Real-Time KSP Space Race: Race to the Mun!

[dotfortun]

Cross-posted from reddit.

------Original post------

Traveling to the Mun is the first big thing that most people do in KSP. It is the first place that your Kerbals step foot on besides Kerbin. It can be reached in a couple hours of game time, and you don't have to wait ages for the planets to align just right to do it. You can get there in about half an hour of real-time.

That is, you can get there in about half an hour of real time if you fast-forward.

Nonesuchplace is taken by a fey mood!

What if we didn't fast-forward through to the Mun? What if we had to check up on our ship periodically to make sure that we aren't missing our intercept?

This is a terrible idea.

That being said:

This Saturday a couple of friends and I will be simultaneously livestreaming our exploits and troubles as we race for the Mun in real time. During the transfer, we'll probably be playing something else (probably something turn-based, so we can put it down easily), and there will certainly be lots of people being terrible and making jokes about it.

Why should you care? You must be wondering this. Well, you should care because it might be amusing. Either that, or if you want to feel better about yourself, because we are pretty terrible. There should also be some amusing dialogue and repartee during the building and launch phases.

When? We will start streaming at noon, EST.

Where? The streams will be linked on the day that we start. I am so prepared that I haven't gotten the streams for the other two participants.

What if I want to join? Well then: you are in luck. I'll be hosting a KLF server for this event, and will be trusting people to not fast forward to the Mun. If you want to be on the list of streams for this event, just shoot me a line or respond to this post, and I'll get you on the list.

Who's participating? So far we have /u/Nonesuchplace, /u/LiarsGame, and /u/AngryOnions. Streams will be listed as I get them.

Will this be fun? Yes, but only because it is decreed that there will be fun.

TL;DR: Join us Saturday the 1st of June for an afternoon of rockets exploding and colliding with other celestial bodies

------End OP------

I figured that I'd cross-post this, in case any non-redditors wanted in on the trip to the Mun.

Things that have been asked:

Can I use pack/mod x?

If you want to? My friends and I are going to be doing a mod-free (barring KLF) stock part journey where we start building our craft at noon on Saturday. You don't have to do it that way.

Will you be doing the landings in cockpit mode?

Only if I can make a functional cupola lander. I am bad enough at this game already. Bonus points for anyone who can do the entire trip in IVA.

Are there going to be comms?

I'll open up my teamspeak server to anyone who wants to participate. It'll be fun. My friends and I are pretty terrible, and we'll probably find something to do during the transfer to the Mun.

[Aladran]

So once I would have done my injection burn, I would have to wait many hours doing nothing but wait until SOI transfer...

where is the challenge in this, beside seeing who is willig to loose so much time for no purpose.

[Ninety-Three]

I assume the main method of reaching the Mun will be to wait until the Mun is directly above the KSC, then burn straight towards it, reaching the Mun in around an hour (less if you go really crazy on your launcher).

[Reavermyst]

So once I would have done my injection burn, I would have to wait many hours doing nothing but wait until SOI transfer...

where is the challenge in this, beside seeing who is willig to loose so much time for no purpose.

I would say the challenge would be like the challenge of Enduring the length of the mission rather than performing the mission. This is also a race, so the first to reach the Mun wins. I suppose this is more a matter of making the event fair, where otherwise it would be a matter of who is more efficient at time warping.

I assume the main method of reaching the Mun will be to wait until the Mun is directly above the KSC, then burn straight towards it, reaching the Mun in around an hour (less if you go really crazy on your launcher).

Fun fact, the Mun always in the perfect position by your first launch on a fresh save. So there wouldn't be any waiting required for that.

[Ninety-Three]

Are there any goals to this landing, like "Land at a survivable speed" or "Land something that can return to Kerbin"? I'm interested, but "Spend fifteen minutes burning, half an hour later slam into the Mun at ten thousand m/s" seems a little dull even accounting for all the waiting involved.

[dotfortun]

For anyone that is interested, this will be starting in an hour.

Originally posted on Reddit

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Prepare for the terrible to take off!

If you want to participate via our Kerbal Live Feed server, you can join at klf.dotlag.com:10224

The livestreams of the Munshots will be as follows:

/u/nonesuchplace - http://twitch.tv/dotlag

/u/AngryOnions - http://twitch.tv/Angry_Onions

/u/Liarsgame - http://twitch.tv/LiarsGame

/u/bwochinski - http://twitch.tv/bwochinski

May the best kerbonaut win!

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