Imperial/Metric Discussion

[Epsilon]

Is it wrong to want to use something im familiar with instead of something that i was given a 5 minute lesson on in the 4th grade seriously i mean come on i just made a simple suggestion that may help a few players if you dont want it dont use it

No, there is nothing wrong with your desires. It\'s just the community and the game are not going to be using imperial anytime soon. Orbiter uses metric (but that\'s only because Dr. Martin Schweiger is British).

Think about all the math equations HarvesteR has to implement in order to get the physics right. Also, look at all the measurements needed. Think about how hard it would be to have to redo that code in the imperial, and how much more difficult it is to calculate things.

[Causeless]

No, there is nothing wrong with your desires. It\'s just the community and the game are not going to be using imperial anytime soon. Orbiter uses metric (but that\'s only because Dr. Martin Schweiger is British).

Think about all the math equations HarvesteR has to implement in order to get the physics right. Also, look at all the measurements needed. Think about how hard it would be to have to redo that code in the imperial, and how much more difficult it is to calculate things.

Uhm, nowhere near that much work needs to be done. Physics can stay the same, all he needs to do is change what is shown on the UI, just converting the values and symbols on the HUD, but the back-end of the game needs no modification whatsoever.

[NovaSilisko]

5280. Look it up first.

I didn\'t because I honestly don\'t care.

[Causeless]

I didn\'t because I honestly don\'t care.

Said like a true Kerbal, .

[6677]

Said like a true Kerbal, .

Not quite, NEEDS MOAR BOOSTERS

[Aliv3]

Not quite, NEEDS MOAR CAPS!

Fixed that for you. :

[crekit]

Screw the imperial system, seriously. Its just a nightmare to work with.

Even the modeling software is metric. I\'m sure as hell not going to model 6.56167 feet diameter rockets. (Aka, a 2 meter rocket.)

And then to get the config files right? Yeah right!

[mossman]

No, actually metric units frequently make less sense (and the scaling is all screwed up for historical reasons; cgs and mks are both broken in exciting ways that add random powers of ten to the answers of questions like 'how many liters in a cube a meter on a side?' or 'how many grams in a liter of water?'). Scientists just use them because they\'re common and sicentists have an especially strong interest in shared communication.

So how does 12 inches to a foot, 5280 ft to a mile, 16 oz to a pound, etc, makes more sense then 1,000 grams to a kilogram, 1,000 mm to a meter, etc, as in the metric system? The values in the imperial system are pretty much just arbitrary, whereas the values represented by base metric units represent scientific and relevant values, such as how one mL is a cubic centimeter, and how 1 mL of water is equal to 1 gram, etc.

Anyway, this is getting pretty off topic. So what do you guys think about the whole shadow thing? I think it\'s pretty great that we\'re getting darker shadows for stuff in space, now, instead of the cheap, unpleasant looking light shader we have now. The crescent effect from seeing part of a round body in shadow from the sun is something that I feel has been missing from the game for a while.

[Aliv3]

Screw the imperial system, seriously. Its just a nightmare to work with.

Even the modeling software is metric. I\'m sure as hell not going to model 6.56167 feet diameter rockets. (Aka, a 2 meter rocket.)

And then to get the config files right? Yeah right!

Dude no one said you had to use it. if you even bothered to read you would see i requested as an option. Quit being rude no one said you had to do anything.

[Epsilon]

This thread is not about which system of measurement is better.

End of measurement system discussion!

(and no, I\'m not trying to avoid an argument, I\'m trying to get everyone from being off topic)

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So what do we think the

* some other stuff.

is going to be?

[softweir]

This thread has gone hideously off-topic!

[dryerlint]

So how does 12 inches to a foot, 5280 ft to a mile, 16 oz to a pound, etc, makes more sense then 1,000 grams to a kilogram, 1,000 mm to a meter, etc, as in the metric system? The values in the imperial system are pretty much just arbitrary, whereas the values represented by base metric units represent scientific and relevant values, such as how one mL is a cubic centimeter, and how 1 mL of water is equal to 1 gram, etc.

