How do you design your craft to look?

[MR4Y]

Age 25. My rockets and planes mostly have a bit of form and function, although function comes first. Then I come up with a way to implement said function in an acceptable design, just like the plane I did that has variable geometry wings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A-Yuo-bkPE

[Dante80]

20yo. As realistic as stock-only can get. Unless I get some crazy idea and want to test it.

Thats a really good cold launch simulation man!

[ouion]

I am 13 years old. My design are relatively Russian or "kerbal style space worth rockets" like this one in career mode.

[Whackjob]

I am 34 and going on 74.

I build delightful absurdities.

[zekes]

im 16 and honestly I do whatever I feel like doing. My biggest acheivements:

300 ton rover

900 ton launcher

1800 ton SpaceBattleship

60 ton Duna lander

270 ton Duna Station

And countless other craft... i make too many to count.

Oh, and I run the largest Rocket Company on these forums I love that thing, I have worked so hard to make ZS what it is. Look how many posts I have!

[Superfluous J]

42, and I build for functionality. If it functions well that's pretty enough for me.

Though sometimes while building for function (especially now with reduced options in Career Mode) I get some beautiful craft.

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

I am 13, and I like to build realistically. This means that I build replicas, or somewhat realistic craft. No Whackjobbing here.

And yes, I did use whackjob as an adjective

[Giggleplex777]

I design my ships...

...Pico.

[Guest]

My rockets are usually small. Monstrosities are too slow.

[toric5]

16, and i prefer that my ship work with as little mass as possible, as long as it has decent symmetry and doesn't leave debris.

[panfish5]

Im 13 and I don't do much design on my rockets only on the end product.

Edited November 18, 2013 by panfish5

[lazarus1024]

30

I tend to shoot for as close to real world examples and/or actual developed concepts as I can.

Obviously that doesn't work out sometimes for a variety of reasons, but it is what I try to strive for.

[Feradose]

14, and aerodynamic even if its going to be a base in eeloo! (... huge eggs to cones with wings)

[justidutch]

I'm 43. In the career save I go for the cheapest vehicle that'll get the job done, don't care how it looks. In the sandbox save I'll go for what looks good and can get into orbit. I hope that helps?!

[ShadowZone]

35. And I just want to make my creations awesome in one way or another. I take design inspirations I see around the scene and try to take them to another level.

Exhibit A: I read in a Spacecraft Exchange Thread about multi hull spacecraft. Then I went and made this:

Exhibit B: I saw somebody use cargo bays to construct some kind of hangar. So I made this:

I always try to look for some kind of "sleek" design. A lot of the parts are always just there to make my creations just look better. But there is always purpose to the design. The Megacruiser has working Escape Pods and can carry cargo for instance.

Sure, there are probably ways to realize the things I want to do with less overengineered vehicles. But that's what makes this game so much fun for me: make the impossible possible. Realism is fine, but I want to be able to do crazy stuff. I already have to be sensible and efficient at work

[landfish2]

Well Im 16 and I build dinosaurs

So yeah I prefer aesthetics. And you know what im not ashamed either.

styling is based fairly evenly between sci-fi and real life

[Cupcake...]

Where possible I try to balance form and function.

Cupcake...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-kEY3EhbDY

[Pixel of Life]

19, and I usually try to make my ships look as cool as possible. Below is a... thing I built, I could use it as a space station core or as an interplanetary habitation module but I haven't decided yet.

[viktor19]

I'm 15 and I usually try to perform the task balancing between aesthetics and efficiency.

[Octa]

Mostly for plausability/"realism", but i start making trade-offs as soon as doesn't work out with my playstyle anymore....

...for example i just put some insanely large asparagus pancake underneath a space-station just to get core into orbit with one launch. On the other hand, i go for streamlined satellite/probe launches with fairings that don't look like adult toys.

[kamekolossus]

19 here, I try to find that sweet spot between cool-looking and completely functional, but it's admittedly not an easy task. If I can help it I try for the "used future" cobbled-together look with exposed girders and struts and things.

[Musicrafter]

I'm 16 and a 500-hour player, and I try to make my ships look simply acceptable. I try to avoid part clipping (beware the Kraken -- because of my discipline, it actually has never struck me) while still making my ships look realistic. For example, I don't use engines that are too small for the fuel tank I've used; I try to make my ships have as many smooth lines and edges as possible (no weird protrusions of battery stacks, SAS clumps, excessive monopropellant, etc.), and I try to make them as small, efficient, and as cheap as possible whilst still retaining some degree of realism (e.g. no pilots strapped into chairs passing through dense atmospheres at 5 G's).

[RandomGuy1824]

I'm 13 and like to make things that go boom! But seiously I use the BDarmory mod to make things that would be useful in a battle. I also like for fun to make a rocket with lots of fuel and see how far I can get. I also don't usually use something unless it looks cool. I am also not into rockets, spaceplanes for life!

Edited December 25, 2016 by RandomGuy1824

[iSilver]

I'm 32 and my design priorities are (in order from highest to lowest):
1. Function
2. Survivability (redundancy)
3. Fuel efficient

 

 

 

[GoSlash27]

45, and see 5thHorseman's comment.

I build my craft to be cheap and effective with no regard for aesthetics.
 

Spoiler

 

SSTO crew shuttle

SSTO tanker, space station, interplanetary mothership

Simple Munar flyby probe

Reusable Munar lander

 

Merry Christmas. Now get offa mah lawn!

Best,

-Slashy