how you build

[Dimetime35c]

wanted to ask everyone how do you build your KSP creations? do you just get an idea in your head and try and build it, do you set out with a goal like build X to get to Y, do you try and recreate something youve seen or read about, or do you just start up the game with no idea what so ever then just do whatever happens to come to mind?

[DisarmingBaton5]

I think of what I want the mission to accomplish, and build a craft (or a multi-part ship in orbit) according to the mission plan.

EDIT: Or I just go to the VAB and build whatever comes to mind. That always ends well

[RogueMason]

All of them. I've done every single thing on that list. Still do every single thing on that list

[Geschosskopf]

My thing is, if you're going to go to all the trouble of going to space, you need to do way more than just send 1-3 Kerbals to plant a flag and hopefully come home. Seriously, in the absence of a Cold War, what good does a flag-planting mission do? So, I look for any excuse whatsoever offered by mods to do more than that, then spend way more time designing ships to do these things than I do actually flying them.

[Rainbow-Dashie]

I usually get inspired, or see something and try to build that. 2 days ago I was in a library, and saw a "Scientific America" magazine with a cover page showing "The Next Space Shuttle" and the first thing that came to mind was, "im building that in KSP when I get home."

Then there is the philosophy of, "How can I do this mission in the coolest, most awesome way?" I could build a simple rover to rescue those guys... or I could build a Panzer Tank....

[regex]

I've done all that on the list, but nowadays I build with a specific mission in mind.

[Captain Sierra]

I build for a destination. Example of a mission thought process, start to finish (and an actual mission that I am running atm):

I want to go to Eeloo, that would look nice on my ribbons.

Strike that, I want to LAND on Eeloo, even better on ribbons.

Kerbals require too much, too much weight. Probe time!

Better bring two, one to orbit, one to land.

(After building both) IP drive time. I'll just slap some big 1.25m tanks on with 7 tanks in asparagus with one NERVA.

Launcher time, F*** Asparagus! This is only 20 tons, Onion stage it!

*adds part clipped cluster staging*

Okay, launch!

Wait, I'm like 300 days off a window.

*builds tiny rover with MJ; pulls up phase angles & ksp.olex.biz* Time warpin!

Launch day, MJ plot us a course *screws it up*

MechJeb, your f***ing useless. *manually creates intercept*

*burning, no approach* well, so much for that.

I did quickload that because I messed up the alignment (not sure how, the intercept was supposed to be almost on top of the descending node).

[KAO]

Sadly, I'm not the type of person that builds all these grand ships with something, like, 6 orange tanks, and with all that tricky asparagus staging, and struts everywhere. No matter what I do, it seems to me like almost all of my lifters end up being some variation of the Titan.

[SkyRender]

My general modus operandi is:

1. Think up some particular goal (ie. land an 8-Kerbal base on the Mun, a one-Kerbal lander to Eeloo, etc.)

2. Build out the essentials of the payload and the engines that will propel it. This is also where I set up the action groups for it.

3. Prototype-test the craft on the launchpad to make sure it behaves the way I need it to behave.

3a. If the contraption being sent up is going to be assembled in space, this is also the point where I arrange things in the stack and work out the logistics behind how everything will maneuver up in space.

4. Double-check that everything is going to have enough fuel to accomplish what I want to accomplish.

5. If necessary, build a drive stage to get the craft to its target.

6. Build the launch stage and make sure it can get the lot of it into orbit.

7. Final checks to make sure everything's where it needs to be and all action groups are set up properly.

8. Launch!

8a. Occasionally, go back and fix a problem with the launch stage. I rarely run into problems once I get the payload into orbit, at least.

[Whackjob]

How do I build?

Step 1: Shoot reason in the kneecap.

[Epthelyn]

I just build what I think of at the time and what looks like it might work. I've never spent hours and hours planning, designing and testing a craft, simply because I'd rather have a thousand explosions and the fun of trial-and-error than a mission which goes perfectly the first time. If it flies, it can get somewhere. If it can't go very far I'll add extra fuel, extra tanks and more boosters. The only time I've ever really skewed from that (aside from ye olde days when I'd never been to Eve or Duna) is for Eeloo, but even then I couldn't really be bothered with waiting for a launch window and took twice the dV to get there. The result - Bob and Bill are forever stuck on Eeloo, but I got there.

If I'm just messing around in Kerbin's vicinity (i.e. no further than Minmus) then [see Whackjob's method].

[BaldWombat]

I always end up getting some idea in my head and then try and make something to do that mission.

[Temstar]

Sometimes I have a specific goal in mind and the creation process is goal orientated, eg:

"I can't be bothered sending manned return missions to Moho and the two dwarf planets, let's send robotic rovers instead to explores. Let's see, it needs to be carry one of each scientific instruments, have a flash looking dish antenna, have infinite cruise range in the sun and very long range in the shade, need good cross country ability and needs to have chairs/ladders to carry two Kerbals and be used as a surface taxi should I ever decide to land manned mission in the future."

