Who plays Kerbal Space Program?

[Frank_G]

I work in the graphic industry for more than 25 years now, doing everything from print stuff in the early days to 3D visualization, illustration and game design nowadays. And since early childhood i am obsessed with space, science fiction and all that stuff... KSP is a game that combines creativity with science and fiction... Obviously one of the best games i have ever played

[Vagani]

Wanting to be an Automotive Designer, i thought id try this game out. Turns out i now want to be Aerospace as well

I played with Lego when i was younger and have always been into space and cars. I think that was down to a few fioms that i saw when i was younger. Nowadays i still play with lego but its technic so most of my creations are cars with functions.

[Yukon0009]

KSP can also attract Minecraft and Lego fans.

[SalehRam]

Well, I did build space stuff using my lego and I am an IT professional and I am seriously interested in space and aviation to the point I am considering to get a piloting license and ditch my IT career... (about 9 years of experience now)

[Linear]

I'm a software developer. Typically front end. I specialize in software ergonomics (you know, those people that Microsoft chose not to hire when they made Windows 8), but I can do a lot of different things.

Bit off topic, but what are your thoughts on W10?

[dnugroho]

I've been playing KSP since 0.20 IIRC and never get bored with it. I guess the fact that I am a space geek & sci-fi fan contributes a lot to my attraction to KSP...

I am a map maker. An aerial photo & LiDAR surveyor to be precise. I flew on various aircraft to conduct topographic surveys in so many places in South East Asia and Australia. That's why aerial survey contracts in Career mode will always be my favorite! Mods like RemoteTech and SCANSat is a must have for me, and I won't update my KSP before those mods get updated.

[wossname]

I'm a software / electronics engineer of many years. I was born into the Atari ST generation and was I heavily influenced by games like Frontier (Elite 2) and by toys such as lego and meccano.

I think I play KSP so much (I can't remember what sunlight looks like) because it appeals to the part of me that loves exploring places I'll never get to physically go to, and also building working machines that solve some obscure and generally very difficult technical problems. KSP is intellectual escapism of the highest order.

Plus you learn such a lot about physics and the real universe since you have to look up stuff like "periapsis" and "oberth" and "lithobraking" - which can lead to long happy hours hopping from one wiki page to another.

KSP appeals to clever people - I'd bet the average IQ on KSP forums is surprisingly higher than that of humanity as a whole.

[kreutzkevic]

I've been playing KSP since 0.21. The demo immediatly sold the game to me. Thanks to mr. Manley I've gotten quite proficient at it.

I'm a teacher who went on to do NDT after graduation and now I'm a chemical plant inspector. I've always been a huge nerd and mad for space. I've only got a basic background in mathematics and physics but I'm enjoying the game immensely, so long as I can rely on KER to do the more complex calculations for me.

[RAINCRAFTER]

I didn't even play the demo, I stumbled upon some Scott Manley while searching for Minecraft Videos and Science Videos (Do you see the connection?), said, "I want it now!" (like one of the kids in Willy Wonka), and bought 0.23. I have had no regrets for spending those $30 since.

[Merill]

I've been playing KSP since 0.90

I'm a software engineer, and i have some interest in rocket.

I played the demo a long time ago, but decided to wait a bit.

KSP appeals to clever people - I'd bet the average IQ on KSP forums is surprisingly higher than that of humanity as a whole.

Be careful with that. Knowledge(education) != IQ.

[yorshee]

I have no background in physics, engineering, or programming, I got KSP because of a YouTube video uploaded by one of my favourite YouTubers back in 2012. I thought it was awesome because I love space and this was a game about travelling to different planets and stuff. I never actually bought it until late 2014, a week or two before 0.90, because...well, I completely forgot about it until then.

[Geschosskopf]

For the last 16 years I've been a firefighter, except for a 1.5-year stint in the middle when I drove 18-wheelers over-the-road. Before that, I was a civil defense lawyer (fighting those unspeakable ambulance-chasers) for several years. Before that, I was an engineer in the aerospace industry (both civil and military, both planes and rockets) for about 8 years. And I did hitches in both the Navy and the Marines.

[Superfluous J]

Be careful with that. Knowledge(education) != IQ.

Knowledge(education) also != interest in KSP.

I think KSP attracts intelligent people because it rewards creative critical thinking and - after an hour or two - gets pretty boring if all you do is moar booster it.

[Geschosskopf]

I think KSP attracts intelligent people....

Mostly evil geniuses, wannabe James Bond villains, I think

[MartGonzo]

Mostly evil geniuses, wannabe James Bond villains, I think

lol, according to some not too far from the truth.

I don't know about an interest in social sciences being part of it, I was always a physics nerd but my interests are mostly political or more accurately anti-political.

[The Yellow Dart]

I don't have a background in science but I've always been interested in science and space.

I fell in love with KSP because it shows you and lets you understand a lot of the stuff that you just don't get to see about space exploration. Before KSP I had a rough idea about how the Apollo missions worked, but now that I have a good grasp on orbital mechanics, I can really understand all of the things that I have read about it, and other space missions.

