...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game)
- 1210 statements
- 238 feature instances
- 147 referencing feature instances
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | type |
TVTItem | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | label |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | page |
KerbalSpaceProgram | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | comment |
Kerbal Space Program is a game about a green humanoid species known as the Kerbals as they start a space program. Superficially similar to Orbiter, the difference between the two has been likened to the difference between making to-scale miniatures for architectural design and playing with LEGO bricks with rocket fuel in them, which you then hurl with glee at your sisternote Although the Real Solar System and Realism Overhaul mods let you be more like the former. On another note, some people do make to-scale miniatures of rockets... out of LEGO bricks..The game offers three game modes to suit your style of play. The first is little more than a sandbox. You're set loose upon a space center complete with a vehicle assembly building and a launch pad, a bin full of rocket parts, ground personnel composed entirely of yes-men who build and wheel onto the launch pad anything you design no matter how crazy it is, and some astronauts to crew your creations. The second version is Science, in which you have to conduct experiments in order to unlock various piece parts, as you start off with just the very basics. The third mode is full-blown Career mode, and you have to juggle a budget, job offers, your Kerbonauts and conduct Science similar to the Science mode (which used to be the old Career mode, prior to 0.24). Essentially, you have to manage the entire Space Program. The number of parts has risen dramatically in later releases, and the community is cranking out fanmade addons at an impressive pace on top of that.After four and a half years of development, version 1.0 was released on April 27th, 2015. This version, on top of taking the game out of Early Access, added the last gameplay mechanics that were left to implement: Aerodynamics, heating, fairings, resource mining and, last but not least, female Kerbonauts.Its official website and download location is here, and a trailer for the game can be found here. Starting with 0.19, it's also available on Steam. It was ported to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in July 2016, and a Wii U version was announced, but never released.In 2017, Kerbal Space Program was purchased by Take-Two Interactive. The game's terms of service were changed to reflect this in early 2018, with all users having to accept the new terms in order to continue accessing the official site and the latest updates.To the surprise of almost everyone, a proper sequel simply titled Kerbal Space Program 2 was announced at 2019's Gamescom.On June 10th of 2021, it was announced on the game's 10th anniversary, June 24th 2021, the last content update, 1.12 On Final Approach will be released. While bugfixes will continue to come out, Squad will focus on working with Intercept Games on Kerbal Space Program 2. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | fetched |
2024-02-23T16:46:32Z | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | parsed |
2024-02-23T16:46:32Z | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingComment |
Dropped link to AfterActionReport: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingComment |
Dropped link to BreakingBad: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingComment |
Dropped link to BuzzingTheTower: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingComment |
Dropped link to KerbalSpaceProgram2: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingComment |
Dropped link to SimulationGame: Not a Feature - IGNORE | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingComment |
Dropped link to Slapstick: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingComment |
Dropped link to TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingComment |
Dropped link to TheMartian: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingComment |
Dropped link to ToyStory1: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingComment |
Dropped link to TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingComment |
Dropped link to Zoolander: Not a Feature - ITEM | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | processingUnknown |
BuzzingTheTower | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_13727d3e | type |
You Can't Make an Omelette... | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_13727d3e | comment |
You Can't Make an Omelette...: You Can't Make A Mun Landing without blowing up a few rockets. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_13727d3e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_13727d3e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_13727d3e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_149ff4b0 | type |
HilarityEnsues | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_149ff4b0 | comment |
Hilarity Ensues: Common in the official promotional shorts, most of which involve some poor kerbal suffering Amusing Injuries by ignoring some basic rule of spaceflight safety. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_149ff4b0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_149ff4b0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_149ff4b0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_15264ac9 | type |
Unexpectedly Realistic Gameplay | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_15264ac9 | comment |
Unexpectedly Realistic Gameplay: The game's art style is cartoony and its description text, missions, and characters are humorous. The physics engine, however, is pretty close to reality and if you've built any flaws into your craft or your piloting skills aren't up to snuff, you'll know. Usually by all the explosions. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_15264ac9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_15264ac9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_15264ac9 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_164583e3 | type |
Purely Aesthetic Gender | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_164583e3 | comment |
Purely Aesthetic Gender: Male and female Kerbals differ only in appearance, not in capabilities. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_164583e3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_164583e3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_164583e3 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_18eb5500 | type |
Beautiful Void | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_18eb5500 | comment |
Beautiful Void: Only one planet in the whole system has (debatably) intelligent life although there is evidence for it on others, and even that planet is mostly empty aside from your Space Center and a few other locations of note (as of 1.02). Some particularly enterprising modders are working to make the place feel more lived-in, literally. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_18eb5500 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_18eb5500 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_18eb5500 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a0bba84 | type |
Improvised Microgravity Maneuvering | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a0bba84 | comment |
Improvised Microgravity Maneuvering: If your ship is out of fuel, it's possible to get out of the craft and push with the EVA jetpack. Since jetpack fuel is automatically refilled when you get back in the cockpit, it's theoretically possible to get anywhere in the system a few m/s at a time. Scott Manley did an even more awesome version that involved an inverted rocket as well as an kerbonaut trapped on the Mun. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a0bba84 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a0bba84 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a0bba84 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a89d143 | type |
Construction Is Awesome | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a89d143 | comment |
Construction Is Awesome: The game's primary appeal is that it lets you design, build, and fly your own spacecraft, space stations, and surface bases, including the possibility of assembling them part by part in orbit or on another planet's surface. See also Design-It-Yourself Equipment. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a89d143 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a89d143 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a89d143 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a8b9a47 | type |
Rule of Fun | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a8b9a47 | comment |
Rule of Fun: Squad's response when anyone asks them if they will do anything to make the game more realistic is "Would that make the game more fun?" If they think it will, then they will try to incorporate it, and if not then they will let it slide. Some things are intentionally unrealistic for the sake of fun; the entire universe has Space Compression applied because using real-life scales would make climbing to orbit and reentry/landing rather tedious. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a8b9a47 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a8b9a47 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1a8b9a47 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1b2b1d2c | type |
Violation of Common Sense | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1b2b1d2c | comment |
Violation of Common Sense: The best way to land a falling Kerbal? On their head. Their helmets can survive practically anything! With this in mind, you can usually save a Kerbonaut from a doomed aircraft by simply having him step out the hatch while low enough to the ground. Earlier builds of the game had issues with scaling antennas for transmitting science. You'd think the more advanced antennas would have been better in some way, but they were actually worse; the high-tech ones transmitted faster than the basic Communotron 16; but a few extra seconds hardly matters when most space missions have days or even weeks of downtime, and the better antennas weighed more, cost more, and used more electricity. Later builds fixed this by limiting transmission ranges and tying the Science received to signal strength, meaning the earlier, cheaper antennas are now less useful for long-range missions unless they're supported by a good network of relays. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1b2b1d2c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1b2b1d2c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1b2b1d2c | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1ba09c9d | type |
Human Resources | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1ba09c9d | comment |
Human Resources: The "Kethane" Game Mod comes with the KE-WAITNONOSTOP-01 Kerbal Unreconstitutionator, which can recycle Kerbal astroanuts into kethane (to refine into fuel) | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1ba09c9d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1ba09c9d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1ba09c9d | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1ba8eb64 | type |
Visual Pun | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1ba8eb64 | comment |
Visual Pun: One of the loading screens is a painting of Jeb, in a spacecraft or station, chasing after a snack cake that's moving away from him. The snack cake in question? A Moon Pie. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1ba8eb64 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1ba8eb64 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1ba8eb64 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1c2b6ac8 | type |
Soft Water | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1c2b6ac8 | comment |
Soft Water: Averted, and often outright inverted. A hard splashdown can outright destroy a spacecraft and its unlucky passengers. In fact, splashdowns are often actually more dangerous than landings on solid ground, since when a spacecraft hits the water, it doesn't slow down very quickly. Consequently, all or most parts on it must pass a check to see whether or not their actual splashdown velocity exceeds their rated maximum impact velocity. If it does, they're destroyed. Often, this leads to oceans swallowing up entire spaceships, leaving only a few high-impact-tolerance girders or decouplers bobbing in the water. By contrast, when a spaceship impacts land, the first parts that hit the ground absorb some of the impact velocity and it decelerates much more quickly, giving parts (and crew) far away from the point of impact a chance of survival. The 1.05 update made water, while not soft, at least softer, by giving the simulation a new buoyancy model. Craft that are properly shaped and hit the water at the right angle can certainly survive at velocities that might shatter less aquadynamic designs. Even seaplanes are viable if built right! Played completely straight with the Kerbals themselves, who can reliably survive plunging vertically into water at their Kerbin terminal velocity of approximately 60 m/s (over 130 mph), three times what will reliably kill them when hitting solid ground. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1c2b6ac8 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1c2b6ac8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1c2b6ac8 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1d3d1013 | type |
Mundane Dogmatic | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1d3d1013 | comment |
Mundane Dogmatic: No aliens (bar the kerbals themselves), and all technology present is equivalent to modern-day or near-future / in-development rocket tech. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1d3d1013 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1d3d1013 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1d3d1013 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1e75509c | type |
Adventure-Friendly World | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1e75509c | comment |
Adventure-Friendly World: The Kerbol system and its planets are scaled down by a factor of ten to allow players to travel with less delta-v than would be needed in real life. The Mun has a perfectly circular orbit and no inclination whatsoever, meaning players can reach it very easily without having to worry about plane changes. The game also has Minmus, Kerbin's second moon, which not only lets the player practice rendezvous with an inclined orbit but also lets them simulate interplanetary transfers by traveling between it and the Mun. Kerbals have no life support requirements whatsoever, meaning that you don't have to budget mass for food and air when designing missions. This also means they don't die if left stranded, giving players all the time in the world to send a rescue mission. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1e75509c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1e75509c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1e75509c | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1fb77f70 | type |
This Ain't Rocket Surgery | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1fb77f70 | comment |
This Ain't Rocket Surgery: The text bubble introducing the Vehicle Assembly Building says that the process is pretty simple, and starts to add "it's not as if it were rocket science" before performing a verbal backspace. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1fb77f70 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1fb77f70 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1fb77f70 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1fffccf7 | type |
No Plot? No Problem! | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1fffccf7 | comment |
No Plot? No Problem!: There's no real story or backstory to the game aside from player fanon. There's just you, your space program, a ton of rocket parts, a solar system filled with planets and moons, and an endless supply of eager would-be rocket jockeys. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1fffccf7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1fffccf7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_1fffccf7 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_20e20e99 | type |
Not the Intended Use | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_20e20e99 | comment |
Not the Intended Use: See Emergent Gameplay above. For example, since fuel tanks are buoyant, you can build rocket-powered speedboats with the right parts. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_20e20e99 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_20e20e99 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_20e20e99 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2205aff0 | type |
Multi-Track Drifting | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2205aff0 | comment |
The service trucks added in 0.21 to the VAB and SPH drive around, but you will occasionally see the trucks drifting. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2205aff0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2205aff0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2205aff0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_234bd900 | type |
For Science! | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_234bd900 | comment |
For Science!: Literally in career mode, where doing experiments, sending reports, and collecting samples in various environments both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial accumulate science points used to unlock the Tech Tree. Generally, the further out from Kerbin you go and/or more inaccessible the location (Eve, for instance), the higher the multiplier for doing science becomes, thus "For Science!" is a wholly rational justification for conducting missions. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_234bd900 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_234bd900 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_234bd900 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_23698fa8 | type |
Aborted Arc | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_23698fa8 | comment |
Aborted Arc: At one point, there was a plan for a loose narrative connecting the Easter eggs. Then, Nova Silisko (the person who conceived it) left the team, and the story was most likely abandoned. Silisko has stated on multiple occasions that he regrets sharing the so-called "plan" and generally wishes people would stop bringing it up. The final patch for the game, 1.12.5, adds an alien star map to one of the Mun arches, hinting that this storyline might be resurrected for Kerbal Space Program 2. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_23698fa8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_23698fa8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_23698fa8 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_24b93b2 | type |
Hurl It into the Sun | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_24b93b2 | comment |
Hurl It into the Sun: Perfectly possible, but by no means easy. Doing so from Kerbin orbit requires at least four kilometers-per-second of delta-v, and that is including a Spaceship Sling Shot Stunt, or twice the amount of delta-v without one. Just getting there is a major Self-Imposed Challenge for some players, though getting a close flyby (by astronomical standards) can be a big boon to science in career mode. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_24b93b2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_24b93b2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_24b93b2 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_26ba32a3 | type |
Ascended Glitch | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_26ba32a3 | comment |
Ascended Glitch: The Space Kraken, the fan-given name to a series of physics engine glitches that would often inexplicably destroy spacecraft without warning. An actual (dead) Space Kraken can be found on Bop, one of Jool's moons. The Mohole, a deep, perfectly-circular pit that leads directly to the center of the planet, was originally a glitch in the planet's procedural generation. As of 0.90, it has its own biome and science results. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_26ba32a3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_26ba32a3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_26ba32a3 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_26eb6287 | type |
Funny Background Event | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_26eb6287 | comment |
Funny Background Event: One of the engineers in the rocket assembly area randomly hits the floor with his hammer. Some of the engineers are carrying tire irons around. The large group of Kerbals in reflective vests and carrying lighted batons, doing... Well, it's not really clear. Semaphore lessons? Yoga? On the Munar menu screen, an empty helmet will sometimes roll across the Mun's surface in the distance. (In case you're wondering how it got there...) A sandcastle on the Mun can sometimes be seen in the background. The service trucks added in 0.21 to the VAB and SPH drive around, but you will occasionally see the trucks drifting. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_26eb6287 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_26eb6287 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_26eb6287 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2726d167 | type |
The World Is Just Awesome | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2726d167 | comment |
