Bej Kerman Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 12 hours ago, shdwlrd said: What's your opinion of near future? 5yrs? 25yrs? 50yrs? Depends on context. 12 minutes ago, KSK said: On the contrary, I’m a big sci-fi fan. Just not that particular expression of it in the context of KSP. Interstellar travel isn't sci-fi, it's a real possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSK Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 16 minutes ago, Bej Kerman said: Depends on context. Interstellar travel isn't sci-fi, it's a real possibility. For exceptionally generous definitions of possibility - maybe. Interstellar travel by robotic probes, on one-way trips to the very nearest stars, in human-sensible journey times (i.e. decades rather than centuries) I can see being just about possible. Although building and flying one would make the combined efforts of every single space program to date, look like nothing more than launching a single bottle rocket. Anything beyond that - and certainly the kind of interstellar travel that KSP2 looks like it's going to involve - well we're just going to have to agree to disagree on that being a real possibility. Thanks for the discussion folks. I think my views on what constitutes near-future space technology (which, thinking about it, is basically KSP1 tech with all the - entirely reasonable - gameplay shortcuts and handwaving taken out) and interstellar flight, don't really fit with the rest of this thread. So rather than winding you all up and being wound up in return, I'm just going to bow out now. Cheers, KSK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KerikBalm Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 20 hours ago, MechBFP said: I think you guys might be talking with a computer bot... It can be hard to distinguish a bot from a ... ummm... to refrain from derogatory statements... a very eccentric person. Just as an aside, I don't think that is the standard for passing the turing test. 16 hours ago, Bej Kerman said: The entire purpose of KSP 2 is that it's going to be KSP 1 with near future technology. What's the point of KSP 2 if it's just going to be a KSP 1 planet pack? The devs might as well have settled as KSP 1 modders if that was the plan. If they optimized the engine well enough, to enable much larger part count craft, made a more streamlines colony system (since colony mods are out there), and made other minor engine improvements (terrain level of detail, scatter, etc)... it could be enough, but I do see your point. 15 hours ago, KSK said: Personally I think ‘near future’ is lowballing KSP2’s technology level. Leaving aside the Fuel that Shall Not Be Named, inertial confinement fusion drives, torchship drives and whatever else they’re planning to include for interstellar flight... I agree, its not near-future. I think they aimed for "hard" sci-fi, and missed the mark a bit. PS - I like your term for that fuel causing much debate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bej Kerman Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 3 hours ago, KSK said: For exceptionally generous definitions of possibility - maybe. Interstellar travel by robotic probes, on one-way trips to the very nearest stars, in human-sensible journey times (i.e. decades rather than centuries) I can see being just about possible. Although building and flying one would make the combined efforts of every single space program to date, look like nothing more than launching a single bottle rocket. Anything beyond that - and certainly the kind of interstellar travel that KSP2 looks like it's going to involve - well we're just going to have to agree to disagree on that being a real possibility. Thanks for the discussion folks. I think my views on what constitutes near-future space technology (which, thinking about it, is basically KSP1 tech with all the - entirely reasonable - gameplay shortcuts and handwaving taken out) and interstellar flight, don't really fit with the rest of this thread. So rather than winding you all up and being wound up in return, I'm just going to bow out now. Cheers, KSK. Not possible if done with modern technology and fuels. You're just going to have to accept that technology advances. 1 hour ago, KerikBalm said: I agree, its not near-future. I think they aimed for "hard" sci-fi, and missed the mark a bit. I don't see how bigger rockets and other fuels being discovered isn't hard sci-fi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KerikBalm Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 (edited) Well, as far as colonies, its more realistic that it takes a whole colony to produce fuel, with specialized infrastructure for each fuel type than the current ISRU system where you can supply huge amounts of fuel with a relatively small ship 4 minutes ago, Bej Kerman said: Not possible if done with modern technology and fuels. You're just going to have to accept that technology advances. I don't see how bigger rockets and other fuels being discovered isn't hard sci-fi. Well, the Fuel that shall not be Named, and its even less realistic cesium doped variant come immediately to mind... but going too far down this path will again require moderation... Edited March 14, 2020 by KerikBalm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSK Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 (edited) 53 minutes ago, Bej Kerman said: Not possible if done with modern technology and fuels. You're just going to have to accept that technology advances. Oh I was. That decades long interstellar probe mission I was talking about? That would be propelled by an Orion drive, a fusion drive or something similar, which is why I also said that I could see it being just about possible rather than flat-out impossible. But this is exactly what I was talking about. Our notions of what is likely to be achievable by technology and how long those achievements are likely to take, are so far apart that we're just going to be talking past each other. Cheers. KSK. Edited March 14, 2020 by KSK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirkidirk Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 (edited) <snip> 53 minutes ago, KSK said: But this is exactly what I was talking about. Our notions of what is likely to be achievable by technology and how long those achievements are likely to take, are so far apart that we're just going to be talking past each other. IMO it should take somewhere around 500 years for humans to send a manned interstellar mission, 2000 at Maximum laziness, assuming nothing bad happens, which probably will. why that is, I dunno, just a hunch. also you have to remember that these are kerbals, not humans. kerbals are much more into spaceflight than we are. or not Edited March 14, 2020 by Geonovast quoting removed content Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geonovast Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Some content has been removed for being off-topic and demeaning. Keep the conversation on point and civil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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