Flight control and guidance equipment

[0x7be]

I've been reading about real spacecraft control and guidance equipment like Gemini Guidance Computer, Apollo Guidance Computer, Argon computer series etc. Comparing to real world guidance and control KSP controls are quite simple. You get nice visualization of spacecraft motion patameters and very handy maneuver node planner mechanism. Mods like MechJeb, Kerbal Engineer, etc also provide you with plenty of flight data and even automate some tasks.

It really helps people to enter the game and easens learning curve whilst also taking away some challenge and realism. So I thought that it would be nice to have a mod which emulates onboard flight control equipment in a more realisic fashion. It would give some challenge in performing space flight. There is wide spectrum of ways how this idea could be implemented, starting from simply chopping off some functionality from MechJeb and addig some low-tech artwork to it, and finishing by thorough implementation of some real world computer design with all of it's internal workings and multipage operation instructions.

So, what do you think of this idea?

Would you like to have more realistic and more challenging flight controls?

How much of realism and challenge do you want?

Or should we leave it for hardcore guys who play Orbiter?

Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks!

[lazarus1024]

It has some merit.

No.

KSP I think has the perfect balance of realism and challenge already. I don't want an actual simulator.

Yes.

It would be interesting, depending on what future additions KSP has, to have something vaguely like Mechjeb as an option/unlockable part. I could see it with especially probes if SQUAD ever adds remote control and light speed time lag to the game (even at 1/10th scale for the solar system that it is now, Kerbin to Duna is still, what? About a minute time delay?). You can control probes and rovers and stuff directly, but at greater distances that'll be hard, so you can just program them to do something instead.

I'd only really see it IF remote control WITH delays are added. I do kind of hope at least remote control is added for probes down the line. IE you MUST have a working antenna of some sort, with different ones having different ranges. You can relay through satellites if you want to extend range.

[jsfalconero]

I think there are already a few mods that can give some of the limited instrument data. You might check out Steam Gauges and Kerbal Engineer.

I also saw the beginnings of a video series on YouTube where one guy was the pilot and the other was mission control using telemachus (not sure on the spelling, I've only heard it mentioned in speech). That looked like a ton of fun and quite a challenge!

[0x7be]

Thank you for you opinion.

[Richy teh space man]

Why not make it into a mod and see who likes/dislikes it?

Personally, I like the fact that you don't have to be a rocket scientist to be able to play KSP, although some may like that extra layer of difficulty.

[0x7be]

Why not make it into a mod and see who likes/dislikes it?

Because creating even a prototype of mod consumes time and I don't have much of it to spare

So I want to know beforehands if anybody is going to use it.

I don't want to make thing which nobody will use

Personally, I like the fact that you don't have to be a rocket scientist to be able to play KSP, although some may like that extra layer of difficulty.

Thanks for feedback.