Vehicle Designer for iPad

[simonh]

Full on KSP for the iPad would be fantastic, as long as it could avoid the stability issues with the console ports, but I'd like to suggest a more limited and perhaps intermediate project. Flying actual missions requires a variety of precise control inputs, I prefer FPS games on a computer because I find the imprecision of console controllers too frustrating. I'm concerned that on an iPad I'd find controlling KSP equally frustrating.

I would greatly appreciate extending some of the KSP experience to on-the-go play. In particular I think an app implementing the VAB and Spaceplane Hanger would be a huge benefit. Since vehicle construction is not time critical, the control situation should be manageable. As long as input is precise enough, having to toggle input modes shouldn't be an issue. I'd love to be able to work out designs forlaunchers, Duna landers and rovers on the train and try them out when I get home, making maximum use of the limited time I do have to play at home. 

My concern is just how much of a market there would be for something like that. But personally I'd drop £10 on it in a heartbeat.

Simon Hibbs

[Spacetraindriver]

Hmm. I like the idea, but I don't think it should be on the App store, rather an application downloaded from the KSP store and then transferred to your phone? So that way if you have KSP you can get it for free!

[OrbitalBuzzsaw]

Just now, Spacetraindriver said:

Hmm. I like the idea, but I don't think it should be on the App store, rather an application downloaded from the KSP store and then transferred to your phone? So that way if you have KSP you can get it for free!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrilliant!

[simonh]

1 hour ago, Spacetraindriver said:

Hmm. I like the idea, but I don't think it should be on the App store, rather an application downloaded from the KSP store and then transferred to your phone? So that way if you have KSP you can get it for free!

There's no way to do that on the iPad, maybe on Android. They could make it free I suppose, after all it would be no use without KSP but might get people interested in flying the things they create. I wouldn't mind paying for it though. It's not for me to tell Squad or anyone else what they should or should not do for free.

Simon

Edited February 18, 2017 by simonh

[StupidAndy]

I had an idea like this, it wasn't received well...

[Scoutman1121]

I like the idea, but a good way they should do it is put the app on the app store. Then in order to use it, enter a code you get from the game. Then it will sync the editor to the game. However, putting the game on Ipad / Android Tablets would be such a hassle. There are too many controls in KSP for it. I haven't tried out the console version but I imagine it must be very difficult.

[Wjolcz]

AFAIK doing this would mean porting pretty much the whole game to iOS/Android because of how built into the code the editor is. My laptop already struggles. Can't imagine what kind of iPad you would need for that. Besides, constructing rockets with a touchscreen would be real pain in the ass.

[Zeiss Ikon]

I don't know -- a lot of modern phones, especially the top end of the current generation, have similar computing power to a five year old desktop computer.  I think my new Google Pixel actually outperforms my Core2Quad desktop machine; I'm certain it's faster than my Core2Duo laptop.  The screen on a phone is a little small, but if you have a stylus, you can touch with enough precision to do the work.  My tablet isn't anything like that fast -- but it was $100 a year ago, bought mainly to have an Android device with a keyboard (which plugs into one of the USB ports), and it's still competitive with my laptop (tablet has quad core 1.7 GHz, which compares well with a Core2Duo at 2.1 GHz).

Tl;Dr I think modern phones and laptops have plenty of performance to handle the building side of this, and might even allow launching and flight if you turn down the physics delta-time slider.  And for Android, at least, it's just a little more work than a cross-compile, since Android is essentially Linux Lite for ARM processors and phone/tablet peripheral hardware.

If this were available for Android, it might be the first Android app I pay for. 

[simonh]

I don't understand the logic of tying this app to a purchase of KSP. Why would Squad want to do that? If they made the app free to owners of KSP then letting anyone use it could be useful advertising without sacrificing any revenue.

Personally I think such an app would be a more viable project if it was sold separately. That way it wouldn't draw development funding and resources away from work on the main game. But if it's going to be free, what's the point of an unlock code? What's it there to prevent, that would harm Squad or KSP?

Simon Hibbs

Edited February 19, 2017 by simonh