Does building replicas affect your creativity?

[ouion]

Building replicas of real spacecrafts feels its like copying and restrain you to realistic crafts instead of using your mind to build your own ships. So do anyone has this feeling and is replicas of spacecrafts better in performance than your own rockets.

[viktor19]

I'd say diagonally opposite, for example mimicimg the shape of a plane's wing. No wonder those smallish replicas have 150+ parts.

[Red Iron Crown]

Different kinds of creativity. Building replicas involves using a finite series of parts to make something as close as possible to a real life example, it takes some cleverness and creativity to make the parts look like something they're not. Building from scratch is painting on a blank canvas, where the outcome is something from your own imagination.

[Zucal]

Speaking as a replica builder, I like to think it helps me be more creative. Thinking about what a part is and then using it in a way it was never supposed to be lets you make designs that aren't skin-deep. It does definitely take more parts, but a lot of what I build isn't supposed to be used in a career mode save.

[PDCWolf]

Building replicas of real spacecrafts feels its like copying and restrain you to realistic crafts instead of using your mind to build your own ships. So do anyone has this feeling and is replicas of spacecrafts better in performance than your own rockets.

"Using mechjeb feels like it's using a cheat and restrains you to building crafts instead of using your skills to pilot your own ships. So does anyone have this feeling and is the autopilot better than your own piloting skills"

Please don't do this.

[Alberto De Beni]

Making replicas often consist in using parts in a completely different way they were designed for

[Majorjim!]

Building replicas of real spacecrafts feels its like copying and restrain you to realistic crafts instead of using your mind to build your own ships. So do anyone has this feeling and is replicas of spacecrafts better in performance than your own rockets.

It's a good question. One I have thought about before. I like making replicas because I get more pleasure flying something that looks 'real'. It takes a lot of imagination to use parts in new ways. And skill to put together. The performance of the rocket depends on what replica you are making. You cannot compare a replicas performance with that of a 'free' built craft.

I don't think building replicas stops you being creative when 'free' building. I have seen plenty on the forum and made some myself.

[xrayfishx]

"Using mechjeb feels like it's using a cheat and restrains you to building crafts instead of using your skills to pilot your own ships. So does anyone have this feeling and is the autopilot better than your own piloting skills"

Please don't do this.

Why do you have a problem with someone feeling like building replicas is copying and MJ feels like cheating? If I say that I feel that KSP without RO is pretty boring, I'm only expressing my own opinion and I'm not saying it's like that for everyone, just as he didn't say anyone who builds replicas is uncreative or whatever.

Personally I rarely build replicas and when I do, I try to match the spacecraft's performance rather than looks. For example, if I'm making a Delta IV Heavy, then I won't even attempt to make all the tank colors match the real version. I just make all the tanks as big as they are in real life, put the same engines under that thing and then try to more or less match the weight and things like that. Looks are secondary. Though if I need to increase weight, I might add it in such ways that it would improve looks if I feel particularly motivated. Usually I don't.

[SaturnianBlue]

Personally, since I built lots of replicas, for myself it it a challenge to try and build something that looks like the real thing, while keeping up with scale and weight. You can apply what you learn from replica building when you build craft you have thought up. My MESSENGER spacecraft replica, despite using several mods, still made me think about how to use the parts in a way they come together (A Dawn replica with a similar set of mods provided a base for my experience!).

In short, replicas make me change perspective to try out something untried, making my ideas more creative. Makes me surprisingly picky as well...

Edited June 26, 2015 by SaturnianBlue

[Randazzo]

I find replica construction to be a pain. My rockets/planes are caveman designed.

"This need engine."

*click*

"Engine too small."

*click*

"Engine just right. Now need fin."

*click*

"Fin too big."

*click*

"Fin ugly."

*click*

"Fin just right."

"Ug go up now!"

"...Ug forgot solar panels."

and so on.

Edited June 26, 2015 by Randazzo

[SpenSpaceCorp]

As has been said here, I also agree that working within specific constraints to build a replica definitely requires creativity. It is a type of creativity that overcomes obstacles to finish with something that is not only functional, but also aesthetically accurate, especially when made to work in a universe scaled down.