The World Is Just Awesome: With the improved facial reactions that have been introduced in 0.19, Jebediah Kerman can often be found gazing with almost childlike glee at the incredible sights around him. Many players are inclined to agree with him. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2726d167 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2726d167 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2726d167 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_275d1f27 | type |
Easily Detachable Robot Parts | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_275d1f27 | comment |
Easily Detachable Robot Parts: With clever use of docking ports and probe cores, you can create completely autonomous spacecraft from modular components that can operate independently of the main craft as well. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_275d1f27 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_275d1f27 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_275d1f27 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2902d216 | type |
Refining Resources | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2902d216 | comment |
Refining Resources: Version 1.0 added ore that can be mined across various planets, and scanners to detect concentrations of it. This can allow refueling as ore can be converted to fuel, however, this can be hard to do at times as both the drill and the converter are rather large. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2902d216 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2902d216 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2902d216 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_294bd58a | type |
Reentry Scare | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_294bd58a | comment |
Reentry Scare: With heating introduced, this is a justified state in some cases, especially if you’re dealing with a spaceplane, which doesn’t just have an ablative heat shield. It's still relatively manageable for a skilled player (or one screaming down behind a metric tonne of heat shielding). | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_294bd58a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_294bd58a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_294bd58a | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_294ed981 | type |
Bilingual Bonus | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_294ed981 | comment |
Bilingual Bonus: The Kerbal language is Spanish, played backwards and sped up. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_294ed981 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_294ed981 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_294ed981 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_29a39f6 | type |
Easter Egg | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_29a39f6 | comment |
Easter Egg: "Anomalies" scattered across the surface of Kerbin, Mun, and other bodies. The most obvious one is The Monolith visible from the Space Center, along with the others like it around the system. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_29a39f6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_29a39f6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_29a39f6 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2a090d00 | type |
Lampshade Hanging | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2a090d00 | comment |
This is lampshaded in the in-universe description for Tylo, Jool's third and largest moon. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2a090d00 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2a090d00 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2a090d00 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2bdae2ae | type |
Awesome, but Impractical | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2bdae2ae | comment |
Awesome, but Impractical: There's nothing (well, except diminishing fuel returns, and costs if you're playing career mode) preventing you from making a rocket far larger than the one you really need to complete the mission. The ion engine. It's the most fuel-efficient engine in the game by far, but it's expensive, uses a lot of electricity, and has a very low thrust output (despite still being several times more powerful than real-life ion engines, especially after an update that upped the thrust level appreciably). As a result, the burn time needed to get anywhere interesting can take hours, and you can only accelerate time up to 4x when engines are on without mods. The nuclear rocket isn’t much better, being huge in length, rather low on thrust (though still better than the ion engine), and merely twice as efficient as regular ones. On the upside, the 1.0 update made it not require oxidizer, meaning you can leave it out of your fuel tanks to save on mass; some therefore use it in conjunction with jet engines, which get their oxygen from the atmosphere. Space Planes, cool as they are, really don't offer much tangible benefit. Rockets are simpler to build and easier to fly, and due to Space Compression it's pretty easy to design a rocket that can SSTO and land as well, though you won't be as accurate on landing. Rovers can be fun to build and drive around, but are highly impractical even if you do get a rugged workable design together. In real life, rovers are awesome because they allow one space probe to observe multiple areas, but in the game that ability doesn't mean much. On all but the smallest bodies (where rovers don't work well anyway), biomes are all kilometres apart, so unless you can put the rover on the edge of a biome or spend a lot of time driving there isn't much payoff. In Career Mode, you will occasionally get contracts to survey several locations on a planet's surface, generally within easy driving distance of each other. A rover can be the most efficient way to complete these missions. Sometimes, however (and especially if dealing with a shallow gravity well) it may be easier to land a conventional probe and bring along some extra fuel to allow it to take off and land again a short distance away... There is one specific case where rovers become Boring, but Practical instead: Gathering early-game science from around your own Space Center. It's not an exciting way to gather scientific data, but it can be cheap and can make the early game easier. They seem to have finally lost this status as of the Breaking Ground DLC. Now there are surface features that can be scanned for science. It gives the player a reason, especially on higher gravity worlds, to maneuver around a planet's surface after landing. Lithobraking, which is the idea of losing speed by just... colliding with the ground. Sure it's pretty funny to see it happen when one gets it right, but due to everything exploding if you look at it funny you'll likely end up destroying everything that hits the rock beneath before it loses any kinetic force it has left. The Mark 3 cargo bays are ridiculously huge, capable of fitting multiple sattelites or entire separate vehicles. The Mark 3 line even has a cargo ramp that would allow a rover to drive in and out of them at will! Any rocket using them would be better served using that space for extra fuel, and atmospheric vehicles using them are likely to become The Alleged Plane due to the difficulty of balancing such a huge vehicle for flight, to say nothing of the center of mass shifting once the cargo is unloaded. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2bdae2ae | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2bdae2ae | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2bdae2ae | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2ff93c7b | type |
I Don't Know Mortal Kombat | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2ff93c7b | comment |
Former Astronaut Ed Lu played the game with Scott Manley, Ed's first flight crashed in less than 30 seconds, the second got into space, but not into orbit. Despite not making it to orbit in-game, he still described it as "fun to play", which is pretty fair praise, too. Ed Lu also appeared in a livestreamed interview with the KSP developers themselves. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2ff93c7b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2ff93c7b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_2ff93c7b | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_30401348 | type |
Too Fast to Stop | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_30401348 | comment |
Too Fast to Stop: Docking accidents, flipped rovers with blown-out tires, "unplanned lithobraking"... There are many ways you can run into this trope in the game. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_30401348 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_30401348 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_30401348 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_31a2a33c | type |
Stuff Blowing Up | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_31a2a33c | comment |
Stuff Blowing Up: If any part of a spacecraft hits the ground (or another part) too fast, it makes a nice explosion. The interesting thing is that parachutes and scientific equipment make the same explosion as, say, fuel tanks full of rocket fuel. These explosions seem not to harm other parts though. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_31a2a33c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_31a2a33c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_31a2a33c | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_31df9110 | type |
Masculine Lines, Feminine Curves | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_31df9110 | comment |
Masculine Lines, Feminine Curves: Male Kerbals have heads shaped like rounded cylinders and female Kerbals have heads shaped like ovals. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_31df9110 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_31df9110 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_31df9110 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_33003c9b | type |
Fun Size | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_33003c9b | comment |
Fun Size: Kerbal proportions are quite odd compared to those of humans. For one, their heads are ludicrously oversized. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_33003c9b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_33003c9b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_33003c9b | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_33ca811a | type |
Game-Breaking Bug | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_33ca811a | comment |
Game-Breaking Bug: Earlier versions used to have a few of these; most of them have been fixed in later versions. If you attached your engines directly to the large orange fuel tank, it had a nasty habit of causing said engines to overheat much faster than normal. This could be circumvented by adding a smaller fuel tank to the bottom and taping it up with struts, or by using two half sized fuel tanks instead. When RCS thrusters were first added, they were programmed to have more thrust when they were closer to the ship's center of mass. Since there wasn't any cap on this, having an RCS thruster dead on the center of mass would give it infinite thrust, crashing the game. Landing physics, especially when high impact speeds are involved, can be dicey. Expect things to disappear, such as: Trying to land on Jool Trying to land with some incredibly tough struts Trying to create an artificial ring around the planet Trying a new jetpack The game has picked up a reputation for devouring memory, especially if mods are added, as the game must load every single asset into memory upon starting. Viewing the Space Center causes memory usage to increase, and it will increase with every successive view. Nasty memory leaks crop every once in a while, such as the part overheat gauge in version 1.0.0 causing the game to crash within minutes once a part starts to overheat. Starting version 1.1 these bugs should be all but eliminated with the new 64 bit Unity engine. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_33ca811a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_33ca811a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_33ca811a | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_36b4ad39 | type |
Building Is Welding | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_36b4ad39 | comment |
Building Is Welding: Engineer kerbals will pull out a hand welder whenever they enter EVA Construction mode. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_36b4ad39 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_36b4ad39 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_36b4ad39 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_36ed3e1e | type |
Ascended Meme | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_36ed3e1e | comment |
Ascended Meme: The loading screen roll references a few that are popular on the forums, such as "Adding K to Every Word", and contract descriptions occasionally use the phrase "Kraken help you if..." | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_36ed3e1e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_36ed3e1e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_36ed3e1e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_38a57680 | type |
Flying Car | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_38a57680 | comment |
Flying Car: Rover wheels + rocket parts = Hilarity Ensues. Skilled builders may elect to place wings, control surfaces and tailplanes on the car, in an attempt to make it more or less a proper flying car. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_38a57680 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_38a57680 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_38a57680 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_391aa30b | type |
You ALL Look Familiar | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_391aa30b | comment |
You ALL Look Familiar: All Kerbonauts of a given gender have the exact same face and haircut, as well as the last name of "Kerman." Whether they're all clones, a family of Inexplicably Identical Individuals, or just members of a very homogenous species is a matter of some fan speculation. They aren't all perfectly identical, though, as they have individualized personalities determined by different levels of Bravery and Stupidity, as well as a hidden Pilot Training (or "Bad S") flag. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_391aa30b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_391aa30b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_391aa30b | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_39b8d3d6 | type |
Boring, but Practical | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_39b8d3d6 | comment |
Rovers can be unstable and tricky to use, but it's definitely possible to build some cool designs out of the available parts — like rocket- and jet-powered cars, for a start (in case the Boring, but Practical electric motors aren't quite enough for you)... | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_39b8d3d6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_39b8d3d6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_39b8d3d6 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3dd9d27e | type |
Disposable Vehicle Section | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3dd9d27e | comment |
Disposable Vehicle Section: Any multi-stage craft will be built this way, and completely justified. After all, getting to orbit requires a lot of propulsion and fuel, and once up there the empty fuel containers and excessively large engines just become dead weight. (Well, technically dead mass, but we digress.) Any craft that averts this is called a single-stage-to-orbit vehicle, and depending on engineering and mission goal can range from Awesome, but Impractical to Difficult, but Awesome. Some fan-made mods allow conversion of empty fuel-tanks into crew-cabins, laboratories, or other components, which makes construction of a space-station somewhat easier to accomplish. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3dd9d27e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3dd9d27e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3dd9d27e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3e7cad99 | type |
Overheating | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3e7cad99 | comment |
Overheating: A mechanic in the game is a realistic modeling of heating effects. Different parts have different heat tolerances, with separately tracked values for internal and surface heat, and radiate heat differently depending on atmospheric temperature and pressure. As expected, radiating heat is very slow in space. If the built up heat exceeds a given part's threshold, it experiences a Critical Existence Failure. Some of this heat can be managed with additional radiator parts to help cool it, just make sure none of those radiators are facing prograde during atmospheric entry, because their heating flux works both ways. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3e7cad99 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3e7cad99 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3e7cad99 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3ec7c277 | type |
Every Car Is a Pinto | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3ec7c277 | comment |
Rockets have a habit of blowing up on occasion, usually during stack separation or when insecurely radial-mounted pieces "wobble". Justified by most of a rocket's volume being fuel containers which in turn hold most of the rocket's mass... mass that is itself a two-part combustive compound designed to explode preferably slowly and in a controlled manner. Pretty much Every Rocket Is A Pinto. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3ec7c277 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3ec7c277 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3ec7c277 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3eed59a8 | type |
Explosive Overclocking | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3eed59a8 | comment |
Explosive Overclocking: Cramming too many engines too close to one another and firing them all at full throttle is guaranteed to make them overheat rapidly. Let them get too hot, and all those engines will explode spectacularly. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3eed59a8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3eed59a8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_3eed59a8 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_40b1b989 | type |
Resources Management Gameplay | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_40b1b989 | comment |
Resources Management Gameplay: While the Career mode has to deal with reputation, science, and funds on the strategic level, every gameplay mode has to deal with resources on a mission level. These include number of crew, electric charge, reaction control propellant, and especially fuel (crew support like oxygen and food are thankfully infinite... unless you play with certain life support mods.) Since sending more of these things into orbit requires expending them in ever greater quantities, there are seriously diminishing returns for trying to take more with you, so efficient use of them is necessary. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_40b1b989 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_40b1b989 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_40b1b989 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_40bb59d0 | type |
Blatant Lies | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_40bb59d0 | comment |
Taken to extremes with the Not-Rockomax Mini Node, which is so obviously not a miniaturized version of an already-existing part that the (in-universe) manufacturers helpfully point out the complete lack of a resemblance in the name. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_40bb59d0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_40bb59d0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_40bb59d0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_420080ed | type |
Alien Sea | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_420080ed | comment |
According to flavor texts, Eve's Alien Seas are literally made of explodium, but you cannot actually ignite them in-game. Probably because there's no oxygen in the atmosphere. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_420080ed | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_420080ed | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_420080ed | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_420081bf | type |
Alien Sky | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_420081bf | comment |
Alien Sky: Duna, the game's Expy of Mars, has a thin red atmosphere. Unlike Mars, it also has a large, grey moon called Ike. Eve has a thick, heavy purple sky. From some angles, being on Laythe looks a lot like Kerbin until you turn around and see a massive green gas giant hanging in the sky. (The Sun is also smaller, being so much farther away.) This is lampshaded in the in-universe description for Tylo, Jool's third and largest moon. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_420081bf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_420081bf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_420081bf | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_427ca0d0 | type |
Animal Theme Naming | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_427ca0d0 | comment |
Animal Theme Naming: Some (but not all) rocket engines are named after animals, such as the "Ant," "Spider," "Terrier," and "Poodle." | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_427ca0d0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_427ca0d0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_427ca0d0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4427c24f | type |
Earn Your Fun | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4427c24f | comment |
