Kerbal Space Program
Written by: George Pierce
I’m certain I’ve got it this time. The four LV-T30 Liquid Fuel Engines I’ve attached to my spacecraft are capable of 200 units of thrust, while the Reactive Alternate-Propellant Intelligence Engine for Rockets (R.A.P.I.E.R.) is capable of throwing out almost that much using two different fuel sources; the four delta fins attached to the fuel tanks have put the center of lift exactly where I want it, and I even managed to find room for a large Advanced S.A.S. ring. This has to work; after all the failed experiments, Aeros Vega has to get me into orbit. I switch to the launch screen, and with the throttle set at full, I press the space bar—liftoff! The tiny creature in the cockpit wears the same face as I certainly do—one of excitement, one made with the knowledge that this time, I may successfully reach orbit. Above the atmosphere, I release the fuel tanks, leaving nothing but the main fuselage consisting of the cockpit, two fuel tanks, and the R.A.P.I.E.R. engine. Everything seems to go according to plan…until the engine blows out from overheating. Having not quite escaped the planet’s gravitational pull, and with my last remaining engine destroyed, I hurtle towards the sea, and the collision of the destroyed rocket with the unyielding surface cues a notification box that describes my recent attempt at astral domination as succinctly as possible: “CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.” Space pilot dead. Every part destroyed. Back to the drawing board.
That’s been my experience for most of the time I’ve spent with Squad’s space flight simulator, Kerbal Space Program, though it hasn’t yet discouraged me from my goal of getting those Kerbals into space. The Kerbals are the indigenous species of Kerbin, an Earth-like planet that has two moons. Kerbin is one of seven planets in a solar system, and the object of the game (if there is one) is to travel to and eventually colonize every space rock you can reach. This is done by first building your rocket from a vast array of parts—everything from fuel tanks and jet engines to tail fins and landing gear to electronic stabilizers and even headlights—all while trying to optimize the centers of mass, lift and thrust. In sandbox mode, there’s no limit to what your craft can look like, nor is there a right or wrong design, just so long as it gets you into space.
Once you manage to build a vehicle that can clear the atmosphere, you must then fly it to another celestial body; the first target of most players is the closest moon, called Mun. As this is a space flight simulator, however, getting there isn’t as easy as pointing and clicking on it. You’re given a NavBall to show your three-dimensional position, and you must orbit Kerbin while raising and lowering your velocity in order to change the “apoapsis” (the point of your orbit at which you are farthest away from the planet) and the “periapsis” (where you are closest to the planet) so that your orbital path slings you into Mun’s gravitational field. If you get too close to it, you’ll collide head-on and crash land; pass too far away, and you’ll have to do another orbit, which means you’ll have to wait for Mun to finish its own orbit as well…and you may not have enough fuel by the time it comes back.
If this all seems confusing, don’t feel bad. Kerbal Space Program, while nonetheless giving perhaps the most easy-to-understand version of realistic rocket science ever seen in media, still has a learning curve steep enough to roll cheese down, and though there are multiple in-game tutorials and scenarios, as well as YouTube videos and a wiki site outlining the basics of the game, it can still prove to be overwhelming to first-time players. It’s truly worth it, however, to learn the basics of the game so that you can experience what I think is the best part of it: the trial and error involved in getting a ship off the ground. Anyone who has ever played with a K’nex set or built a toy robot will find themselves right at home creating a rocket in this game; there’s simple pleasure in building something from a pile of parts, and then going outside to test it. And whether you fail or succeed, there’s still fun to be had; failure means not only getting to watch whatever you built crash in a fiery explosion, but also the opportunity to try something new. The delight of watching a rocket careen into the ground is only matched by the absolute thrill of getting one into orbit…and trust me, after going through all the scenarios, reading all the articles, looking at the success of everyone else and wondering if you’ll ever get there, that thrill is one of the best you can get with such a free-form video game.
Kerbal Space Station is still in development. Only sandbox mode, in which you have access to all ship parts and an unlimited amount of money with which to build at your disposal, has been completed. There is a tycoon-style career mode in the works, presumably where you must earn all the parts and carefully determine how to spend your money. Knowing how satisfying this game already is, I can only imagine how it will fare as it nears completion. And while the steep learning curve and the large amounts of science and math involved might turn a few people off, those who are willing to learn will discover a game with a surprising amount of depth, charm, humor and hours upon hours of replayability.
That, and spaceship crashes. Lots and lots of spaceship crashes.