Do you consider part clipping cheaty?

[xtoro]

Just curious what the general consensus is. There's different arguments I think. One is that it's like building custom parts, however, clipping 8 fuel tanks or engines into one location is definitely cheating since their masses take the space of one. Other arguments is that is should never be done because it's just plain cheaty... Any other opinions on this?

[TimePeriod]

This is 1000 tons. (1047T in specifies)

How on earth am I going to get that into orbit without part clipping?

My computer is beefy but it would never be able to handle all those parts without some massive clipping.

[goldenpsp]

Sorry but your poll is missing the answer I would pick, Namely the "It's a single player game so who the F cares"

[sal_vager]

Wow, this hasn't been asked before...

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/41113-Is-part-clipping-considered-cheating

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/121534-Do-you-consider-Offset-Clipping-cheating

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/57404-Clipping-is-it-cheating

The consensus in all previous threads has been "No".

[Scarecrow88]

It's a single player game. How the feck can you cheat yourself?

[Alshain]

That is also the consensus in any "Is this cheating" thread. It's a single player game, nothing is cheating, nothing at all, even the cheat menu is not cheating.

[Feradose]

Well clipping fuel tanks while using FAR doesn't add the extra drag, it simulates really dense fuel for me.

Clipping other things: Cheaty ant engines with mammoth thrust, and a burnt computer.

[GoSlash27]

I will happily clip to get my stuff to blend together the way I want it, but I won't do it to the point where I have competing masses in the same location. If I have an engine clipped into a tank, I remove fuel to make room for it. That sort of stuff.

Best,

-Slashy

[Frozen_Heart]

If its fuel or the engine bells being clipped together then I consider it cheating. Apart from that its fair game.

[LostOblivion]

I use part clipping a lot! But only making my spacecraft look realistic, so putting fuel tanks inside each other is rare. So far, the only time I did this was when making a Dragon V2 type of descent capsule. I had to put several Oscar tanks inside the capsule.

[_stilgar_]

I only clip parts if one could fit inside the other part. So, no clipping fuel tanks, but I clipped RTG reactor inside the Klaw (it's mostly empty inside anyway). This way I was able to make very small mobile Klaw (Klaw + RTG + probe core + round-8 + docking port + 2 spiders). It has a 1k or so delta-v, and can fly to an asteroid or something like that and any vessel with docking port can now dock to it. Or it can rescue kerbals and transport them to nearest ship. Without clipping RTG inside Klaw it would look stupid.

[Hagen von Tronje]

My basic rule of thumb is "could a smart engineer find a way to cram these things together?" If we're talking clipping the bases on a couple battery packs, then yes, any real person would saw that junk off and make it fit. In fact they'd bring out things like racks for them rather than just gluing them to the floor and ceiling of bays.

I also make allowance for reasonable construction. A telescoping ladder can clip into whatever, because I assume its placement includes accomodation for it in whatever part it's mounted to. That kind of thing.

I don't put tanks inside tanks or stack engines or any of that. I don't care if others do, it just bugs me to do it myself.

[Randazzo]

Part clipping is cheating, and if you clip parts, you are a cheater.

Cheaters.

[theend3r]

It isn't but if it bothers you then don't do it. I clip only for aesthetic reasons, not for functionality. Using FAR and clipping tanks is cheating imo.

[Robotengineer]

A better question is: "Who cares?"

[TMS]

I like bacon.

[EladDv]

part clipping is cheating and cheating is a crime! Remember kids crime dosnt pay.

[regex]

This a trail-blazing thread full of new, never-before-seen content.

[xtoro]

I only clip parts if one could fit inside the other part. So, no clipping fuel tanks, but I clipped RTG reactor inside the Klaw (it's mostly empty inside anyway). This way I was able to make very small mobile Klaw (Klaw + RTG + probe core + round-8 + docking port + 2 spiders). It has a 1k or so delta-v, and can fly to an asteroid or something like that and any vessel with docking port can now dock to it. Or it can rescue kerbals and transport them to nearest ship. Without clipping RTG inside Klaw it would look stupid.