Earn Your Fun: Figuring out how to build a rocket that will actually achieve orbit, let alone go places, can be a challenge for new players. But this is a game that rewards persistence and a willingness to endure failure, and gives experienced players a universe of possibilities. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4427c24f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4427c24f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4427c24f | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_45bf382b | type |
Game Mod | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_45bf382b | comment |
Game Mod: The game is extremely mod-friendly, and several mods have been directly incorporated and their makers hired on as developers. One of the fanbase catchphrases is "There's a mod for that", since there are so many, from autopilots to improved visuals, from vital features the devs haven't got around to yet, to fun and wacky parts like soccer balls. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_45bf382b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_45bf382b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_45bf382b | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_480c69ba | type |
Infinity -1 Sword | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_480c69ba | comment |
Infinity -1 Sword: The mid tier buildings in career mode. You'll likely upgrade at least the launch pad and vertical assembly building before you even get to the Mun. The rest of early game will likely be spent upgrading everything else, but you likely won't need the extra abilities of the level three buildings until you're doing very complicated late game stuff. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_480c69ba | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_480c69ba | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_480c69ba | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4987746e | type |
Ridiculously Fast Construction | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4987746e | comment |
Ridiculously Fast Construction: A non-RTS example. Unlike real life, craft have no lead time whatsoever. No time passes when in any of the buildings, including the VAB or SPH, so a craft can go from conception to the launch pad in 0 seconds of game time. So it's entirely possible to have a Kerbal on the mun 2 days after the space age begins (assuming you know how to build the craft). It also means that a kerbal trapped in space can be rescued in a matter of days, if not hours. Some mods avert this by adding realistic construction times once the craft is designed in the editor. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4987746e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4987746e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4987746e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4a10e526 | type |
You Have Researched Breathing | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4a10e526 | comment |
You Have Researched Breathing: Ladders and Thermometers are very high-end technology, as are support struts. It's okay however, you can get the science for it by finding out water is wet. Wheels come even later, along with command chairs, even though the basic command pod requires no research and presumably has a similar chair inside it. Lampshaded by the Flavor Text for the "Electrics" technology: It's harder to build planes than it is rockets and you typically unlock the parts needed for rockets before aircraft. Boats and land vehicles come after this. This can lead to the odd situation where you are basically sending science ICBMs to gather data about the world you're on early in the game. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4a10e526 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4a10e526 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4a10e526 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4b621f81 | type |
Design-It-Yourself Equipment | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4b621f81 | comment |
Design-It-Yourself Equipment: The full game comes with a small selection of prebuilt designs, but if you want to do anything really impressive, you'll have to design and build your own rockets, probes, satellites, etc. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4b621f81 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4b621f81 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4b621f81 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4bef247f | type |
Artificial Atmospheric Actions | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4bef247f | comment |
Artificial Atmospheric Actions: In the VAB and SPH, mostly consisting of various personnel trying to look busy and important. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4bef247f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4bef247f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4bef247f | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4c4d0ee1 | type |
Alcubierre Drive | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4c4d0ee1 | comment |
Alcubierre Drive: Through either KSPI or the standalone Alcubierre Drive mod. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4c4d0ee1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4c4d0ee1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4c4d0ee1 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4d7c61df | type |
Explosion Propulsion | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4d7c61df | comment |
Explosion Propulsion: While this is arguably true of any liquid or solid fuel rocket (no Orion Drives in the unmodded game, yet) some players find creative uses for rocket exhaust: One common design has two powerful rockets facing opposite each other, designed to go to full throttle immediately and simultaneously. Each rocket cancels the thrust of the other, but any object placed in front of one of the nozzles will be launched away at high speed. This is often used as a feature of space stations to move small masses without needing to have their own propulsion. And then you have the massive abuse of decouplers known as "Plaid", named for how fast it goes (nearly 1 million meters per second - fast enough to reach the Mun in 13 seconds, or the Sun in 4 and a half minutes). | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4d7c61df | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4d7c61df | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_4d7c61df | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_504a1991 | type |
Body Horror | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_504a1991 | comment |
Body Horror: Kerbals on EVA can suffer from somewhat disturbing◊ glitches◊ when subjected to extreme forces. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_504a1991 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_504a1991 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_504a1991 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_50727f8d | type |
Death Is a Slap on the Wrist | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_50727f8d | comment |
Death Is a Slap on the Wrist: By default, Kerbals who die are listed as invokedMIA for a while before respawning. However, there is an option to enable permanent deaths for your Kerbals. You have to hire all of your astronauts, and when they're dead, they're gone for good. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_50727f8d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_50727f8d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_50727f8d | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_515189ab | type |
Single-Biome Planet | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_515189ab | comment |
Single-Biome Planet: Zig-zagged during development. Kerbin up to version 0.17 was mostly grassland, with the exception of the poles, which were icy. 0.18 and above added rivers and deserts. Version 0.22 and 0.23 added a variety of "biomes" to Kerbin, the Mun, and Minmus, which will give different research data when experiments are performed within them. Finally averted in 0.90, which added biomes to every celestial body in the solar system (except the sun and Jool). | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_515189ab | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_515189ab | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_515189ab | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_52dd4fde | type |
Context-Sensitive Button | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_52dd4fde | comment |
Context-Sensitive Button: Docking Mode allows you to use the normal rotation keys for RCS translation maneuvers, although it isn't strictly necessary as you can also translate from the main keyboard configuration using different keys. You can also define custom action groups when designing a vehicle, so that you can, for instance, press one key to extend all of your solar panels at once instead of having to do it one-by-one. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_52dd4fde | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_52dd4fde | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_52dd4fde | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_53e6f4a | type |
Diminishing Returns for Balance | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_53e6f4a | comment |
Diminishing Returns for Balance: The amount of scientific benefit you get from performing the same experiment multiple times in the same environment rapidly decreases until you end up getting nothing out of it at all. This is supposed to encourage players to send craft to many different environments, both around Kerbin and elsewhere in the system. Later updates made this effect even more pronounced. Happens in ship construction too, though this is more of a realistic effect than anything hard coded into the engine. Basically the larger a rocket is and the more boosters added (after a point), the less efficient the rocket becomes. This is mostly because the more fuel is added to a rocket in later stages the more fuel is consumed in earlier stages getting that fuel to where it needs to be. Using additional engines makes things less fuel efficient and adds weight that must be moved around. The Other Wiki explains here. This is a factor to snap the player out of the "big dumb booster" mentality and stimulate them to use more advanced shipbuilding technologies, such as orbital assembly and advanced, high specific impulse engines. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_53e6f4a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_53e6f4a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_53e6f4a | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_54d5074 | type |
Speaking Simlish | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_54d5074 | comment |
Speaking Simlish: Kerbals speak Spanish that is sped up and played backwards, making it almost unrecognizable. Contract messages are in English but may as well be in Simlish because it's all incomprehensible word salad gibberish. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_54d5074 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_54d5074 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_54d5074 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5534431f | type |
Money for Nothing | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5534431f | comment |
Money for Nothing: In the early game, it's difficult to make money. However, once you reach orbit, many contracts with easily fulfilled objectives (rescue missions, science data from space, etc) open up allowing for Money Grinding. Unless you build seriously over-engineered rockets, you will always turn a healthy profit on contract missions, turning out huge sums of moola to spend on silly and/or expensive endeavors. Some contracts require you to test parts on the launchpad, meaning that you can load a vessel, test the part to complete the contract, then recover the vessel for a 100% refund. The other "currency," science points, follows a similar trajectory. Early on, it can be hard to grind out enough points with your limited part options; but once you can get to the Mun or Minmus with a bunch of experiment parts, you can easily gather enough science to unlock everything by visiting all the biomes on the moon(s). Then you can use those parts to visit other planets and get vast amounts of additional science... and have nothing to spend it on. Science can be exchanged for money, but, well, see above. With the aid of the mobile processing lab you can greatly increase your science returns and rather easily research the entire tech with only visiting Kerbin and its satellites. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5534431f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5534431f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5534431f | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_55a28534 | type |
Fearless Fool | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_55a28534 | comment |
Fearless Fool: A common fan interpretation of Jebediah Kerman's personality. The description of him on his Steam trading card supports this. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_55a28534 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_55a28534 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_55a28534 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_57a937f1 | type |
Heävy Mëtal Ümlaut | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_57a937f1 | comment |
Heävy Mëtal Ümlaut: Mün. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_57a937f1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_57a937f1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_57a937f1 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_57cd63e6 | type |
Art-Style Dissonance | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_57cd63e6 | comment |
Art-Style Dissonance: Don't let the cartoonish proportions of the kerbonauts or their rockets fool you; the game is deceptively difficult if you don't already know a little bit about how actual rocketry works. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_57cd63e6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_57cd63e6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_57cd63e6 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5a85d4d4 | type |
Suspend Save | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5a85d4d4 | comment |
Suspend Save: While your game autosaves periodically to prevent blatant Save Scumming (not that it really needs to at this stage), there's also a single-use quicksave feature that allows you to save at various points during a mission so that you don't have to launch an entirely new rocket if your current one suddenly becomes a million-dollar lawn dart. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5a85d4d4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5a85d4d4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5a85d4d4 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5cfeb43f | type |
Save Scumming | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5cfeb43f | comment |
Save Scumming: You can hit Escape and choose "Revert to Launch" or "Revert to Vehicle Assembly" if something goes wrong and you don't want to lose money on a vehicle and/or a Kerbal. The F5 key lets you create a quicksave (Alt-F5 to name it), and F9 (or Alt-F9) reverts you to that quicksave. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5cfeb43f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5cfeb43f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5cfeb43f | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5d0c0a0e | type |
Little Green Men | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5d0c0a0e | comment |
Little Green Men: The Kerbals are green, and approximately 0.75 m tall. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5d0c0a0e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5d0c0a0e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5d0c0a0e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5deb34da | type |
Ace Pilot | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5deb34da | comment |
Ace Pilot: Pilot Kerbals can enhance the control of vessels, allowing them to point to particular vectors and enhancing their existing stability systems, getting that much more mobility out of craft. The more experienced they are, the better they get.note Level 0 pilots can enable SAS and Stability. Level 1 pilots have access to prograde and retrograde lock, Level 2 pilots can lock towards all six navball directions, and Level 3 pilots can lock to all targeting directions. Level 4 and 5 pilots don't get any additional bonuses. Although, once you unlock the probe cores that can do everything a veteran pilot can, they become somewhat obsolete... as long as your probe core have power and is in range of the comm relays (1.2 onwards). In addition to this, Jebediah and Valentina Kerman are both pilots, and both have the "Badass" flag. They are the only universally-generated Kerbals to have that. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5deb34da | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5deb34da | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5deb34da | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5ea9e6f3 | type |
Edutainment Game | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5ea9e6f3 | comment |
Edutainment Game: While the original game is not primarily designed as one, its creators support its use in the classroom as a teaching tool and have been working on a special edition called KerbalEdu specifically meant for classroom use. At least one teacher has incorporated it into his classes. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5ea9e6f3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5ea9e6f3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5ea9e6f3 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5ed3ace2 | type |
Batman Can Breathe in Space | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5ed3ace2 | comment |
Batman Can Breathe in Space: Technically averted, since Kerbals never take their helmets off in vacuum. However, they also don't require oxygen supplies and can survive in space indefinitely. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5ed3ace2 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5ed3ace2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5ed3ace2 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5f70322e | type |
Public Domain Soundtrack | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5f70322e | comment |
Public Domain Soundtrack: Most of the soundtrack (aside from the main title theme) was created by Kevin MacLeod. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5f70322e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5f70322e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_5f70322e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61066d95 | type |
Fictional Counterpart | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61066d95 | comment |
Fictional Counterpart: Weird names and minor tweaks aside, KSP's set of planets is essentially the same as ours. After a small, rocky planet and one with a very thick atmosphere, Kerbin is the third planet from its star, followed by a small red planet, then a small rocky object (the counterpart to Ceres), then a huge gas planet with lots of moons, and so on. Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune equivalents are missing from the stock game, but do exist as a mod. Notably averted with the moons. Gilly and Minmus are entirely fictional while Pol and Bop are something of composite character of various minor moons. Ike is also something of a composite character between Mars's moons but is rather different, being a large rounded body. Laythe is based on a hypothetical wet Io (with elements of Titan), but has little in common besides relative size and orbit. Only Val, Tylo, and, of course, the Mun have direct real solar system counterparts. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61066d95 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61066d95 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61066d95 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_610957b3 | type |
Iron Butt-Monkey | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_610957b3 | comment |
Iron Butt-Monkey: As long as the Kerbals are not killed outright, they can come out of some spectacular disasters none the worse for wear, allowing for some serious Video Game Cruelty Potential (see below). | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_610957b3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_610957b3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_610957b3 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61a35c24 | type |
Improbable Piloting Skills | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61a35c24 | comment |
Improbable Piloting Skills: Often times directly proportional to the improbability of the craft. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61a35c24 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61a35c24 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61a35c24 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61c683d2 | type |
We Have Reserves | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61c683d2 | comment |
We Have Reserves: Lampshaded by the manual in the game itself, Kerbin consists of a virtually undepletable population of Red Shirts dedicated to be substantially launched to anything that moves around the star system. After all, it wouldn't be any fun at all if you managed to run out of Kerbals to be flung into orbit. Despite of this, losing any of the original four orange suitsnote Like Jebediah Kerman, provided with a Permadeath option, they will be lost forever. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61c683d2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61c683d2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61c683d2 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61e43473 | type |
