Thinking of picking the game up, how is it?

[CardinalBiggles57]

4 hours ago, Soapstone said:

I figured out that using the clamps to stabilize it on the surface after lighting the engine makes it fly more straight into the sky after decoupling it. I got it pretty high into the atmosphere before it starts flipping around now and I have no idea how to stop this so I can get into space.

Do you have the Stability Augmentation System engaged? The keyboard shortcut is the 'T' key.  This does need a capsule crewed by a pilot or a probe control unit to work.  I hope this might cure your problem.

Edited April 30, 2018 by CardinalBiggles57

[Tewa]

5 hours ago, Soapstone said:

I figured out that using the clamps to stabilize it on the surface after lighting the engine makes it fly more straight into the sky after decoupling it. I got it pretty high into the atmosphere before it starts flipping around now and I have no idea how to stop this so I can get into space.

Fins are probably the answer you're looking for. As the rocket goes up, the wind is pressing against it from above. Fins catch the air and use it to keep the base of your rocket closest to the ground.

The reason  your rocket doesn't spin until later in the flight is that the rocket is heavier at the start, because it's carrying all that fuel. As you burn fuel, your rocket gets lighter and is more prone to being knocked around by winds. Since you go faster and faster as you go up, that makes the problem even worse. Both of these are totally expected and not something you should try and fix... you just need to learn how to deal with them.

Try putting some fins (3, 4, or 6, depending on your rocket) at the base of your rocket. See if that fixes your problem.

(Some fins, like the Delta Deluxe Winglets, also have steerable flaps that give you even more control. But even the "basic fin" will give you some stability.

[Greenfire32]

The biggest fault (or feature depending on how you look at it) is that KSP doesn't actually have that much to do by way of objectives. It is a sandbox game. Even in the "career" modes, sandbox is still very much present.

Don't expect the game to give you a bunch of objectives and goals, you have to do that yourself.

[Kerbital]

21 hours ago, soulsource said:

It depends on what you expect. If you want an orbital mechanics sandbox that's simplified enough to be quite an entertaining game, but still requires you to learn a lot about classical mechanics (assuming you don't know all that stuff by heart already), then KSP is really great. If you expect a game you can play without reading up on physics, and without having a spreadsheet calculation (or someone else's results found in the KSP wiki) open in the background, then KSP is not for you.

For me as a physicist KSP is one of the greatest games of all time, but yeah, I might be biased, as I consider it fun to calculate everything myself.

There is no need to learn physics and have a spreadsheet to play KSP. I played hundreds of hours without any of that.  You can relax game settings. And there are mods that make the game easier. Still, there is a fairly steep leaning curve but you don't have to turn into a physicist.

Edited April 30, 2018 by Kerbital

[Kernel Kraken]

Yes. Overwhelmingly yes. My only advice: Get it on PC with Steam. From my friend who has console, @Xpira, it lags like crap.

With steam, you can have it on all your PCs, Macs (BARF) or a windows phone with a mouse and keyboard, without having to buy it again.

( @Xpira told me to put that last paragraph).

[Geonovast]

2 minutes ago, Kernel Kraken said:

With steam, you can have it on all your PCs, Macs (BARF) or a windows phone with a mouse and keyboard, without having to buy it again.

+Linux

And this is true of all the providers.

Edited April 30, 2018 by Geonovast

[Kernel Kraken]

2 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

+Linux

And this is true of all the providers.

I use Windows and Linux under the term PC, as they are the two most common on homebuilts and storeboughts alike.

[Snark]

6 hours ago, Soapstone said:

I got it pretty high into the atmosphere before it starts flipping around now and I have no idea how to stop this so I can get into space.

It's because you've built your rocket so that its center of drag is in front of its center of mass, so that trying to fly it is like trying to throw a badminton birdie with the feathered end forward.

Things to do:

• Post a screenshot of your ship-- then we can give you specific advice.  Without knowing what your ship looks like, we can only offer general tips.  To take a screenshot, press F1 in-game; the image gets saved into the "Screenshots" folder of your KSP install.  Then just upload it to some 3rd-party image site like imgur.com, copy the image location, and paste it here.
• Put your CoM as far forward as possible.  You want your center of mass to be near the front of the rocket.  Heavy in the front.  If you've got something big and light and fluffy up front, it's going to be problematic.  (The VAB has a button that will toggle on a checkered black-and-yellow sphere marking your CoM location, which can help with this.)
• Make the front end pointy.  You want to reduce drag on the front end.  Fairings or nosecones can help with this.
• Put fins on the back.  These help a lot.  Put them as low down on the rocket as you can-- you want them as far behind the CoM as possible to maximize their effectiveness.
• Use SAS.  It engages with the "T" key.  As soon as you get going, press the little button, which will cause the rocket to automatically stick to as close to pointing "straight ahead" as it can.  The computer's reflexes are better than yours. 

