Flight simulator

[Faghti]

Rocket designs require testing.  If I'm making a lander for Tylo, I am not going to wait for a launch window, do all of the mechanics of flying there, try out landing, and only then discover that my craft doesn't have enough SAS and is not sufficiently maneuverable.

What to do ?

I'm sure budding rocket scientists have worked out their own solutions.  I rely heavily on the Hyper Edit mod, and even restore to previous save games.

But I value career mode for the immersion.   When it becomes habit to revert flight, or restore last save, the over-all game experience is cheapened.  When that mountain peak is rushing towards you, and you are facing the wrong way, and you can't clear it, well, that was just a practise run right ?

Here is what would allow us to test our rocket designs, while emphasising the importance of getting it right in career mode:  The flight simulator.

It looks pretty much like ordinary career mode except:

• We can warp our craft to anywhere we want to test it out.
• No Kerbals are harmed - its a simulator, right ?
• On exiting simulator mode, time, science, experience, funds, reputation and contracts are the same as when we entered the simulator.
• You don't need funds to build a craft - its a simulator.
• Availabile technology is limited to what you have already unlocked.  If you haven't yet discovered it, you can't simulate it.
• One possible variation is that it is only possible to warp to places that are already visited.

The key thing is, to progress in your career, you have to do that outside the simulator.  You decide in advance whether your Kerbals are practising or doing it for real.  Your Kerbals can practise landings in the simulator, but if they screw it up in real life, well, dead is dead.

Exiting the simulator, you make a commitment.  This time it is for real.  Kerbals may die.  Kerbin is depending on you !

 

[legoclone09]

I'd love this, but in the meantime you can try HoloDeck (not sure if it works in 1.0.5) or Kerbal Construction Time with Simulations only.

[AbacusWizard]

Yo kerb I heard you like flight sims so I put a flight sim in your flight sim.

[Alshain]

We have seen this request many many times here.  Ultimately it becomes a long discussion over whether or not reverting already fills this function.  Personally I think it does and while you could certainly create a more detailed system, too many other things are needed before this IMO.

[FullMetalMachinist]

Also, there's this really cool thing called Sandbox.  If you're trying to work out a particular craft design for a specific destination you can design it and fly it using HyperEdit in sandbox, then once you're happy with it transfer the craft file to your career save (provided you have all the necessary tech unlocked).