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Kerbal Space Program

Rhalle

Magister
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
2,192
Build your own rockets and (attempt to) send your little muppet dudes into orbit.

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/

Incomplete ("alpha" stage), smacks of Spore-meets-Gary's Mod, and perhaps will never be finished-- but it's fun.

http://www.destructoid.com/hands-on-ker ... 6484.phtml

KerbalImage1-620x.jpg
 

Raapys

Arcane
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
4,960
Still way too much content lacking. Needs moon landings and shit. Should have done a Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space angle on it.
 

Destroid

Arcane
Joined
May 9, 2007
Messages
16,628
Location
Australia
I made a rocket that hit 1,500km out with a velocity of over 3km/s. It also couldn't get off the ground, but I discovered that it can if I jettison it's booster, then engage the second stage which explodes the solid rockets, giving me a big push.
 

Burning Bridges

Enviado de meu SM-G3502T usando Tapatalk
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Raapys said:
Still way too much content lacking. Needs moon landings and shit. Should have done a Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space angle on it.

Funny, I wanted to mention EXACTLY the same points. I also think the terrain engine must be drastically improved.

Still, I give the game 10/10 for originality. Simple games likes this with a really good engine can be a lot of fun. It's the physics that make this enjoyable, a bit like World of Goo in space.
 

Bluebottle

Erudite
Patron
Joined
Oct 17, 2005
Messages
1,182
Dead State Wasteland 2
Fun little program, though obviously early stages.

So what is it that counts as orbit, then?

I got up as high 168000m

hehe, i hadn't given this enough credit. It expects you to achieve a proper circular orbit, calculated from your alt and velocity. Awesome. I'd expected it to be simply 'get as high as you can'.
 

Trash

Pointing and laughing.
Joined
Dec 12, 2002
Messages
29,683
Location
About 8 meters beneath sea level.
Pretty awesome idea that now only needs to be done right. Maker does seem to be on the right route with the sense of humor (including horrified muppet dude faces is a win) and actual implementation of the gameplay. Still, very early days though it does seem like the promised feature list is properly ambitious.
 

Burning Bridges

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You mean the mechanics are advanced enough so you can do proper orbits?

In any case think this really needs competing red little monsters. This just needs to be in.
 

Destroid

Arcane
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Messages
16,628
Location
Australia
It's not hard to deliver a rocket that has enough fuel left to make an orbit though, it's more a test of controlling the thing than building it.
 

Burning Bridges

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Hehe this is fun. I just made it to 260.000m with two stages.

What would I have to do to get into orbit? I know I could build a third stage but from then I have no idea.

This game needs better terrain graphics, a sun and moon, time compression, and hopefully a strategic mode.

0.jpg
1.jpg

2.jpg
3.jpg
 

Destroid

Arcane
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Messages
16,628
Location
Australia
Made a rocket that hit 5300m/s. It's a little clumsy to make moderately sophisticated rocket designs at the moment, if the program doesn't automatically get your stages correct its really tedious to fix it. Also some components have a huge amount of elasticity and there is no component you can use to bond parts together, so we are pretty restricted in rocket design at the moment.

TyqIm.jpg
 

Bluebottle

Erudite
Patron
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Messages
1,182
Dead State Wasteland 2
Get up to a sufficient alt (about 22,000 should be enough I think), then start slowly arcing around to put your craft horzontal (be very gentle, a touch at a time) while easing back on the throttle until it's at zero. Then you need to get your velocity at the right level for your alt (there's a table available for the correct values), do this by slowly easing your throttle back on. This should then get you in a circular orbit, if you're dead on, or a slightly erratic one if not. If you care for your muppets, try and keep enough fuel to attempt re-entry.
 
Self-Ejected

Ulminati

Kamelåså!
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DiNMRK
Acheiving orbit is pretty easy. Right now I'm trying to acheive a safe landing without a parachute after at least one orbit. It's pretty challenging. So far I usually end up using too much fuel compensating for lateral movement to safely decelerate before impact.
 

Burning Bridges

Enviado de meu SM-G3502T usando Tapatalk
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I now have a machine that goes into orbit:

10.jpg


I get into some kind of dirty orbit if I to go to a certain height (25.000m) and then have enough fuel for horizontal acceleration.

Are there any retro rockets?

11.jpg
12.jpg

13.jpg
14.jpg


But it's true safe landings are much bigger problem.

15.jpg
16.jpg


Splashdown somewhere in the night. Parachute failure.
 

Rhalle

Magister
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
2,192
Destroid said:
Made a rocket that hit 5300m/s. It's a little clumsy to make moderately sophisticated rocket designs at the moment, if the program doesn't automatically get your stages correct its really tedious to fix it. Also some components have a huge amount of elasticity and there is no component you can use to bond parts together, so we are pretty restricted in rocket design at the moment.

