KSC - R&D Simulator

[Sochin]

Would it be possible in time to add a simulator to the new R&D section of the space centre for the testing of component craft in other atmospheres?

[cramtenahc]

+1 it would be great

[Harguinxx]

Would it be possible in time to add a simulator to the new R&D section of the space centre for the testing of component craft in other atmospheres?

+1, but I think that this is in the alredy suggested list...

That said, yes, test your crafts before put the live of a kerbanout in danger or expend milions of kerbaldollars in a usless peace of metal, and without having to actually perform the whole mission (when you only want to test the landing x exemple) is a great suggestion, and would improve the game a lot.

[technicalfool]

Sorta reminds me of the "Simulator" in Wing Commander Prophecy. Basically a quick-play option that lets you do single missions without advancing the game proper or suffering penalties from screwing up.

And yes please. This could be separate and distinct from Sandbox mode, in that the simulator would only have the parts/technology available that your career has currently gotten up to. Perhaps it could even serve for training kerbals up to a point, before giving them "real" experience.

[Beeman]

This has been suggested a number of times and in a variety of different ways. Computer simulations where you punch in weather, gravity and atmospheric parameters or select from planetary presets for testing craft files and/or subassemblies(landers, rovers and so on), simple wind tunnels for aerodynamic testing or even just test courses somewhere around KSC, perhaps behind a rover/lander/payload assembly building.

Seems a rather popular suggestion, one way or another and I'd be down for it I suppose. Though maybe it should require a fair bit of science data to unlock it via the R&D mechanic. That is, if it's some advanced computer simulation type of thing.

[innovine]

The Apollo program lunar lander was never really tested.. it's flight capabilities were tested in LEO but it's landing capability wasn't really tested.

I strongly dislike the idea of computer simulations. A wind tunnel would be good, as would some kind of bungie cord from the roof to 'simulate' low gravity, but I think it should be really primitive, rather than a high-fidelity sim. Just more fun isn't it

I get a lot of playtime by lofting my re-entry, land and re-ascend vehicles up to 10km and parachute down, do rover activity and fly up and away again. Its cool to not really know for sure if it will work somewhere other than Kerbin, but still try to come up with a test program on Kerbin. Please don't remove that challenge by offering me a simulator.

Plus, a good sim is more or less the same as just teleporting to your destination over and over and re-doing the landing until you get it right. If you are instead forced to launch, rendevous, refuel, navigate, arrive and begin a descent EVERY TIME, you sure as hell have a lot more riding on it, making the first time somewhere new very exciting indeed. I think sims would reduce that tension by far too much.

[OdinYggd]

Strictly speaking this is no longer necessary.

Just put it on the pad and send it on its way. If it doesn't go well, use the revert to VAB feature. That will roll back the save file as though the flight never took place, allowing you to perform dry runs of equipment to prove its flightworthyness without making any lasting changes to your save file.

[Harguinxx]

Strictly speaking this is no longer necessary.

Just put it on the pad and send it on its way. If it doesn't go well, use the revert to VAB feature. That will roll back the save file as though the flight never took place, allowing you to perform dry runs of equipment to prove its flightworthyness without making any lasting changes to your save file.

if you mean in sandbox mode yes, I hope that you can not revert the mission so easily in career mode, even though, if I want to test my landing vehicle I don't want to perform the whole trip to Duna each time I want to test a change in my design, after the 10th time it's simply boring.

[Tw1]

if I want to test my landing vehicle I don't want to perform the whole trip to Duna each time I want to test a change in my design, after the 10th time it's simply boring.

I wouldn't mind a basic simulator that lets you vary gravity and air pressure, to test designs. Very basic graphics, removing much of the experience of actually going there.

Load your Lander there, give it a go. Nothing more

Edited August 30, 2013 by Tw1

[Tex_NL]

Don't get me wrong. I totally understand why and agree it would be a nice feature but please keep in mind when humans first went to the moon they didn't exactly know what to expect. Everything they did was purely based on an educated guess. And the same will be true once we finally go to mars the first time, the only way to know for sure if the equipment works is to actually go there and test it out. And there WILL be failures! Hopefully not resulting in human casualties but accidents will happen. Challenger and Colombia are perfect examples of this.

[Harguinxx]

Don't get me wrong. I totally understand why and agree it would be a nice feature but please keep in mind when humans first went to the moon they didn't exactly know what to expect. Everything they did was purely based on an educated guess. And the same will be true once we finally go to mars the first time, the only way to know for sure if the equipment works is to actually go there and test it out. And there WILL be failures! Hopefully not resulting in human casualties but accidents will happen. Challenger and Colombia are perfect examples of this.

yes and no, they actually tested a lot of stuff before going there, they tested all the components in vacuum and in microgravity, they known the gravity of the moon and they did a LOT of calculations, since calculate is boring and too hardcore for nearly everybody a simulator would make it easy and fun... It's KSP, not the reality.