Should I buy KSP for PC?

[Jollyranger]

I have played the Xbox version of the game for about a year now and I have really enjoyed it. I even got the enhanced edition for free and that was much better. But I started wondering if I should try the PC version. Now that I have money for it, I’m wondering if it’s worth buying again. The only improvements I know of are:

mods

easier menu navigation

easier mechanics overall

possibly higher framerate

I can use a joystick 

let me know if there are any more advantages and if it’s worth another $40!

[Starman4308]

Wait for it to go on sale? Steam frequently discounts KSP.

In any event, the framerate thing is dependent on the PC used to run it. A weak CPU on a PC isn't going to be any faster than a weak CPU on an Xbox.

Anyways, mods let you totally change the experience. There are mods for: scripting your vehicles (such as my automated lunar lander script), upscaling the solar system, adding to, altering, or wholesale replacing the solar system, adding additional bits of realism to worry about (life support, powering your communications, ullage and cryogenic fuels), improving the aerodynamics model, building larger rockets, adding new science experiments and mechanics... there's a lot that's been done by KSP modders.

The controls are probably also somewhat more natural, and editing in the VAB/SPH is probably easier with a mouse for precision adjustments.

[Superfluous J]

You play KSP on PC if you can, and on console if you have to.

That said, wait for a sale. They're fairly frequent and in the meantime you can still play on the console.

[Jollyranger]

Alright thanks  I guess a sale is the best way to go, and the console version (at least the new one) isn’t bad!

[Gargamel]

Mods.    Mods.   Mods.  

Those alone will let you tweak the game so that you basically make it be a different game over multiple installs. 

So yes, buy it.  It's worth the flat asking price, but waiting for a sale isn't a bad idea either.  But then again, do you really want to lose out on valuable play time?  

[NewtSoup]

Yes, absolutely

are five reasons not enough?

Seriously - mods is the best one.  Also the game is much more playable on a PC.  I used my friend's PS4 version and it was frustrating.

The first 3 mods you want are:

Kerbal Engineer Redux, - knowing your dV is so, so useful and something a rocket engineer should have available to her
Maneuver Node Evolved ( or similar advanced maneuver node manipulator ) Pilots need to be able to navigate accurately
[X] Science! - Scientists need to be alerted when there's new opportunities for research detected!

Using a joystick is ok.  Really only works for aircraft.  I have a HOTAS system but I much prefer to tip rockets over with keyboard presses for minute precision adjustments.

If you want to go for prettyfication then install

Stock Visual Enhancements ( and the respective EVE components it wants )
Scatterer
Maybe Copernicus if it works ( doesn't work for me )
Distant Object Enhancement

And for ease of docking if you want easier docking

Docking Port Alignment Indicator

Later on you might want Kerbal Alarm Clock
 

For automation of launches and flights try Mechanical Jeb

 

[AngrybobH]

I honestly couldn't tell you if KSP is any good on PC because I have played with so many mods (over 70) for so long that I really don't remember what the stock experience is like. But it is totally worth the asking price to get the thing all those mods work on.

[pandaman]

I'll add a yes to getting on on PC too.  And yes wait for a sale (if you can).

You also don't have to wait for the latest version to get ported to console.(soon to be 1.4).

[Dafni]

Why even waiting for a sale? It is like 30 bucks, right? If you can afford it, go for it! It will most probably be one of the best dollars-to-fun ratio purchases you do in a long time. At least it was for me.

[Jollyranger]

3 hours ago, Dafni said:

Why even waiting for a sale? It is like 30 bucks, right?

Right now it’s $40, and if I can, i’ll save money for other games too.

[Dafni]

1 hour ago, Jollyranger said:

Right now it’s $40, and if I can, i’ll save money for other games too.

Okay, fair point.

But once you have KSP there wont be much time for other games      

just kidding mate, have fun and see you on the forum

[Geonovast]

4 hours ago, Dafni said:

Why even waiting for a sale? It is like 30 bucks, right?

Regular price is $40, but it is frequently on sale, as low as $20.

I'll throw my voice on the pile... main advantage I see is the mouse.  I just can't imagine working in the VAB or trying to click on small objects on the ships in flight with a controller.

