The (Kerbal) space program didn't invent everything

[Wahgineer]

Do to my oewn understanding (not trying to force opinions), and do to the recent showcasing of the Tier-1 space center, I do not, nor have not, believed that the kerbals have not had air and land travel up until now. How could they have wing pieces, or jet engines, or landing gear, or trailer parks, or rover wheels without these technologies having already been developed? I belleive that, much like our space program, the Kerbals' space program is improving on this technology.

Your thoughts, suggestions, and criticisms are welcomed and appreciated.

[Acemcbean]

Because Soaryn.

Seriously, though, its for the, and I quote here, "the lels". Why would an (arguably) intelligent being invent something tnat uses controls explosions to get to space before the wheel? BECAUSE WHY NOT.

[Vanamonde]

Although only KSC exists on the planet so far in the game's unfinished state, they would have to have metal mines to make rocket parts, roads to transport materials to KSC, farms to feed themselves, etc. One can and must assume a whole world full of industry and infrastructure existed and created KSC. So when you get wheels in the game, this is not the first wheel ever invented on the Kerbal planet. It's the first wheel designed for use on space vehicles.

[Kegereneku]

As above, I like to think that they HAVE the technology, but it isn't "space-rated".

Space tend to make everything more difficult. I wouldn't know for example how a airliner jet-engine would survive the massive difference of temperature in orbit.

Yet, things like jet engine ought to be "nerfed" and given as first technology (just add a high-altitude ramjet later). First because it is not like one will managed to get into orbit efficiently with them but it would allow to get science from all over Kerbin without each experiment costing a rocket.

It would also help to do equipment testing mission more easily... supposing the new aerodynamic model help flying and landing.

[prophet_01]

There are quite a lot stories about simple stuff like wheels, pencils etc. that had to be redeveloped completely from scratch because the regular way of doing things did not work in space. High presure wheels in vacuum are onviously a bad idea but I've read of an incident caused by a tiny piece from a pencil that led to a fire in the electronics.

I don't think it's that unrealistic. We just don't have normal plane parts. The wings and fuselages we have are mostly for spaceplanes as they are heavier, more stable and at least look like they are partly heat resistant (they have to be if heat would be a thing). However I would still like to have planes earlier in the tech tree.

I know that planes are too complicated for new players as it's necessary to understand a lot more basic principles to build one. But I would still like to start a career with planes (or rocket propelled planes like the x-15). The tech tree as it is seems to be a gameplay mechanic that exists to guide new players. So why not have a seperate tech tree for the people who are interested in a more realistic progression. I think that this could be rly cool

[KSK]

There are quite a lot stories about simple stuff like wheels, pencils etc. that had to be redeveloped completely from scratch because the regular way of doing things did not work in space. High presure wheels in vacuum are onviously a bad idea but I've read of an incident caused by a tiny piece from a pencil that led to a fire in the electronics.

I don't think it's that unrealistic. We just don't have normal plane parts. The wings and fuselages we have are mostly for spaceplanes as they are heavier, more stable and at least look like they are partly heat resistant (they have to be if heat would be a thing). However I would still like to have planes earlier in the tech tree.

I know that planes are too complicated for new players as it's necessary to understand a lot more basic principles to build one. But I would still like to start a career with planes (or rocket propelled planes like the x-15). The tech tree as it is seems to be a gameplay mechanic that exists to guide new players. So why not have a seperate tech tree for the people who are interested in a more realistic progression. I think that this could be rly cool

I've got a question. 'Because it's cool and I want it' (or a variation on that theme) is a perfectly acceptable answer, but I'm genuinely curious to know if there any other answers.

In gameplay terms, what good are early tech planes? I'd have thought they would be a slower, more grindy way of getting enough science to progress to the real meat of the game, which is spaceflight.

[xtoro]

Because it's a game and nothing about it is real.

[Pds314]

Because it's a game and nothing about it is real.

I find it rather ironic that even though you don't care about the mythology and canon of the game, you still posted in a thread about it, knowing full well (I seriously hope) that your answer would be ignored by anyone who cares about such things.

I mean seriously, why did you even bother?

[Pds314]

High presure wheels in vacuum are onviously a bad idea.

Uh... I really don't think that the extra 100,000 Pascals makes a difference when we are talking about highly pressurized tyres/tires with 500,000-1,000,000 Pascals of pressure already in them. I mean, if I brought my bike tire into a vacuum, nothing particularly bad would happen, it would go from 75 PSI to 90, no big deal. In fact, I could probably cause nearly that much pressure change at sea level just by bringing it into bright sunlight on a warm day in a desert, from a cold area, or particularly, bringing it up a mountain on a hot clear day with little wind.

[Pds314]

I wouldn't know for example how a airliner jet-engine would survive the massive difference of temperature in orbit.

I'd tend to think it would survive quite easily, seeing as during normal operation, it is exposed to extreme cold (air at stratospheric temperatures, with excessively high wind chill) and extreme heat (combustion of kerosene makes components glow red hot, far more than what space would do to it unless it were brought quite close to the sun).

[Superfluous J]

I mean, if I brought my bike tire into a vacuum, nothing particularly bad would happen, it would go from 75 PSI to 90, no big deal.

Actually it is a big deal, because if your tire ruptures in an unpatchable way on Earth you just hike to the nearest bike shop and get a new one. You can't do that if you're biking around on Mun.

I agree that the tires would not pop due to air pressure, but the rubber would dry out, the air would leak out (and you can't just use your tire pump to keep it inflated like you can here because there's no air up there), massive temperature differences between the sunlit side and shadow side would cause who-knows-what problems...

No, the wheels that the KSC invents aren't simple things that the rest of Kerbanity uses to drive to work every day.

[Pds314]

I personally think that the Kerbal technology is just about at 1950s level at the start of the game, sans nuclear weapons and early attempts at ICBMs because of no WWII to bring them into being, so military technology is, in some sense, lagging behind.

Thus, I presume that hydrocarbon-burning and/or electric cars are probably readily available and in mass production, but some things (any type of jet engine, for example) are still not commonly used because again, no world war 2.

This kinda relates to how "natural" tech tree progression works. In this sense, Earth and humanity are probably the weird exception, having developed nukes WAY early and jet engines, etc somewhat early due to WWII happening at the time it did. A natural tech progression would probably see the assault rifle, the nuclear bomb, the turbojet, and many other inventions come much later, especially nukes, which probably wouldn't be considered feasible to any nation not in such desperation as the nations of WWII were.

[Pds314]

Actually it is a big deal, because if your tire ruptures in an unpatchable way on Earth you just hike to the nearest bike shop and get a new one. You can't do that if you're biking around on Mun.

I agree that the tires would not pop due to air pressure, but the rubber would dry out, the air would leak out (and you can't just use your tire pump to keep it inflated like you can here because there's no air up there), massive temperature differences between the sunlit side and shadow side would cause who-knows-what problems...

No, the wheels that the KSC invents aren't simple things that the rest of Kerbanity uses to drive to work every day.

Agreed. It's not the high pressure that causes problems, it's the choice of materials and the fact that there is any pressure to begin with. Additionally, getting traction on the Mun is not the same as getting traction on Kerbin's surface. The low gravity and loosely-packed dry, baked terrain would make it more like trying to make a dune-rover than a car.