KSP vs Orbiter

[Superfluous J]

1 hour ago, Dman979 said:

FWIW, KSP was first made public on the Orbiter forums. Bonus points to anyone who finds the posts!

You were so nice to find that challenge thread for me the least I could do is pull this out of my bookmarks

https://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?s=fc386076b9f0d214c1d89c8b5615c705&t=22998

[Tyko]

"Realistic" is such a loaded statement...If I consider all computer games/simulations I've ever played, KSP is definitely in the top 1% for providing a realistic simulation of physics. The parts are cartoony, which originally turned me off, but the mechanics under the hood are some of the best I've ever seen for any type of game/simulation. I can honestly say I have a working knowledge of orbital mechanics because of this cartoony game with little green men.

I'd say the tradeoff between Orbiter and KSP is more tied to what type of game play you're looking for.

Orbiter is a space flight simulator. If you want to feel like a RL astronaut play Orbiter - it has better navigation tools and RL astronauts don't have to design rockets or missions (yes, I know that astronauts provide valuable feedback to the design teams, but they don't actually design it). You get to climb into the rocket and fly it.

KSP is about setting goals, then specifying the mission parameters and designing the ships to achieve your goals. The navigation tools are sufficient to let you fly your missions, but they're not trying to simulate the controls of a RL astronaut. Since the controls are not as precise, the game gives a bit of latitude in things like docking accuracy. I think this is a fair tradeoff considering KSP covers so many more aspects of spaceflight - planetary landings, atmospheric flight, underwater, technical progression (however wonky) and Science missions (also wonky)

TL-DR: KSP is a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Orbiter is a one-trick pony - it's a fantastic space flight simulator, but sacrifices other game play elements.

Edited September 13, 2018 by Tyko

[LaydeeDem]

17 hours ago, Dman979 said:

FWIW, KSP was first made public on the Orbiter forums. Bonus points to anyone who finds the posts!

I remember when KSPF used to share some of the same emotes as the Orbiter forums. Hail probe!

 

As for me I find both to be immensely fun. Orbiter is nice because I can play with total realism without the memory/loading problems KSP has.

[DAL59]

@HarvesteR

[DualDesertEagle]

I'd say Orbiter doesn't come ANYWHERE near KSP when it comes to fun of gameplay simply coz it doesn't have the same grade of freedom that KSP offers. In KSP u can build pretty much ANYTHING U LIKE and still be semi-realistic. U could launch a freakin' HOUSE into space, have Mech Warrior style robots fight each other, do time trials with the most ridiculous vehicles u can imagine, go to Eve's sea floor with a submarine u sent there with nothing but ion engines and stock fans as propulsion (a hint at Stratzenbitz's video, where he went to Duna and back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee59XkEufjA), etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, PP.

 

Orbiter may be more realistic but that's really the only thing in which it surpasses KSP. 

 

 

 

And this is coming from a guy who can't even upgrade to the latest version of KSP yet and has to be content with 1.0.2, missing craptons of fun that other people have using new parts that I can't even use with mods since said mods aren't compatible with my long outdated version.

 

[Tyko]

11 minutes ago, DualDesertEagle said:

And this is coming from a guy who can't even upgrade to the latest version of KSP yet and has to be content with 1.0.2, missing craptons of fun that other people have using new parts that I can't even use with mods since said mods aren't compatible with my long outdated version.

 

wow, dare I ask why you're stuck in 1.0.2? maybe people can help you...maybe on a new thread though, don't want to clog up this one.

[DualDesertEagle]

Just now, Tyko said:

wow, dare I ask why you're stuck in 1.0.2? maybe people can help you...maybe on a new thread though, don't want to clog up this one.

I've been there already. I've settled with buying the game again sometime.

[linuxgurugamer]

1 minute ago, DualDesertEagle said:

I've been there already. I've settled with buying the game again sometime.

 You don't have to buy the game again. The upgrades are free as long as you have a license. 

If you have steam, you update through the steam client, otherwise you download the latest installer and zip from the website.

