How to get someone started on KSP?

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

So, my friend wants to play KSP, but for him it seems very complicated. He's read the Walkthrough for Ye Complete Beginner on the Wiki, but it's written for the full version. (He's playing the demo) Any recommendations for getting him started?

[Kerbart]

If only there were tutorials included in the game!

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

Ok, I'll try that

[Commissioner Tadpole]

Also, don't forget online tutorials!

[LethalDose]

If he's interested, the battle's already half-way won. The next best thing you can do is get him interested in specific goals. Maybe show him some videos from Scott Manley or other streamers so he can see whats possible.

I think I decided I was going "all in" when I saw someone's video of a Jool tour in a star trek looking vessel (seriously wish I could remember the author...). I was like "Okay, that's cool, I'm in".

[Commissioner Tadpole]

If he's interested, the battle's already half-way won. The next best thing you can do is get him interested in specific goals. Maybe show him some videos from Scott Manley or other streamers so he can see whats possible.

I think I decided I was going "all in" when I saw someone's video of a Jool tour in a star trek looking vessel (seriously wish I could remember the author...). I was like "Okay, that's cool, I'm in".

And Brotoro's Laythe saga... ah, yeah, that's the very first KSP story I've readed, back when I didn't even have the demo(my previous computer is unable for Kerballing)... Yeah, OP, I'd suggest to link your friend to inspirating things as well.

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

Hmmm... He doesn't seem all that interested. All I can do is hope and pray...

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

Wait... He's looking a little interested after doing the in-game tutorials.

[GoSlash27]

I wasn't interested in KSP for the longest time until I downloaded the demo version and went through the tutorials.

Best,

-Slashy

[Kamuchi]

Personally it were all the Manley vids that sparked my interrest after seeing how the basic worked and that there are a ton of mods available as the default parts were *abit* lacking for my taste of a space program.

Bought the game on steam once I had an idea how to launch a rocket and go from there

Show him the vids and some of the mods, if he doesn`t get hooked, he never will.

There is more then simplicity of a standard Kerbal

Edited November 11, 2014 by Kamuchi

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

Baby-step challenges; challenge him to hit a certain height, then get him to try and beat it... or get to stable orbit and back down, then higher and higher Apoapsis until he can get an intercept with the Mun (think it's only Kerbin and Mun in the Demo, happy to be corrected though )

[cantab]

The demo helps in a sense by having a much tighter set of parts.

First real milestone is to get to space. Fly straight up and see how high you get. If you don't get above 70 km, make the rocket bigger and try again.

Next is to get to orbit. For that he may need the pointer that he should pitch over.

Once in orbit with some fuel remaining he can start getting to grips with the map view and manouvre nodes. Setting up a Mun flyby or impact is pretty simple.

[AengorKerbow]

The tutorial has some gaps. For instance maneuvers. It tells you to use them. It even gives you one. But it doesn't explain how to use them at all. It seems like straightforward stuff unless you are coming into the game completely fresh. I had no idea what direction I was supposed to burn for a maneuver. I was burning toward the prograde vector and wondering why it wasn't working.

Then it has some stuff that is very misleading. It said at one point that you need to burn vertically to get above the atmosphere quickly, and it said to burn at apoapsis. Both true things, but when, where, and how it was said leads to some very poor results. I thought I had to burn vertically to get above the atmosphere, then kill the engine, wait until apoapsis, turn horizontal and burn to establish an orbit. It works, but it is incredibly inefficient. My first Mun rocket was this massive thing, because I was making it much more difficult on myself just getting into orbit. And it never talked about quicksaving during a mission, so on my Mun mission, landing with a rocket for the first time, I kept crashing. Every time I crashed I had to start over from takeoff.

It wasn't until watching the Scott Manley videos that it really clicked. The in-game tutorial is just not that good.

[boxman]

So, my friend wants to play KSP, but for him it seems very complicated. He's read the Walkthrough for Ye Complete Beginner on the Wiki, but it's written for the full version. (He's playing the demo) Any recommendations for getting him started?

Just start playing and for now ignore those walkthrough/guides. Often they make it seem more complicated than it really is. I would rather if I was him check out a simple tutorial video on basic gravity turn and manouvering.

[LordFerret]

I was going to say, being for some it can be somewhat confusing and difficult at first, sit down with him and build with him... there's plenty of fun stuff you can do with the demo version. If you're sitting right there to answer some of those "How do I..." questions, it can help a lot. Once it clicks and kicks in however, he'll be teaching you lol.

[m1sz]

does he like star wars? :-)

[Tortoise]

Buy him the full version

[Talavar]

Honestly, It depends on the persona of the person.. If they are the strict FPS gamer, they probably aren't going to like having to learn orbital mechanics etc. Some people like to just pick up a controller and go without having to learn the ins and outs of periapsis and apoapsis etc. I have to say KSp is about exploration, a sense of adventure, and a creative mind. If they don't have that, then they really have no hook.

[SaladFingers]

If he is interested then he will learn very fast. I remember when I played for the first time I didn't know anything and after few hours of trying I learned to go in Kerbin orbit at any time, two days later I sent my first rover on the Duna and everything went well from the first try but also at that moment I didn't know about quick save so I was been prepearing a lot about all details and thinking and calculating in my head all factors and I did it from the first try

[waterlubber]

Call them every day and ask them if they're playing KSP.

If they say no, tell them to go play it.

Repeat until they are addicted.

Profit.

???