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KSP vs Simple Rockets ?


Pawelk198604

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For me it would be always KSP even trough I not play as much I played a few years ago I still love it  

Recently I bought two games on Steam sale, games called Redshirt, and Simple Rockets, I was a bit disappointed to me is very much KSP rip-off :( 

 

 

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Simple Rockets was *designed* to be like KSP - the author specifically said he wanted to play KSP on his phone and made the best he could.  Look at the credits in the game, KSP is thanked and recommended.  Good luck to him, I have it but touch is such an awkward way of using a screen that, like everything else on my phone, I don't use it.

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7 hours ago, Pecan said:

Simple Rockets was *designed* to be like KSP - the author specifically said he wanted to play KSP on his phone and made the best he could.  Look at the credits in the game, KSP is thanked and recommended.  Good luck to him, I have it but touch is such an awkward way of using a screen that, like everything else on my phone, I don't use it.

My 'phone was at hand so I thought to check.

"Stuff" section at the bottom of the main menu - Kerbal Space Program is the first entry, followed by a couple of links to his other games, settings, community and about.

Tapping Kerbal Space Program gets you:
"Homage must be paid to the ultimate rocket science game, Kerbal Space Program (developed by Squad).  If you have not already played it, I highly recommend checking it out  It's available on Mac and PC, and it is truly an amazing game." plus a few KSP screenshots.

Steam blurb " I am excited to release my first game on Steam! SimpleRockets was released in 2013 for mobile and I've put a ton of work into it to get it ready for PC and Mac. It was inspired by KSP, and it offers a simpler 2D experience for building rockets and exploring space with realistic orbital mechanics."

Safe to say he's one of us *grin*

Edited by Pecan
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If I remember correctly, KSP started out as exactly this.

So it's funny that KSP starts as this kind of game, evolves into what we know today, and then inspires someone else to make a game based on KSP that is essentially KSP version 0.000001.

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Hey yeah, it was 2d and all at the start, from the pictures I've seen.  Before my time but you're right.  All hail Orbiter (as another thread discusses).

HarvesteR played Orbiter (freeware) but wanted a, 'build a rocket' and 'build a space company' game with physics but less 'mechanics' of simulation.
Thus was born Kerbal Space Program (indie), which grew to be a 3d stellar-system with NASA tie-in (asteroids), etc. and the team going to dinner with the US president.
But it was too much to run on a phone so along came SimpleRockets (one-man's sole creation), in 2d and not so much recognition although some additional systems (Life Support IIRC?).
That in turn worked rather well, which is why he made SimplePlanes and whatnot.

Seems like the space-sim market is a good one to be in but not recognised by mainstream because business execs can't tell the difference between Rocket Science and Space Invaders.  The only thing that would wake them up is if a space-science game became a best-seller and then they'd just buy it.

Oh, hi there Take-Two.

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4 hours ago, Pecan said:

Hey yeah, it was 2d and all at the start, from the pictures I've seen.  Before my time but you're right.  All hail Orbiter (as another thread discusses).

HarvesteR played Orbiter (freeware) but wanted a, 'build a rocket' and 'build a space company' game with physics but less 'mechanics' of simulation.
Thus was born Kerbal Space Program (indie), which grew to be a 3d stellar-system with NASA tie-in (asteroids), etc. and the team going to dinner with the US president.
But it was too much to run on a phone so along came SimpleRockets (one-man's sole creation), in 2d and not so much recognition although some additional systems (Life Support IIRC?).
That in turn worked rather well, which is why he made SimplePlanes and whatnot.

Seems like the space-sim market is a good one to be in but not recognised by mainstream because business execs can't tell the difference between Rocket Science and Space Invaders.  The only thing that would wake them up is if a space-science game became a best-seller and then they'd just buy it.

Oh, hi there Take-Two.

Well, and for that matter making a space flight simulator is a huge risk. AAA titles cost the payload capacity of heavy lift rockets full of money to build, and simulators are and always have been a niche market. Yeah the MBAs and capitalists who run the business aspects don't know jack about spaceflight and think the public knows less, but more importantly, they know where the easy money is and more importantly, where it is NOT.

Making a simulation that strikes the balance of realism and playability is hard. Making a science game rather than an edutainment "game" or a game that preaches science but contains none (search evolution simulator on Google Play Store, there are like five actual simulations and about 500 games that involve less evolution than Spore) is hard. Convincing the technical advisors that this or that mechanic, physical phenomena, or engineering feature is bad for gameplay or presents a steep learning curve is hard. Convincing the marketing department that SOME semblance of realism and interesting mechanics make the game better is hard as well, especially because some of those features are hard to market. Knowing which features the game needs is hard too, even if you're not one of those people.

