nats

I play Minecraft and I am well old, and two of my kids play Minecraft and they are both young but intelligent thinkers. We all enjoy it just the same but they prefer the creative mode whereas I played the survival mode. I must admit I havent been back to it since I found this game, but they are still playing it gradually expanding their own towns of skyscrapers and the like. I am sure that at least one of my kids (the boy) will get into KSP properly when he gets a bit older, he already has created a spaceship and got into space and he's just 6. I love the fact kids can get into this game and I really hope the devs continue to encourage all ages to get into it. Anything that gets kids interested in space flight, science and especially using their creativity and imagination is very good as far as I am concerned. Far far better than playing mindless shooter games for hours on end. From this point of view both games are excellent. Probably you could also consider both as 'Classic PC Game' contenders of the future. But the only other real similarity between the two games is they both are sandbox type open ended construction orientated games in which your own creativity keeps you playing.

I just want to see better graphics from orbit - different cloud formations/storm fronts, higher res terrain, better looking sea when you are approaching it, lights at night and cities during the day, different environments such as mountains, forests and deserts, smoother gravity and atmosphere instead of it just stopping, that kind of thing. I am not overly bothered about what is at ground level but I can understand the need for some other launch pads and runways for those who do space planes. I am more interested in getting more at ground level on the other planets and moons that I land on so there is stuff to go off and visit/examine.

Well stop speculating then! this is what started all the mess to begin with. [mod snip - mind the language]

I'm sorry about the fact that this forum has a few idiots on it who whine about bloody everything, think they can order people around just because they've spent a little bit of money on a computer game, and expect constant attention. I am surprised the devs bother explaining anything to us. I wouldn't have bothered. Having said that I am sure the devs realise that the majority of people in that thread said what they did out of sheer enthusiasm for the game.

I love this video, congratulations on making Kerbal Space Program look the flaming brilliance that we all know it is - it's a wonderful promotion for the game. And I love the music as well, never heard of M83 will have to go and dig some of their stuff out now. I just had to post a link onto the KSP Steam forum as well to help along your view numbers even more!

Yeah but is it a bug that was only introduced by the lazer mod? Because I have never seen a launch clamp 'flying'. I would rather have proper launch clamps than robotic arms/docking cameras anyday - the launch is my favourite part of the game and its completely ruined by the exploding clamps. Anyway I have reinstalled the game and I am going to be a lot more choosy over which mods I add back into it this time. I was sort of trying to be able to construct a large rocket in space and thought the arms and camera would help with this. But then when I realised I needed the [very unrealistic looking] quantum struts as well to be able to do it, I soon went off the idea. So I think I will just dock the normal way and leave my orbital constructions for a while until the devs sort the massive strutting requirement of the present game.

On right well I will have to delete that mod then whichever one it is because i dont like it.

Yeah I am looking forward to this game seeing some optimisation - rockets often are very slow on launch and the engine sound stops and starts all the time. Then once I get rid of my first stages it seems to get all smooth. I might have to move my physics bar over from the default setting but I shouldnt have to - I have a computer with six core processor, Audigy card, 12Gb RAM and a good Nvidea 550Ti graphics card. If this computer cant run this game well something is definitely up.

Strangely my launch stabilisation system seems to be exploding every time my rockets launch lately. Before they used to just release the rocket but now they explode. Anyone else noticed anything similar in their games? I have the Steam version of the game. Has there been a sneaky patch that has caused this or is it fuel lines/struts etc getting caught up in them?

I wouldnt buy a box these days. I used to love getting boxed copies in the 80s/90s though, when you got a lovely large box plus manual and keyboard chart etc. Best ever boxed copies I remember getting were of flight sims like Tornado and EF2000 where you got lovely manuals and keycharts, and I remember Frontier Elite, in which you got a novel as well as a manual and a wallchart of the universe. And even Hearts of Iron 2 more recently was quite good in that you got a proper manual and a medal! The last time I got a proper paper manual (and research/unit wall chart!) was with Civilisation 4. But things are done so cheaply these days in comparison. With the small DVD boxes now in which all you get is a disk, getting a boxed copy is pointless, when you can download a copy and not have anything to collect dust/take up storage in your house. You have to question the value of some games these days in which you get a download or disk only for £35-45 whereas before you used to get a great big box, full colour manual, wallchart, keyboard chart etc for a lot less money as well. Why do things have to get more expensive and yet be of lower quality? It seems you have to pay the earth for anything of quality these days that you could take for granted 30 years ago. Strange world it is now .... greed rules now it seems where everything is done as cheaply as possible ... the world now seems to lack the pride of doing something of high quality compared to years ago.

What are those for?

