Why Are You (Still) Playing Kerbal Space Program

[NeoMorph]

4 hours ago, steve_v said:

Why Am I (Still) Playing Kerbal Space Program?

• It's Fun.
• I like building stuff.
• It's got a ton of awesome mods.
• It's got stable 64bit, for the running of said mods.
• It has a GNU/Linux native build (I'd boot Windows to play it, but hassle outweighs Fun eventually).

...Was some time ago.

That said, currently taking time out of KSP to play some (also GNU/Linux native) old-school RPG ATM... But I'll be back.

Not for Windows... I've tried it with the mods I like and they never seem to run right... and I've not run Linux for absolute ages now... I'm just too burned out to remember multiple OS commands... and even though I knew over 40 different computer languages/dialects at one point... well, I am having trouble remembering English these days... damned morphine!!!! I think the last game I really modded the hell out of was Freespace 1 and 2... Those were the best damned space combat games ever in my opinion. Miles better than Elite (even the current one)... Oh and the mission editor (FRED - Freespace Editior) was the best mission editor in ANY game. I've not seen another ingame editor that even came close. AND IT DIDN'T SELL WELL... which doomed it. It was the Firefly of the space combat games... Loved by the fans but ignored by the masses.

KSP comes at space from a different angle but is still as addictive... but thank god there is a decent fanbase.

I think the best day ever would be KSP64 and Freespace 3 coming out at the same time... oh man... I just wouldn't know which one to play.

[RizzoTheRat]

On 01/01/2016 at 7:49 PM, NeoMorph said:

 On top of it, KSP is not limited to a specific age group (ie no sex and/or violence and/or swearing... welllllll okay, there is SOME violence when you crash but you just grow new Kerbals after all). 

 

While I agree with the rest of your post I have to take issue with this,  theres often quite a bit of swearing in my games, usually at the same point as the violence. 

[Evanitis]

Whenever I return to KSP after a break, I find exciting stuff to do I'm yet to try in it. That's only partly the game's merit - you forum people also have a considerable part in that: this place is an endless resource of ideas. Other games can only offer the same experience that got me bored in the first place.

[steve_v]

4 hours ago, NeoMorph said:

I think the last game I really modded the hell out of was Freespace 1 and 2... Those were the best damned space combat games ever in my opinion. Miles better than Elite (even the current one)

Agreed, best space combat game(s) ever IMO and I still play them... As for mods, I think my FS install is somewhere around 21GB The fs2_open engine is sweet too.

[Evanitis]

4 minutes ago, steve_v said:

I think my FS install is somewhere around 21GB

Only? 43 gb here, and I only installed the most popular-looking mod-pack. It has more campaigns that I could ever finish. Though it kinda' integrated FS1 and 2 into the same engine.

Edited January 3, 2016 by Evanitis

[Freshmeat]

I think the comparison to LEGO and Minecraft are very meaningful. I love to make stuff, and KSP is about making rockets that can achieve your goals. On top of that, it was a chance to relearn everything about orbital mechanics, although I cannot get myself together to project gravity assists (that could be worthwhile, though). And the representation is so deeply endearing, always worth a smile even in the most horrible situation.

I stop playing every now and then, when I'm not in the mood for thinking. But I always seem to come back for one more achievement

[Rainbowtrout]

It's probably my Game of The Year*, despite all of the other good releases last year.

*: Not a sponsored statement.

[Evanitis]

37 minutes ago, Freshmeat said:

I cannot get myself together to project gravity assists (that could be worthwhile, though).

Sidetrack: gravity assists seem to be the most overmistified and undervalued bit of orbital mechanics around here. It's -very- easy to do, not hard to time well and  after you did it once, you'll instantly know when it can help (eg: in most of your transfers.) And you can save a -lot- of dV with it. Check a tutorial, it will be a revelation.

[Just Jim]

I remember life as it was in the before time..... wandering alone, lost, no purpose...

Then this little green dude came up thru the gloom and mist, and took me by the hand, and taught me a better way, the Kerbal way.......

Now I walk amongst the stars, hand and hand with my little green friends, and my life is complete......

[Freshmeat]

1 hour ago, Evanitis said:

Sidetrack: gravity assists seem to be the most overmistified and undervalued bit of orbital mechanics around here. It's -very- easy to do, not hard to time well and  after you did it once, you'll instantly know when it can help (eg: in most of your transfers.) And you can save a -lot- of dV with it. Check a tutorial, it will be a revelation.

