Kerbal Space Program: Prevent

“This is a game with early access – get it and take part in the development of the project!” – such headlines can be found more and more often in the Steam store, and not only there. Each self-self-self-earner does not refuse to arrange a beta testing of his creation by selling an early build to everyone.

Often, for the latter, this does not end in anything good: the development tightly hungs in the “Prealphs” stage – a small but stable stream of monetary investments relaxes the authors and does not motivate them to complete the case on time. Such a situation is not at all uncommon – now it can be safely taken as a rule. But, as usual, and from this rule there are exceptions.

Kerbal Space Program -One of them (despite the long history of the creation, it cannot be said that developers are folding back), perhaps the most noticeable against the backdrop of endless “early access to beta testing for only $ 4.99”, ending in nothing.

Almost three years ago, a simple toy with a primitive, at first glance, gameplay appeared on the Internet. At our disposal there was a assembly shop of a certain design bureau of the planet Kerbin, where everyone could build a rocket from several modules available, to put three green men in the pilot chair (Kerbonavtes were immediately called “cucumbers” due to external similarities) and try to launch the resulting apparatus into orbit. Assembly is a simple matter: after a couple of minutes of experiments with the location of the modules, something remotely similar to the missile was installed on the starting table, the command “key to start was heard!”, And … the most interesting thing began-the collected hastily spaces fell into pieces, fell into the sea, exploded right at the start or did not take off at all. Laughter laughter, and a few managed to take the satellite into orbit. It is easy to understand the basics, it is a little more difficult to adapt to management and master the principles of the correct assembly, but even then great prospects were hidden behind external simplicity.

And if the authors remained faithful to the sad trend to forget about the development of their creation, content with the “buns” received, these prospects were unlikely to appreciate these prospects, and the game would have remained unremarkable entertainment for a couple of evenings. But the creators from Squad Not one of them, therefore Kerbal Space Program – A completely different matter.

Space race

You should understand that KSP -not a simulator of a cosmonaut or an assembly engineer for missiles and satellites. More precisely, these roles have a place in the gameplay of the game, but in general we have a simulator of the entire Space Program – from flight planning to direct control of all spacecraft systems while traveling beyond the atmosphere of Kerbin.

It all starts with the basics – the first goal of the novice queens and Werners von Braunov is the conclusion of a satellite into a stable orbit. It is not difficult to cope with the assembly and launch of the simplest missiles-to create your flying (or not quite-as lucky), it is not necessary to have a diploma of the design of the design. We install the command module, cling to it fuel tanks and engines, monitoring the correct arrangement (otherwise you can turn on the engine of the third stage at the most crucial moment of the flight, while the previous ones have not yet worked out), we launch the resulting unit, observe its fall, reflecting along with the wayAbout the causes of the accident, we collect the rocket again … We repeat until we achieve the desired result – the first artificial satellite of Kerbin.

Management in flight involves only a few buttons – roll/pitch, stabilization of the course, thrust and order to turn on the next element, whether it be a step disconnector or engine ignition. But it is much more important to understand how and when to change the course than to press on the keys. Even one careless movement, the slightest incomplete change in the operation of the engine can jeopardize the entire mission. Practice, practice and practice once again, do not be afraid of unsuccessful launches – while in KSP The economy has not been introduced (there are also developers in plans), you will not lose anything but time.

It is best to start mastering space from a career regime, where new modules will open in turn-this will gradually get acquainted with all the capabilities of the game, unlike the “sandbox”, where everything is available at once, and from the abundance of possible assembly of the rocket, a newbie is simple, it is simpleSurprised.

On dusty paths of distant planets

It will be much faster than it seems during the first unsuccessful launches that our spaceships are already plowing the expanses of the universe (okay, we will be honest – so far they are only hanging around the randomly scattered orbits around Kerbin), and a couple of Kerbonauts even managed to preserve fuel to return to her nativeland and brought with her valuable data that allow you to study new modules. What’s next?

The Kerbonaut, joyful after the first landing, does not yet know that he is not destined to return home – but all because the general designer forgot to calculate the right amount of fuel.