Anyway, this is getting pretty off topic. So what do you guys think about the whole shadow thing? I think it\'s pretty great that we\'re getting darker shadows for stuff in space, now, instead of the cheap, unpleasant looking light shader we have now. The crescent effect from seeing part of a round body in shadow from the sun is something that I feel has been missing from the game for a while.

Without using a calculator or paper can you tell me how many feet there are in 452 miles?

[ludsoe]

O-o-o-o-o-o-o Lets put the apollo 13 landing site on the mun. *For a easter egg*

[Causeless]

This thread has gone hideously off-topic!

So? No one else was posting about anything!

But seriously, 0.12 should be badass. I was just thinking about it, and it kinda just struck me only know. We are getting a moon. A MOON. Let that run through your head, then realise how major that is, it\'s what.everyone has wanted since the beginning of development. Heh.

Also dryerlint, I can\'t... But seriously, stfu about it, we all know metric is better, and that\'s FINAL. (I kid I kid don\'t get butthurt...)

[Mispell]

O-o-o-o-o-o-o Lets put the apollo 13 landing site on the mun. *For a easter egg*

You probably mean Apollo 11. Apollo 13 never landed on the moon.

[Epsilon]

You probably mean Apollo 11. Apollo 13 never landed on the moon.

The apollo 11 landing site, Tranquility base is BORING. It\'s mostly plains (but safe for landings, which is why they chose it)

The apollo 13 landing site (what would become Apollo 14\'s) is an impressive highlands with many mountains, very fun.

[tvizz]

safe is not very kerbal

[Mispell]

The apollo 11 landing site, Tranquility base is BORING. It\'s mostly plains (but safe for landings, which is why they chose it)

The apollo 13 landing site (what would become Apollo 14\'s) is an impressive highlands with many mountains, very fun.

Oh, I didn\'t realize he meant the planned landing site.

For the interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_Mauro_formation

[6677]

There should be a little wooden hut somewhere with a sign saying it belongs to luna.

[Rascal Nag]

For now I think it\'s best to keep everything in metrics. It\'s MUCH easier to calculate how many km you are high than miles and much easier for speed calculations, too. I doubt there are many imperial users who can in a few seconds calculate their height in miles from feet and calculate miles per second from their feet per second. Even though I\'m American, the imperial system is just stupidly arbitrary and unwieldy. Maybe as an option one day, but I think for now that would be unnecessary weight on Harv and his team. Plus, people who don\'t really know metrics can find out how quickly you can learn it. I have no idea why we haven\'t made an attempt here to switch to metrics.

[Guest GroundHOG-2010]

no, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mons_Hadley

[Saaur]

FWIW, we (in the US) did try to convert to metric back in the 70s. There was a GIGANTIC backlash against it and the idea got scrapped. Which is a shame, really, since then we wouldn\'t have lost that damn Mars lander. http://articles.cnn.com/1999-09-30/tech/9909_30_mars.metric.02_1_climate-orbiter-spacecraft-team-metric-system?_s=PM:TECH

[Baleur]

FWIW, we (in the US) did try to convert to metric back in the 70s. There was a GIGANTIC backlash against it and the idea got scrapped. Which is a shame, really, since then we wouldn\'t have lost that damn Mars lander. http://articles.cnn.com/1999-09-30/tech/9909_30_mars.metric.02_1_climate-orbiter-spacecraft-team-metric-system?_s=PM:TECH

Also, the entire nonsense with the LHC wouldn\'t have happened either, if everyone used the same standard scientific measurement scale.

[mossman]

Without using a calculator or paper can you tell me how many feet there are in 452 miles?

No, I can\'t, which is why the Metric system is better.

[Epsilon]

C\'mon people.

I made this