Rocketology

@Zorg @CobaltWolf Seriously, I cannot believe how epic this mod has become! It's always been great, now it's truly a masterpiece!

Not sure why leveraging (in this case, meaning; taking maximum advantage) of something that you have already paid for and developed would take resources away from KSP 2? To leverage something, it must already exist - therefore KSP 2 would already be complete. And the audience for a Real Scale Real Solar System game only partially overlaps KSP, and that audience would be considerably larger if you didn't have to go through the mod installation process. Once again, given how much enthusiasm and public interest there is what is happening IRL, and this interest will continue to grow (it's the same reason KSP 1 *still* continues to sell, what do you think keeps paying for the free updates?) with everything that will be happening over the next several years. This is also one of the main reasons PD is investing so heavily in the development of KSP 2, the market is ripe for it (in their words, it will be a AAA title) - again, it makes sense to take that investment and leverage into other products, that don't compete, but compliment each other. (If you think they compete, then you need to give RSS/ RO RP-1 a go as it delivers an entirely different experience than vanilla KSP.)

You clearly didn't read the OP. It would be a separate game built on a similar platform - just as Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 are different games, but built on more or less the same platform. Skyrim to Skyrim Special Edition was a massive engine upgrade because it went from 32 to 64 bit. And arguably, they would have to done it to the base platform sooner or later anyway - and that base platform goes back to Morrowind. My point is that it just makes sense to leverage the core work into other platforms. Using the example above, GTA V cost an estimated $265 million to develop, but leveraging most of that platform into Red Dead Redemption 2 only cost an est. $80-100 million. That's a pretty radical reduction in dev cost for what is to most people an entirely different game. Admittedly, this is an extreme example, but it gets the point across. And it wouldn't dilute or take away from KSP 2 in any way - even if developed by the same teams, just as RD2 didn't hinder GTA V.

Squad still is. T2/ PD only bought Kerbal Space Program, not Squad, and then contracted back dev work for KSP to Squad.

To clarify, it doesn't have to be Intercept Games (which isn't an independent studio as Squad is - they have the full backing of Private Division and Take-Two, and access to their deep pockets) or take away resources from KSP 2. It can be any other studio under PD/ T2 - and why them? Because the core tech that is already being paid for KSP 2 could be leveraged into another game with minimal cost and time. This is what most studios do, and charge the full new game amount each iteration, i.e. every sports game franchise, just about every Bethesda game, etc. It's smart business, especially if targeting a narrower market, think Oblivion>Fallout 3> Skyrim>Fallout 4>Fallout 76 (same core tech, no overburdened studio, no sacrificing resources for one over another, just leverage). For those unfamiliar with how software (games) are developed, it's a combination of different teams and expertise - the team doing the core game programming are not creating the art. Generally speaking, once the core is laid out - that team usually moves onto another project as their part is 90% done - with maybe some residual bug fixing/ tweaking, so again, wouldn't over burden or take away resources.

Those most vocal here seem to be against having a more detailed and realistic space game - why would you be against that? Moar detailed space games is moar better! And for anyone that is against this, which of you have actually set up and played an RSS/ RO RP-0 or RP-1 playthrough? I know at least some of you have not, which is fine. It isn't for everyone, just as KSP itself or GTA V isn't for everyone. But just because it's not for you, doesn't mean you have to go against, why would you?

According to Nate Simpson, KSP 2 will not have native N-Body physics, just persistent rotation. N-Body physics is fun to mess with, but if you want to have comprehensive orbital infrastructure, it becomes overwhelmingly tedious with a quickness unless you could have some sort of automated station keeping system and it would need to not require as much background processing as Principia does.

Major functionality shouldn't have to be put on the mod community, especially not so much work for free - and imagine what they could do with a game that already has the basics in it? There really isn't a better game engine for this type of game, the Unity engine is way better than most give it credit for. If your basis of opinion is KSP 1, you have to remember that Squad isn't a video game developer, they are an internet marketing company that made a game on the side with little to no experience making a game. So they literally Kerbaled together KSP, learning as they went along with lots of mistakes in the core code that can't be undone w/o re-writing from scratch, hence KSP 2. Should look at how many games are built on the Unity engine, you'll likely really be surprised. Are there better game engines for very specific aspects, yes, but at the expense that it can't do the others, specifically accommodating a massive, game world that requires extreme precision in asset placement. A custom game engine, requires a massive amount of capital and time to develop, that doesn't even happen for a single AAA title unless they have plans to leverage it out for multitude of games. RSS/ RO isn't "a mod" - it's an entire suite of mods that requires many people to develop and maintain. Again, imagine what mod authors could do with a stand alone game that has all the core functionality and tutorials already. And I think way more people have given RSS/ RO a go than you think, and that community has only continued to grow. It would also likely be a much larger pool of players if you didn't have to go through the conversion process to even get started. And it is a conversion process, not just a quick mod install process.

