How would a mobile KSP work?

[Whirligig Girl]

We have SimpleRockets, which is a great mobile KSP-alike. It is in 2D.

Let's imagine though, that we (And let's pretend we are Squad) want to design a 3D Mobile Kerbal Space Program spinoff. We have to design using the touch screen, not fighting it. This pretty much means no joysticks, at least not for normal things. Joysticks might make sense on a space game I guess.

Refer to this video for designing with a touch screen.

And also ignore the bit about not translating an old game into a touch form, for the sake of argument.

So I would have a throttle and a mechanic where you can just drag around the navball to turn.

For features, I would limit them considerably.

Less parts, no probe parts (Except perhaps 1 robotically controlled core)

No electricCharge parts.

Only have a few planets. Kerbin, Mun, Duna, Ike, Eve, Jool, Laythe, Vall, Tylo. Maybe even remove Moho.

No asteroids, you'll notice. And I mean that literally. Not just no NKOs, but also no small planetoids.

Not just lower the texture quality, but remodel the parts so that they're less "expensive" on the tablet.

To account for this, make the art style further stylized.

For extra features to help with the touch interface or mobile style:

Ability to translate parts in placement mode.

Thottle Control onscreen

Pitchyawroll controlled by dragging the navball in the direction you want to go.

Translation is controlled separately by translation buttons in a separate control mode.

Simplify Career Mode.

-Merge Science and Funding.

-Remove Rep.

-smallify tech tree.

But could a mobile KSP work? Well, there's a mobile Space Simulator for iOS, and it's more like Orbiter. Really complex. So I think it would work.

Thoughts?

(I hope this may have inspired someone to go out and make a mobile space simulator that involves 3D building of rockets.)

[RAINCRAFTER]

EC, yay! I LOVE Extra Credits.

Also, you ideas are very nice in my opinion.

[Brethern]

Honestly making it into a science puzzle game would be a better way to go. Instead of making it into a try and control a rocket on a touch screen it should be more like how small of a rocket can I make to get to the mun. Or can I build a rocket that can reach orbit and put three different satellites in different orbits.

The problem with KSP is that all the cool things you can do with it takes time to learn. Even using a tried and true control system.

[kenbobo]

A KSP alike game is Space Agency and Scott Manley did a video a while back, but it has been updated with a whole bunch of new features.

is Scott Manley's video.

[Special Agent Sigvan]

Step 1: Think of putting KSP on mobile.

Step 2: Slap yourself for thinking such a silly idea.

-2.5: Gasp in horror at the lag once you do put it on mobile.

Step 3: Back to playing Dying Light.

Step 4: Chuckle and profit.

[Whirligig Girl]

A KSP alike game is Space Agency and Scott Manley did a video a while back, but it has been updated with a whole bunch of new features.

is Scott Manley's video.

Space Agency is horrible. It's a cheap minigame collection tied together with an uber-linear career mode with horrible orbital physics.

[Ethanadams]

Ksp honestly would be a lot more better on Xbox because of the way the Xbox works with entity's and how much ram it has and it would be more interactive the controls easier to under stand and achievements

(please don't kill me for saying this)

[Nuke]

arm processors lack the flops neccisary for high end physics calculations. i still think they are two orders of magnitude behind in the floating point performance department.

you could do it, but at a severe cost to object complexity, number of objects, etc. get rid of the structural aspects, use primitive collision hulls and limit the number of parts, and you might pull it off.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Nuke