KSP Solar System Scale

[Oggula]

The whole point of the game is that it brings space travel to a wider audience. When I first orbited in v0.8, I was the only one of my friends who actually bothered getting that far. Make the planets bigger, atmosphere taller, rockets more advanced and temperamental, and nobody would find the game interesting enough to buy it.

This thread receives inherently biased replies on this question as the only people to bother finding the forums are those who have already enjoyed the game enough to take serious interest (and thus consider orbiting a large planet to be a viable challenge).

[Zuni]

I like KSP exactly as is.

The size is perfect, the planets are perfect. Then again, I am a complete newb.

But when you create a new game, there should be a "System Size" slider which changes the scale of KSP. That way newbies and pros can all have their fun.

[Nostromo]

I think the case often is that people forget this is a GAME and are expecting a SIMULATOR.

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

What the Video in my Signature to get a slight Feeling why the Kol System is as big as it is.

[toric5]

also, while yes, the computer could handle the size, unity and its floating point errors (read: kraken) could not.

[MrPopcup]

Jool is the size of venus, to get a feeling of HOW would the game be if it's true scaled, imagine launching from jool, doing orbit.. Etc.. It's sooo HARD!

[NASAFanboy]

Wait.

Huh?

Jool is the size of Earth, and Kerbol is the size of Jupiter. And they could fit in Venus orbit.

My brain.

"Brain overload. System Failure. Please restart"

[borisvolodnikov]

I'm not sure making this detail more realistic would make the game any more fun.

[Herbert McCheese-Wang]

I heard that Kerbol is about the same size as Jupiter

[vetrox]

Well i would say the compromise because of the same reasoning any game makes compromises. So it works. It takes me an entire night just to get to eloo. Its fine just the way it is

Another thing is

The kerbol system isnt actually our solar system. Its a fictional/magical place where the laws of physics differ slightly from ours. I cant find the image atm but its online somewhere comparing a kerbal to a human being and the kerbal comes up to our waist or something.

The reason its all smaller is because thats how it is. Kerbol is that size because when the universe was created, kerbol was created as it is. And with kerbol being in its current state allows this magical, fictional sillicone based life form to live with their magical resources and what not.

I'm trying to think of a good way to describe it but i just keep coming up with a battlefield versus cod scenario. With people saying Battlefield is more realistic when in all honesty it doesnt matter cos its a freaking game!

[PlayMp1]

Wait.

Huh?

Jool is the size of Earth, and Kerbol is the size of Jupiter. And they could fit in Venus orbit.

My brain.

"Brain overload. System Failure. Please restart"

Yes, the orbit. As in the area of the entire solar system in KSP is smaller than the area of the ellipse describing Venus' orbit.

[NASAFanboy]

Yes, the orbit. As in the area of the entire solar system in KSP is smaller than the area of the ellipse describing Venus' orbit.

Oh thank you.

I thought you where saying that everything could fit in LVO...

[Nakara]

There isn't any problem to do our solar system at 1:1 scale, a lot of design and optimization things but it is possible.

In fact there's a project that has been for some years (back to 2006 I think) that is making an entire galaxy so.. guess what.

Here you have a link to a tech demo of 2010

[lajoswinkler]

PlayMp1, where did you get the data to make such inaccurate diagram?

Here's my quote with actual correct data:

Eeloo's apoapsis is at 113549713200 metres, which is 113549713.2 kilometres, which is 0.11 billion kilometres.

Venus has an aphelion at 108939000000 metres = 108939000 kilometres = 0.1089 billion kilometres.

So yes, Eeloo's orbit would be a bit bigger, but most of it would fit inside Venus orbit. Funny, I've never tought about this. Crap, Solar system is a huge place.

[Sof]

But isn't this against the laws of physics as well? The closer to a planet you are, the faster you need to be moving to stay in orbit.

I'm fairly sure the engines are just really overpowered when compared to the real things.

Rockomax "Mainsail" Liquid Engine thrust = 1500

Rocketdyne F-1 thrust = 6770

Rockomax BACC Solid Fuel Booster thrust = 315

Space Shuttle SRB thrust = 3000+

[PlayMp1]

PlayMp1, where did you get the data to make such inaccurate diagram?

Here's my quote with actual correct data:

Look at the entire diagram. There's an asterisk.

Not to scale.

[lajoswinkler]

Look at the entire diagram. There's an asterisk.

Not to scale.

So what's the point of a diagram? The point should be a representation of the scale, and it says it is not to scale. I don't get it.

[borisvolodnikov]

Really, you could use that asterisk to close out the entire topic...

KERBOL SYSTEM*

*Not to scale

[regex]

I think the case often is that people forget this is a GAME and are expecting a SIMULATOR.

Some people play SIMULATORS as GAMES.

Also, surprised no one has posted this link yet:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/54327-WIP-ALPHA-Realism-Overhaul-Planet-rescale-now-with-alpha-DLL

[PlayMp1]

So what's the point of a diagram? The point should be a representation of the scale, and it says it is not to scale. I don't get it.

I was only relating that the Kerbol system is smaller than the orbit of Venus, not how much smaller. The person I was responding to thought the entire Kerbol system could somehow fit inside an orbit around Venus. I had to illustrate it.

[lajoswinkler]

OK then, got it.

[Gobbles Gusto]

There simply are solar systems that are 1/11 the size of ours, the Kerbin solar system is one of them.

[kahlzun]

If you want an accurate representation, this is to scale, showing aphelion and perihelion correctly. Size of the suns is also correct.

You might need to zoom in...