KSP 1 has developed an incredible following over the last decade, has inspired many to seek an aerospace career, and has opened up a whole new level of enthusiasm for space exploration. And from this, a group of like minded people leveraged their talent to create one of the most prolific, awe inspiring, and challenging set of mods for KSP; RSS/ RO RP-1. That's Real Scale, Real Solar System, Realism Overhaul, and RP-1 is the career mode for it. The sheer amount of changes made to KSP via RSS/ RO RP-1 makes it an entirely different experience from stock KSP. Where stock KSP is an incredible balance between game and simulator, the RSS/ RO suite moves that needle deep into simulator territory, again, delivering a unique, and deeply satisfying experience (if you stick with and learn enough from it) that the stock game can't provide, even as good as the stock game is. RSS/ RO mod suite really pushes the base game to it's limits (and tries in many ways to push past these) and is thus limited by it. KSP 2 and the hype that it's already generating, reigniting the enthusiasm of current players, bringing back former players, and still growing with new players for KSP 1 - the release of KSP 2 is going to take all that to a whole new level. Which in turn, will lead to an even greater audience looking for more depth, challenge, and simulation of real space flight. Add to this the growing public interest in space flight in general inspired by what is happening with NASA and companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, and more, the potential for a Real Scale, Real Solar System, RP-1 inspired stand alone simulator could not be better than right now. PD please leverage the tech for KSP 2 into a stand alone Real Scale, Real Solar System simulator! (You can hold the Space Frogs for this one.) Please like this post and share your most inspiring moments and screen shots from your RSS/ RO play throughs and maybe we can garner enough interest to get PD to deliver!

Aircraft usage in KSP mostly boils down to play style and how well you understand the aerodynamics of planes as they are more subject to them compared to a rocket since they spend the entire flight in atmosphere. I use planes a LOT in the early career, they are great money makers and science gatherers for survey missions. And Kerbin itself is worth exploring, lots of easter eggs to be found and vistas to see! Mid to late game, I use aircraft (and boats) for recovery operations as I tend to play the game without using the 'recover' button unless I am at a launch facility for added challenge (and grief!). I also start using space planes a lot from mid to late game for trips to LKO and back as they are simply the most cost effective way of moving cargo and Kerbals from the surface to LKO and back. I hope that KSP 2 has a similar early game as I enjoy the challenge of the early game. One of the big pillars that KSP 2 is being built around though is interplanetary travel - so likely the game will be geared to get you there fairly quickly in whatever "career" mode the game will have just as KSP 1 career gets you to Mun almost too quickly, IMO. I hope that it's as adjustable though as KSP 1 is in how you choose to play, rapid advancement or slow.

Team Restock, as always, incredible job! Thank you all for the time, love, devotion, and talent that you continue to pour into this mod which has become a staple for all of my KSP installs!

I take it you have never used KIS/ KAS - Kerbal is exactly that type of game! If you like to build your own recovery systems, reusable launch systems, rescues, etc. @Gargamel I apologize! I totally misunderstood and didn't realize I misspelled 'winches'....lul!

Can we get pipes, winches, and connectors to go ahead and round out the KIS/ KAS replacement?

@JadeOfMaar You are seriously JadeOfMaarvelousness!

I look forward to seeing these as the previews look great! Especially the ones focused on aircraft, as one *could* say I am an aircraft and aerodynamics aficionado.

@benjee10 you, Sir, are a God among men! Well done, as all your creations!

This is one of those quality of life things that you didn't know you need until you see it, and then it can't be unseen! Well done!

By the time KSP 2 releases, the new consoles will be more than a year old or more (and the release date *could* get bumped again),and the console version will be coming months after the PC version release (unless their original release timeline of PC first, consoles later is altered). Then take into account that they have expanded the scope and depth of what what they are aiming for with KSP 2, and the hardware of current gen consoles may not cut it. Especially as the current gen consoles, even with their updated versions will be more than 4 years old by the time KSP 2 releases, which is old in tech terms. Then add in that MS & Sony will want to be selling as many of the new consoles as possible to recoup costs and saturate the market, it makes sense that they would push for KSP 2 to be released on the new consoles over the old. That being said though, I wouldn't completely rule out a current console release of KSP 2, but that depends on a few things, how many copies of KSP 1 sold on console, and will current console hardware be able to push an enjoyable experience with the expanded scope and depth of what KSP 2 is shaping up to be?

With the bump in dev time, it's pretty safe to assume the new consoles over the old, as it wouldn't make business sense otherwise.

It's in one of the original links in this post, but it will be releasing after the pc version.

@Angel-125 Awesome! It's been great seeing how far this has come! And the amount of work you have put into it for months is crazy! I look forward to being able to fly this once my cast is off!

We know KSP 2 will be coming to the newly announced next gen Xbox and PS5, so you can use this as a guide post to minimum PC specs as well as other, new (and upcoming), larger, Unity engine games requirements. And we know that they are aiming for AAA status with KSP 2, hence the $60 price tag (this was announced with the initial KSP 2 announcement). Taking all that into account, it'll give you a very rough idea of what to expect in terms of PC specs. But also realize, the game is 18 months or more away from release, so WAY too early for specs to be set in stone. Also way too early to build or update a system around it, IMHO.

I think the stock flags are so overdue! Happy to see them coming soon! And bonus, new probe parts! Have any more in the works? *hint, hint, nudge, nudge*