And then it all depends on the player’s imagination. The possibilities of the sea – before us is a whole solar system with various planets, asteroid clusters, all this wealth can be explored for a very long time.

Kerbin has two natural satellites – Mun and Minmus. “Pumped” on orbital flights, you can swing to your mission “Apollo”. And here you open the game in a new way. The fact is that KSP, Despite external frivolity, is a simulator worked out to the smallest detail, where the laws of physics and mechanics act, and without knowledge of the basic cosmic navigation (good, if desired, you can find good popular science literature on this topic) and there is nothing to try to make an attempt to land on another astronomicalbody. No, it is not necessary to shove tons of abstruse books, but to distinguish the periacenter from the apotenter and know what Delta-V is, it is necessary. However, in the game, not everything is 100% reliable – the effect of the gravity of several astronomical bodies is not calculated at the same time, and the aerodynamics here are very specific and far from the real one, which should be borne in mind when assembling the next rocket.

For long distances, it is no longer possible to get “by eye”, here you will have to use the planner of orbit, thanks to which you can calculate the necessary maneuver without the withdrawal of multi -level formulas. You will have to grind no less than during the first launches. The ships will end at the fuel at the most inopportune moment, and if you still manage to reach one of the satellites of Kerbin, it turns out that a soft landing the first time is something from the field of fantasy. Yes, and do not forget about the landing racks for the descent apparatus – it will be a shame to recall this before the “acceptance”.

A dozen or two unsuccessful missions are usually enough to finally take the same “little step for man Kerbala “to the surface of Mun and transfer valuable data for Kerbin science to homeland.

However, it is not at all necessary to immediately start the study of other worlds – first you can collect your space station in orbit of the planets. True, here you will also have to sweat pretty much. The reduction and docking of two modules in open space, when everyone moves in their own orbit, is not an easy task, especially for an inexperienced missile builder. But the experience gained will help to construct the descent apparatus for the expedition to other planets, which will allow the Kerbonauts to return home, and not stay at the place of landing until the player deigns to remember his wards. And the point is not only in the moral aspect (you do not want to throw the brave conquerors of the cosmos to the mercy of fate?) – Kerbal will safely return to his homeland will bring a noticeably more science points than his report on radio communications.

You can explore the solar system for a very, very long time, would allow the fantasy to come up with interesting tasks for yourself. As in the case of any sandbox, from KSP Do not tear yourself away to those who have developed the imagination – you can try to set up around all the planets with a return to Kerbin, collect cosmic garbage accumulated in orbit during the first steps into space, look for Easterks (and there are enough of them, including on their native planet), tow asteroids ..

Reigracy at times increases a huge number of mods that began to appear from the very first days of the release of the same alpha version. Modifications for every taste – from adding new modules to changing the interface or entering completely new devices into the game of completely new devices like a scanner of planets for compiling cards.

And also Kerbal Space Program It is beautiful in its own way. This beauty is not in high resolution textures or bright special effects – everything is just quite simple here. But the infinity of the cosmos, where we are all just a grain of sand among the trillion stars, the loneliness of the remaining without the hope of returning among this infinity of the astronaut KSP It is almost better than another indie on the theme of stars – Space Engine (gameplay into which, unfortunately, has not yet been brought).

There is a first -person view in the game, with the help of which you can feel all the charms of the flight directly from the pilot cabin.

Do not forget – before us is far from the final version. In the immediate plans of developers, who, by the way, are closely cooperating with NASA, the introduction of the economy, which will force more responsibly to the creation of their space program, and multiplayer. Not far off the meeting of spaceships of various players in orbit, the “Interders’ Space Station”, a colony-settlement on a foreign planet … But the developers do not promise “star wars”-this is a purely peaceful simulator. However, with the help of modifications or your own ingenuity, when assembling a rocket, some weapon can be got now.

Before us is perhaps the only one of a kind of a popular science simulator, completely unobtrusively, but very successfully promoting interest in the development of space (NASA is not in vain supporting contacts with its authors). At the same time KSP It remains

a game, not an interactive textbook, and its prospects are still the most joyful – the development is far from completed. And it all started with that small craft in which somehow the collected missiles exploded so funny ..