The only advantage I can really see to the console is flying planes, since you have to use analog inputs.

Of course mods, can run better than a console if your computer is good enough, etc..

[DrLicor]

Do you want to look your game like this?

 

Of course you do.. The PC opens a lot of possibilities to add to you game

[Jollyranger]

wow, I didn't expect so many responses! I guess I'm buying it then, and I'll stick around on the forum.

[Archgeek]

12 hours ago, NewtSoup said:

*A big ol' list o' mods*

 

I'd throw stock RealPlume in there under prettification mods, to boot.  That exhaust expansion, though.

Edited February 15, 2018 by Archgeek
No, bad WYSISWYG editor, that was wrong.

[Mako]

51 minutes ago, Jollyranger said:

wow, I didn't expect so many responses! I guess I'm buying it then, and I'll stick around on the forum.

As far as forums go, this one is one of the good ones. There's plenty of mods to try, and plenty of friendly folk who are happy to help. I believe GOG has KSP on sale for US$23.99 right now, but if you prefer Steam it will likely go on sale for US$20.00 in a few months.

[Geonovast]

9 minutes ago, Mako said:

As far as forums go, this one is one of the good ones. There's plenty of mods to try, and plenty of friendly folk who are happy to help. I believe GOG has KSP on sale for US$23.99 right now, but if you prefer Steam it will likely go on sale for US$20.00 in a few months.

GoG FTW

https://www.gog.com/game/kerbal_space_program

[Norcalplanner]

I played this game stock and had a wonderful time for two months.

Then I discovered mods.

That was three and a half years ago.  I'm still playing the game several times per week, but haven't played a bone stock game since I loaded my first mod.

[Jollyranger]

All right guys, it went 40% off on steam and I got it! I guess this thread is over now.

[Renegrade]

5 hours ago, Norcalplanner said:

I played this game stock and had a wonderful time for two months.

Then I discovered mods.

That was three and a half years ago.  I'm still playing the game several times per week, but haven't played a bone stock game since I loaded my first mod.

I'm playing pure stock right now. I mean hardcore pure, zero mods.  And the only thing it's really missing is.. Kerbal Alarm Clock.  I can do without most of the others (no PreciseNode is a bit painful, but the stock maneuver-thing can do most of what PreciseNode does, it's just clumsier), but my favorite style of mission is heavily overlapped/flotilla-oriented, vs the Battlestar Galacticas that other people seem to favor... and those are very hard to do without KAC.   I find I'm limited to three vessels on a broad stagger on a single-body mission, vs. the thirty or forty I might have en-route to multiple simultaneous interplanetary destinations normally (in tight stagger).

(Granted, I'm mostly doing this as I like to keep my "manned landed and returned from every land-able body in pure stock" certification current, I usually run a bunch of info-mods like VOID and RCS Build Aid and QoL things like PreciseNode)

[Kernel Kraken]

Yes. Overwhelmingly yes. The mouse controls will make the game more easier to add more boosters.

[ShadowZone]

I bought KSP for PC twice.

Once over Steam and once directly from kerbalspaceprogram.com

Why? It's just such a great game and I wanted to support the devs back then (I think it was 2014 or something). Keeping in mind that I have clocked in more than 3000 hours in KSP according to Steam, I think I got my money's worth many times over.

[ZootinZack]

For mods alone it's worth it so much. Once you've launched 100s of ships in orbit MechJeb makes the game way less tedious. You can also use hyperedit for testing in specific conditions (like, you know, most space agencies would do).

The kerbal alarm clock is also such a great mod, if only to plan transfers to other planets.

These are mainly the three mods I use, but there are a lot of others, like life support, that can drastically transform the game.

[4THEKERBALS]

On 2/15/2018 at 8:44 AM, DrLicor said:

Do you want to look your game like this?

 

Of course you do.. The PC opens a lot of possibilities to add to you game

FINE I LOVE THAT it took a while for me to decide Xbox or pc I say pc

[Epicdreamer]

I've played the PC basegame for a few hundreds of hours. I've played modded installs for a few thousands of hours. I find ksp one of the cheapest hobby's I've got. So yes, it's worth it imho.