once you've done it you feel like the king of the universe.

It's not about the controls, they are actually pretty good, but unless you have done something similar, you need to wrap your brain around all these things. I usually compare it to cooking, once you have some experience with it, everything becomes a lot easier/relaxed. You go from hating the Mun to hating Eve to install RSS and hating Venus.

2) No, not at all. You learn as you go along and unless you choose some "hardcore" settings, you can quickload or even revert an entire flight, even make dead Kerbals respawn.

3) There is none. Just from the video-thumbnail, there are at least 3 mods used, B9 for the hull parts and USI Kolonization/Transport Technologies. Trust me, if you'll buy the game, you probably want many more than them

4) Depends. The building part is only limited by your fantasy and part count (there are ways to extend it, but too big and it will lag). But getting something big and clumsy into orbit without cheating can be a real challenge.

Edited December 19, 2016 by elpollodiablo

[diomedea]

On 18/12/2016 at 7:19 AM, Huwanna said:

1.... (I know nothing about all the fancy smart space stuff)

Before dealing with those questions, there is one that springs from the above you should answer yourself. Are you interested to spend a wealth of your time to learn about "fancy smart space stuff" ?

KSP has plenty. So much plenty I'm still finding new things to learn in the game after years. If the stock game doesn't consider any one of the issues related to spacefaring, one or more of the add-ons does, for interested players that gives the opportunity to learn such things in amazing depth. There is no shortage of scientific and technology papers I find and read to improve my knowledge about subjects first considered due to KSP gameplay. Also, many have improved coding and modelling skills so to create those add-ons in KSP.

Yes, the game has a steep learning curve. Yes, is very rewarding for those who have an interest in space matters. Yes, is difficult to master (at least when playing career in hard mode, with add-ons that realistically make for the difficulties of spacefaring; or when trying to achieve a challenge; or building the perfect replica of some spacecraft; or planning a mission with detail and accuracy like NASA does; and many other ways to play KSP); but still can be played casually with ease (e.g. doing aerobatics with a plane) while remaining fun. Unlike most games, there is no set limit, no end, no mandatory storyline to follow: each player is free to use the game for what he likes most. I know some who never left Kerbin (the home planet) for other worlds (quite the contrary of what a space game should be) but still have so much fun on the planet they see no need to move out.

[Sharpy]

On 18.12.2016 at 7:19 AM, Huwanna said:

Hello,

I was thinking about getting the game but before I do so I have a few questions:

1. Is it hard to learn to play? (I know nothing about all the fancy smart space stuff)

2. Is the game itself difficult to play?

3.  What is the Super Colonisation Mod and how would I get it? (I have been watching Videos and Youtubers have been using it.)

4. Is it hard to build epic ships just like in this video?:

1. No. Just make sure to play through the tutorial first.

2. That depends on your play style. You can make the game as easy or as difficult as you like. Epic stuff is hard. Once you get the fundamentals, basic stuff is easy though.

3. Not sure about this particular, but I believe this one:

 does about what you expect. It IS hard though if you use all the features, including life support. If you want something more 'beginner-friendly' in the colonization department, I can recommend:

It's considerably more lightweight in the 'expanding gameplay mechanics' department, and more polished too (each crewed part has a custom internal view, consistent profiles, and so on.)

4. It's very easy to build epic ships like these. Putting them in orbit though, without cheats... uh, an entirely different matter.

The editor allows a lot of freedom creating whatever you like. Building something that will fly though - now this is up to you. There's a lot of caveats, and tricks to overcome these caveats. Learning them all is half the fun.

Edited December 19, 2016 by Sharpy

[Gianni1122]

 

Get the demo first. The game is not exactly "easy" and it has a hell of a learning curve. However, it is relatively beginner friendly and the community is extremely helpful (note: all the detailed answers above) so your questions will likely never go unanswered.

If you have a passion for or an interest in space, space travel, physics, aviation, rocketry and anything in between, you will love this game and it will be well worth the cost and time to learn.

@Huwanna, Welcome to The Forums  We hope to see you around.