Why do you play KSP?

[KerbMav]

Just needs large breasted female kerbals and guns and it's perfect.

Will come with the James Kerbond DLC for the 1 year anniversary of 1.0 probably.

[Deadpangod3]

I play it for the feeling, of running a space program, for me, its more then just a game.

Each and every launch, a giant, shining piece of steel rocketing into the heavens atop a pillar of flame...

When you land on that planet for the first time, taking in the beauty,

The moment the final module attaches to turn your space station into. Beautiful work of art flying around a planet at several kilometers per second,

When the Kerbal climbs out of the capsule onto the grass of Kerbin after spending a year in space,

Taking in the view of Jool from the surface of Laythe,

When you triumphantly plant your first flag on the mun,

With an entire planet cheering you on.

For me, its more then just a game.

[Comrade Jenkens]

No game allows me to free up my creativity in such a way that also tests my engineering skills.

[Red Iron Crown]

I'm too old, dumb and out of shape to be either an astronaut or rocket scientist in real life. KSP lets me do both vicariously.

[Rainbow-Dashie]

Because it's the greatest game I've played since Battlefield Vietnam.

[Sylandro]

It's because the fact that i am a advocate for spaceflight and the cosmos.

[SkyRender]

My reasons for playing KSP have changed a great deal over the last few years...

Initially it just seemed like a cool little diversion. I didn't really see it any differently than I see most "casual" games: just a quick distraction to kill some time while waiting for something else to finish up. That phase didn't last long, however, as I realized that this was a lot more than an explosion simulator.

After that, it became a quest to properly understand the mechanics at work in the game, and become good at them in the process. That phase lasted until about 0.18, when I effectively mastered all of the most important aspects of space flight.

Then I became something of a challenge junkie, taking on just about anything posted in the Challenges forum for kicks (and inventing new challenges too). This phase lasted a fair while, and led directly into the next one.

Around 0.20 or so, I really started to take more interest in the engineering side of things. The game became all about building craft under interesting constraints and still accomplishing my missions in spite of them.

0.22, of course, swapped my interests rather forcibly towards finding ways to break the science system. That continued into 0.23 as well. Problem is, I broke the science system almost immediately in both versions...

Right now I'm on a bit of a spaceplane kick, just because they're more challenging to design well than rockets. And I suspect that 0.24 will have me focusing once more on Career mode, finding new and interesting ways to break the system.

Edited February 11, 2014 by SkyRender

[Pontiac]

KSP stock has no true appeal to me. Yeah, I can get into orbit, I've also figured out how to get into the different planes of planets. I've even gotten myself to orbit around Moho stock before I started mucking with tonnes of mods. Then Kethane came around and that started to interest me because I've enjoyed the 'self improvement' aspect of any game. Kind of RTS. Build my ship, find the gold, refine the gold, refuel a ship, launch to wherever I need to go.

Since 0.20, Kethane is pretty much the glue that has kept me interested in KSP. Now with my discovery of the Open Resource System, I might start looking at sharpening my C# skills (See what I did there?), looking into making models, and coming up with my own kind of resource refinement system.

[RSwordsman]

Because space is freaking wicked, and KSP is the undisputed best balance of physics representation, freedom for creativity, and pure shenanigans. I'd say "What more can you ask for?" but whatever you DO ask for, there's mods for that. In the running for best game ever.

sharpening my C# skills (See what I did there?)

A wise guy, eh? XD

[Mr. Entropy]

A full 25% of the Twitter accounts I follow are NASA affiliated. Really, it's no surprise I found this game.

[Specialist290]

The short version is that I've always been rather fond of the idea of traveling to distant worlds. I grew up reading a lot of my dad's old science fiction (by the likes of Clarke, Heinlein, Asimov, and others of that generation) and watched things like the Star Wars movies and a little bit Star Trek, which naturally fired my imagination quite a bit when I was younger. I've also enjoyed a few older space flight sims in the past as well (including a fan-maintained version of the old Elite game), plus a few general flight sims and other space-related games like the Master of Orion and Galactic Civilizations. I've also always been a fan of real-world space exploration as well, especially of NASA's early programs like Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. In many ways, this game seemed like a perfect fit to me.

[Woopert]

Because it sparks my imagination and fuels my scientific and mathematical brain. Been playing since 0.18.2 and KSP has changed my life, even if that sounds extreme or cliche. I always liked science and math but this game changed me.

I actually wish to pursue a career in aerospace, being a scientist at NASA would be cool.

Edited February 12, 2014 by Woopert

[SkyHook]

KSP stock has no true appeal to me. Yeah, I can get into orbit, I've also figured out how to get into the different planes of planets. I've even gotten myself to orbit around Moho stock before I started mucking with tonnes of mods. Then Kethane came around and that started to interest me because I've enjoyed the 'self improvement' aspect of any game. Kind of RTS. Build my ship, find the gold, refine the gold, refuel a ship, launch to wherever I need to go.

Since 0.20, Kethane is pretty much the glue that has kept me interested in KSP. Now with my discovery of the Open Resource System, I might start looking at sharpening my C# skills (See what I did there?), looking into making models, and coming up with my own kind of resource refinement system.

Same here. I was frustrated by how artificially limiting the stock parts/mechanics were. I installed mods about 2 weeks after I got the game and have never looked back.

Anyway, I play KSP because it lets me go to any planet that I can see. It lets me do this with my own craft and engineer a way to do this using MY rules. It lets the scientist in me run wild and the explorer in all of us gets to live and be used. KSP really fills a void that has been empty until its creation. It strikes a perfect balance between simulation and video game. It's awesome. It would be perfect if there were any sort of progression associated with my adventures.

Edited February 12, 2014 by SkyHook

[Shna_na]

I play the game because I adore physics and space. It's just such an amazing game, it's unbelievable. It's taught me so much, as well. Oh, and the community are just fantastic.

[Wooks]

Because is a beautiful game that allows me to create crazy stuff that works and looks pretty... WITH SCIENCE! I think of it as Lego toys that you can put to work after assembly.