Dramatic Space Drifting | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61e43473 | comment |
Dramatic Space Drifting: Can happen if a Kerbonaut on EVA runs out of fuel before he makes it back to the capsule. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61e43473 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61e43473 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61e43473 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61eac2cb | type |
Perpetual-Motion Monster | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61eac2cb | comment |
Perpetual-Motion Monster: If one were to dump a Kerbal on the Mun with nothing more than their spacesuit, they could sit there forever. They also have infinite stamina, and they can shrug off any amount of G-forces. Various mods force you to feed, water, and/or oxygenate your Kerbals, but in the stock game they can only die from high-speed impacts or incineration, much like inanimate objects. Before the introduction of re-entry heat, if one had the EVA Parachutes mod, it was completely possible to perform interplanetary EVAs. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61eac2cb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61eac2cb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_61eac2cb | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_62259825 | type |
Nintendo Hard | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_62259825 | comment |
Nintendo Hard: The game is pretty harsh and unforgiving if you don't know what you're doing; most new players take a while to achieve their first orbit, partly because of common misconceptions about how real rockets reach orbit (you don't need to go up very far, but you need a tremendous amount of horizontal velocity). Even if you've mastered the game, a single mishap can ruin that epic Jool mission you poured hours into. While building finely balanced, efficient rockets and sending them to other worlds may not be particularly easy, this pales in comparison to trying to build a Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) space plane and docking with your orbiting space station. Seriously, try it! | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_62259825 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_62259825 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_62259825 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_623a4ab4 | type |
Instant Costume Change | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_623a4ab4 | comment |
Instant Costume Change: Jeb, Bill, Bob, and Val have orange spacesuits while inside a pod, but when they go on EVA their suits magically turn white. To add further confusion, they have orange EVA suits in promo material and even the loading screen images, but never in unmodded gameplay. The other, randomly-generated kerbals wear white suits at all times. Averted in 1.10, which adds a proper suit customization system; now, kerbals on EVA wear whatever color of suit was selected for them prior to mission start. (Jeb, Bill, Bob, and Val start with orange standard suits by default, of course, and will wear them both inside and outside the spacecraft.) | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_623a4ab4 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_623a4ab4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_623a4ab4 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6293c185 | type |
Sequel Hook | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6293c185 | comment |
Sequel Hook: in the very last update for the game, 1.12, A new anomaly was added, A star gate, that would also appear in the then-upcoming KSP 2. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6293c185 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6293c185 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6293c185 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_62f20fd6 | type |
A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away... | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_62f20fd6 | comment |
A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...: Is set entirely in the fictional Kerbol System. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_62f20fd6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_62f20fd6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_62f20fd6 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6319dea1 | type |
Ejection Seat | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6319dea1 | comment |
Ejection Seat: It's possible to create a (very clumsy) ejection seat for rovers with the use of miniature SRBs and a decoupler. With the NASA update, a real-life equivalent from the Apollo program is available for regular cockpits - the Escape Tower, a vectored SRB mounted on the top of the cockpit, which can be activated (in unison with a decoupler) in an emergency to lift the entire cockpit to safety. Update 1.4 introduced the ability to invoke this trope, minus the "seat", with the addition of backpack parachutes for Kerbonauts with the pilot specialization, allowing you to bail out of a stricken aircraft and reach the ground semi-safely. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6319dea1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6319dea1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6319dea1 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_63557923 | type |
Death World | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_63557923 | comment |
Death World: Moho certainly qualifies. It's the closest planet from Kerbol, and the temperature is boiling at 300ËšC. There is also an enormous amount of heat generated from Kerbol. Better hope that your ship has radiators, or it will come to an unfortunate end. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_63557923 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_63557923 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_63557923 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_64f0c18c | type |
Critical Existence Failure | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_64f0c18c | comment |
Critical Existence Failure: Your Flight Log may tell you that parts take damage from engine exhaust, but this damage seems to have no effect on their performance at all until they're destroyed outright. Overheating does not affect the performance of parts at all, until the overheating bar is full and the part vaporizes into a puff of smoke. Aside from a few exceptions, collision damage works similarly. Certain parts (typically wheels, landing gear, and solar panels) have "Damaged / Broken" states where they function badly (or not at all) until repaired by an engineer, but with most parts, if they aren't destroyed outright they won't even get scratched. A battery pack that hit every single bump tumbling down a steep mountainside will still work just as well as the day it was unboxed if one of your astronauts manages to salvage it and slap it on the side of their spacecraft. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_64f0c18c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_64f0c18c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_64f0c18c | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_662a349d | type |
Inconvenient Parachute Deployment | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_662a349d | comment |
Inconvenient Parachute Deployment: An unfortunately frequent occurrence when parachutes aren't properly staged or the player has triggered them at inappropriate times. For example, deploying main chute before deploying a drogue chute might cause the main chute to wrench off due to it being unable to handle the greater air forces at higher velocity. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_662a349d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_662a349d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_662a349d | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6688a866 | type |
Camera Perspective Switch | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6688a866 | comment |
Camera Perspective Switch: If your rocket has a manned cockpit, you can switch to an Intra Vehicular Activity camera and experience the ride from the inside. Many players fly entire missions from the IVA perspective as a Self-Imposed Challenge. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6688a866 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6688a866 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6688a866 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_681077c5 | type |
Wide-Open Sandbox | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_681077c5 | comment |
Wide-Open Sandbox: In Sandbox mode, money has no importance and there are no goals. 0.22 has added a rudimentary campaign with a limited selection of starting parts and the option to unlock more by researching your way up a Tech Tree, while 0.24 has continued to flesh out the campaign with funding and reputation systems to place additional limits on your space program. Even then there's no storyline as such, and you're free to do whatever you want within the limits of your available parts. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_681077c5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_681077c5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_681077c5 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6b146924 | type |
Species Surname | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6b146924 | comment |
Species Surname: While not exactly the name of their species, every single named Kerbal character in the game has the last name "Kerman". | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6b146924 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6b146924 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6b146924 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6bda9a30 | type |
Meaningful Name | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6bda9a30 | comment |
Meaningful Name: As mentioned under Aerith and Bob, some of the randomly generated names are Shout Outs to real-life people (like Buzz Aldrin or notable KSP lets-players). Furthermore, Valentina Kerman is named in honor of Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, first woman and first civilian in space. Even the ground crew gets this treatment- Gene Kerman in particular being an obvious Expy of Gene Kranz, right down to the snappy vest. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6bda9a30 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6bda9a30 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6bda9a30 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6d7026fa | type |
Punny Name | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6d7026fa | comment |
Punny Name: The Dessert Launch Complex is said to have been named as a pun by snack loving Kerbals. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6d7026fa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6d7026fa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6d7026fa | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6e6b8ca7 | type |
Tertiary Sexual Characteristics | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6e6b8ca7 | comment |
Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Female Kerbals have noticable eyelashes, longer hair, and a smaller more oval head compared to the males. But apart from that, they still have the same exaggerated body proportions. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6e6b8ca7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6e6b8ca7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6e6b8ca7 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6ec989d8 | type |
Guide Dang It! | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6ec989d8 | comment |
Guide Dang It!: One of the game's few flaws is that there is little in-game documentation of how most things work. Even if you know rocket science, you'll still need trial and error to figure out what all the rocket parts are and how they work (Really - even astronauts have trouble playing if they've never played it before.). In version 1.1 and onwards a "KSPedia" in-game information system that (hopefully) remedy this. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6ec989d8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6ec989d8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6ec989d8 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6fc40689 | type |
Ragdoll Physics | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6fc40689 | comment |
Ragdoll Physics: If a Kerbal hits something at high speed (but not fast enough to die instantly), they go into ragdoll mode, flopping around helplessly and often violently until they tumble to a stop. This doesn't cause any permanent injury, somehow, but can be pretty irritating if they fall down a mountain and you're forced to wait several minutes in real-time before you can control them again. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6fc40689 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6fc40689 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_6fc40689 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_703ab38d | type |
Base on Wheels | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_703ab38d | comment |
Base on Wheels: At its most basic level, you could just slap some large rover wheels onto a Hitchhiker Storage Container and call that a base. Anything more elaborate depends on your imagination and engineering and piloting skills – and mods. Many contracts require the bases to be mobile, because they’re easier to assemble into larger structures that way. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_703ab38d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_703ab38d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_703ab38d | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_704ac24 | type |
Uniqueness Value | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_704ac24 | comment |
Uniqueness Value: Jebediah, Bill, Bob, and Valentina Kerman are the only kerbonauts guaranteed to appear in every playthrough, and wear special orange IVA suits by default. Jeb, Bill, and Bob are the "original three" who manned every rocket in the game's earliest builds, while Valentina is officially the first female kerbonaut. Some players go to great lengths to keep these four safe and sound, or to include them on milestone flights. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_704ac24 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_704ac24 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_704ac24 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70645f69 | type |
Money Grinding | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70645f69 | comment |
In the early game, it's difficult to make money. However, once you reach orbit, many contracts with easily fulfilled objectives (rescue missions, science data from space, etc) open up allowing for Money Grinding. Unless you build seriously over-engineered rockets, you will always turn a healthy profit on contract missions, turning out huge sums of moola to spend on silly and/or expensive endeavors. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70645f69 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70645f69 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70645f69 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70d8269d | type |
Excuse Plot | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70d8269d | comment |
Excuse Plot: The plot is essentially "Have a rocket and a few astronauts. Now go into space." All the Flavor Text for ship parts and mission contracts adds is "Everyone else is bad at going into space." You don't need to know why toy companies and canning factories need mineral scanners in a specific polar orbit of Moho. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70d8269d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70d8269d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70d8269d | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70f7063d | type |
Unflinching Walk | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70f7063d | comment |
Unflinching Walk: One of the loading screen pictures depicts invokedJebediah Kerman smiling for the camera while something in the background — probably what's left of his spacecraft — goes up in a mushroom cloud. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70f7063d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70f7063d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_70f7063d | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_745a226c | type |
Easy Logistics | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_745a226c | comment |
Easy Logistics: Individual craft have limited fuel and electricity, but (discounting monetary costs) that fuel is effectively in infinite supply for your space program as a whole. You never have to worry about food, water, or oxygen supply. This actually makes manned missions in some ways easier than unmanned ones (as unmanned command modules require electricity to run). On the design and management side of things, no time passes while in the Vehicle Assembly Building or the Space Plane Hangar, and new craft are assembled and deployed to the launchpad or runway instantaneously. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_745a226c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_745a226c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_745a226c | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_753a9ada | type |
Centrifugal Farce | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_753a9ada | comment |
Centrifugal Farce: Featured in the 0.21 release trailer. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_753a9ada | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_753a9ada | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_753a9ada | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_760b0bad | type |
Rocketless Reentry | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_760b0bad | comment |
Rocketless Reentry: Technically possible in older versions of the game; the trick to it involved landing them on their head. The addition of reentry heat essentially ended the practice. While you can't do it with just a Kerbal anymore, you can still make craft that that have the Kerbal reenter without a pod. All you need is a heat shield, a motor, a parachute, and a chair. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_760b0bad | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_760b0bad | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_760b0bad | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7969f21e | type |
No One Gets Left Behind | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7969f21e | comment |
No One Gets Left Behind: A popular form of Self-Imposed Challenge is to always, always make a rescue attempt for any Kerbonauts stranded far away from home unless they're plainly lost to the clutches of space. See Video Game Caring Potential below. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7969f21e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7969f21e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7969f21e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7a1d1191 | type |
Rocket Ride | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7a1d1191 | comment |
Rocket Ride: 0.20 introduced official support for seats, mainly intended for rovers. Of course, sticking one to the side of a large rocket and launching it into the stratosphere was one of the first things a lot of users did. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7a1d1191 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7a1d1191 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7a1d1191 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7b4d0c39 | type |
Tech Tree | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7b4d0c39 | comment |
Tech Tree: A feature of the game added in the .22 update. Kerbonauts and probes can now gather science in flight in Career mode, which you can use to research technology to unlock more parts. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7b4d0c39 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7b4d0c39 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7b4d0c39 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7b8b3def | type |
Celebrity Paradox | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7b8b3def | comment |
Celebrity Paradox: At various locations in the solar system, you can find giant monoliths with the Squad logo on them. This seems to imply that the game devs exist in-universe as some sort of precursor species. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7b8b3def | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7b8b3def | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7b8b3def | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7d97ab06 | type |
Space Is an Ocean | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7d97ab06 | comment |
Space Is an Ocean: Although the gameplay is realistic spaceflight, Kerbals have a mythological creature known as the Kraken said to lurk on Bop, and one song heard during spaceflight features whale calls. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7d97ab06 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7d97ab06 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7d97ab06 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7ed25068 | type |
Video Game Caring Potential | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7ed25068 | comment |
Videogame Caring Potential: Some players equip their crew capsules with not only parachutes but various other elaborate safety and/or abort systems, rescue all stranded Kerbals, and try to land returning ships as close to the Kerbal Space Center as possible... | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7ed25068 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7ed25068 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_7ed25068 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8272a6c4 | type |
