Militarization of KSP

[LN400]

*snip*But that is what happens sometimes when you cater to a vocal group, people wanted their flint locks and they got them.

Nothing to add to that, it's all very true other than luckily KSP has a mod scene that keeps blowing me away and I'm sure the trigger happies have or will get their mod of choice for battles, which is totally fine by me.

Edited June 10, 2015 by LN400

[Albert VDS]

The name Kerbal Space Program should be enough information on what should and shouldn't be added to the game.

Militarization has nothing to do with that. I suggest installing the appropriate mods for such an addition or just go play

a war/space combat game.

[autumnalequinox]

Warfare mods make the sweetest videos and I enjoy watching them occasionally. I also roleplay a "Kerbin Space Race" between two super-powers in my own career games. I even build jet trainers that could make effective fighters. My pilots get military backgrounds with Final Frontier. But actual combat, not for me. I do appreciate the military's influence on space tech and give a nod to that.

But sweet videos, keep them coming. It's fun to see the possibilities, and makes me a bit scared for our future when the youngins here go into Aerospace

[bitbucket]

We have more than enough war to deal with in the real world without having to add it into KSP.

[ZentroCatson]

War in KSP? No, no, no. That just isn't right. I am a pacifist, so war and military… I hate both. KSP is a game about exploration, science and Kr​aken attacks. I find games about war stupid, if KSP becomes such a game, the worlds truly an awful place to live. I imagine the Kerbals just like Kuzzter, and I think we humans really should be more kerbal in terms of war and military.

[AbacusWizard]

If others want to mod in military equipment, that's fine and I'm glad they can do so, but I wouldn't want any in my own copy of KSP. I love games about complex strategy and long-term planning and precision maneuvers, and I love peace and science and exploration; KSP as it currently stands is one of the few games I've found that combines all of these.

[Netskimmer]

Can we have a poll about how little we care about what people consider wrong or cheating or what have you in an open, single player game?

You can certainly make one, but some d-bag will inevitably take time to post in it about how he doesn't think it's worth his time to post in such a thread...

This isn't about judging what other people are doing. It's just a place for people to put their 2 cents in about how THEY choose to play the game. You should also keep in mind that multi-player is coming so how others play the game just MIGHT become important to you.

[Coam]

An interesting thing that occurred to me about the militarisation of KSP is that it seems to invert the real world situation.

In our world a fair amount of rocket-technology has roots in or links to military hardware - the R7 ICBM leading onto Vostok and Soyuz, for example. In KSP the situation is inverted - the space-program is an entirely civilian endeavour and (stock) military technology is created by re-purposing civilian hardware.

Creating military hardware out of stock parts creates some interesting design challenges, and I wouldn't strictly rule it out on pacifist grounds (Kerbals may not fight wars, but they might still have use for an air-to-air missile to shoot down out of control drones, remove obstructions, etc.). Kerbals seem somewhat like they would design what we would consider 'fighter bombers' for peaceful engineering purposes. (Before you laugh incredulously, it's not as bizarre as some of the things that we've tried). Given the huge space-focus and enjoyment of explosions, I can also see use for A-SAT missiles in the Kerbal world.

With what we've seen of Kerbals they don't seem a good match for military situations, so "militarising KSP" in that sense wouldn't fit the tone of the game, but in terms of simply designing pseudo-military hardware I don't see an issue. In multiplayer, I can see a bigger case for warfare, since battling vehicles you've designed yourself would be fun, though part of the challenge of a KSP battle would be how unfit-for-purpose the hardware is and dedicated military mods may detract from that.

The current situation is ideal, at least for single player - a civilian space program, where it is in the hands of the player to decide whether they want to build an F-15 with an A-SAT missile to remove outdated communication satellites, or just de-orbit them with a small probe or onboard engine.

I'd also make a distinction somewhere between "weapons" that exist purely to destroy automated equipment, and ones that pose a risk to Kerbalkind, but I can't think of a way to fit that into everything else I've written. There's no harm in Kerbals blowing up obsolete planes by radio-control, but blowing up planes/ships with crew inside them is another matter.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Coam

[SAI Peregrinus]

A lot of iconic aircraft are military vehicles. A Supermarine Spitfire without the wing guns just isn't right. An A-10 without the nose cannon wouldn't be an A-10. A B-29 that isn't bristling with machine guns doesn't have the look of a WW2 bomber. Etc.

So for people recreating real life aircraft in KSP having weapons is necessary to achieve the right look. For people doing rocketry and space exploration having weapons isn't necessary, unless they're trying to replicate ICBM tests.

[Rath]

Space Engineers was one. (video looked OK)

Simple Rockets was another, think there was a third

Space engineers is nothing like KSP, and it is actually a lot less serious(gravity tech, reaction less drives....)

[Reactordrone]

A lot of iconic aircraft are military vehicles. A Supermarine Spitfire without the wing guns just isn't right.

There were loads of spitfires without wing guns

[RSwordsman]

I wouldn't support stock weapons; the game's full enough of destruction as it is. However, as a fan of space warfare and diversity of play styles, I like to think of my particular program as a military force and plan to mod in weapons when I figure out just getting around first. XD

Now if the game let us insert custom insignias for space suits to serve as rank patches, or features like nose art on planes, that would be fantastic.

