Kerbal-Kon

[wumpus]

23 hours ago, Tex_NL said:

The idea of an IRL KerbalKon is interesting but WHERE will you organize it?

Pick your (IRL) rocket launch.  Said rocket launch schedule should ideally be as hard as possible, while still being a sufficiently high profile launch to draw a crowd.  That said, the best I could likely swing in the foreseeable future is a Wallops launch, and that will never justify a kerbalcon.  I still have my doubts about just how big a crowd KSP can draw on its own (it isn't like WoW or Quakecon), especially after the inevitable mission scrub (presumably the show would have to go on).

[political speculation about Squad vs. customs scrubbed by poster.  Which might be why it hasn't happened, considering this type of thing was their original business].

[Just Jim]

25 minutes ago, wumpus said:

Pick your (IRL) rocket launch.  Said rocket launch schedule should ideally be as hard as possible, while still being a sufficiently high profile launch to draw a crowd....

...especially after the inevitable mission scrub (presumably the show would have to go on).

That's the biggest problem trying to schedule something around a launch. For me, NASA is only a half-day drive, and I could easily go over to spend an afternoon, or spend the night to do an event the next day. 

But the weather... yeah... that's another thing. If you've read the Space-X thread you've probably seen me comment on the screwy Florida weather, especially this time of year.  Florida in the summer is all sorts of fun <trying to sound as sarcastic as I can be...> 

For example, the gorgeous Space-X launch and landing yesterday would have been perfect to set up a small KSP thing... the weather couldn't have been better. But if that launch had been just a few days earlier, they would have been dealing with absolute crap rainy weather for 4-5 days in a row, and probably scrubbed every attempt.

But I remember seeing something on NASA-TV... it was a rover competition, or something like that... and I'm wondering if and how many of these kind of things NASA has.... something that the weather might not effect so much... and could something be set up around that?

For that matter... has anyone actually tried reaching out to NASA yet? 

Edited August 15, 2017 by Just Jim

[Tex_NL]

50 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

For me, NASA is only a half-day drive, and I could easily go over to spend an afternoon, or spend the night to do an event the next day

And this is pretty much my problem. For you it's just half a day away, for me it's half a WORLD away. It would mean spending hundreds of euro's on an intercontinental flight and accommodations.It's just not worth it. And the reverse is also true. Anything in western Europe would be easy for me but getting expensive for you.

[wumpus]

Just now, Just Jim said:

That's the biggest problem trying to schedule something around a launch. For me, NASA is only a half-day drive, and I could easily go over to spend an afternoon, or spend the night for an event the next day. 

But the weather... yeah... that's another thing. If you've read the Space-X thread you've probably seen me comment on the screwy Florida weather, especially this time of year.  Florida in the summer is all sorts of fun <trying to sound as sarcastic as I can be...>

Ouch.  And I just realized that Vandenburg* is a secure military facility, so I think you have to be a US citizen to be even considered to be on the grounds for a launch (I've joked that the only "weather" it gets is smog.  Depending on the season that is probably close to the truth).  Is there any "expect a rocket launch to be clear" season in Florida?

Guiana Space Centre is possible (and presumably closest to Harvester's homeland, although I don't know where he lives now).  Even in the winter (where freezing kerbalnauts might want to visit the tropics), I doubt you will get many to show up.

* I think Wallops is Navy, but it is pretty low profile.  If Orbital-ATK isn't launching to ISS, I don't think there is anything big going up there anymore.

[Just Jim]

14 minutes ago, Tex_NL said:

And this is pretty much my problem. For you it's just half a day away, for me it's half a WORLD away. It would mean spending hundreds of euro's on an intercontinental flight and accommodations.It's just not worth it. And the reverse is also true. Anything in western Europe would be easy for me but getting expensive for you.

Yeah, agreed. I would love, love, LOVE to see a launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome.... that pad is SO cool!  But it's just not possible.

12 minutes ago, wumpus said:

Is there any "expect a rocket launch to be clear" season in Florida?

Yeah, Winter/Spring is usually really nice, and it never snows... maybe once a century or so. That's why we get so many "Snowbird" tourists and seasonal residents. But the problem there is everyone from all around the world comes then... so it can get really, really busy in places like Orlando or Daytona (which are both fairly close to NASA), and scheduling something becomes that much harder.

Edited August 15, 2017 by Just Jim

[something]

Obvious solution: ISS - just a few km away for most of the users. You just need to hop on, when it's directly overhead.

Another advantage: You'll learn docking on your way

[Just Jim]

46 minutes ago, something said:

Obvious solution: ISS - just a few km away for most of the users. You just need to hop on, when it's directly overhead.