Stellar Station | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8272a6c4 | comment |
Stellar Station: It's possible to build such a space station in orbit around Kerbol (the game's analogue to the Sun), but doing so requires that your station design is sturdy and heat-resistant enough to not burn up that close to the star. Not to mention the immense difficulty of having enough Delta V to cancel out your momentum in order to get into a stable orbit in the first place. It's a high risk, high reward scenario where you get some very valuable science from studying Kerbol up close if you manage to pull it off successfully. See this video for a demonstration. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8272a6c4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8272a6c4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8272a6c4 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_83364794 | type |
Asteroid Miners | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_83364794 | comment |
Asteroid Miners: Asteroids can be used as a renewable fuel source if your craft is equipped with the proper harvesting and refining equipment. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_83364794 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_83364794 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_83364794 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_834427cd | type |
Cap | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_834427cd | comment |
Cap: In Science and Career mode, you will only ever get 30% of the total value of transmitting data compared to recovery. The Mobile Processing Lab can boost this by a fraction, but you will never get as much as if you recovered the data.note This essentially makes multiple transmitted experiments useless after the first one, as there won't be any value left. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_834427cd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_834427cd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_834427cd | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_87504252 | type |
The Big Board | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_87504252 | comment |
The Big Board: Both the Tracking Station and the in-flight map view allow you to see statistics on the various bodies in the Kerbol system and monitor the progress of your active flights. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_87504252 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_87504252 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_87504252 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_875615dd | type |
Truth in Television | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_875615dd | comment |
Truth in Television: Sure NASA and the other space programs have brilliant engineers and scientists to build their spacecrafts, but sometimes things go a little Kerbal anyway. The tragedies are, of course, tragic, but those aside, here are a few more lighthearted examples: This note◊ painted on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The Soviet N-1 Moon rocket with 30 engines on the first stage is quite Kerbal◊. It is a result of a familiar issue of not having large-diameter parts, and spamming the smaller engines. It also experienced some rather catastrophic failures—in the the second launch attempt, it fell right back onto the launchpad, creating the largest man-made non-nuclear explosion in history (about 7 kilotons, almost half the yield of the Little Boy). Similar disasters frequently happen to large Kerbal rockets because of inadequate struts or staging errors. N-1’s competitor UR-700, never going off the drawing board, has a nearly unbeatable kerbalness quotient. All of thousands of tons of its propellants were the toxic, carcinogenic hypergolic fuels; it used the Direct Ascent principle popular among KSP players; it had not one but nine vertical stacks, because the designers wanted all the parts to be rail-transportable (which is much like a Kerbal player dealing with lack of sufficiently large parts); it had fuel crossfeed from the first stage into the second stage, also fired at launch; and its orbital stage had its own strap-on boosters. When training for the Moon landing, Neil Armstrong bailed out of the "Flying Bedstead" aircraft after losing control of it. His fellow astronauts were amazed at how unfazed he was by the incident. Fearlessly leaping out of a failing rocket in midair is a standard procedure for Kerbals (heck, they didn't even have parachutes until 1.4). Those who find rendezvous and docking to be difficult and counterintuitive may take comfort in the fact that early astronauts in the real world got off to a rocky start with it themselves. Gemini 4 was America's first attempt at having two different craft rendezvous in space. Unfortunately, neither the astronauts nor the ground crew fully understood the orbital mechanics involved, and so as they tried to thrust towards the target from a higher orbit, they ended up actually speeding away from it, which is completely backwards from how things are on the Earth's surface but makes perfect sense once you realize that they were thrusting into a lower orbit by firing against their own orbital velocity, which would make them orbit faster in the long run. People who either aren't good at docking or haven't unlocked the parts yet often just integrate a lab into a conventional rocket with detachable capsule and deorbit the whole thing when they are done. This was more or less the whole idea behind the Manned Orbital Lab project, a United States Air Force project that actually flew a mockup. The game's fandom (at least on the official forums) rejoiced on at least two occasions due to mentions from people who work in space science. The first was when Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeted that he thought the game looked fun and would probably spend "far too much time" playing it if there was a Mac version. (This resulted in the until-then low-priority OSX port becoming the absolute #1 priority for the devteam!) The second was, if anything, an even bigger reaction when, in response to a question on their blog, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover team stated that there were a number of people on the team who liked to play KSP during their free time. The unpaid endorsement by a group of REAL rocket scientists (or close enough to it for all practical purposes) set off tears of joy from the user base. Former Astronaut Ed Lu played the game with Scott Manley, Ed's first flight crashed in less than 30 seconds, the second got into space, but not into orbit. Despite not making it to orbit in-game, he still described it as "fun to play", which is pretty fair praise, too. Ed Lu also appeared in a livestreamed interview with the KSP developers themselves. A SpaceX Falcon 9 disintegrated during launch in June 2015 due to a defective strut snapping under pressure. Turns out "add more struts" is a valid technique! A Falcon 9's spontaneous combustion while sitting on the pad was a rare event in real life, but probably felt familiar to KSP players, since this can easily happen for a variety of reasons (too many or too few launch clamps, not enough struts, part clipping...). Some people joked that SpaceX should have pressed "revert to VAB." File under "Unconventional rocket / aircraft configurations": During the 1970s the US Air Force performed a test launch of a Minuteman ICBM from the back of a C-5A Galaxy, one of the world's largest cargo planes. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_875615dd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_875615dd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_875615dd | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_87ce0385 | type |
Series Mascot | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_87ce0385 | comment |
Series Mascot: Due to his Memetic Badass status, Jebediah is the most recognizable of the Kerbonauts. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_87ce0385 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_87ce0385 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_87ce0385 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_885b0b18 | type |
Interplanetary Voyage | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_885b0b18 | comment |
Interplanetary Voyage: Some mods, such as KSP-Interstellar mod, added advanced thrusters and even Alcubierre Drive — yet they are still based on theoretical physics instead of any science fiction science, and may require even more resource management just to warp to a different planet. Just to add to the insanity of easy interplanetary travel comes many unique planet packs that introduce entirely NEW solar systems for players to explore. From the purple, accretion disk baring Olu'um which comes from Gameslinx's planet Overhaul. To the (possibly) artificial, The All from Kerbal star systems. Each pack offers a tinge of insanity, and even more so if you decide to group several of them together. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_885b0b18 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_885b0b18 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_885b0b18 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_88a97dd4 | type |
Stiff Upper Lip | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_88a97dd4 | comment |
Stiff Upper Lip: Jebediah, Valentina, and any other Kerbals with the hidden badS flag will be calm unless something goes catastrophically wrong. If they do start screaming, well... stuff is about to get ''really'' unfortunate. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_88a97dd4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_88a97dd4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_88a97dd4 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_89c7249b | type |
Space Plane | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_89c7249b | comment |
Space Plane: Possible to build, though not easy in the slightest. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_89c7249b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_89c7249b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_89c7249b | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8a295a46 | type |
Cool Car | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8a295a46 | comment |
Cool Car: Rovers are essentially meant to be Cool Cars In Space. Now, whether this succeeded or not is up to some interpretation... Rovers can be unstable and tricky to use, but it's definitely possible to build some cool designs out of the available parts — like rocket- and jet-powered cars, for a start (in case the Boring, but Practical electric motors aren't quite enough for you)... | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8a295a46 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8a295a46 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8a295a46 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8b74d7ec | type |
Something-Nauts | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8b74d7ec | comment |
Something-Nauts: Kerbal space explorers are called kerbonauts. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8b74d7ec | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8b74d7ec | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8b74d7ec | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8b8a14bb | type |
Space Plane | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8b8a14bb | comment |
Single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) spaceplanes are difficult to design, expensive to construct, and don't really do anything that can't be done with a plain old rocket, unless you're visiting the only other moon with an oxygen atmosphere. Additionally, getting the maximum benefit out of them means learning how to time your atmospheric reentries so that you can get the plane close enough to fly or glide to the space center's runway (while expendable rockets are essentially "fire and forget" since the benefit of recovering the parts themselves is usually quite small compared to the expected payout for the payload anyway). Their major advantage is that they're easier to re-use than conventional rockets, making them quite a bit cheaper in the long term. Space shuttles are usually even harder to design and fly than regular old space plane VTOLS. However, unlike space planes, parts are typically expended launching them. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8b8a14bb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8b8a14bb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8b8a14bb | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8cb259f4 | type |
Overshadowed by Awesome | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8cb259f4 | comment |
Overshadowed by Awesome: Dres. Most people have never heard of its real-life equivalent, Ceres, giving it a disadvantage from the start. It looks almost exactly like the Mun, and lacks any planetary personality—Moho is closest to the sun, Eeloo is farthest, Eve is very difficult to escape from, Duna has a cosmetically interesting surface, and Jool has several moons with various quirks. Dres is just a gray rock in an uninteresting location. It has neighboring asteroids, but so does Kerbin. Dres gets so few visitors that the challenges forum has a "Dres Awareness" project, to encourage players to send epic missions to the poor neglected planet. Perhaps its only claim to fame is the fact that it sits at a highly inclined orbit making it somewhat challenging from to get an intercept with. However if anything this just deters people from even bothering as it makes a flyby on the way to Jool rather ugly and Delta V consuming than it would normally be. As far as moons go Val is often ignored. Even within its own system Tylo has freakishly strong gravity, Bop and Pol having micro-gravity and mountains going for them, and Laythe has an oxygen atmosphere. Outside of the Jool system even Val's gimmick of being an ice moon are overshadowed by the much more readily accessible Minmus. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8cb259f4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8cb259f4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8cb259f4 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8d4fcaa5 | type |
Self-Imposed Challenge | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8d4fcaa5 | comment |
The introduction of the Asteroid Redirect Mission allows the player to attach ships to asteroids and redirect them to impact other celestial bodies. There is no particular reason to smash an asteroid at high velocity into a planet though, except as a Self-Imposed Challenge. However, managing to safely land an asteroid on another celestial surface can give another opportunity for additional scientific data. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8d4fcaa5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8d4fcaa5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_8d4fcaa5 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_90b98fbb | type |
The Needless | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_90b98fbb | comment |
Kerbals have no life support requirements whatsoever, meaning that you don't have to budget mass for food and air when designing missions. This also means they don't die if left stranded, giving players all the time in the world to send a rescue mission. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_90b98fbb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_90b98fbb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_90b98fbb | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_95713538 | type |
Outside Ride | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_95713538 | comment |
Outside Ride: Kerbonauts can ride on the outside of rockets by holding onto ladders, but they don't have especially strong grip (so be careful if you try it yourself and never try it when the craft is accelerating). Version .20 added seats; see Rocket Ride. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_95713538 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_95713538 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_95713538 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_96181ea7 | type |
Loads and Loads of Loading | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_96181ea7 | comment |
Loads and Loads of Loading: This will definitely happen if you have a low end computer, or if you have a 3,000-part ship being put on the pad. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_96181ea7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_96181ea7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_96181ea7 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_980f7fac | type |
Hit So Hard, the Calendar Felt It | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_980f7fac | comment |
Hit So Hard, the Calendar Felt It: Whatever the reason, the game always starts on Year 1, Day 1, 0:00:00. Which just so happens to be the middle of day in the Kerbal Space Center. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_980f7fac | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_980f7fac | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_980f7fac | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9b9397bb | type |
Difficult, but Awesome | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9b9397bb | comment |
Once the appropriate technologies are unlocked, other options become available. Simple designs can be hard to recover, but complicated SSTOs for low-orbit missions may actually save more money - provided the player is able to bring them back to the runway in one piece. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9b9397bb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9b9397bb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9b9397bb | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9c842299 | type |
Weaponized Exhaust | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9c842299 | comment |
Weaponized Exhaust: An (often) unintentional example of using this on yourself if you are not careful with spaceship construction. All engines have heat tolerances which, when exceeded, will damage the engine. Too many engines too close together can overheat each other at full thrust, and other parts of the spacecraft too near the exhaust might be damaged as well. Also, if anything comes loose near a working engine, even a Kerbal, it will be launched off into the horizon at unsurvivable speeds, so standing near engines in general is not a good idea. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9c842299 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9c842299 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9c842299 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9d17b859 | type |
Made of Iron | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9d17b859 | comment |
Made of Iron: In contrast to the Made of Explodium rocket parts, Kerbonauts are incredibly durable. Besides never running out or air or needing food or water on multi-year space journeys, they can somehow survive crashing into the ground at up to 45 m/s (about 100 MPH) completely unharmed. Your ship's landing gear will snap off and/or explode at one-third that speed. It's been speculated that it's in fact their helmets that are Made of Iron. Landing a Kerbal on their legs will generally kill them instantly, but if you flip them over and land them on their helmets, it's possible to survive. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9d17b859 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9d17b859 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9d17b859 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9dd2cbc2 | type |
CloudCuckooLander | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9dd2cbc2 | comment |
Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Jebediah Kerman, who always smiles all the time, no matter what is happening. Unless something goes wrong. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9dd2cbc2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9dd2cbc2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9dd2cbc2 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f50dbe6 | type |
Infinite Supplies | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f50dbe6 | comment |
Infinite Supplies: Kerbals do not require oxygen, food, or any other supplies and can run literally forever. Averted for the various rocket fuels, which will run out and forms the basis for the game's difficultly. However, some mods can make it so that you have finite life support supplies if you want the extra challenge. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f50dbe6 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f50dbe6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f50dbe6 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f679e25 | type |
Future Copter | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f679e25 | comment |
Future Copter: Any air-breathing stock VTOL will necessarily be this. As the stock parts have no rotatory wings, the only way to have any upward thrust is via downward-vectored engines, typically jets. The arrival of working rotors with the Breaking Ground expansion actually made these even more common, since multi-rotor helicopters steered with reaction wheels are actually a lot simpler to make than conventional helicopters with tail rotors. Shrouds for building ducted fans are also included. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f679e25 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f679e25 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f679e25 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f93adcd | type |
In-Universe Game Clock | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f93adcd | comment |
