Axial tilt for planets

[xvdBanksbvx]

Well axial tilt is interesting and all but if the axis does not wobble all it does is change your plane of reference. Without axial wobble, you get the same result by putting the left side of your computer on a book so now up is what was originally tilted to the left.

Trying to do axial wobble would be going a step to far, the amount of dev effort to interesting gameplay challenge is just not there.

Plus the time scales that it works on is very long, for earth our axial precession wobble is about 26,000 years or something around that number.

So even with things happening faster in the ksp solar system because of the scale it would take ages and have no noticeable impact.

[FishInferno]

I think having axial tilt would be a fun but not-too-hard challenge, but I prefer the idea of putting Minmus in Kerbins equilateral plane and giving mun a slight inclination like in kashua's original post.

[MR4Y]

This being an optional feature that can be turned on and off would be better. Once again, KSP is a game. You're not training real astronauts here. And someone who becomes an astronaut at a later point because of KSP most certainly will not use the same maneuvers of the game IRL.

[Random Tank]

I think guigui30000's idea is a very very good one, as you have 2 bodies marking the important planes.

I think if they did add in axial tilt, Kerbin should have it, because it will teach newbies how to fly and carry out transfers with tilt, and by having the moons in these positions couldn't be a more perfect guide onto how to do it. The best bit: you can use Minmus' Acending/Decending nodes to put your ship perfectly on the ecliptic, as it gives you the angle! Perfec!

[Superfluous J]

I think guigui30000's idea is a very very good one, as you have 2 bodies marking the important planes.

I think if they did add in axial tilt, Kerbin should have it, because it will teach newbies how to fly and carry out transfers with tilt, and by having the moons in these positions couldn't be a more perfect guide onto how to do it. The best bit: you can use Minmus' Acending/Decending nodes to put your ship perfectly on the ecliptic, as it gives you the angle! Perfec!

I agree guigui30000's plan is solid. Another thing I thought of before I saw his picture would be the ability to target things outside your SOI and see your AN/DN compared to them. It wouldn't work well targeting Duna* from Kerbin but if you should be able to at least target Sun and get AN/DN markers.

*Why it doesn't work is a bit complicated, enough that even though I get the concept I don't know it well enough to be able to explain it. Suffice it to say if you were able to get your AN/DN to exactly 0 with respect to Duna while in LKO, and then burnt to leave Kerbin's SOI, your new orbit's AN/DN with respect to Duna would not be 0 anymore.

[LethalDose]

I think axial tilt would be great !

And there would be no issues for beginners. As my english is poor, here is an amazing drawing for everybody.

http://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2014/22/1401545942-amazing-paint-skills.png

I think this layout could work very well.

[Moss]

So I was reading about one of our friendly Solar neighbourhood ice giants and noticed that it's axial tilt is nearly perpendicular to it's orbital inclination. I then wondered if KSP had a way recreating that, using reference frames or something. Even if the map view rotated depending on what ship you were focusing on. It would be really cool to have tilted planets, methinks. What do you fellas think? Can it be done? Should it?

[BudgetHedgehog]

Just 8 threads down from this one at the time of writing, there's this thread about axial tilt..

For the record, I'm all for it.

[vexx32]

Merged duplicate thread in; carry on.

[Dappa]

Although this is an old thread, let me just add my voice to this. I think it would be great to have Kerbin tilted a few degrees, with one moon on the equator and the other moon in the ecliptic plane.

[Darnok]

Why I haven't seen this before... +1

[CaptainKipard]

Throwing my vote in.

[bigyihsuan]

I vote yes, but Kerbin isn't affected.

This way, new players can use Kerbin as a tutorial to get to an orbit, Mun for transfers and landing, and Minmus for inclination.

Next, the player uses the skills learned from Kerbin, Mun, and Minmus to go for a Duna landing. Duna, in this case, could be a "tutorial" for atmospheric powered landing, along with axial tilt.

