Atmosphere entry challenges ahead

[Scarecrow88]

I only plan to look forward to it if they can make it fun to deal with and not a burden.

I agree. If it gets to the point where you need to do several orbits around an atmospheric planet simply to slow down enough to even contemplate making a landing is the point where I will stop playing KSP. I play this game for fun, and going round in ever decreasing circles to slow down, rather than being able to get on with the landing, is not my idea of fun. And how frustrating will it be for new players? This game already has a fairly steep learning curve for anyone who doesn't have more than a passing grasp of orbital physics, and I am sure having their craft destroyed on re-entry from their first hard won orbit would be pretty off putting.

For those that want such effects and difficulties, mods are already out there to provide them, but I don't think it advisable to burden everyone with that level of difficulty as the default option.

[dellcom1800]

So the response to this post seems to be a concern the game will get to complicated for new players or too frustrating for existing players. That is always a game design challenge, however if it is too easy than that is just as big of a turn off. So far I think they have been doing a great job balancing realism with fun. I have not tried those mods and I doubt I will as I like playing the vanilla game, I think it allows for better testing of what the developers have been working on.

This game is certainly not realistic and it will never get close, nor should it. To clarify I just meant there should be some kind of atmosphere re-entry challenge, it does not have to be super accurate. I thought something as simple as what the game already seems to have which are heat ratings on the parts along with a known equation to figure out thermal forces that would be experienced at certain speeds at X density. We already use equations (either by hand or using one of the great calculator apps) to plot interplanetary orbits and aerocapture's. Certainly makes landing on Eve even more of an accomplishment.

[Ralathon]

I don't think we'r going to get something as thorough as deadly reentry though. That would make your first orbit impossible to land, and we do need to keep an eye out of the newbys

By the time a newby gets to orbit he'll have decouplers. And a chute --> pod --> shield setup tends to land just fine. And even without decouplers you can land just fine by using the engine as an impromptu heatshield. That's how I managed to do a skip reentry from a munar flyby on my first flight with FAR and DRE.

[Hodo]

By the time a newby gets to orbit he'll have decouplers. And a chute --> pod --> shield setup tends to land just fine. And even without decouplers you can land just fine by using the engine as an impromptu heatshield. That's how I managed to do a skip reentry from a munar flyby on my first flight with FAR and DRE.

Exactly, some people are so afraid of the added challenge of DRE that they assume it is far worse than it is. Unless you go in and mess with the settings, it is barely noticeable. I have found that as long as the design, kind of resembles a real life pod re-entry vehicle from any of the nations space programs it works, if you don't get crazy and try a 90deg re-entry from the Mun.