In-Universe Game Clock: "Internal Game Clock" variety. Time normally passes in real time and is recorded in Earth minutes, hours, days, and years (with, since 0.23.5, an option to switch to Kerbin days and years, where each day is 6 hours and each year is 426 days). Thankfully, as some missions could take a very, very long time in real-time, there are options for time acceleration. Each planet and moon has its own day-night cycle determined by its motion within the solar system, which is important when planning landings or using solar-powered probes. Hit So Hard, the Calendar Felt It: Whatever the reason, the game always starts on Year 1, Day 1, 0:00:00. Which just so happens to be the middle of day in the Kerbal Space Center. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f93adcd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f93adcd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9f93adcd | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9fb2a335 | type |
Event-Driven Clock | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9fb2a335 | comment |
Event-Driven Clock: It models a quite realistic solar system, meaning you have to think about launch windows if you want to send missions further than Kerbin's moons. However, anything done in the vehicle editor(the Space Plane Hanger or the Vehicle Assembly Building) pauses time, so you can build anything and have it ready to launch with no time passing in the real world. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9fb2a335 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9fb2a335 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9fb2a335 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9fe075b0 | type |
High-Tech Hexagons | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9fe075b0 | comment |
High-Tech Hexagons: The roads in the Kerbal Space Center are arranged in hexagons, and there are certain parts like the HECS probe core, and the deployable solar panel from the Breaking Ground expansion, that are hexagonally shaped. Some of the flags that come with the game also feature hexagons in their designs. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9fe075b0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9fe075b0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_9fe075b0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a04e1507 | type |
Frictionless Reentry | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a04e1507 | comment |
Frictionless Reentry: Played straight during development. Oddly, scary-looking reentry flames were added early on, but for a long time they were purely decoration; you could still plow vertically into the atmosphere at interplanetary speeds and survive unscathed. Fully Averted in version 1.0, which added the heat effects from re-entry that had been absent in the alpha and beta releases (unless you used the Deadly Reentry mod), though you can still turn off (or increase) the heat in the difficulty settings. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a04e1507 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a04e1507 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a04e1507 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a1b76006 | type |
Nerves of Steel | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a1b76006 | comment |
Nerves of Steel: Jebediah Kerman almost never loses his cool. If you can get him to crack, the odds are good that your spacecraft is already doomed. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a1b76006 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a1b76006 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a1b76006 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a412cd2b | type |
Lens Flare | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a412cd2b | comment |
Lens Flare: You can see the effect whenever your camera is pointed towards the sun. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a412cd2b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a412cd2b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a412cd2b | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a5e998f0 | type |
Hitbox Dissonance | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a5e998f0 | comment |
Hitbox Dissonance: In older versions of the game, a few of the buildings at the Kerbal Space Center had some wonky collision meshes, such as the SPH being about 10 meters taller than it actually appeared to be. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a5e998f0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a5e998f0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a5e998f0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a6653039 | type |
Subsystem Damage | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a6653039 | comment |
Subsystem Damage: Each individual rocket part has its own parameters, including heat and impact tolerances. With a little luck, you can even save your crews from crashes that will destroy the rest of the vehicle. Some parts, such as rover wheels or solar panels, can be broken without being totally destroyed. These broken parts can be repaired by an Engineer, which restores them to full functionality. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a6653039 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a6653039 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a6653039 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a6848924 | type |
Emergent Gameplay | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a6848924 | comment |
Emergent Gameplay: Quite a few people find ways to have fun with the game without launching rockets into space at all, or by finding unusual uses for game parts. Geofley's Cove, a fully aquatic base on Laythe, is one of the less outlandish examples. Another excellent example is The Wrong Brothers, in which a player goes through career mode using only the spaceplane hangar and runway, and never launches a single conventional rocket. Update 1.05 overhauled how buoyancy is treated in the game making it possible for some parts and even entire craft to sink. It is possible to build submarines and underwater bases, there are even contracts and records for them. Another surprisingly popular bit of emergent gameplay is using the backpack-mounted EVA parachutes introduced in 1.4, combined with purpose-built engine pods launched from the runway, to . . . go parasailing. Using a jet engine, no less. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a6848924 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a6848924 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a6848924 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a7325f9e | type |
The Many Deaths of You | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a7325f9e | comment |
The Many Deaths of You: Blowing up in liftoff, drifting into the void of space to starve or freeze to death, spinning madly on the launch pad, hurling yourself into the sun - there's no end to the creative ways these guys can perish. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a7325f9e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a7325f9e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a7325f9e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a74d419a | type |
Unfinished, Untested, Used Anyway | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a74d419a | comment |
Unfinished, Untested, Used Anyway: There's nothing that says you can't try to go straight for the Mun (or anywhere else) with a full crew in a rocket that you just built and aren't sure how it will perform. There are a few perfunctory checks to make sure that you haven't forgotten anything important (like parachutes for a safe return), but you're not even obligated to adhere to those. Fan lore is that the Kerbal species as a whole is like this — they're so excited about exploring space that they'll gladly strap themselves into the rockets they've built without bothering to test the design for flaws first. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a74d419a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a74d419a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a74d419a | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a8a04f6f | type |
And I Must Scream | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a8a04f6f | comment |
Life support is not a factor, which simplifies rescues and mission planning somewhat. You can choose not to rescue a Kerbal stranded in deep space and you could be technically free of conscience since they're not dead, but are instead drifting forever with nothing to do, no hope of returning home, and no snacks. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a8a04f6f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a8a04f6f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a8a04f6f | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a9b3c8ea | type |
Orion Drive | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a9b3c8ea | comment |
Orion Drive: Via a Game Mod made by the webmaster of the hard science website Atomic Rockets. In true Kerbal fashion, the first test fire of the drive caused the command module to go flying off the top of the ship like a cork on a wine bottle. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a9b3c8ea | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a9b3c8ea | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_a9b3c8ea | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_abe0f934 | type |
Dissimile | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_abe0f934 | comment |
Dissimile: Eve's in-game description: | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_abe0f934 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_abe0f934 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_abe0f934 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ad1db87c | type |
Oh, Crap! | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ad1db87c | comment |
Oh, Crap!: Bill & Bob Kerman always look worried whenever the spacecraft is doing anything other than holding still. All characters do this if something explodes. If Jebediah ever stops grinning... see above. With the addition of other Kerbonauts, it has been revealed that each one has a personality based on certain modifiers, which in turn determines how brave or cowardly each one is. One of these modifiers is if the Kerbal is trained as a pilot or not (either yes or no). If he is a pilot, he will be mostly happy. If not, he will scream his pants off. Bob will always look terrified. He'll only calm down if the craft is confirmably drifting back to the surface slowly via parachute or has come to a complete, safe stop. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ad1db87c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ad1db87c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ad1db87c | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_adb8d70b | type |
Randomly Generated Quests | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_adb8d70b | comment |
Randomly Generated Quests: Most contracts in Career Mode are randomly-generated, using the player's progress so far as a guide. Contracts might require the player to place a satellite in a specific orbit around a planet, test a spacecraft part at a certain altitude, etc. The payout is calculated based on the "difficulty" of the contract. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_adb8d70b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_adb8d70b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_adb8d70b | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b0a91b69 | type |
Convection, Schmonvection | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b0a91b69 | comment |
Convection, Schmonvection: Depends a bit on the circumstance. Engines dump heat into nearby parts, which can cause overheating if multiple engines or boosters are attached to the same part, but Kerbals standing directly in rocket exhaust don't seem to overheat. However, it is played straight when it comes to shedding heat: parts with lots of built-up heat lose that heat more quickly in thicker atmosphere, while parts in space take quite a while to cool down due to having no contacting fluid to pass heat into. A vessel close to something like the sun that has insufficient radiating surface area can actually find itself overheating from the small but continuous sunlight because there is literally nothing for it to have convection with. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b0a91b69 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b0a91b69 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b0a91b69 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b30db865 | type |
Space Compression | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b30db865 | comment |
Space Compression: To cut down orbit times and prevent the game from becoming astronomically boring, Kerbin is a mere 1200km in diameter. Jool, the gas giant, is roughly the size of Earth. The orbits of planets and moons are similarly scaled down. All in all, the Kerbol system is roughly 1/11th scale... except for mass. Kerbin weighs about the same as Earth, meaning it's equally difficult to get to orbit on either planet, roughly. But if you want more realistic scaling, there's a mod for that. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b30db865 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b30db865 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b30db865 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b33dd99e | type |
Epic Launch Sequence | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b33dd99e | comment |
Epic Launch Sequence: The game is in part effectively dedicated to creating your very own. Many of the larger rocket launches can easily become this, especially if the total size of the completed rocket is over twice the size of the VAB. Other designs may be small or compact enough to fit in the building, or are designed to be launched in smaller sections and assembled in orbit, but will still be unconventional enough to warrant a prayer or two as you cross your fingers and hope the damn thing doesn't collapse under it's own weight, or crush the pad, or do both. On the subject of assembling rockets in orbit: Finally taking the helm of the completed super-ship, and firing up its engines to fly off to some untold adventure. Hell, any rocket launch can become this if the player doesn't have much experience with them, and some may consider just making it out of the space center in the first place to be their first real achievement. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b33dd99e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b33dd99e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b33dd99e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b3eecaae | type |
Colony Drop | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b3eecaae | comment |
Colony Drop: The introduction of the Asteroid Redirect Mission allows the player to attach ships to asteroids and redirect them to impact other celestial bodies. There is no particular reason to smash an asteroid at high velocity into a planet though, except as a Self-Imposed Challenge. However, managing to safely land an asteroid on another celestial surface can give another opportunity for additional scientific data. As for the "space station / artificial satellite" variation... well, all that really needs to be said is that it is trivially easy to deorbit any vessel compared to the effort needed to launch it into orbit in the first place. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b3eecaae | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b3eecaae | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b3eecaae | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b4333b0f | type |
Skybox | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b4333b0f | comment |
Skybox: Some especially enterprising modder came up with a utility for replacing the default skybox, among other features. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b4333b0f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b4333b0f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b4333b0f | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b47d95be | type |
No OSHA Compliance | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b47d95be | comment |
No OSHA Compliance: Parachutes, landing gear, or anything to insure the survival of your Kerbals are entirely optional. It is even possible to make rockets that face down. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b47d95be | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b47d95be | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b47d95be | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b4eff8a8 | type |
Epic Fail | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b4eff8a8 | comment |
Epic Fail: Half the fun of the game is watching your carefully crafted creations explode, go way off-course, or slam into Kerbin at hundreds of miles per hour. A classic and popular one is releasing launching clamps before activating engines. This can easily happen due to a buggy staging sequence. As the result, your majestic rocket will slowly fall to the ground, exploding stage-by-stage on contact, until all that remains is the crew capsule sitting in the middle of the launchpad empty save for the ring of the aforementioned launching clamps. Another one that often occurs with single stage rockets with a parachute: the staging puts the parachute and the engine in the same stage by default, leading to the parachute deploying at the same time that the engine turns on, pulling the rocket sideways and into the ground. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b4eff8a8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b4eff8a8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b4eff8a8 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b58b4e3c | type |
Too Dumb to Live | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b58b4e3c | comment |
Too Dumb to Live: The numerous shorts Squad has made to advertise the game are filled with this behavior. The worst offender? One kerbonaut finds that a wrench he needs has somehow gotten into his helmet. So, he decides to take his helmet off to get it. While standing on the Mun. Which has no air. And another kerbal reacts to seeing the ownerless helmet rolling around by grabbing at his own helmet as if it might spontaneously come off. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b58b4e3c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b58b4e3c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b58b4e3c | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b5914444 | type |
Noodle Implements | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b5914444 | comment |
Noodle Implements: Stuck in space with no fuel, so tantalisingly close to being able to return home? Why not literally get out and push? Just take an EVA, and push your spacecraft in the direction you want! You can get an unlimited amount of delta-V like this, if you could be bothered constantly getting in and out of the ship to replenish your EVA fuel (plus, this process is extremely slow). | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b5914444 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b5914444 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b5914444 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b5a47148 | type |
Captain Crash | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b5a47148 | comment |
Captain Crash: Building your own vehicles is one thing, landing them is another. Mun Landings, for instance, often end in the vehicle tipping over and falling to pieces, leaving the Kerbonauts stranded until help arrives (or backup help when the help befalls the same fate). Kerbals in general (and Jeb — one of your four initial Kerbonauts — in particular) are portrayed this way in the game's Flavor Text, and in the game community's memes. Kerbals are smart enough to build rockets, but not always smart enough to use them safely... | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b5a47148 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b5a47148 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b5a47148 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6ae5569 | type |
Transforming Mecha | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6ae5569 | comment |
Transforming Mecha: Difficult in the base game, but the Infernal Robotics Game Mod adds many servos and pistons to make transforming vehicles. More modest designs include spaceplanes with retractable powered wheels to function as a (clumsy) rover or alter their lift surfaces mid-flight for optimizing their behavior. More fantastic designs include a replica of Starscream from Transformers Now possible in the base game with the Breaking Ground DLC. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6ae5569 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6ae5569 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6ae5569 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6cd707f | type |
Strolling on Jupiter | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6cd707f | comment |
Strolling on Jupiter: In early builds it was possible to land on Jool, the Kerbal system's only gas giant. The "surface" was simply a way for the developers to texture the planet without having to do anything too different. Getting there would even reward the player unique messages from the scientific equipment lamp-shading the absurdity of the situation, and, of course, the treat of wandering around a featureless green plain. Subsequent versions would make it harder and harder the land on Jool, culminating with the "surface" finally being removed altogether. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6cd707f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6cd707f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6cd707f | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6e1d40b | type |
