very basic question. Which KSP program to buy/download/try to do space orbits?

[st23432]

Never used KSP before. But I saw this on you tube using KSP

and I am not sure which program does this? I am only interested in orbit analysis and set up and simulation of orbits. Not in rocket setup part.

I downloaded a demo version of KSP from https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/demo.php and ran it on windows, but I do not see anything similar to what shown in the youtube program.

I am student, and want to use this to help me with my HW. I am happy to buy the program, if I know which one is used for maneuver planning and orbit set up. Any one has a link or more information what to buy? or where to try it?

[vexx32]

KSP is a combination of building your rockets, and orbital mechanics (plus a whole bunch of other stuff like rovers and planes and whatnot; exactly what you use it for is up to you). The full version of KSP does indeed include manoeuvre node planning, which to my memory isn't in the demo itself. There are a lot of differences between the full and demo versions, and the demo is more buggy, too. If you require additional information about orbits and so forth, there are a plethora of mods you can look into, which I'm sure you'll have about a hundred suggestions of shortly enough as people see the thread.

[datdenkikniet]

If you need extra info about orbits, use Kerbal Engineer (Only works on the full game, I believe). If you don't want to spend time getting into orbit and stuff, you can use HyperEdit to "Cheat" you into an orbit .The demo version is quite boring in comparison to to the full game, and I would highly recommend you to buy it .

Edited March 19, 2014 by datdenkikniet

[dazhat]

The full game has everything in it. It also has a couple of missions where you start in orbit.

If you buy ksp it comes with several rockets already built and ready to fly. If you do build your own rocket do not forget a parachute and solar panels.

[MKI]

The game is split into two parts, building rockets and flying them. Building a rocket can be done easily in a few minutes, you can easily make a moon capable rocket in around 10 mins for beginners, now FLYING it to the moon and back is a little more complicated.

You can watch many videos on how to make a simple rocket, and how to get to orbit and do other things. (watch a scott manley video on it, easily the most informative and entertaining.)

Even in the demo version you can make a moon capable rocket, it takes a little more work than the stock game(as your very limited by parts).

In either version you are able to get to orbit, the moon and out of kerbin influence.(other planets with their moons are in the full game)

I did not watch it through and through, but most of the video seems to be in MAP VIEW. Which is where you hit M during flight mode(when you have a ship on the launchpad)

I didn't see any noticeable mods in the video either. Even the demo version has map mode, which is where you see most orbital information, you can also still control your craft by pulling up the navball from the very bottom arrow.

Now about mods, mods can only be used in the Full version.

Kerbal Engineer is one of two very common mods used with the game. The other is MechJeb, which gives similar information as Engineer but is mainly used for its auto execution capabilities. For instance it can dock for you, get you into orbit, perform burns, land for you(very accurately!) and perform maneuver nodes for you down to a few meters.

You can look into the official mod site at:

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/

and buy the game either at this link:

https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/kspstore/index.php?p=22

or on steam if you have it.(you can get steam here)

http://store.steampowered.com/about/

Both are the same game, i personally got it on steam. If your low on cash you can always look for a steam sale, where KSP goes for as low as 17$ (or around that)

Just make sure you want this awesome game, and can run it. If you can run the demo without your CP crawling to a standstill, you should be able to run the normal game. So play the demo and see how you like it. DON'T FORGET MAP MODE,(hit m) which i believe is what you are looking for.

Goodluck!

Edited March 19, 2014 by MKI

[OrtwinS]

The Demo is missing a LOT of functionality the full game does have.

That has mostly to do with the fact that the demo is based on version 0.18, and quite a few game-changing updates have occurred in between. (http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Version_history).

The first demo was based on 0.13, the current one 0.18. Add another 0.05... oh right, we are at 0.23 now .

Demonstrating the latest progress and capabilities (and the performance improvements!!!) might be a smart move.

Though of course, the team is VERY busy juggling both ARM and 0.24, plus other developments like the MP, and conferences and the upcoming storm of media attention. There might not be spare capacity (in the near future) create a new demo.

[lammatt]

buy the game when it goes on sale...

it's pretty expensive right not, $27 is on the expensive side of the indie genre.

[Red Iron Crown]

buy the game when it goes on sale...

it's pretty expensive right not, $27 is on the expensive side of the indie genre.

While that is true, if you look at it from a $/hour of gameplay perspective it is almost scandalously cheap. But only if you find aerospace and sandbox-style games interesting.

I haven't run the numbers on it, but I'm fairly sure I'm at less than a penny per hour played now.

[EtherDragon]

@OP

Right at the beginning of the video he identifies the version of KSP being used - it's the paid version 0.18. We are now on 0.23, which has "Career Mode" available in addition to Sandbox mode. All of what you saw in the video is done with a rocket that was already built (probably by tryingtolive) and previously launched into orbit (also probably by tryingtolive). Maneuver planning using the tool shown in the video is part of the stock paid game, it does not require any add-ons.

As far as the cost is concerned:

I just checked my /played from steam and I have 174 hours, so far.

At $27 that's about $0.15 per hour of enjoyment. (And I have enjoyed every hour).

Out of all the games I own, very few have such a high return on investment.

There is the Cheat Menu (can't remember key bind off the top of my head) but you can use that to skip building your own rockets, and just "fly" a ship with unlimited fuel wherever you want, from any of the pre-built rockets in Sandbox mode.

[Red Iron Crown]

There is the Cheat Menu (can't remember key bind off the top of my head)

Alt-F12 is the key bind.

[Kasuha]

As far as I remember, the current demo does have maneuver nodes. You get reduced number of parts, reduced number of flights, reduced number of planets, but the game mechanics are all in.

