Asteroids and the fragment effect in .24

[Deta]

Will asteroids blow up if 2 should collide like fuel tanks or fragment into smaller pieces and would those in turn become micrometeorites. I know Squad has said 10m. but come on someone will hack it and make 40m. and will you have to worry about time warping into the path of a 5m asteroid. with the asteroid generator Squad is testing now, how long till the Kerbol system is a regular shooting gallery?

Even a failed launch yields new data.

[Armchair Rocket Scientist]

I can think of 2 basic ways of handling micrometeoroids in KSP:

1. The game procedurally generates and tracks every single piece of debris. Even on rails, these will bog down your computer, and they'll come within physics load radius all the time, making the lag even worse.

2. The game approximately calculates how much debris is in a region of space, then calculates the odds of a collision, and has a random chance of spawning an object of random size and velocity and firing it at your ship. So basically, random failures, AKA the subject that attracts flame wars like ladders attract the Kraken.

So no, I seriously doubt we'll see anything like that; there just isn't a practical way to implement it.

[Stargate525]

and will you have to worry about time warping into the path of a 5m asteroid.

No you won't. As it stands right now, vessel proximity does not disallow time-warp. Simply hit 5x and phase through it.

[Deta]

I can think of 2 basic ways of handling micrometeoroids in KSP:

1. The game procedurally generates and tracks every single piece of debris. Even on rails, these will bog down your computer, and they'll come within physics load radius all the time, making the lag even worse.

2. The game approximately calculates how much debris is in a region of space, then calculates the odds of a collision, and has a random chance of spawning an object of random size and velocity and firing it at your ship. So basically, random failures, AKA the subject that attracts flame wars like ladders attract the Kraken.

So no, I seriously doubt we'll see anything like that; there just isn't a practical way to implement it.

the thing is we do not know what the NASA part of .24 is fully, we've been given hints from the podcast. As for flame wars, my boiling point is 477.2 K. I want data. I put this out there as a question, to inspire talk, to see if it is possible. if it draws some trolls it just means they're afraid of the data.

I know this is a game.

[TheGeoninja]

I'm pretty sure that Squad said it wouldn't add random failures as it would just be a pain to deal with for the players. I could see somebody just outside of Eeloo's sphere of influence getting slammed by a asteroid or somebody quick saving just before an asteroid hits a ship dooming the crew no matter what the player does.

[JimmyAgent007]

they talked about the odds of an asteroid hitting something you dont want it too and that it would be an 'astronomically' small chance. Space is big and I dont see a lot of meteors being in the same loaded radius around your ship at once unless you are collecting them. I suspect though that they are a single part as far as physics calculations are concerned so it shouldnt be that big a deal. They did say that they wouldnt be 'on rails' so they may be setting it up to process when you are not focused, im interested to see if that translates over to debris from your ships and if they will no longer be on rails when you arnt focused on them.

as for fragments, well i think they can just pulverize on impact and disappear or be indestructible and ricochet off each other in some manner. so there shouldnt be fragments

[rhoark]

Mostly man-made, but during the shuttle program there were more than 1900 documented debris impacts.

[coolitic]

They should only put asteroids and maybe other particles in asteroid belts and planetary rings.

[Deta]

Mostly man-made, but during the shuttle program there were more than 1900 documented debris impacts.

I remember the paint chip in the window.