I do gravitational assists on occasions, but what I need is a way to quantify the dV savings. I build my rockets according to dV budgets, and if I don't know the savings, I cannot build a rocket to take full advantage of it.

[SelectHalfling0]

Here's a neat little list of why this game is still entertaining to me:

1. excellent developers who are always working on new content
2. mods mods mods!
3. the fact that nearly 1000 hours into the game I still have only visited about a quarter of the worlds.

I still have alot of work to do.

[Kerbal01]

I'm still playing because I have no where else to go. I'm stuck In a rut, doing the same darn things over and over again, need to build an Amphibious VTOLSSTA.

Edited January 3, 2016 by DarthVader

[SpaceplaneAddict]

My reason?

Space.
Spaceplanes.
Rockets.
Realistic orbital mechanics.
Everything I like about space and atmo craft.
Mods.
Developers who tell me what they're working on for more of my enjoyment.
An incredibly friendly forum.
The best community.
 

Edited January 3, 2016 by SpaceplaneAddict

[(PA)Reaper]

Because i havent been able to successfully land a kerbal on Eve and return.  Thinking of sending an unmanned return vehicle ahead of time, Aries style

Edited January 3, 2016 by (PA)Reaper
Spell Check

[Mat2ch]

I don't know, I just don't know.

[Robotengineer]

Two reasons really.

1. KSP is fun.
2. I believe that playing KSP, when modded and used as a sim, will give me an intuitive knowledge of orbital mechanics when I go to college and eventually leave Earth.

Relevant xkcd. (As if there weren't a relevant xkcd for just about everything.)

Not to mention all of the other space related things I have looked up and learned due to playing KSP, but not directly relate to it.

[TeddyDD]

1. Mods

2. CKAN to install mods easily

3. Stable 64 bit build on Linux (to install even more mods)

4. Still best game about space (ever)

5. There's still no Orbiter 2015/6 release (I know about test build from svn)

6. I still didn't recreated Ares mission from Baxter's novel "Voyage"

7. I'm nerd, what else should I play?

[Overland]

With a few mods and modded mods.. KSPs given me more train goodness and pure "spirit" of an active railway ecosystem that no other dedicated train simulation ever has

 

Its given me the ability to build classes of land train locos each with thier own personality and uses that goes way beyond realworld rail enthusiasm

Long drawn out journeys on kerbins beautiful landscape with more land to explore than any truck simulators ever been capable of

Locomotives with systems derived and evolved from 2 years realworld experience.. Each train is her own girl rather than just a copied and pasted 3d model running to a set scenario

 

Memories and traditions built upon those 2 years of land train operation that rival my own real world life.. Stories to be told of great success and sacrifice

 

And the ever persistant persuit of the perfect land train experience..including hardware controller mods being considered

 

All of this and more makes KSP a platform of which has unexpectedly forfilled some dreams and fuel more..

 

AAA title? Boring... 

I dont need anything but KSP installed to be happy

 

Eg..

https://youtu.be/dFfGAz1hxgI

[Matuchkin]

On 1/1/2016 at 2:53 PM, Motokid600 said:

Wait, wait wait.... you mean to tell me that... there are other video games?

 

On 1/1/2016 at 2:59 PM, Probus said:

No. No. Those are just mods. 

 

You're living in one, guys. I'm still thinking of downloading it, though. Computer's too horrible. I think I'll manage though with 2-5 fps.

Edited January 4, 2016 by 073198681

[Dobelong]

Why do I play KSP?

It can be all the sandboxes in the world

I can learn orbital mechanics

Sweet, sweet success.

Also, interplanetary SCIENCE!!!

[NeoMorph]

On 03/01/2016 at 10:49 AM, steve_v said:

Agreed, best space combat game(s) ever IMO and I still play them... As for mods, I think my FS install is somewhere around 21GB The fs2_open engine is sweet too.

I was actually the first person to manage to mod FS1 and 2... The original FS game files were encrypted you see. Just look up "John Hanton Freespace" and you will find me... *proud*. The encryption was really weird.... it managed to fit 8 bytes of data into 7 actual bytes by chopping off the last bit of every byte and putting them together to make the 8th byte. I didn't do it all by myself (I had some internal spies who helped point me in the right direction by giving cryptic hints) but once we got in I started hacking the game files to help create new ships and weapons for FRED. Some of them were Kerbal type engines that Jeb would have loved...Oh god, if only they had FS3 with VR support... I think it would be better than sex...:D

[Guest]

Crashing.  Explosions.  Eventual success.  Knowing more about docking two ships in orbit than your teacher.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Guest