Another advantage: You'll learn docking on your way

[Gargamel]

On 8/14/2017 at 5:28 PM, nascarlaser1 said:

A scott manley skin mod?? I didn't even know you could change the ksp skin... time to go digging!

 

(I love the kerbal-kon idea as well)

Don't.... Just don't.  stuff of nightmares. 

10 hours ago, wumpus said:

Pick your (IRL) rocket launch.  Said rocket launch schedule should ideally be as hard as possible, while still being a sufficiently high profile launch to draw a crowd.  That said, the best I could likely swing in the foreseeable future is a Wallops launch, and that will never justify a kerbalcon.  I still have my doubts about just how big a crowd KSP can draw on its own (it isn't like WoW or Quakecon), especially after the inevitable mission scrub (presumably the show would have to go on).

[political speculation about Squad vs. customs scrubbed by poster.  Which might be why it hasn't happened, considering this type of thing was their original business].

The first SLS launch should bring a decent crowd, and allow enough time for proper planning and execution of the Kon. 

 

9 hours ago, wumpus said:

Guiana Space Centre is possible (and presumably closest to Harvester's homeland, although I don't know where he lives now).  Even in the winter (where freezing kerbalnauts might want to visit the tropics), I doubt you will get many to show up.

Take a look at what happened to the most recent Americas Cup.  The previous one was held inshore along the San Fran harbor.  The latest one was held in Bermuda, for some stupid reason.  Very few people got to attend because of the costs involved, compared to the tens of thousands that got to watch it IRL in SF. 

[Bill Phil]

I remember seeing a KSP setup at a FIRST robotics competition. That was cool. It was in the back, though. Hard to find. 

I think multiple smaller events would be the best idea. One near KSC, one in Rocket City (Near MSFC), one near Houston, one in Mexico City, and a whole number of other locations. Of course, hitching onto other conventions is preferable. Maybe bring some KSP setups to Eclipse Parties?

Edited August 16, 2017 by Bill Phil

[CaptainTrebor]

I think this may be the aforementioned Scott Manley skin mod.

https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/116374-104-scott-manley-head-pack/

I don't think I will be able to sleep for a very long time...

[nascarlaser1]

3 hours ago, CaptainTrebor said:

I think this may be the aforementioned Scott Manley skin mod.

https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/116374-104-scott-manley-head-pack/

I don't think I will be able to sleep for a very long time...

oh dear kraken why....

[pandaman]

Like most of us (I suspect) it would be great to have, and attend, a Kerbal Kon, but unless its relatively easy to get to, both time wise and financially, I just couldn't attend.  'Relatively' here obviously varies, depending on each of our individual circumstances.

Great idea, maybe most practical as a 'side event' at a larger convention though.  Also that way it would be more likely to make it viable to travel further as well as increase exposure to non KSPers.

[Gargamel]

13 hours ago, CaptainTrebor said:

I think this may be the aforementioned Scott Manley skin mod.

https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/116374-104-scott-manley-head-pack/

I don't think I will be able to sleep for a very long time...

Dangit I said don't!   Some things were meant to be left buried, lost to eternity. 

[Vanamonde]

Thread moved to Kerbal Network, since it's not about the game itself. 

[Bill Phil]

5 hours ago, pandaman said:

Like most of us (I suspect) it would be great to have, and attend, a Kerbal Kon, but unless its relatively easy to get to, both time wise and financially, I just couldn't attend.  'Relatively' here obviously varies, depending on each of our individual circumstances.

Great idea, maybe most practical as a 'side event' at a larger convention though.  Also that way it would be more likely to make it viable to travel further as well as increase exposure to non KSPers.

Well I guess the actual location could be changed. If it's an annual event, we could rotate the city location.

[NSEP]

Im on the side event side of this. It just drives more attention to people and who knows, new people might get introduced to KSP. 

[wumpus]

April 8, 2024.  Mexico City is dead center of an eclipse (this might make travel more expensive, but still...).

This might require some kind of KSP 2.0 (or more than just one DLC) to keep Squad sufficiently active in KSP to have a KerbalKon, but it really makes a one time and place for KSP types to show up.

[qzgy]

9 hours ago, wumpus said:

April 8, 2024.  Mexico City is dead center of an eclipse (this might make travel more expensive, but still...).

This might require some kind of KSP 2.0 (or more than just one DLC) to keep Squad sufficiently active in KSP to have a KerbalKon, but it really makes a one time and place for KSP types to show up.

Only slight issue is that school is a thing. I'm sure many people would like to see the eclipse and interact, but some of the younger members would be excluded. Myself likely included.