Space exploration experiences we want to relive in KSP2

[Vl3d]

I want KSP2 to allow me to relive the feeling I had when I first saw:

- the Prometheus landing

- Ad-Astra moon rover ride (before the pirates)

- LV-426 derelict discovery (everything feels so dark, cold, stormy, the star so far away..)

- Falcon Heavy twin booster landing

- any IVA rocket take-off during which I just hope it doesn't blow up / IVA landing during which I look at the sensors and hear the proximity alarms and hope i don't crash: like this

What space exploration feeling are you chasing (from real-life, movies, games, cinematics etc.)?

 

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Vl3d
added video preview

[The Aziz]

 

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by The Aziz

[intelliCom]

A long mission based on the events of 2010: The Year We Make Contact would be nice.
Starts with heading to Jool, then a rendevous and docking with a derelict vessel in Joolian orbit.
Then Jool has a monolith-hole (Squad-branded Monoliths, of course.) and we have to use one ship's thrusters to gain speed, then undock to use the fuel of the other craft.

It could serve as a tutorial for teaching how to perform rendevous, how to dock, and demonstrating the importance of reducing dry mass.

[SunlitZelkova]

The whole journey of the first crewed missions to reach where ever. First Man was really cool.

This includes fictional first missions too. That feeling of being "first" is really cool, not in a nationalistic bragging kind of way, but in a "we have never done this before and now we have accomplished it after all our hard work" way.

[t_v]

The moment when Cassini sent its first amazingly detailed images of Saturn and its moons.

[sunnypunny]

I think there's nothing to relive from KSP because I know the basics of orbital mechanics now. Cracking that first orbit, learning how to do gravity assists and low-TWR multi-burn maneuvers from Brad Whistance's videos, seeing how n-body works with Principia... all stuff you only get to do once.

But it will be fun to see how this binary system works, along with the ultra long-burn interstellar trajectories.

On an emotional level, it'd be nice if launches could be more dramatic like in Interstellar the film, but I think it would require a roleplay server to be more invested in the characters. Actually this would be the most appealing kind of mod after seeing GTAV NoPixel on Twitch - the KSP equivalent. That would be a "hell yeah!" kind of experience - a 24/7 space drama made by players.

7 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

The whole journey of the first crewed missions to reach where ever. First Man was really cool.

This includes fictional first missions too. That feeling of being "first" is really cool, not in a nationalistic bragging kind of way, but in a "we have never done this before and now we have accomplished it after all our hard work" way.

First positive comment I've seen about that movie lol, I loved it as well. The Gemini-Agena RCS failure and the X-1 bouncing off the atmosphere were both great moments, but I'm not sure a game can give me the same feeling if I tried to remake them.

[SunlitZelkova]

On 3/26/2022 at 8:53 PM, sunnypunny said:

First positive comment I've seen about that movie lol, I loved it as well. The Gemini-Agena RCS failure and the X-1 bouncing off the atmosphere were both great moments, but I'm not sure a game can give me the same feeling if I tried to remake them.

With a direct recreation, I suppose part of the problem is that malfunctions aren’t a thing in the game.

But basically what I desire is the general feeling of “this has never been done before” and “doing our (my) best and accomplishing something”. As opposed to screwing around with silly designs and wacky missions. So playing the game in a much more serious fashion, which will require a bit of role playing.

That said though, I will still play the music from the landing scene every time I land somewhere for the first time, Apollo replica or not 

Note- Messing around is fine too (and I plan to do that as well, as a matter of fact), but since this thread is about recreating something I mention that specifically.

[Laxez]

to be honest I don't have anything in particular that I want to relive, I just want that WOW effect I had 7 years ago when landing on Mun for the first time. To quote someone famous "to go where no man has gone before".

I think I want to have an experience that in real life I don't think I will ever be able to have (if humanity continues in this way...)

[joratto]

 

[Vl3d]

[Vl3d]

 

 

[sunnypunny]

11 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

With a direct recreation, I suppose part of the problem is that malfunctions aren’t a thing in the game.

Even with part failure there needs to be more at stake within the game to create that feeling of drama. In reality it wasn't just the mission itself and the human lives at stake, the space race situation made success even more critical. We've heard nothing about multiplayer in KSP2 but if it's competitive like that, it would help. Parts potentially failing, losing kerbals and reputation and future contracts, along with your opponent beating you... if it all came together like that, then that would be a good recreation.