Acceptable Breaks from Reality | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6e1d40b | comment |
Acceptable Breaks from Reality: Some minor ones involved in craft construction. Components requiring/generating power will be considered connected as long as there is some physical connection between them, even if there are no visible wires. To a lesser extent, the same is true of fuel (in some cases it isn't, but fuel pipes just have to connect somewhere on both sides). Most noticeable are docking ports, that allow transfer of fuel, power and Kerbals regardless of craft construction. Is there a giant fuel tank between a docked spacecraft and another living space? It doesn't matter. Kerbals can still move through it without problem. Even weirder since, in 1.11 and above, you can attach and detach parts in flight. Life support is not a factor, which simplifies rescues and mission planning somewhat. You can choose not to rescue a Kerbal stranded in deep space and you could be technically free of conscience since they're not dead, but are instead drifting forever with nothing to do, no hope of returning home, and no snacks. The Kerbal solar system and its planets are around 1/10 the size of the real ones. This would make many aspects of rocket design a lot easier, except that Kerbal rocket components tend to be less capable than real ones to compensate. For example, Kerbal fuel tanks have a much higher ratio of dry mass to fuel mass, while Kerbal engines have lower thrust-to-weight ratios. The main net effect is to save the player time. It takes 2-3 minutes to guide a rocket to orbit, compared to 10-20 minutes for a real one. Since you'll probably be re-doing your launches over and over until you can figure out what's causing those pesky explosions, it's a welcome respite. Aside from poor structural design and outside influences such as overheating and crashing, parts never fail, and rockets can throttle down to less than 1% and respond instantly—even after spending decades in space. Not a very prominent break, but important in rocket science none-the-less. Scanning planets for Ore is a one-and-done affair — so long as your satellite is in the proper orbit and has enough Electricity in its batteries, the game assumes the surveying attempt will automatically cover the entire planet, which saves you the tedium of having to babysit it while it uncovers slivers of the surface at a time. The part of the engine that handles orbital mechanics uses an approximation of real physics called Patched Conics to calculate a craft's trajectory. In this system, the influence of gravity on your vessels is only calculated for one celestial body at a time, and which is relevant depends on whether the ship is in a body's "sphere of influence". In reality every object in the universe exerts a gravitational force on every other object, so accurate predictions of your orbital path must take into account the influence of every large, massive body nearby, e.g. nearly every celestial body in the solar system (the N-Body problem). However the computational requirements for accurate N-Body physics are so high the game would likely not be able to run on many computers, so Patched Conics provide a pretty good substitute. There are mods to add N-body physics in, but they come with a corresponding hit to performance. For similar computational reasons, physics calculations are not performed on any object further than 25km away from the vessel the player is currently controlling. Objects in orbit are instead "on rails" and follow their predetermined paths forever until the player switches to them or closes the distance. Objects in an atmosphere more than 25km away are deleted and reported as destroyed. Neither solar panels or RTGs lose efficiency over time nor do batteries wear out. If you have a probe that has solar panels and no dark spots, it will last forever. By the same token, wheels and robotic parts from Breaking Ground will work until they are destroyed or removed from a power source. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6e1d40b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6e1d40b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b6e1d40b | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b72ae7 | type |
Omnidisciplinary Scientist | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b72ae7 | comment |
Omnidisciplinary Scientist: Science Kerbals have no specialization, they are all experts in generic Science! They can clean out and refurbish otherwise expendable experiment modules, enhance the degree of science gained from experiments, and staff laboratory modules to conduct longer-term research. There is, at least, a distinction between scientists and engineers. The basic science devices are also like this. One is the "Science Jr.," a big cylinder full of nondescript "samples" that react to their environment, and the other is a tank of "mystery goo." You can research more specific tools, like thermometers and barometers. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b72ae7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b72ae7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b72ae7 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b806516f | type |
Chest of Medals | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b806516f | comment |
Chest of Medals: A series of service ribbons with a host of devices are available for use in signature lines on the KSP forums, indicating what planets you've been to and what you've done there. There is even a mod that tracks the careers of your Kerbals in-game, updating their ribbon and medal counts using the same criteria. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b806516f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b806516f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b806516f | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b956ebdd | type |
Tron Lines | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b956ebdd | comment |
Tron Lines: The futuristic space suits in the Breaking Ground expansion. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b956ebdd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b956ebdd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b956ebdd | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b9d334b2 | type |
Aerith and Bob | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b9d334b2 | comment |
Aerith and Bob: Somewhat odd example - all the Kerbonauts have names that sound fairly Middle American, but anyone who is not an orange suit has a name randomly generated from a list of prefixes and suffixes. So alongside Jeb, Bill, and Bob may sit Melzer, Bardrin, or Billy-Bobfred. There are also some characters who are named after historic space personages ("Buzz", for instance) or famous Kerbal Space Program Let's Players. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b9d334b2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b9d334b2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_b9d334b2 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_bbcdd673 | type |
One-Gender Race | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_bbcdd673 | comment |
One-Gender Race: Not anymore, but prior to verion 1.0 all Kerbals appeared to be the same (apparently male) gender while the game was in beta. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_bbcdd673 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_bbcdd673 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_bbcdd673 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_bdc16524 | type |
Weird Sun | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_bdc16524 | comment |
Just to add to the insanity of easy interplanetary travel comes many unique planet packs that introduce entirely NEW solar systems for players to explore. From the purple, accretion disk baring Olu'um which comes from Gameslinx's planet Overhaul. To the (possibly) artificial, The All from Kerbal star systems. Each pack offers a tinge of insanity, and even more so if you decide to group several of them together. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_bdc16524 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_bdc16524 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_bdc16524 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_be192f18 | type |
Yes-Man | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_be192f18 | comment |
Yes-Man: Played with. No KSC worker bats an eye at the exploding machines of death you bring on to the launchpad, with the exception of some scientists, who will frequently stop and look at your rockets in horror before walking away in the VAB, regardless of how sound or unsound the design in question is. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_be192f18 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_be192f18 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_be192f18 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c1c29f00 | type |
Character Level | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c1c29f00 | comment |
Character Level: All of the flight crew (Pilots, Engineers, and Scientists) have six levels, represented by five stars. Each level (up to level 3) unlocks a different ability to use. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c1c29f00 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c1c29f00 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c1c29f00 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c1d58ab0 | type |
Drop Ship | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c1d58ab0 | comment |
Drop Ship: Possible to build - though ususally of the civilian variety, unless you take "conquering space" literally - and in many cases far more practical. Landers that detach from transition modules to go to a planet's surface and back are a common and practical example. Space Planes that deliver small probes are another kind of example. Sometimes it is even possible to build an entirely VTOL design. Cupcake makes many good examples. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c1d58ab0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c1d58ab0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c1d58ab0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c27ad3cc | type |
Everything Breaks | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c27ad3cc | comment |
Everything Breaks: Since the 0.25 update, the buildings of Kerbal Space Center are destructible if hit with enough force. While potentially fun, this is generally considered a bad thing as destroyed buildings cannot be used until the player coughs up the money to rebuild them (in career mode at least.) | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c27ad3cc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c27ad3cc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c27ad3cc | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c3448a6f | type |
Informed Attribute | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c3448a6f | comment |
Eve's oceans are purple and, according to the biome map (though not in practice), are literally Made of Explodium. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c3448a6f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c3448a6f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c3448a6f | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c4302351 | type |
Drop Pod | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c4302351 | comment |
Drop Pod: Generally any lander that is not designed to lift back off (such as those used to land probes, rovers, surface bases that remain on the surface, or just return crew to Kerbin) would fit this trope, albeit in a non-military capacity. But for some more specific examples: The one-person and three-person conical crew capsules are designed to be used as single-use reentry vehicles for your intrepid kerbonauts coming home from space — with a parachute attached, of course. The addition of airbrakes in 1.0 allows players to slap them on Lander Cans to turn them into one-man drop pods. The airbrakes are powerful enough that only 4 are required to slow down a Mk1 Lander Can from orbital velocity to a safe landing speed. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c4302351 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c4302351 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c4302351 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c6e9e40d | type |
Retro Rocket | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c6e9e40d | comment |
Retro Rocket: It's not impossible to build and operate a reusable SSTO "tailsitter" rocket like the trope depicts, merely very, very difficult. Having a fueling station at the destination or in-built ISRU capabilities are highly recommended if you want to make it somewhat practical for more than just quick orbital or suborbital hops. On the other hand, many rockets will look retro on takeoff, but will most definitely shed parts on the way up. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c6e9e40d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c6e9e40d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c6e9e40d | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c75df49a | type |
Shout-Out | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c75df49a | comment |
Shout-Out- Often found in the equipment part descriptions The tiny size of the "LV-1 Liquid Engine" is mocked with What is this, an engine for ants?. The "Advanced Grabbing Unit" is otherwise known as The Klaw. If opening up a materials bay doors for science over Jool, the science report will tell the story of the computer saying "I'm sorry, I can't let you do that" and then hurriedly complying when you head to the fusebox. The release notes for the 1.0.5 update has the following comment: "Kerbals have the added advantage of not requiring any potatoes for unplanned long-duration stays on desolate planets." One of the contract blurbs also notes that "we're going to have to science the... Kerbal out of this." The PB-NUK Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator generates a small, steady charge indefinitely, but it should not be used on rover excursions to provide heat. One of the companies mentioned in-game is called Sean's Cannery. PR representative Walt Kerman wearing a yellow hazmat suit could be a roundabout Breaking Bad reference. There is a face on Duna, much like the theorized "Face on Mars." | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c75df49a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c75df49a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c75df49a | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c76ab3f5 | type |
Cow Tools | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c76ab3f5 | comment |
Some of the engineers are carrying tire irons around. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c76ab3f5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c76ab3f5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c76ab3f5 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c9981efb | type |
The Engineer | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c9981efb | comment |
The Engineer: Engineer Kerbals, obviously. They can repack parachutes, fix broken rover wheels, and enhance the function of surface ore drilling equipment. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c9981efb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c9981efb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_c9981efb | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cbfb0dca | type |
An Entrepreneur Is You | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cbfb0dca | comment |
An Entrepreneur Is You: The 0.24 update introduces an economy system to Career Mode to provide funding and contracts for your space program. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cbfb0dca | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cbfb0dca | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cbfb0dca | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cc6f4612 | type |
Beyond the Impossible | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cc6f4612 | comment |
Beyond the Impossible: It's supposedly impossible to land on the gas giant, Jool, because it's a planet that's made of gas. However, before a patch made it so reaching ~250km will result in a message saying "collided with cloud", it was not only possible to land on Jool, but rather trivial. If you run experiments while in this state, you'll even get flavor text commenting on the impossibility of the situation. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cc6f4612 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cc6f4612 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cc6f4612 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cd2b8aa3 | type |
Space Is Noisy | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cd2b8aa3 | comment |
Space Is Noisy: Rockets and explosions can always be heard. Justified in that most of those explosions happen either in-atmosphere or when you're still attached to the thing blowing up/making noise, giving the sound a medium on which to propagate to your ears; in the depths of space, less so. Averted when using certain mods. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cd2b8aa3 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cd2b8aa3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cd2b8aa3 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cd30716e | type |
Boring Return Journey | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cd30716e | comment |
Boring Return Journey: Zig-zagged. Kerbin has strong gravity and is in a perfectly circular, non-inclined orbit, making it fairly easy to return to from other planets (especially Duna, which has weak gravity and an orbit that's only 0.6 degrees inclined). However, by this point the player is likely low on fuel, and may also have to worry about re-entry heating if they're going for an aerocapture. And did you remember to bring a parachute? | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cd30716e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cd30716e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cd30716e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ce1c73e2 | type |
Just Plane Wrong | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ce1c73e2 | comment |
Just Plane Wrong: The J-X4 "Whiplash" is a ramjet engine, which in real life only works when the plane is already going sufficiently fast (usually around Mach 3) and would require another engine to accelerate the plane in the first place. Ramjets also require a shock cone intake, but the game doesn't require you to use one. For all intents and purposes ramjets in KSP work just like regular jet engines. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ce1c73e2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ce1c73e2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ce1c73e2 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cfda0ecb | type |
Escort Mission | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cfda0ecb | comment |
Escort Mission: Tourism contracts in career mode provide you with some number of, well, tourists, who you must safely transport to some location(s) and return safely to Kerbin. They can't wear spacesuits, so they're effectively dead weight taking up seats in crew compartments, but at least they can't wander off somewhere when you're not looking. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cfda0ecb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cfda0ecb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_cfda0ecb | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d01a77dc | type |
Succession Game | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d01a77dc | comment |
Succession Game: The International Youtube Space Station, assembled by various players who contribute one module each. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d01a77dc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d01a77dc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d01a77dc | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d0f5cc90 | type |
Flavor Text | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d0f5cc90 | comment |
Ladders and Thermometers are very high-end technology, as are support struts. It's okay however, you can get the science for it by finding out water is wet. Wheels come even later, along with command chairs, even though the basic command pod requires no research and presumably has a similar chair inside it. Lampshaded by the Flavor Text for the "Electrics" technology: | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d0f5cc90 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d0f5cc90 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d0f5cc90 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d24ed873 | type |
Developer's Foresight | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d24ed873 | comment |
Developer's Foresight: It's supposedly impossible to land on the gas giant, Jool, but they do have responses to performing science experiments on the "surface" such as the EVA report. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d24ed873 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d24ed873 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d24ed873 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d2c0e2ed | type |
Schmuck Bait | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d2c0e2ed | comment |
While building finely balanced, efficient rockets and sending them to other worlds may not be particularly easy, this pales in comparison to trying to build a Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) space plane and docking with your orbiting space station. Seriously, try it! | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d2c0e2ed | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d2c0e2ed | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d2c0e2ed | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d2ef6cb4 | type |