All of that can happen and you still need a working UI design, consistent and reasonable aesthetics, etc. A lot has to come together to make a space flight simulator into a profitable AAA game and NONE of it is a safe bet like, say, making an FPS where distinctly American-seeming soldiers fight space aliens without the concept of orbits even being used in-game.

Long story short, "hey, let's build a spaceflight simulator" presses all the wrong buttons for a capitalist in charge of an AAA game development studio.

And finally, while there are public benefits of popular games being simulations, even if the game doesn't end up being as profitable as hoped, those public benefits do not have an ROI for most companies. To a capitalist, a profitable idle clicker is the same as a profitable game that teaches people about real science, engineering, and technology in a fun and not overbearing way. Nowhere in the profit motive does it say "your products should be interesting and benefit society, not just entertaining and marketable."

Edited by Pds314
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7 minutes ago, MR L A said:

Afaik he's currently working on simple rockets two which is much more KSP like

Maybe a bit of competition for squad? ;)

It's still a mobile game which means there is likely to be niche partitioning, not competition.

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6 minutes ago, MR L A said:

The developer for SR2 states that it is also coming to PC

https://www.simplerockets.com/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/870200/SimpleRockets_2/

Oh okay well then yes it's probably going to be competition, although I would suspect people who are interested may well buy both.

"Part shape tool"

Squad/Private Division are you listening? Christmas list! In b4 "tHeRe'S pRoCedUrAl PaRt'S mOd."ss_c96cdbb2fd4db177210bd64354ec24bda27ea828.1920x1080.jpg?t=1540935147

Edited by Pds314
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5 minutes ago, 5thHorseman said:

If I do buy Simple Rockets 2 the day it comes out, it will be because the demo shows me that this is what I've always wanted in KSP.

From what they show on Steam, this is so far a giant wish list incarnate. Just.. wow.

"SimpleRockets is back, but now it's fully 3D. Build rockets, airplanes, rovers, and anything you can think of with highly customizable parts. Explore 3D planets. Upload and share your crafts online. We're bringing it to Early Access while we work on a Planet Builder, Campaign Mode, and other key features."

Literally even the Steam blurb and videos show things I can't even describe how much I want in KSP.

Like.. holy!... this is a screenshot from the closed beta...

tANOuMV.png

Edited by Pds314
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And in the "I'm not sure this is a rocket." category..

What are the odds those sails work? I don't know but if they do I'm gonna be really impressed because that would mean they have a working system for wind and weather.
MvwZpJF.png

They can into space with nuclear engines, at least based on the engine shape. Unless that thing has a monstrous combustion chamber lol, but who knows, maybe it is just a chemical rocket with a combustion chamber the size of a person. IDK.
BK82tVt.png

Edited by Pds314
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...And it's out! https://store.steampowered.com/app/870200/SimpleRockets_2/

Given that this is early access, it is a fairly promising competitor to KSP! I really like the proceduralness of it. I'm tempted to buy it, but I may wait until a mobile version comes out, which is actually fairly likely.

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14 minutes ago, ThatGuyWithALongUsername said:

...And it's out! https://store.steampowered.com/app/870200/SimpleRockets_2/

Given that this is early access, it is a fairly promising competitor to KSP! I really like the proceduralness of it. I'm tempted to buy it, but I may wait until a mobile version comes out, which is actually fairly likely.

I can't fathom how anyone plays a game like this on mobile lol! But more power to you, I think it is definitely interesting on PC, but I can tell it was designed with mobile in mind. It's very... simple.  :cool:

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44 minutes ago, Jalaris said:

I can't fathom how anyone plays a game like this on mobile lol! But more power to you, I think it is definitely interesting on PC, but I can tell it was designed with mobile in mind. It's very... simple.  :cool:

At the same time, it's almost too complicated for mobile.. I guess I just want some way to play KSP when I'm bored and away from my PC. :P

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Bought it last night.  Was worth the $12.  

You can do alot with it already. Its got all the modern shaders and visuals you want. It has a long way to go before it replaces KSP for me, but the potential is absolutely there.  

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  • 3 years later...
5 hours ago, Smart Boy said:

I don’t feel like it’s a good idea discussing about SR2 in the KSP official site, I mean, are there even astronauts in SR2?

No offence mate, and I really mean it. I really dont want to sound rude here, but if you really think that then why would you bring up a thread that was buried for 3 years??

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/31/2018 at 10:29 AM, Pawelk198604 said:

For me it would be always KSP even trough I not play as much I played a few years ago I still love it  

Recently I bought two games on Steam sale, games called Redshirt, and Simple Rockets, I was a bit disappointed to me is very much KSP rip-off :( 

Heck, that second stage engine even looks like a Terrier!

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