TyqIm.jpg

I tried to dangle 3 tri-couplers for 9 liquid engines like that but it wouldn't let me construct it. Two would fit, but 3 wouldn't go.

Anyway, for anyone else (like me) who didnt read the tutorial:

T turns on the stabilzer modules

L Shift - L Cntrol Throttles up/down the liquid rockets.

Pretty much my best one, I think:

2hofhid.png


Separation of the last stage. It will go on forever, basically.

23vlw07.png
 

Destroid

Arcane
Joined
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Location
Australia
My latest monstrosity hit a velocity of 7095m/s. A total of 18 liquid engines in the launch phase.
XG3ci.jpg
 

Burning Bridges

Enviado de meu SM-G3502T usando Tapatalk
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When I look at your rocket it must be pretty wobbly eh?

I still can't match destroids designs on sheer numbers, but my rocket is much simpler.

Pretty straightforward design. And I bet a lot safer.

01.jpg

02.jpg


3137m/s at 500km. I am hopeful my next one will be faster (if it flies).

The rocket design part is actually pretty fun (only stock parts of course). If they to the research part right, this game could be fantastic. Really looking forward to the next version which will have struts and such.
 
Self-Ejected

Ulminati

Kamelåså!
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Jesus christ that's a lot of SAS-modules on your rockets. It's much more fun to bring a rocket into orbit without them.
 

Burning Bridges

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I simply needed those SAS modules for safety. With some designs, you suddenly reach a point where the whole stack gets impossible to control. Which can lead to very funny aborts and a lot of fireworks.

But yeah, I see with positioning and practice you can do without SAS modules, and the saved weight is also welcome.

I already have a much better rocket. The first stage flies straight like an arrow without any stability help, only the second stage is still a little bitch, therefore the single SAS. But it flies very well throughout and does not wobble.

10.jpg


The last stage reached 4872m/s vertical speed (escape velocity is 3200m/s).

11.jpg


The biggest problems I have left is length. When you build very long rockets with the engines at the bottom they get very hard to control. I have also reached a point where the whole stack could collapse before launch if I add more modules.
 

Burning Bridges

Enviado de meu SM-G3502T usando Tapatalk
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I think I have now a very efficient design. It's a three stage craft, extremely easy to fly, no wobbling and very safe. If someone wants to try it: SS-5-A the craft file goes into KSP/ships

9 solid fuel bosters in the first stage, the 6 ones on the top make it look a little weird:

20.jpg


Shortly after separation of the solid fuel boosters, the second stage, 3 liquid engines with three tanks each:

21.jpg


The second stage is good for 80km and 1200m/s. More than enough to put a ship into orbit, and still have the complete third stage with three tanks for orbital maneuvers.
This is also the smoothest stage I ever build. It begins to accelerate very slowly then picks up speed gradually. With the single SAS in the middle it practically flies itself.

22.jpg


The third stage reached just a little short of 5000 m/s, straight vertical. I am not sure how fast it would get if I try to slingshot around the planet.

23.jpg


My plan was to come up with a working design that works and then try to study it. What I can say is that putting the solid engines on top makes the first stage very controllable, but only in combination with the three boosters on the bottom. The 3/1 relationship between the 2nd and third stage seems to be the sweet spot.
 

Destroid

Arcane
Joined
May 9, 2007
Messages
16,628
Location
Australia
Burning Bridges said:
When I look at your rocket it must be pretty wobbly eh?

Ship file
It actually flies very smoothly on 2/3rds throttle. Full power is needed to get off the ground, but it's quite stable in flight, although you need to be careful with small adjustments as it is extremely heavy. The primary and secondary stages boost this one up to ~1150m/s and 70km, with a payload of 8 tanks. I've tried a few times to improve this design, with more fuel in either the launch or final phase but haven't made it better yet. I performed an orbit in one of my smaller rockets, it was quite easy with the chart as a reference, although I screwed up the re-entry and came in too steep, forgot to install and parachute and then ran out of fuel attempting a powered landing at about 100m up.

Fu9W7.jpg
 

Burning Bridges

Enviado de meu SM-G3502T usando Tapatalk
Joined
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Messages
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I just tested Destroids rocket and it really flies :D The last stage reached about 7082m/s which is about 1.500 more than I ever achieved.

But I would not call it safe. The first (liquid stage) got uncontrollable in the first two or three attempts if I gave it just a little too much input. I also once had the engine and two tanks blown off from the last stage.

I also think you cheated a little for there is no parachute and no sep ring for the capsule. It saves weight but makes it unusable for manned flight.

Anyway, very nice rocket. I would call it Project 'Orion' because it is just as extremely powerful and insane.

:salute:

P.S. When I look at it Destroid, the rocket you uploaded is not the one on your (last) picture. How did that one perform?
 

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