Time Warping

[Bluejay]

I am still fairly new to Kerbal Space Program and I am just now starting to try to send probes to the two planets nearest Kerbal.

It seems to me the way to do this is to just time warp until I get to a launch window, but that means fast forwarding through years of time my virtual space program would be doing nothing. Is this the way the game is intended to be played?

Thanks,

[ZooNamedGames]

Well it's technically up to you as to how it runs.

What platform is KSP on for you?

There are some solutions I can provide once I know.

[pincushionman]

Right now there is no penalty for time warping, other than the opportunity cost of missed windows.

[Archgeek]

If you want it to mean something, you can try out wacky mods like Kerbal Construction Time.  It turns time spent timewarping into time spent turning science points into real R&D, and building your creations.  It also gives incentive to re-use workhorse designs, as things built before build faster.

Er, if you're on PC or mac, anyway, which is probably what @ZooNamedGames was getting at.

[Kermanzooming]

2 hours ago, Bluejay said:

I am still fairly new to Kerbal Space Program and I am just now starting to try to send probes to the two planets nearest Kerbal.

It seems to me the way to do this is to just time warp until I get to a launch window, but that means fast forwarding through years of time my virtual space program would be doing nothing. Is this the way the game is intended to be played?

Thanks,

I have begun to think recently that this could be the reason most players never leave the Kerbin system (at least in Career Mode); as there is always something to do in the Kerbin System, you never time warp enough to get to your interplanetary transfer windows...

That's why I think Kerbal Construction Time is a very good idea; it will keep the game time moving forward so you are not 'trapped' doing Kerbin/Mün/Minmus contracts

[MaxxQ]

Also, if you're on PC or Mac, there's a mod called KAC (Kerbal Alarm Clock).  Basically, it allows you to set up an event (such as a launch window, or planetary approach, or both) and then you set the time of the event in KAC.  After that, you can do other things (including setting up new launch and approach windows for other missions in KAC) and when the time gets close to when you set your event, KAC lets you know it's time.  I've seen several people here mention how they've had many launch windows planned, and just keep doing other stuff until each one comes up.

If you're NOT on PC or Mac, then you'll have to do it manually by keeping track of the time your window opens, and go ahead and do other stuff with an eye on the clock.

I don't use it myself, so I may be wrong on a thing or two, but that's my basic understanding of it.  After three or so years of playing this game, I've only left Kerbin's SOI once, and that was just a few months ago (went to Duna).

Edited August 13, 2016 by MaxxQ

[Bluejay]

I am on PC. I looked into the Alarm clock. That seems like it will help. Since there is no penalty I think I will just warp to the launch windows. Some of the launch windows seem like they would take years to come around and if I am playing near normal speed while building and lunching stuff around Kerbin it seems like the launch windows for other planets would never come around.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Deddly]

Looks like you already got some nice feedback, but I moved the thread to Gameplay Questions to keep the forum tidy. Have fun!

[pincushionman]

1 hour ago, Bluejay said:

I am on PC. I looked into the Alarm clock. That seems like it will help. Since there is no penalty I think I will just warp to the launch windows. Some of the launch windows seem like they would take years to come around and if I am playing near normal speed while building and lunching stuff around Kerbin it seems like the launch windows for other planets would never come around.

Thanks for the feedback.

Remember that "best/lowest delta-V" windows may be few and far between, but "adequate" windows for most targets should come around at least once per Kerbin year.

[Tex_NL]

On 13-8-2016 at 4:52 AM, pincushionman said:

Right now there is no penalty for time warping, other than the opportunity cost of missed windows.

Yes and no. Time warping itself carries no penalties but contracts might.
Active contracts may have a deadline. Blindly timewarping can result in missing the deadline and suffering the penalty.

[StrandedonEarth]

1 hour ago, pincushionman said:

Remember that "best/lowest delta-V" windows may be few and far between, but "adequate" windows for most targets should come around at least once per Kerbin year.

I recently started using "Transfer Window Planner" and quickly found it indispensable. Especially combined with KAC and mods like Precise Maneuver, which makes plotting those interplanetary burns sooo much easier

[Magzimum]

I asked a similar question recently, and learned the same: there are no penalties for warping forward. And yes, your program is then essentially more quiet for a few months/years, which is not so different from reality. All the agencies in real also wait for the launch windows to come up, and just maintain some activities (e.g. ISS, other satellites around Earth) in the meantime. 

I do play some small missions up until the transfer window opens up, but I do not combine any missions parallel to the interplanetary missions, which is different from reality. I do that because these big missions tend to go horribly wrong quite often (I'm also still learning) and I do not want to lose any other progress. I noticed that nice missions do come back in one form or another, so it is OK to pass on some.

[ForScience6686]

Just keep running new missions, but keep an eye on your ongoing missions.  I like to send probes to other planets as soon as I can.  No need to wait for perfect launch windows, you just need the required dv.  And sending tiny probes can be quite easy.  You don't need all that fancy tech to get it done, and you'll have plenty of time farming the kerbin system while you wait for the encounter.

Or you can just go to sandbox if you're looking for a quick trip to a planet to try out a design.