[Zeiss Ikon]

11 hours ago, Soapstone said:

I figured out that using the clamps to stabilize it on the surface after lighting the engine makes it fly more straight into the sky after decoupling it. I got it pretty high into the atmosphere before it starts flipping around now and I have no idea how to stop this so I can get into space.

Fins.  Up to at least 25 km, 3-4 fins at the rear end of the rocket will do wonders for keeping the nose ahead of the tail.    Once you get too high for fins to work, you don't need them anyway.  Fortunately, they go away the first time you separate a stage.

[Cavscout74]

13 hours ago, Soapstone said:

I am currently trying to figure out how to get the rocket into space without it flipping around in midair. I don't have much to work with yet, I got some of the science things purchased so I can have better rockets and fuel storage to make it into space. I had to use a youtube vid to figure out how to get my first rocket launched just to get my science up to purchase better things. I am definitely thinking I will get the full game when it goes on sale on gog.

My criteria for buying the game after trying the demo was "If I can get a rocket into orbit in the demo, I'll buy the full game next pay day."   That was over a year ago, and I haven't gotten bored yet.

[kBob]

You're interested enough to read about it and make an account here.  So my advice is just buy it.  This game can do a lot of things, from causal fun with explosions to sparking an interest in space technology and physics...it's addictive.

Edited May 1, 2018 by kBob

[StrandedonEarth]

13 hours ago, Soapstone said:

I figured out that using the clamps to stabilize it on the surface after lighting the engine makes it fly more straight into the sky after decoupling it. I got it pretty high into the atmosphere before it starts flipping around now and I have no idea how to stop this so I can get into space.

A common mantra here is "It's hard to tell what's going wrong without screenshots..." (F-12 to take a screenshot, host on Imgur.com...). As others have said, pointy at the front, fins at the back, SAS on ('T' key, probably don't need fins if the engine has gimbal) all help stability. Confused yet? But wait, there's more!

If you right-click a fuel tank, there's something called "priority" Higher priority tanks drain first. Rockets are more stable if the center of mass (CoM) is farther forward. Setting the bottom tanks to drain first can help the rocket from becoming unstable later in flight.

Welcome to Kerbal; it's not just a game, it's a way of life! If it interests you (no, I haven't cracked a spreadsheet with this game) then this game offers by far the best bang (hours played, or literally bang) for your buck!

So many ways to play, like if you want planes instead of rockets. Or just plain messing around (see the "Destroy KSC: Highway to Hell" video linked in my signature)

Edited May 1, 2018 by StrandedonEarth

[Pthigrivi]

13 hours ago, Soapstone said:

I figured out that using the clamps to stabilize it on the surface after lighting the engine makes it fly more straight into the sky after decoupling it. I got it pretty high into the atmosphere before it starts flipping around now and I have no idea how to stop this so I can get into space.

Annnnd thats how it starts. Have fun Soap and welcome to the forums

[Gargamel]

6 hours ago, StrandedonEarth said:

(F-12 to take a screenshot, host on Imgur.com...).

Or F1 for non steam users...

[severedsolo]

That depends. How attached are you to your loved ones and friends?

My wife describes herself as a "KSP Widow"

[Gargamel]

 

48 minutes ago, severedsolo said:

That depends. How attached are you to your loved ones and friends?

My wife describes herself as a "KSP Widow"

 

23 hours ago, Gargamel said:

Hands down, the best Hours of Fun Per $ investment I have ever made. 

And that includes my ex-wife. 

 

Step 1....

Step 2...

 

Outa likes for the day (Already!?), so have a quote instead SS.

Edited May 1, 2018 by Gargamel

[StrandedonEarth]

3 hours ago, Gargamel said:

Or F1 for non steam users...

Oh for... I am a non-steam user! Must have been having some neuroflatulence. Or I was fat-fingered. Thanks for the fix!

[Kerbalstar]

I'll keep this short and sweet, not having read the thread, just the OP. Buy it. Best value for your money you will get.

Edited May 1, 2018 by kerbalstar
Spelling

[Tyko]

Steep learning curve, but YouTube tutorials help a lot. I definitely got frustrated at first and had to take it slow. Once you get the hang of it though it's really cool.

If you like solving engineering problems, planning missions and don't mind a bit of math, you'll probably like it.