[Vl3d]

 

[DunaManiac]

[sunnypunny]

Okay since we're posting videos

What makes this the most memorable launch (and space scene overall) for me isn't just the launch - which is over pretty quick - it's everything surrounding it. Nolan is my favourite director so I may be a bit biased on this, but I think he portrays the way humans connect with space really well. There are so many tales woven into that launch - a devastated daughter, a soon-to-be broken family, a son's coming of age, a father trying to protect his family, and trying to save the world on top. The slow burn orchestral crescendo leading up to engine ignition takes on a deeper significance, of blasting all that drama and human connection away to enter the cool and unemotional realm of space. And immediately the tone shifts to a sarcastic robot who jokes about leaving them behind. Space is brutal, humans don't belong there, and the way this is portrayed directly is through a witty joke.

I think First Man also took a similar approach by giving significant screen time to the family and all the stuff going on "behind the scenes" of those historic missions. I'm unsure if KSP2 could recreate this kind of drama because we're supposed to see Kerbals as expendable. But we could connect with them with the right mechanics - for example, Banished was a game that could draw you in to connect with the people who make up your village. If we had something like this and got invested with the Kerbals (while they were on Kerbin, or in a colony somewhere) then this kind of feeling could be recreated.

[Vl3d]

On 3/29/2022 at 6:52 AM, sunnypunny said:

I'm unsure if KSP2 could recreate this kind of drama because we're supposed to see Kerbals as expendable. But we could connect with them with the right mechanics

I'm sure KSP2 could respect the ritual of the Crewed Launch a little more. There should be an emotional buildup at countdown, there should be a crowd, families watching, important Kerbals, TV.. there should be some risk (depending on our work and design, not random), there should be truly prepared abort sequences. High stakes, high emotional reward, historic moments should feel GIANT, the most epic moments in our existence as a species.

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by Vl3d

[Vl3d]

 

[Guest]

23 hours ago, joratto said:

 

Motherships carring multiple spaceplanes, I want at least a couple of dozen of those. That's what I'm mostly waiting KSP2 for, that and searching new skyes to fly my planes in.

 

[Vl3d]

Oh yes, I love the idea of drone swarm and carriers and launching multiple science drop pods to explore a planet. Any movie or game scene / example that comes to mind?

 

[SunlitZelkova]

14 hours ago, Vl3d said:

There should be an emotional buildup at countdown, there should be a crowd, families watching, important Kerbals, TV.. there should be some risk (depending on our work and design, not random), there should be truly prepared abort sequences. High stakes, high emotional reward, historic moments should feel GIANT, the most epic moments in our existence as a species.

+1. A major problem I have is trying to make lift off “matter” instead of just going “5 4 3 2 1” and pressing W and space bar.

It should be optional though, because sometimes “lonely” launches might be better. Like test flights and so on, or recreating very early space missions which were experimental and not open to the public.

[Vl3d]

 

[Vl3d]

 

[Vl3d]

 

[Vl3d]

As you fly around one day with your science plane you hear a SOS radio signal barely distinguishable from white noise. You look around for a few minutes and finally see below skid marks on tundra grass, an earth trench, a path of collapsed pine trees and the snow covered remains of what seems to be a crashed plane in the forest. You land close-by and follow the trail.

You find the black box containing the plane logs: it ran out of fuel before reaching civilization. The sun has hidden itself beyond the horizon and night has fallen. While walking back to your SP2 you see a light coming from a cave on the mountain side nearby. You go there, the trip takes a few minutes.

Inside the cave you find one survivor sitting next to the fire, gazing into the dancing flames, surrounded by stockpiled supplies. He tells you his name is Beardy Kermann. He buried his crew mate close-by after the accident. He emotes and is grateful that someone has come to save him.

You both hear a bear and turn around...

- The story of Beardy Kermann -

......

It's server year 73. One of the space based telescopes detects a huge interstellar comet on an intercept course with Jool. All players have 1 year to prepare observation missions.

We build probes and start setting them in orbit around Jool. Some of us build small landers and hitch a ride on the comet. But the most advanced players construct a huge rocket on a deflection mission and barely alter it's trajectory to try to capture it around the gas giant.

The comet comes into Jool proximity as we all watch and do experiments, the huge engines attached to the comet spewing long flames as they try to circularize. Unfortunately joolian gravity and thrust forces stress its internal structure too much. We watch in horror as the comet breaks apart, engines still firing tumbling wildly into space.

We observe the trajectories of the huge pieces. One of them is headed straight for Laythe and it's too late to do anything about it. We see the atmosphere lighting up, a huge mushroom explosion near one of the islands where a few players had built tourist colonies. Shock waves catch some of the space-planes and rockets trying to escape. We all saw it from unique vantage points, we will remember it for the rest of our lives. The humanity...

- The Great Laythe Desolation of '73 -

Edited April 4, 2022 by Vl3d

[Vl3d]

Edited April 5, 2022 by Vl3d