[DualDesertEagle]

Nope, not working, I've tried.

 

Let's not derail this thread any further.

[Superfluous J]

24 minutes ago, DualDesertEagle said:

Let's not derail this thread any further.

Okay fine. I WON'T ask why your avatar only has one Desert Eagle.

[Klapaucius]

On 5/23/2016 at 11:03 AM, Tourist said:

(Sigh)

The Fun vs Realistic thing is a false dichotomy. For instance I enjoy Microsoft flight because it "realistically" simulates what it is like to fly a commercial airliner, which I find fun.

I think the poster was thinking along the lines of the fact that KSP has an in-built sense of humor and while you can strive for realism with various mods, you are still flying little green creatures around grimacing at your flying.  Perhaps a better way to express it is quirky vs realistic. 

[mistergoblin]

I played Orbiter first, and learned some of the basics of getting to orbit, and some docking and maneuvering (but not rendezvous) but I was still in over my head.

I actually held off of trying Kerbal for a long time, thinking it was dumb and goofy, and wrote it off in favour of orbiter (even though I couldn't do anything in orbiter) I thought that since I hate minions, I'd hate the little green kerbals.

But I stumlbed across a scott manley career mode playthrough on youtube and that got me to give ksp another try, and then it's consumed my life ever since.

But knowing what I know now, I'd be into trying orbiter again and seeing how much I can use its wealth of avionics. 

[maceemiller]

I just started playing Orbiter yesterday and I really like it. KSP will always be the best game I've ever played yet Orbiter has a lot to learn and get my teeth into so the way I see it playing both I can't lose.

EDIT...just found a post from April last year where I said I found Orbiter as flat as a pancake. Mind you, I remember now it had no sound so probably explains it

Edited November 1, 2018 by maceemiller

[Lisias]

Orbiter is magnificent. I don't think we will ever have another Space Simulator that will reach this level of excellence and accuracy in the next decade.

KSP is incredibly fun. Besides some tears and teeth grinding  , KSP also rendered me some of the biggest laughs this year. This kind of fun you will not get from Orbiter.

So, in essence, it's like comparing a SitCom about Scify with serious SciFy movies. You can like and love both, but you will choose one by the type of entertainment you want/need at the moment.

However, both Orbiter and KSP share a common issue that it's both the reason for the success, but also the reason for their problems: the Programming Language

There're not a single way that Orbiter would reach its level of excellence using anything else as C++, however, C++ is not for everybody and this decision also limits the number of people willing to build things on it. The lack of a physics engine also is a problem for people willing to play mishaps in the way we have on KSP. So… Nops, Orbiter is for the die hard C++ programmer or to people willing to "play serious" on orbital mechanics.

KSP, on the other hand, got this popularity due the flux of people writing add-ons for it, what would not had happened in such abundance using C++. C# was the key for this success. However, C#'s VM is not par to the task (and please, please, don't whine about. High performance commercial applications are switching back to Java due this, and we did performance checks before committing to the task), and Unity, frankly, is an eternal source of headaches. The key for the KSP's success is also it's major weakness.

In the bottom line, it's a real pity that I can't manage to have time for both.  

Edited November 1, 2018 by Lisias
hit "Save" too soon.

[DAL59]

Orbiter is 2001 A Space Odyssey, KSP is The Martian.  

[Lisias]

10 hours ago, DAL59 said:

Orbiter is 2001 A Space Odyssey, KSP is The Martian.  

I could not resist to the joke

Spoiler

 

 

[maceemiller]

Well, I must say this.....

Been playing Orbiter for the last couple of weeks and I have to admit.....it's hard!! Just  managed a Moon flyby which felt like my first KSP orbit I achieved so my conclusion is.....play both!

Without playing KSP first though I wouldn't have a clue what to do in Orbiter....

I have neglected KSP though whilst playing Orbiter (bad man I am) however I just did a Mum landing and loved it....massive smile:)

Edited November 15, 2018 by maceemiller