[Mark Kerbin]

In a word; badass

As for the mixed reviews, though I may be biased given the fact I am here, most of them cropped up around a major update, or the T2 purchase, or the new DLC release. What I mean is that its mostly  people either, A) freaking out over some new change they don't like or understand or B) Getting worked up because they can't figure out how to do something. This game is awesome if you learn how to play on your own terms, and aren't afraid of admitting defeat and asking for help, something that probably will not be an issue for you given that you joined forums BEFORE actually getting the game. (Nice play BTW)

You seem to have already started playing, and since I wrote this before you posted that, this will be kinda out of date. (Ment to post a while ago and it didn't... Woops.)

On a more "How to start" note (From my own experience, you may have different ideas) ...

If and when you start playing, DO NOT start out with sandbox. Yes I know that sounds counter intuitive, but bear with me. KSP is complex. There are tons of parts, mechanics, and just general skill with building and physics you have to master. Starting sandbox is essentially throwing yourself in at the deep end. Sure you may float, but its gonna be ugly. The Career and or Science gamemodes are much less intimidating for new players, and from personal experience, more fun. (You do you though)  Both start you off with a few basic parts and make you learn the game by slowly giving you more "science" to unlock more parts as you go. Career also adds in Funds, meaning you have to manage what you build and how you build it, I find this forces you to be more inventive with vessel and mission design and execution. That usually leads to better/ cleaner looking vessels. Very gratifying feeling when you manage to do something you never tried before, or thought impossible. After you feel like you have a good grip on things, definitely start mod hunting. (No don't go hunt down moderators... Thats creepy and illegal. ). Theres a few I would suggest.

(Just google or search on forums, I can't copy links and I don't know why)

1. Kerbal Engineer Redux. Provides readouts of vital info about your craft. This will let you see what your vessel can do stage by stage, before spending hours in flight. 

2. Trajectories. Self Explanatory. Shows you where your vessel will end up landing. (And or impacting, if you are like me and forgot that last engine or fuel tank)

3. Transfer Window Planner. Shows you the best times to send a vessel on a Interplanetary trajectory. Lets you specify various things such as the traget orbit, launch time, and Delta V. (Change in Velocity, Use KER to calculate) 

4. I would also highly recommend finding some Contract addons for use with Contract Configurator. (Only for Career games) These can spice up the sometimes bland base contract system. (This is also a total plug for my contract pack...)

 

Good luck and happy piloting!

May the kraken be with you.

[soulsource]

18 hours ago, Mark Kerbin said:

A) freaking out over some new change they don't like or understand or B) Getting worked up because they can't figure out how to do something.

There's also another reason for negative reviews:
C) people complaining about bugs in the latest release that weren't there in the previous one

That's why I'd suggest to get KSP from the KSP store instead of Steam. If one isn't careful, Steam might update the game without warning, and one might end up with a version where something important is broken without an easy way to downgrade. If you use the store version, you can just update once you know it's safe to do so ;-)

[Tyko]

5 minutes ago, soulsource said:

There's also another reason for negative reviews:
C) people complaining about bugs in the latest release that weren't there in the previous one

That's why I'd suggest to get KSP from the KSP store instead of Steam. If one isn't careful, Steam might update the game without warning, and one might end up with a version where something important is broken without an easy way to downgrade. If you use the store version, you can just update once you know it's safe to do so ;-)

Agree 100% with this. With KSP store purchases you can control your updates. I know that with Steam you can step back to previous versions, but that's extra hassle.

Also, many of us who play waaaay too much would prefer not to know just how many hours we've spent on the game...Steam's little time-in-game counter is an unwanted reminder LOL.

Edited May 2, 2018 by Tyko

[AVaughan]

34 minutes ago, soulsource said:

That's why I'd suggest to get KSP from the KSP store instead of Steam. If one isn't careful, Steam might update the game without warning, and one might end up with a version where something important is broken without an easy way to downgrade. If you use the store version, you can just update once you know it's safe to do so ;-)

Personally I just copy the game to another location outside of Steam, and play from the copy.  That means updates can't affect a game in progress, and I can easily have multiple games with different mod sets (and even different versions).

[Mark Kerbin]

You can control updates on steam too guys. I have both steam and the store page versions. 

[invision]

KSP has a really steep learning curve and you may not understand what the game is trying to tell you. if you are easily annoyed or not interested in learning how things work KSP will surely make you upset. if you have no idea how space works in general the game will feel impossible. be prepared to learn about things you never knew you needed to know.

once you get past all of this the real game opens up allowing only your imagination to hold you back at this point. you can pretty much do whatever you want in the game within reason. its easily the best space sim out there and you can and will lose hundreds of hours of your life playing pretend NASA, or creating your own story, or just building the most eye popping massive rocket the world has ever seen and watch your PC beg for mercy as you launch it.