[mattinoz]

I think guigui30000 plan if pretty solid as well.

This means you'd have to think about timing right?

For Mun you could launch any time of day but for Minmus you only get two launch windows a day.

If Kerbin did have a tilt it could inform the design of the space centre(s) like having a second runway matched to this orbit or one of the secondaries space centres and runways with Minmus, giving you more options for landing on return.

[LethalDose]

I vote yes, but Kerbin isn't affected.

This way, new players can use Kerbin as a tutorial to get to an orbit, Mun for transfers and landing, and Minmus for inclination.

Next, the player uses the skills learned from Kerbin, Mun, and Minmus to go for a Duna landing. Duna, in this case, could be a "tutorial" for atmospheric powered landing, along with axial tilt.

I had the same concern, but guigui30000's proposal here totally solves the issue. I'm for this.

Also, Squad really just needs to update their coordinate and GUI systems to support planets with axial tilts, then add the tilt as a difficult setting. That way, players can choose what level of difficulty to deal with.

Although a better way to do it may be just to move KSC off the equator. It'd have an almost identical effect.

Edited November 18, 2014 by LethalDose

[bv1]

Yes, please!

[John FX]

I would say that kerbin should have no tilt, same for Mun.

For the rest? Go for it.

[micha]

Another vote here for guigui30000's proposal here.

[Kegereneku]

Oh well... if I was forced to chose I would ALSO go for guigui30000's idea.

Myself I only have problem with the Mun's regular eclipse, launching from a tilted planet would barely add some variety for me but annoy the hell out of moderately skilled players.

However, since I'm considering SQUAD should give new planning tools anyway (like the dV reader in the VAB to make meaningful the node's dV estimate -all said) this shouldn't really be that ennoying.

Afterall, you gotta learn plane change / timed launch anyway and since everybody will try to reach the Mun first, as we say one stone, 2 rockets.

So yeah, guigui30000 won the good schematic lottery as the 30000th guigui.

Edited November 20, 2014 by Kegereneku

[Vallius]

I cast my vote for axial tilt too. After all, new players need to learn this concept before going interplanetary. Plus, it would make it so that eclipses don't automatically happen twice every Munar month.

[prophet_01]

Guigui 30000 picture solves what I was concerned about. This way it's a good aproximation and offers interesting gameplay without torturing the new players further.

I would add that the camera in map mode is aligned with kerbin's axial tilt so new players don't get confused (and might not even notice it). A small button in one corner of the screen changes the camera's tilt to match with the system (for interplanetary transfers)

[Superfluous J]

I would add that the camera in map mode is aligned with kerbin's axial tilt so new players don't get confused (and might not even notice it). A small button in one corner of the screen changes the camera's tilt to match with the system (for interplanetary transfers)

I think it should default to SOI you're in, or body you're selecting. When you jump from Kerbin (which is tilted relative to Sun) when the camera jumps it also just automatically tilts.

I so wish I was smarter right now because I bet you could implement this in a mod through simple transformations on SOI boundaries.

[prophet_01]

Yeah, as I think about it you're right. Automatic camera switching is the more comfortable way to do this

[NathanKell]

Mu said he'd ask about doing it for .23. I haven't heard since, but I haven't poked since because I know there's bigger fish to fry. However, more support for the idea might help Squad reevaluate how much interest there really is for it.

[arkie87]

You have my vote on this one.

Tilted Kerbin axis, equally inclined orbit for Mun to keep easy accessibility for new players and reduce eclipses.

My head has issues imagining how it would easy accessibilty of Duna though - our Mars equivalent being the most likely next target after Mun.

I think OP suggested inclination should match Minmus' not the Mun's.

Though what you said gave me an idea: that the Mun should be inclined and minmus should be equatorial (while Kerbin remains un-tilted); this way, it will be easier for new players to get to minmus (because it requires less deltaV and it's equatorial), but wouldnt make interplanetary missions more difficult by adding an axial tilt.