Topic: Kerbal Space Program (Or: Rockets make pretty explosions)

[Matthew]

A few months ago I stumbled on (or rather, somebody else stumbled upon, and showed me, but who's counting?) This little gem. I played the demo for a while and finally decided to buy into the Alpha today.

Rather than talking about it, I think I'll post some pictures...


*Cue the Space Odyssey music*


Lift-off!


We actually made it to space!


You can look at a map to see your projected path, including the peak of your orbit, and the time to get there.


You can even go on a space-walk if you're so inclined.


Safely splashing down in the ocean. (You can't see them in this screenshot but there was a parachute on top of the command module to slow it down)


However, not all flights end so well.

There's also a Mun that you can travel to and land on, and as one would expect it's possible to put craft into a stable orbit if you're good. Craft can be persistent on the background if you choose, making it possible to do all sorts of crazy stuff with multiple craft (or just admire your graveyard of trashed rockets). Did I mention you can also make airplanes (or space planes)? And there's even more to do if you choose to delve into the realm of user-created add-ons, ranging from orbital components to moon rovers.

I think at least a few people here will find this game highly enjoyable. The 'full' version (it's still in Alpha) costs $18 (for now), but there's a demo version as well that's available on their website. I recommend checking it out! It's entertaining at the very least and you'll find yourself sinking hours into it without even realizing it (At least, I do whenever I play!)

[CrazyEnzo03]

Ooo.  I learned of this particular gem from the Hard-Light forums.  And yes, they *do* have things like multiple space craft in stable orbits and such.

As for me, I've never achieved a stable orbit.

[Matthew]

Ooo.  I learned of this particular gem from the Hard-Light forums.  And yes, they *do* have things like multiple space craft in stable orbits and such.

As for me, I've never achieved a stable orbit.

It's quite simple once you understand the concepts. There's a nice tutorial of terms and such on the wiki. Also, newer versions show your orbit trajectory on the map.