To see your trajectory and to be able to place maneuver on it, you just need to build a rocket which will allow you to stay in the air for long enough to switch to map mode and check the orbital trajectory on which it is.

[Dispatcher]

KSP is sometimes sold during Steam sales; I bought KSP (v.20 at the time I think) for about $16 USD. So if your budget is tight, or you like better deals, you could wait for a Steam sale. However, with KSP as popular as it is, sales may become fewer and fewer.

I recommend that you play the stock game first. After you are familiar with it, or if it becomes difficult in any way, I recommend that you watch You Tube videos that interest you on the subject. After that, if you want other functionality or part, try mods from the SpacePort.

Have fun, whatever you decide!

Edited March 19, 2014 by Dispatcher
typo

[Caelib]

It's your lucky day because you found this gem-of-a-game known as Kerbal Space Program. It's VERY hard at first, but just keep in mind that its degree of fun/awesomeness is matched by its difficulty.

[cantab]

The Map View and the Manouver Nodes are in the current demo. The video linked to, after all, mentions being done on version 0.18; the current demo is version 0.18.3.

To get to it, when you're flying your rocket check the instrument in the bottom right corner, there are three icons there. The bottom one, looking like a globe, takes you into Map View. (Or just hit the M key).

The demo's feature set is smaller than the main game obviously, but still pretty comprehensive. You've got Kerbin, the Mun, and the Sun, a decent selection of rocket parts, a couple of ready-made rockets (the Kerbal 5 can reach orbit), and tutorials including one on orbital manouvers. There are next to no differences in game mechanics that I've found.

Edited March 19, 2014 by cantab

[Pecan]

I've just fired-up my demo version to check and it does indeed have maneuver nodes. On the other hand I haven't watched the video so I don't know what you think you're missing. As Kasuha said, you need to stay in the air long enough to have a trajectory and switch to map-view in order to see it.

Standard "quick" advice for getting into orbit (version 0.18 demo) - the stock craft all have 'issues' which are easy enough to fix once you've got the hang of things but it's even easier to build your own orbiter. Click on the VAB, start with a MK1 Command Pod - your ony choice in the demo anyway. If you intend to bring your Kerbal back put a Mk16 parachute on top of the pod and a TR-18A stack decoupler underneath it. Add an Advanced SAS System, FL-T800 fuel tank, FL-T400 and LV-T30 engine in order under the decoupler. This is the stage that will get your orbiter into space but it needs a bit more punch - "moar" boosters as the saying goes in these forums. Put another decoupler below the engine and an RT-10 Solid Fuel Booster below that. Repeat this so you have, from the top, parachute, pod, decoupler, SAS, two fuel tanks, engine, decoupler, booster, decoupler, booster. Now click the launch button (top-right of the VAB screen, you might want to save first) and your rocket will be taken to the pad. KSP's physics engine takes a few seconds to kick in then you will see the ship and camera 'settle' a little. Press 'T' to engage the SAS unit, it'll keep you pointing in the right direction ^^. Throttle-up (left shift-key) to max then press the spacebar to engage your first stage - booster 1. You're off. Watch the fuel-guage at the bottom-left of the screen, ignore the 'overheat' warning and wait for booster 1 to burnout. When it has no fuel left press the spacebar again to jettison it and engage booster 2. When that one runs out too, spacebar to stage again and you'll have your main rocket firing. Continue straight up to 10km then press 'T' to disengage SAS. Now press 'D' (yaw-right) to pitch-over to 45-degrees as shown on the navball at the bottom of the screen. Press 'T' to re-engage SAS.

Now we get to the map view and maneuver nodes you were asking about. Press 'M' to switch to map view (press it again when you want to go back) and you will see a blue 'current orbit' line on the globe of Kerbin, rising from the space centre and with a 'ship' marker indicating your current position. The line arcs up and back to the ground because you haven't made it to orbit yet. At the highest point (apoapsis) is a tag with the legend 'AP' (amazingly enough standing for 'apoapsis'). Put your mouse over this and watch as your (predicted) maximum altitude increases. [Optional, but efficient: when your AP reaches about 50km disengage SAS again (T) and pitch-over further (D) to 20-degrees above the horizon]. When your apoapsis reaches 75km or more throttle-back to 0 (left ctrl-key, or just 'X') and the ship will continue to coast into space. Well done, that's step one but still sub-orbital. Right-click on your orbit line at the AP marker and click 'add manoeuvre' - this is what you wanted - drag the prograde symbol (blue circle, in the direction of travel) outwards and KSP will show you a brown, dotted 'planned' orbit line as well. Adjust your 'prograde burn' manoeuvre so that the periapsis marker (lowest point of the orbit, Pe in map view) is also around 75km - above 69km in any case. To the right of the navball KSP will now show the time until you have to execute this burn (hurry up, you won't have much time!) and how long it will take to carry it out. There will also be a new, dark blue, symbol on the navball indicating the direction you must face to carry-out the burn. Disengage SAS (T), align with the manoeuvre indicator (WASD), re-engage SAS (T). When you get to the node throttle-up (left shift-key) until your periapsis (Pe) is above 69km then kill the engine again (left ctrl-key/X). [Optional, but efficient: start your burn early so you're half-way through it when you reach the node. E.g.; if it will take 10s start at T:-5s (and finish at T:+5s)]. Congratulations; you're in orbit and know how to use manoeuvre nodes.

IF you buy the full game you can install mods. IF you (still) aren't interested in flying spacecraft install MechJeb, as already mentioned by others, and getting to orbit is as simple as turning on the autopilot, telling it what height you want to go to and pressing spacebar to launch. IF you (really?) aren't interested in building ships either you can download many good ones from the spacecraft exchange in these forums. These ships (.craft files) will also work in the demo version, if you prefer.

Edited March 19, 2014 by Pecan