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Kerbal Space Program (KSP) is a remarkably rich, open-ended physics-based space program simulator. The types of spacecraft and missions you can design and simulate, particularly with a very active modding community is practically endless. Do you want to fly the Enterprise? Which one? Perhaps see if you can survive out of Andy Weir's The Martian?
PCGamer has an article on a person who has logged more than 4000 hours on KSP. The user, known as ShadowZone in the Steam community, spends many hours designing and implementing complex spacecraft as well as calculating flight plans. It is an interesting read for anyone who has given this game a try, and if you're not careful you may learn something before it's done.
When I first spied the 39-year-old father of two discussing his playtime on Twitter, I wanted him to answer one simple question: What do you even do in Kerbal Space Program for that length of time? Well if you're Daniel, you spend it building staggeringly complex machines to then launch on missions so daring it'd make Arthur C. Clarke sweat—all while rediscovering that childish sense of wonder that makes space so captivating to begin with.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Knowledge Troll on Monday September 17 2018, @09:07PM (5 children)
I recently figured out way too many nuances and details about MechJeb, the MechJeb scripting interface and KSP and worked around way too many MechJeb bugs in a fantastically frustrating experience trying to get a fully automated mission running from the KSP pad to Minmus, collect science, and return the science to Minmus. But it was worth it!
It did work - mostly - except for a bug in MechJeb that prevents ascent guidance from being used twice by the scripting module with out a load of a save game between and I could not automate that. I was able to have the ship take off, get to orbit, do a plane change, do a homan transfer, adjust the periapsis at the target object, move into orbit, then land at a pre-designated area and collect the science.
I then had to do a quick save and quick load then start the second part of the mission which was to take off from minmus, achieve an orbit, transfer to kerbin then set a periapsis of 30km for reentry, fall from minmus all the way to kerbin and perform a reentry procedure.
What a blast.
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Tuesday September 18 2018, @02:16AM (4 children)
I installed realism overhaul / real solar system a couple weeks ago. Playing the science mode and just did a manned lunar orbit over the weekend.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by hubie on Tuesday September 18 2018, @02:21PM (2 children)
I assume that replaces all the planets with the solar system ones (as opposed to adding them in addition)? I'm pretty new to this game and I would want to exhaust the current planets before replacing them, but if it adds them to the existing ones, I would probably do that now.
(Score: 3, Informative) by mhajicek on Wednesday September 19 2018, @03:38AM
Yes, it also makes them real sized. DV's are much higher, distances much further, and there are life support requirements.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Wednesday September 19 2018, @03:39AM
It replaces them, that is, not adding.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 3, Funny) by Knowledge Troll on Tuesday September 18 2018, @03:12PM
In the realism mods do you have to write a letter to the kerbal's SO when you accidentally fling them into orbit around Sol?