For me the piloting part is the most enjoyable bit of the game so Mechjeb is definitely out. But that doesn't mean I might not change my opinion later on if I ever get fed up with the piloting lark.

Minmus full of stars: Alone on Minmus: Blue marble planet: Things are getting hot around here: Third stage: Booster separation:

Kerbolia Kerbinium Kerbolinia Kerbincastle Kerbinitum Rocket Central Blastinum Cape Kerbinal Kouston

Quite interested in clouds as any improvement to the planets would be good. Very interested in resource management and more parts. Not interested at all in flags - really dont see what the big deal is with them? But I would much rather have drag/lift sorted and things like better VAB controls/manifolds sorted, reduced effect of large numbers of parts causing lag, less strutting requirements, quicker loading times, better planet terrain, etc: things that REALLY make a difference to me playing the game on a daily basis. These things are a constant pain in the behind.

I cant stand having debris around - it clutters up the map view too much and its completely pointless. The chance of even seeing a piece of debris from a previous launch is extremely remote never mind crashing into it - space is BIG. I might keep some sun-bound debris in the game just to see what happens to it, if the game wasnt slow enough already. In fact I dont like seeing anything else in the map view unless I am particularly interested in it for example if I am docking to my station or whatever. So I welcome the filtering of this view so I can turn everything off other than current mission stuff. I do still try to de-orbit stuff where I can do it easily, but I am not that fussed about it.

I usually assume the same to take off and orbit is the same required to land - so 640m/s to take off and get back into a stable orbit around the Mun. But I also assume around 1000m/s is required to get back into a stable orbit around Kerbin that isnt shown on the map (unless you aerobrake in which case returning to Kerbins ground is free). Also adding a 1000m/s like this gives me my margin for error because just going by the numbers on this map I was running out of fuel on the Mun and not able to take off again. So to return from anywhere, as well as get there, you add all the numbers to get there plus all the numbers again to get back (except the 4500m/s launch from Kerbin) and add an extra 1000m/s for safety. So as examples: it will take 7800m/s for a round trip to Minmus, 8300m/s for the Mun and 9800m/s for Duna. These arent quite right because any planet with a decent atmosphere is practically free for landing on it if using parachutes and also aerobraking can greatly slow down you for an orbiting maneuver, but it gets it roughly right. At worst you might have a little bit of fuel left when you get back to Kerbin.

Best addons for me are KWRocketry, Novapunch, KSPX Parts, Engineer Redux and Crew Manifest. But I also like look of the Home bases and the DEMV rover is great for taking to planets. I also have the dragon capsule and a couple of Service Module addons. I love lots of parts, there are lots more I could add as well! For you next stage I would think learn to dock first - then take a rover to the Mun using a separate command capsule and lander arrangement to save fuel. Then it could be onto Minmus with the same. After that possibly build an orbital refuelling station for a trip to Duna and further afield (I am at this stage presently). I am also messing about with spaceplanes because to try to get into orbit with one would be a challenge the way they fly. I was half thinking about a Mun base next as well with a proper large VTOL lander and a specially made rover instead of the DEMV. What about visiting the sun as well? Loads to do!

I think the only thing that reflects the amount of development this game has got to come is the fact its being labelled as still being in Alpha stage which means its not yet 'feature complete'. When it moves to Beta it will be considered 'feature complete', but still with bugs to sort. Then it will move to Release Candidate (ready for release) and finally Gold (being released). Version numbers mean diddly squat.

Definitely these are needed . But considering they have just added all important re-entry effects I dont think the small things are being forgotten. There will still be small changes as well as the big resource and career things being worked on I am sure. I would love to see re-entry damage and G force effects being implemented along with the radial manifold attachment problem being addressed as well. Not to mention the need for all the strutting to be reduced, the lack of proper drag and aerodynamics to be worked on, open seats for rovers to be added, ability to create flight plans to establish accurate fuel use for long trips to reduce guesstimation, possibly tethers for astronauts, and MOST DESIRABLE for me a flight path marker in the 3d view for accurate landings. Or alternatively, as I cant see how this would work in anything other than cockpit view, perhaps a future position indicator that shows where your craft will be after 30 seconds travel so you can judge where you will land and alter it accordingly on the fly. - all quite important stuff that I am sure is on the list!

You get your 6yr old son loads of childrens spaceflight books from the library so you can read them to him yourself.

Mods can give you 5m tanks but I havent used them myself yet - with drag the way it is it isnt a good idea to use massive tanks like that.

I love this design!

Nothing as yet, I will probably want to do all the stuff I have done again once the new patch comes out so I am 'waiting and seeing'.

The above post has actually the same heading I used a month ago when I posted here - it was still defaulting to it when I did this new intro post lol! Spooky.