Edited June 15, 2015 by RSwordsman

[cicatrix]

Blasphemy!

Seriously, this game is not about war. Quite the contrary. There are so many war games that adding this option to KSP won't accomplish anything. And besides - there are no real targets for your war toys. Building a sat and getting it to orbit simply to blast it with another piece you've made is a bit silly and time wasting.

[nipulsansei]

As it stands, Kerbin isn't so defenseless even without mods. One can easily make unguided missiles, torpedoes, and mines. And Kerbin needs some kind of defense, just in case the Bog decide to attack. Or the Gamilons. Or the Galactic Empire. Or Mazone, Lepton, Klingon.... you get the picture.

[RSwordsman]

there are no real targets for your war toys.

This is what has stopped me so far. Although multiplayer would make it really interesting, really fast. XD

[Cupcake...]

I did go through a bit of a military phase. I rekon I'll pick it up again once multiplayer comes.

Ethics aside combat craft do throw up some interesting design challenges, especially when using stock weapons.

Cupcake...

Edited June 15, 2015 by Cupcake...

[eddiew]

If KSP rolled out the door with weaponry, I would never have played it. There comes a time in life when you feel like you've shot enough things, and it's nice to have a space game that doesn't involve guns in any way

[Geschosskopf]

As a general concept, I'm totally cool with weapons in the game, whether you cobble them together yourself out of "harmless" stock parts or use a specialized weapons mod. KSP is about using your imagination to create your own world. If that world isn't a peaceful place, that's your own personal business. After all, it's hard to run your KSP universe as the Evil Galactic Empire instead of a bland NASA analog if you don't have guns . And multiplayer battles would be fun.

As for my own games, I hardly ever get into fighting because time spent doing that means transfer windows are passing by. And I find it more fun to make WMDs out of stock parts than to use weapon mods. Besides, there are so few Kerbals that it's hard to imagine them needing full-blown wars to settle disputes. Maybe duels between individuals but not much else.

That said, I've been toying with the idea of making a war-oriented game anyway. I can easily see Kerbals getting into fighting robots such as we have here on Earth. Complex gizmos and explosions are right up their alley, after all. Of course, eventually the robot gladiators become self-aware and go all "Terminator" on the Kerbals, so there'd be the Great Robot War. But such a game is way down on my priority list at present.

[Ferdoni]

I'm really wondering what the point of fighting is in KSP. It's the same as combining KSP with Zoo Tycoon...

[Mister Dilsby]

After all, it's hard to run your KSP universe as the Evil Galactic Empire instead of a bland NASA analog if you don't have guns .

Mirror Kerbalverse Bob agrees with you.

[dsonbill]

This is what has stopped me so far. Although multiplayer would make it really interesting, really fast. XD

I'll cite this as my inspiration.

Though Unknown601 is the one who told me I should just do it

I'll just leave this here...

Edited June 15, 2015 by dsonbill

[Flyinpenguin117]

I'm really wondering what the point of fighting is in KSP. It's the same as combining KSP with Zoo Tycoon...

If we combined KSP with Zoo Tycoon, we'd be feeding Kerbals to Lions (or Dinosaurs, if you have that expansion) instead of shooting them into the sun.

Personally, I like building weapons (or rather, the idea of it, since I'm lacking in creativity) with stock parts, and probably will download weapon mods in the future, but I'd prefer any sort of armaments to stay out of stock.

[Ferdoni]

If we combined KSP with Zoo Tycoon, we'd be feeding Kerbals to Lions (or Dinosaurs, if you have that expansion) instead of shooting them into the sun.

Personally, I like building weapons (or rather, the idea of it, since I'm lacking in creativity) with stock parts, and probably will download weapon mods in the future, but I'd prefer any sort of armaments to stay out of stock.

Well of course, weapons are fun, I agree.

But indeed, they should stay out of stock

[Goddess Bhavani]

Consider me part of the 'couldn't care less' or 'watch things explode' camp.

People are going to do what they like to do and honestly a few creatively installed improvized weapon systems or combat mods aren't as bad as screwing up the launch of a large spacecraft sending 200 kerbals to their doom.

A great number of gamers / Kerbal enthusiasts may have had backgrounds in wargaming or have a passion for military history, and if they decide a few antiship torpedoes or AMRAAMs are wanted in the game, that doesn't make them evil or inappropriate. Who knows, you might need those weapons to defend against evil alien invasions in future.

As for me, I tend to make stuff without weapons but sometimes, making improvized demonstration ordnance out of stock parts is so fun, especially when a real airplane replica may involve simulating something like "STOL light airplane with ridiculous amounts of external stores". Why not just expand the scope of gameplay and say there are some 'security issues' around the KSC requiring a new surveillance and light attack aircraft to deter unauthorized incursions into controlled airspace, serve the space center's monitoring needs, and protect important space assets from sabotage?

[sj176]

it's nice to have a space game that doesn't involve guns in any way

Truth