[Landwalker]

I fall into the group of players who aren't already engineers or have otherwise science-related backgrounds. I wasn't a LEGO kid growing up (I was more into K'Nex, for anyone who remembers that), I don't play Minecraft, etc. etc. Instead, I'm a tax accountant (CPA) that recently helped start a new firm in my area. In college, my major was history (concentrating on Byzantine studies) and classical (i.e. "dead") languages, but my aspirations of graduate school in that area fell throughâ€â€unsurprisingly, medieval history isn't a big draw in the U.S., so there wasn't any demand for students. As an undergraduate, the only even tangentially relevant classes I took were basically "science for non-science majors" courses: PHYS 100 - The Physics of Everyday Life, and some not-even-intro-level Astronomy class about the solar system, both of which were taken to meet my school's "You have to take three classes from the 'Math and Physical Sciences' group" requirement.

I had to go back to school to learn accounting and get a real job. At the time, I was debating between going back for accounting or for engineering, but ultimately picked the cheaper, quicker, and logistically more convenient of the two options. Despite that, I still joke that "I want to be an engineer when I grow up" (I'm 30).

For me, KSP is a combination of the best things I enjoy about games, and also a sort of vicarious-living opportunity. I love games that let you build and solve problems from the ground up (whether it's literal building, or "Zero to Hero" role-playing games, or "Tycoon"-style games, etc.). I also love games that have clear "accomplishment points" or discrete goals, even if the game itself doesn't necessarily have a defined plot. I don't mean Steam Achievement things like "Kill 1,000 zombies", but actual in-game events that make you feel awesome. I originally got into KSP quite a long while agoâ€â€don't remember the actual version, but in the 0.20 neighborhoodâ€â€then took a hiatus, then was back in 0.22, then another hiatus, and then right as 1.0.2 was hitting. Each time I start playing, the first time I land a Kerbal on the Mun, I feel like the baddest dude in the world. KSP is naturally set up with lots of these "accomplishment points"â€â€Land on the Mun, Land on Minmus, send a probe to Duna, and so on. And once you accomplish all the things (not that I ever have)? There is no shortage of mods to give you new things to accomplish, or new ways to accomplish old things. And each time you accomplish those things, I feel like a rockstar without the drugs and booze and STDs.

[abowl]

Kerbal Space program is a game like no other. It requires elegance, pre-planning and has high risks, exploration/open game world and mechanics that are very "free". The game carries very little restriction and gives the player alot of influence in how to play the game and all that sort of stuff. So as a gamer, it appeals to me.

[LordFerret]

I've been playing KSP since 0.90

I'm a software engineer, and i have some interest in rocket.

I played the demo a long time ago, but decided to wait a bit.

Be careful with that. Knowledge(education) != IQ.

'IQ' is a measurement of your capacity for learning. {Bias In Mental Testing, Arthur R. Jensen}

[SorryDave]

'IQ' is a measurement of your capacity for learning. {Bias In Mental Testing, Arthur R. Jensen}

By that argument, people who could afford two more years of school have a higher IQ.

[Plume & Akakak]

Hey everyone,

[...] I'm currently working on my PhD in Educational Psychology, and I wonder if my interest in (social) science is one of the reasons I like [KSP] so much.

So why do others find the game interesting? Do you think it has anything to do with the path of study/career you chose? Or is there some other reason you are spending time with KSP rather than some other game?

Hello PsychSpec,

Your intervention definitely has the features of game studies. I know a few researchers who use the same method to glean their data (and I'm not totally innocent myself).

Anyway, if a statistic is coming out of this, I would be greatly interested in seeing it. : )

Trained video-artist here, with both Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees. I'm also a musician, and have provided sound design & music to short films and multimedia projects.

When it comes to videogames, the line between work and leisure is a little blurred for me, since I've exhibited works involving alternative uses of videogames. It has become kind of a habit for me to see games as sets of pencils...

Like other sandbox games, KSP lets its user tinker in the workshop/studio. This appeals to me for obvious reasons, I guess. There's of course a childhood fascination for space and science-fiction that never died down.

I also like KSP for its slowness and its arid graphic environment, there's room to think & build.

Cheers

Edited July 8, 2015 by Plume & Akakak

[wossname]

By that argument, people who could afford two more years of school have a higher IQ.

By your argument, people can only learn if they pay someone else to teach them. This is only true for those with more money than sense.

"Capacity for learning" is applicable in ANY given situation. A person observing some unfamiliar phenomenon for the first time will naturally absorb some insight from it and be able to make connections to other experiences they have had. Skillful learners will be able to make predictions on what might happen next based on earlier or new judgments. Some of this is innate and may not be something that is inherently learnable.

Edited July 7, 2015 by wossname

[Mat2ch]

Well, I'm a computer scientist and was told there would be fun things to do after getting my degree. Now I'm working in engineering and, well, I'm an engineer now.

[Razhan]

For the last 16 years I've been a firefighter, except for a 1.5-year stint in the middle when I drove 18-wheelers over-the-road. Before that, I was a civil defense lawyer (fighting those unspeakable ambulance-chasers) for several years. Before that, I was an engineer in the aerospace industry (both civil and military, both planes and rockets) for about 8 years. And I did hitches in both the Navy and the Marines.

I can only say, WOW!

[Trentendegreth]

retired soldier, love building computers as a hobby. stay at home dad, and KSP Eats a lot of time and my kid likes it to. its challenging but has charm. what more could you ask for?