[justidutch]

Does building replicas affect your creativity?

No. In fact, I think it teaches you things that you can then apply to your own creations.

[Caelib]

I tend to build all of my craft for function and efficiency rather than aesthetics. The vast majority of my craft are as simple as possible given the mission parameters.

[katateochi]

I don't think it impinges on creativity at all, and I really enjoy both styles (and I love that that is possible in KSP). As other's have said, building replicas poses different challenges and forces you to come up with really creative ways of using parts to get both functionality and the look.

[Kerbart]

First of all constraints are a breeding ground for creativity. Anyone can build anything if you can just slap things on left and right without having to care for any consequences.

Second of all, you're already working in a very well defined set of constraints -- your rocket has to stay in one piece and make it into orbit. Do you feel that as a limit to your creativity? Or a challenge? Same with the desire to build real world replicas.

[regex]

I find stock KSP to be severely lacking in the ability to create replicas as they end up looking terrible and never have the performance I want or expect. Also tank buttes. I do try to build replicas in Realism Overhaul on occasion, I have a really nice Angara A5.

[Majorjim!]

I find stock KSP to be severely lacking in the ability to create replicas as they end up looking terrible and never have the performance I want or expect.

I'm sorry to hear that man. Strangely, I have never had that issue.

[annallia]

Every time I try to build a replica I end up with something else, not because I built it wrong, but because I got an idea mid way through that I wanted to try and by the time I am done it looks very little like what is supposed to be.

Because of that, at least for me, no it does not.

[Zucal]

I find stock KSP to be severely lacking in the ability to create replicas as they end up looking terrible and never have the performance I want or expect.

Definitely, I often find you have to choose between replicating the looks or replicating the functionality.

[Mareczex333]

Different kinds of creativity. Building replicas involves using a finite series of parts to make something as close as possible to a real life example, it takes some cleverness and creativity to make the parts look like something they're not. Building from scratch is painting on a blank canvas, where the outcome is something from your own imagination.

Exacly

Building replicas develops creativity of part usage/techniques etc. You need to find clever solution how to make it look right with limited parts. Building own crafts develop creativity in general, but I find it easier

[regex]

Definitely, I often find you have to choose between replicating the looks or replicating the functionality.

I find you can never make a nice looking "replica" out of stock parts, they all end up looking like a jumble of things clipped together. I find personal craft tend to look much better on the whole. As for performance, well, I mean, you can say you're replicating performance but you're really not.

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

I build both, and like building both, they each offer different challenges.

Replicas require research, and fiddling to get it to not look like a clipped mess.

However, custom craft can use stock part profiles, heights, and wing shapes, which makes it quite a bit easier than replicas, after all, custom crafts don't need to work one specific way.

As to creativity, I feel like there's just as much creativity in trying to get stock parts to look like a IRL craft, as in building something from scratch.

[Mareczex333]

I find you can never make a nice looking "replica" out of stock parts, they all end up looking like a jumble of things clipped together. I find personal craft tend to look much better on the whole. As for performance, well, I mean, you can say you're replicating performance but you're really not.

I disagree with your statement in the first sentence

[regex]

I disagree with your statement in the first sentence

vOv

To me, pretty much any attempt to make something that that looks like an IRL craft out of purely stock parts ends up poorly, no matter how good the builder is. My taste varies from yours, YMMV, etc...

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

vOv

To me, pretty much any attempt to make something that that looks like an IRL craft out of purely stock parts ends up poorly, no matter how good the builder is. My taste varies from yours, YMMV, etc...

I understand what you mean, replicas always require some clipping and weirdness with parts, which makes them look not as good, but I feel there's room for a IRL-alike custom craft, like this: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/113356-It-s-here!-The-Omega-good-looking-heavy-lift-vehicle?p=1791423#post1791423

Anyway, I digress. Replicas are fun to build for me, and I feel that's the point of KSP.