A Possible Model of a Kerbal Galaxy

[Guernica]

If Squad does not want to either increase the max warp, or create engines that may allow for speeds even 1/20th the speed of Kerbal light speed, then perhaps they could at least allow modders the capability to do so, and allow those modders the capability to create other star systems.

Also, IRL any trip to another star would take years, so I'd be satisfied with trips between stars being "on rails" at super high warp speeds.

Edited August 14, 2013 by Guernica

[Morty_jhones]

well if they do allow other star systems theirs no reason they cant actually be close repetitively speaking after all in nebula regions it is not uncommon for star systems to be under a light year apart and the closer you go to the core in our own system the tighter the systems get anyway.

personally with it's high mass but low diameter system i have always seen kerbal as a close core system so having nearby systems and no Oret cloud would make sense.

[pyro42]

Well, personally i think it's possible to make an entire galaxy.

The computer should't have to calculate every thing. Other solar systems and stars could be like "rooms". When you get out of a room to join another one, then the computer start loading the new one. Our "orbits" could act like those rooms, loading just what we need. In fact, this may already be the case.

The developers are probably already working on it and know (better than us) what to do.

[InfinityArch]

How long it would take to travel to another star system at current time warps depends largely on how fast you're going.

At near light speed, it would take slightly more than 1.73 hours at 100,000x acceleration to reach a star 20 light years away.

Of course, kerbal scales are about 1:11, so a star 20 light years away in real life would be more like 2 light years away in ksp, which would take about 15 minutes to reach at 100000x time acceleration traveling close to c.

At kerbal scales, it would only be a few minutes at 100000x time acceleration to reach the closest stars at light speed.

[Lithium-7]

guys

but

no

guys you're not

guys

guys they can just

no

guys

In all seriousness though, the galaxy (if and when it's implemented) is going to be a full-10x-smaller-scale spiral/elliptical sort of thing. But it's not going to be handmade because that is an awful idea. Randomly generated is what it's going to be.

Well, maybe except for a few fixed systems but the rest will be random. And processing power is not an issue because one; KSP does not simulate gravity for anything other than your craft. It's all on rails. Two; KSP will not render all of the planets and stars and interstellar guff at the same time. It does currently, but it's not going to in the future. This is guaranteed because it's as impractical as a rube goldberg machine and the solution is simple and easy. Having a galaxy full of 100 billion stars will be simple because they're all on rails and only get generated and rendered as you go. The worst you need to worry about is a big save file.

Edited October 15, 2013 by Brixmon

[Djolox]

Light Blob!

What about players just start from already named system called Kerbol system with all planets already implemented (duna,jool,kerbin,moho... possibly few other new) and with going interstellar as they discover systems and planets they give them names.

like New planet was discovered! Let's name it! Name:your name... and here it goes new discovered planet/system and players own name.

And memory saving thing about 1000 systems with different amount of planets and 150 star textures 150 star models 150 star colors and about 2000 planets 180 planet models 180 planet textures 180 planet colors.

Then mixing all textures models and colors up and creating 2000 planets very same to each other or very very different.

[rkman]

Randomly generated is what it's going to be.

Well, maybe except for a few fixed systems but the rest will be random.

Not random but procedural. Definitely not the same thing.

For all i know a procedural galaxy-like thing for ksp was Squad's plan, but during the recent Kerbalkon i think i heard Harvester say he's no so sure (any more) that it will be procedural (not that it means it will be random...)

Edited December 23, 2013 by rkman

[thereaverofdarkness]

I like the imagination here but I feel I have to point out that there is no reason to believe that neutron stars will ever be landed on and mined for resources. Neutron degenerate matter (a.k.a. "neutronium") only remains in this state because of the pressure it is maintained under. No type of matter container can maintain that pressure without becoming neutronium itself. Even if we could store neutronium, there would be no point in harvesting it, as it would be easier and safer just to produce it. Also, it has pretty much no usable properties other than mass and density, so it wouldn't really accomplish anything.

Sorry to burst any bubbles. On the other hand, ships might orbit near neutron stars to collect particles from the magnetic field. That would be very dangerous but potentially very lucrative.

[Luka 999]

I think that we will have to wait for some time becaus the developers will have to come up with a solution how to preserve a ton of memory.

[Layereddiagram]

If KSP is to be kept a game with any hint of realism, then this is impossible.

KSP is supposed to use current/near future tech, and if they used non-speculative propulsion methods ( project Orion or project Daedalus ) and used a 1/11 scaled down Galaxy, the burn times would measure in years.

Its kind of like taking an ordinary racing game with a normal track and then suddenly having a intercontinental race across the Atlantic ocean.

(sorry if this seems rude )

[Bill Phil]

Do what battletech did. Yes, there's a whole galaxy, but we can only access a small portion. Well, most people are in that small portion.

[fireblade274]

I think your crude paint drawing is a step in the right direction and seems to be a good rough draft on how an interstellar system could play out

[tater]

The largest number of stars per galaxy that Distant Worlds does (last time I played it) was 1400. You do notice some performance issues at that size, and obviously it isn't a replica of the Milky Way. Didn't know about these dwarf galaxies so I guess it isn't 'unrealistic.

But in any event, it is a very satisfying and interesting gaming experience that succeeds in conveying the vast distances. FTL is of course part of the game, though I don't remember the details.

ADDIT: Another idea that is worth considering by modders and devs: Initially do not worry about modeling the entire galaxy. Instead just model the immediate neighborhood of Kerbol. Assuming that the way interstellar travel is implemented is 'realistic,' then for the first phases of a campaigns interstellar exploration and expansion, it will only be the immediate neighborhood of Kerbol that will matter anyway. This map of the immediate neighborhood of Sol could serve as a good model in that it only contains the 55 stars within 14 light years.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Nearby_Stars_%2814ly_Radius%29.svg

This.

Given the insane timeframes with the inability of the game to deal with constant acceleration trajectories, FTL is required. Perhaps you have an artifact someplace weird, like polar orbit above Kerbol... sort of like Gateway (a Fred Pohl book). IN that book, the spacecraft were there, and you got in one, and it took you... wherever it came from. Randomly to the pilots, but not random at all. Perhaps you get there, and doing so unlocks a new docking port for Gateway. You then dock with it at an empty port (it's a huge asteroid with docking ports all over, each with a latter above it (in a cool, alien alphabet)). There can then be a button to "jump" and you blink to being docked at some station like the one you left somewhat (different letters).

Now you can explore a new system.