My basic rule of thumb is "could a smart engineer find a way to cram these things together?" If we're talking clipping the bases on a couple battery packs, then yes, any real person would saw that junk off and make it fit. In fact they'd bring out things like racks for them rather than just gluing them to the floor and ceiling of bays.

I also make allowance for reasonable construction. A telescoping ladder can clip into whatever, because I assume its placement includes accomodation for it in whatever part it's mounted to. That kind of thing.

I don't put tanks inside tanks or stack engines or any of that. I don't care if others do, it just bugs me to do it myself.

These seem like the majority of answers. While I realize it's a single player game, I meant to ask because I see so many ships posted that are clipped like crazy, and I personally don't like overly clipped ships. Especially ones with engines clipped where there's 20 engines taking the space of one. I also realize that there were other similar posts, but there's plenty of new members lately, and necroposting is against the rules

I'm all for people doing what they want, again, just curious what others think.

[monstah]

This a trail-blazing thread full of new, never-before-seen content.

Including people mistaking the eventual golden sarcasm for douchebaggery! Lovin' it.

[Superfluous J]

I will clip any part into any other part if it suits my purpose. My general reasoning is, if I was actually running a space program I'd be able to custom-build the parts to any reasonable spec I could desire, and frequently clipping two larger parts together makes the rocket MORE massive than it would be if I could have made the parts myself.

I generally don't do that with fuel tank beyond the surface, but there are many notable exceptions to that rule.

In regard to "is it cheating," I'm with the consensus. It's as much cheating as secretly double dribbling is cheating when you're alone on the court.

[goldenpsp]

While I realize it's a single player game, I meant to ask because I see so many ships posted that are clipped like crazy, and I personally don't like overly clipped ships.

Here is the problem I have with these posts and your poll. As you stated right here you "personally don't like overly clipped ships". That is fine and your preference. And if you worded it as "do you like to use part clipping or not it would be fine.

As soon as you throw in the word cheaty, well now that is making the connotation that you don't prefer that AND if other people do it, you consider them to be doing something wrong. It is a word that is immediately inflammatory.

[xtoro]

Here is the problem I have with these posts and your poll. As you stated right here you "personally don't like overly clipped ships". That is fine and your preference. And if you worded it as "do you like to use part clipping or not it would be fine.

As soon as you throw in the word cheaty, well now that is making the connotation that you don't prefer that AND if other people do it, you consider them to be doing something wrong. It is a word that is immediately inflammatory.

Just looking for people's opinions. No need to overthink it. Do I think infinite fuel is cheaty? Yeah, do I do it? Yes I have. No big deal lol

[Thomassino]

I don't like when fuel tanks are clipping... i mean fuel is liquid, so is the oxidiser and that means you CANNOT compress them.

But I think clipping, for example, ladders, batteries etc. into fuel tanks is ok. Reducing amount of fuel in the fuel tank just for the realism' sake after something is clipped seems like a good idea. I'll probably start using that.

[Raptor9]

I don't like when fuel tanks are clipping... i mean fuel is liquid, so is the oxidiser and that means you CANNOT compress them.

But I think clipping, for example, ladders, batteries etc. into fuel tanks is ok. Reducing amount of fuel in the fuel tank just for the realism' sake after something is clipped seems like a good idea. I'll probably start using that.

+1

I use part-clipping to an extent when I'm trying to get a specific shape on a section of an atmo aircraft. But beyond that, I only use it for precise placement of parts, like embedding a battery or solar panel a little into a hull so it doesn't protrude quite so far, that kind of stuff. I draw the line at using a bunch of fuel tanks clipped together to form an almost perfect cylinder of larger diameter, with a much higher fuel capacity than what *should* be able to fit into that small space.

Having said that, I agree with the argument that if it's fun for you, do whatever you want to your heart's content . You paid for your copy of KSP (hopefully not pirated), use it however you want.