So the rover gets built and I go onto figure out a way to build a lander that can lower it onto the surface and have enough delta-V for the toughest target Moho:

And then a launch vehicle with enough muscle for the payload gets picked out and attached via Subassembly Manager and off I go.

Other times I don't really have a clear goal in mind. Instead I get inspired with ideas, something like say "let's see what's the largest radio antenna I can make", and I go into the VAB and the process could be best described as "fervidly painting with cryogenic fuel, big rocket engines and bits of structural metal" to trying to capture the inspiration and I end up with something like this:

Then finally there are ideas that start off much like the second method ("Hey! If I use ladders to hold Kerbals, I could build a very lightweight Eve return vehicle!"), but because the project is too large scale to wing it I actually sit down to list all the engineering stuff that needs to be done, so then the idea morphs into the first type of methodical design process. I find this mix of inspiration and logic problem solving the most endearing of the three methods.

[liweih]

Several different motivations: 1. To build a craft that can acomplish a task; try to implement some good design after watching how other people fly; design a craft to test an idea...

[AmpsterMan]

I usually get an idea for a mission and then try to build something that looks close to a real life creation if there is one. Airplanes and Mun Vehicles come to mind. For all else, I just bulid it from my imagination.

[MaGicBush]

I am quite new(look at my ribbons lol), but I tend to just wing it at the moment. I find something I want to do, and build a ship that does it and test it on Kerbin if necessary(the rover I sent to the Mun which turned into a Probe during the mission because the wheels broke during that landing). Then once that seems right I work on my rocket design to get it there which I have found a good combo for smaller payloads. Right now though, I set my mind to building a space/refueling station around Kerbal, and got the core launched finally after trial and error with a new rocket design for heavier payloads. My next goal is to work on getting fuel tanks and a few more Kerbals up to the station and work on docking which I have yet to try.

When designing the craft I tend to just use my imagination and go with what looks good and is functional. I don't use any outside sources for that.

Edited September 16, 2013 by MaGicBush

[DisarmingBaton5]

How do I build?

Step 1: Shoot reason in the kneecap.

Oh no. YOU build by sticking as many Mainsails on a craft as you can, don't you?

[Scotius]

I use bits of everything. Then i start adding. Additional equipment goes first: KAS winch or two, connectors, extra solar panels (just in case), an RTG (in case something happen to solar panels), one more battery, docking port, then a Communotron (or two). And things snowball from there until i have to add more fuel and engines. I end up with massive, massive, really overbuilt and overengineered rockets. But hey, my ships are equipped for every situation they might encounter . And most mind-boggling thing is: it usually works quite well. For example two days ago i was able to extend my Duna probe mission by turning her into Dres probe - it had so much dV left it made transfer with flying colours

[Kerbart]

Moar struts!!

Moar boosters!!

[Markus Reese]

I make a plan of the various stages I need to do to achieve my goal. Then I work backwards testing each part. This way, if things start going bad, I can abort and return home.

[Tw1]

Echoing others, there are several things that get me buidling.

Sometimes, I looking at the parts, I'll see a possibility, get inspired and do it.

This thing would be an example of that.

Other times, it's because I have, or find an idea. E.g. canon-(not-quite)-to-space.

Sometimes, its to achieve a certain goal. For example, this thing was made and put into orbit to take something to Moho and back eventually. Basically a modified asparagus lifter without a payload, and a few other tweaks.

Mostly, the three interact.

Mainsail is pretty powerful. Idea: Mainsail plane! One up from SRB planes.

Space shuttle has engines powerful enough to lift that big droptank. Lands like a plane, with the the lifting engines and other parts reusable.

Tested and demonstrated space shuttle like thing, based on the mainsail plane.

With improvements, the idea developed into something fairly capable. Takes Satellites to KSO, recovers Kerbals from spacestations. Way to achieve goals.

Like all design processes, the parts don't necessary happen in that order.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Tw1

[aceassasin]

I construct my payload, then build an extremely overpowered launcher slap some struts on it and go.

[Landge]

I start experimenting with just building a lander or rover, testing it out on the launchpad or runway. Then I'll run some suborbital tests to check landing, rocket's power, or parachutes. Then I start building the booster stages to try to get it into orbit. A recent build I came up with was how would I refuel my first successful spaceplane once it arrived at it's destination to be able to get back to Kerbin. Here's the result. Refueling Rig.

[SkyHook]

Well right now I only really develop craft, so I start with a specific functionality. For example, I want a reusable craft to ferry cargo between Mun orbit and the surface. I am sure that I could do this in about 15 minutes, but I want specific parameters. I am very particular about landers that are too tall, so I am in a pickle about how to have enough Delta-V. So in short, I design craft to fulfill a specific role in a certain way, spending 80% if my time in the VAB. After that, I refine the design until I am happy.

[TicTacToe!]

I usually develop and build towards specific goals, however sometimes that only goes as far as the payload. I'm sure that for most KSP players, there is a calculable limit for when they lose their cool in building their launch vehicles and adopt the brute force mainsail approach. The "Jebediah" limit. To be fair, it gets the job done.