Spaceship Slingshot Stunt | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d2ef6cb4 | comment |
Spaceship Slingshot Stunt: The game lets you pull off realistic gravity assists, both to gain a lot of speed or to shed it, depending on which side of the gravity well you try to sling around. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d2ef6cb4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d2ef6cb4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d2ef6cb4 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d525f857 | type |
Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d525f857 | comment |
Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale: The developers avert this but the use of this trope in media has caused some confusion among players less familiar with actual astronomical scales. Even among those familiar with space flight don't always remember exactly how big space really is. For instance, some have suggested ignoring time acceleration (i.e. being able to increase the speed of the game) and instead allow the program to run essentially in the background to allow for realistic flight during extended missions. Even acknowledging that a single mission would very well be months long, they don't seem to realize that most of that time would be spent doing... nothing. The distances are less than they would actually be, but that's due to the Space Compression. The scales for Kerbin/Mun/sun are roughly the same as for Earth/Moon/Sun accounting for it. There is, however a Mod which gives more realistic planet sizes and distances, however, an additional mod is usually needed to rebalance fuel and electricity, or all but the only the most carefully planned ships will have serious trouble even making it to the Mun! | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d525f857 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d525f857 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d525f857 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d6f284a3 | type |
Anti-Frustration Features | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d6f284a3 | comment |
Anti-Frustration Features: The area around the Space Center is very flat and devoid of obstacles, allowing Space Planes to land safely even if they can't make the runway. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d6f284a3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d6f284a3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d6f284a3 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d881756c | type |
Those Magnificent Flying Machines | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d881756c | comment |
Those Magnificent Flying Machines: The fanbase has made some strange contraptions that, against all odds, still fly. See Good Bad Bugs. More particularly, any aircraft on Eve actually flies more easily than it does on Kerbin thanks to Eve's atmosphere being five times thicker, which makes even improbable designs workable. Especially since any such craft cannot functionally use jet engines due to the atmosphere lacking oxygen with which to power their internal combustion, and it must use other methods of thrust. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d881756c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d881756c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d881756c | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d9cf40fa | type |
Screw This, I'm Outta Here | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d9cf40fa | comment |
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: If something goes badly wrong, a Kerbal can EVA to escape. Sometimes they can survive the fall by landing on their helmet. In 1.5, any Kerbal at Level 1+note Except for pilots, who unlock it at level 0 unlocks a personal parachute, allowing them to easily jump out and survive a problem, given that their parachute deploys. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d9cf40fa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d9cf40fa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_d9cf40fa | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_dcac10e4 | type |
Tidally Locked Planet | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_dcac10e4 | comment |
Tidally Locked Planet: None of the actual planets are tide-locked to the Sun, but the Mun is locked to Kerbin, Duna and Ike are locked to each other, and all five of Jool's moons (Laythe, Vall, Tylo, Bop, and Pol) are locked to said planet. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_dcac10e4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_dcac10e4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_dcac10e4 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_de0f821b | type |
Gas Mask, Longcoat | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_de0f821b | comment |
Laythe also has liquid water and surface temperatures that would let humans - and presumably kerbals - walk around near the equator with nothing but a warm coat and a rebreathing mask, despite being much too far from the sun for this to be possible without some other mechanism. However, the developers have cunningly placed it in a Laplace orbital resonance with 2 other Joolian moons. The heating is supposed to come from the tidal interaction between these objects, in the same way that Io is kept hot enough to have volcanoes in our own solar system | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_de0f821b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_de0f821b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_de0f821b | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_dfe57573 | type |
Historical In-Joke | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_dfe57573 | comment |
Historical In-Joke: The S1 SRB-KD25k "Kickback" Solid Fuel Booster is based on the most powerful rocket motors ever flown, the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster. Like the Space Shuttle's SRBs, it claims to designed for recovery. In practice, the recovery of both are more trouble than they're worth. To recover falling rocket stages, one has to add an unmanned probe core and parachutes, manage staging just right, not to mention be a certain distance from it. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_dfe57573 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_dfe57573 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_dfe57573 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e078a82 | type |
Gameplay Automation | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e078a82 | comment |
Gameplay Automation: The "MechJeb" user-made addon adds an autopilot feature to the game. Since each autopilot program is a separate "module" (with one for docking, one for ascent, one for rendezvous, etc), it's the player's decision how much they want to automate their flight. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e078a82 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e078a82 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e078a82 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e0aed924 | type |
No Antagonist | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e0aed924 | comment |
No Antagonist: The only obstacles to your progress are your own design or piloting mistakes. That and the harshness of space. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e0aed924 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e0aed924 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e0aed924 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e0ecb7b3 | type |
Space Station | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e0ecb7b3 | comment |
Space Station: A basic space station isn't too difficult to put into orbit. Making anything elaborate is dependent on your docking skills, and the ability of your PC to load large numbers of parts. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e0ecb7b3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e0ecb7b3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e0ecb7b3 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e2016174 | type |
Sphere Eyes | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e2016174 | comment |
Sphere Eyes: Kerbals have these. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e2016174 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e2016174 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e2016174 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e206977a | type |
In Space, Everyone Can See Your Face | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e206977a | comment |
In Space, Everyone Can See Your Face: Kerbonaut helmets don't have mirrored reflective visors. This is presumably so that the player can get a kick out of watching their expressions change when something goes horribly wrong. Subsequent updates added optional sun visors to the space suits, which can be deployed at the click of a button to avert this trope (and also avert premature kerbonaut blindness). | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e206977a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e206977a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e206977a | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e234ddbf | type |
Escape Pod | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e234ddbf | comment |
Escape Pod: Implemented as a mod by Umbra Space Industries: the Deployable Emergency Reentry Pod is an inflatable one-man shelter atop a miniature propulsion block. It's still less insane than the real-life General Electrics Manned Orbital Operations Safety Equipment. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e234ddbf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e234ddbf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e234ddbf | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e2d7b14c | type |
Made of Explodium | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e2d7b14c | comment |
Made of Explodium: Rockets have a habit of blowing up on occasion, usually during stack separation or when insecurely radial-mounted pieces "wobble". Justified by most of a rocket's volume being fuel containers which in turn hold most of the rocket's mass... mass that is itself a two-part combustive compound designed to explode preferably slowly and in a controlled manner. Pretty much Every Rocket Is A Pinto. Every single part, regardless of function, will explode when it hits the ground with enough force. Starting with 0.25, all of the buildings at KSC explode and get destroyed in a fireball if hit with enough force. The water towers appear to be filled with Kerosene. According to flavor texts, Eve's Alien Seas are literally made of explodium, but you cannot actually ignite them in-game. Probably because there's no oxygen in the atmosphere. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e2d7b14c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e2d7b14c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e2d7b14c | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e30f624e | type |
Friction Burn | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e30f624e | comment |
Friction Burn: A completely serious example, and one of the banes of players trying to make Space Planes or aerobrake from a high orbit. Atmospheric heating due to compression, scaling with pressure and speed, can cause Overheating of parts. This means a vessel's speed has to be carefully monitored such that it doesn't incinerate in the air. Ironically, a blunter nose is preferable to a more aerodynamic one in this case (particularly if it has a high thermal capacity) because the physics simulation actually models a detached shockwave, putting less stress on other parts. A Parabolic Nose Cone (usually considered 'blunt' by laymen) is the most efficient, real world and in-game physics, reduce drag and on of the better cone shapes to reduce heat from friction (a good balance if top speed is the player's goal). Players can create their own nose cones using the provided fairing parts. The addition of a tiny heat shield on the tip of any cone with the edge facing forward (not the intended orientation) can be used to mitigate the detached shockwave with minimal addition of drag. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e30f624e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e30f624e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e30f624e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e4ba33fc | type |
Disaster Dominoes | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e4ba33fc | comment |
Disaster Dominoes: Any accident that doesn't involve your rocket crashing into the ground wholesale usually involves these, and even that is often only the last domino in a chain of design and piloting mistakes. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e4ba33fc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e4ba33fc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e4ba33fc | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5421161 | type |
Expy | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5421161 | comment |
Duna, the game's Expy of Mars, has a thin red atmosphere. Unlike Mars, it also has a large, grey moon called Ike. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5421161 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5421161 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5421161 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5c9dde9 | type |
Mechanical Horse | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5c9dde9 | comment |
Mechanical Horse: Yes, you really can build one. It's entirely made from stock parts, too. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5c9dde9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5c9dde9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5c9dde9 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5e6640b | type |
Flanderization | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5e6640b | comment |
Flanderization: According to the development staff, the attitude implied by, among other things, the use of the word "kerbal" as a synonym for "ridiculous and impractical" is a result of the fandom taking one aspect of the Kerbals' approach to rocket science and blowing it totally out of proportion. To quote this development blog post: | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5e6640b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5e6640b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e5e6640b | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e624f0e8 | type |
Suspiciously Specific Denial | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e624f0e8 | comment |
Suspiciously Specific Denial: Found in the descriptions of various rocket parts: The X200-8 fuel tank is totally not a stolen swimming pool frame. The Atomic Rocket Motor is harmless. Mostly. The scientific thermometer is totally not a store-bought model, and admitting that it is voids its warranty. Taken to extremes with the Not-Rockomax Mini Node, which is so obviously not a miniaturized version of an already-existing part that the (in-universe) manufacturers helpfully point out the complete lack of a resemblance in the name. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e624f0e8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e624f0e8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e624f0e8 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e6630c8b | type |
GameplayAndStoryIntegration | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e6630c8b | comment |
Happens in ship construction too, though this is more of a realistic effect than anything hard coded into the engine. Basically the larger a rocket is and the more boosters added (after a point), the less efficient the rocket becomes. This is mostly because the more fuel is added to a rocket in later stages the more fuel is consumed in earlier stages getting that fuel to where it needs to be. Using additional engines makes things less fuel efficient and adds weight that must be moved around. The Other Wiki explains here. This is a factor to snap the player out of the "big dumb booster" mentality and stimulate them to use more advanced shipbuilding technologies, such as orbital assembly and advanced, high specific impulse engines. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e6630c8b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e6630c8b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e6630c8b | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e9fcaa | type |
The Taxi | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e9fcaa | comment |
Ferry missions in Career mode. Sending tourists into orbit around planets and return racks a sizable amount of cash, especially in large stable munarbuses for maximum efficiency. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e9fcaa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e9fcaa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_e9fcaa | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ea480f92 | type |
Simple, yet Awesome | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ea480f92 | comment |
Simple, yet Awesome: Encouraged by the Career mode introduced in the 0.24 "First Contract" update. Each rocket part now costs funds, of which the space program only has so much at any one time, making simple rockets with inexpensive and easily recovered and refurbished parts necessary for accomplishing elaborate objectives, where an unrestricted mode might favor flashier and less humble designs. Once the appropriate technologies are unlocked, other options become available. Simple designs can be hard to recover, but complicated SSTOs for low-orbit missions may actually save more money - provided the player is able to bring them back to the runway in one piece. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ea480f92 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ea480f92 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ea480f92 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_eb9eaecd | type |
Jet Pack | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_eb9eaecd | comment |
Jet Pack: Every Kerbonaut has an EVA pack equipped by default to prevent them from floating away from their vessel, somewhere between an MMU and SAFER but carrying far more fuel. It only works as a traditional jet pack on low gravity bodies, though on the smallest objects, it is possible to achieve orbit. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_eb9eaecd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_eb9eaecd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_eb9eaecd | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ec9d3eb7 | type |
Explosive Stupidity | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ec9d3eb7 | comment |
Explosive Stupidity: Parts that absorb more heat than they can radiate away will explode, destroying the part and likely crippling the craft it's a part of. Major sources of heat include rocket engines, atmospheric drag, and (naturally enough) the sun. Cue inexperienced players who don't know better, or somewhat more experienced players pushing their limits just a wee bit too far... | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ec9d3eb7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ec9d3eb7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ec9d3eb7 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ecb70eb4 | type |
Video Game Cruelty Potential | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ecb70eb4 | comment |
Videogame Cruelty Potential: ...while others take gleeful pleasure in sending the hapless trio to die in the cold blackness of outer space. Or just blowing them up. With the flexible editor, it's possible to create elaborate systems designed only to eliminate as many Kerbals as possible. A simple one involves taking a bunch of living quarters and putting decouplers between each one, and then using cranes to keep it above ground as you drop each segment off one-by-one. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ecb70eb4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ecb70eb4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ecb70eb4 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ed3e90f3 | type |
Duct Tape for Everything | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ed3e90f3 | comment |
Struts For Everything: For the moment, the best solution to any problem involving the rocket coming apart is simply "Add more struts". Lucky for you, there's a mod if you don't want your rocket looking like a map of the Japanese metro. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ed3e90f3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ed3e90f3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_ed3e90f3 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_eff83d77 | type |
Mundane Utility | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_eff83d77 | comment |
Another surprisingly popular bit of emergent gameplay is using the backpack-mounted EVA parachutes introduced in 1.4, combined with purpose-built engine pods launched from the runway, to . . . go parasailing. Using a jet engine, no less. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_eff83d77 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_eff83d77 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_eff83d77 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f07c1493 | type |
Enormous Engine | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f07c1493 | comment |
Enormous Engine: The obvious result of sticking 2-meter diameter engines on 1-meter diameter fuselages or fuel tanks. More particularly, this is true of any launch vehicle, which is simply an enormous engine to get your (relatively) tiny spacecraft or probe up into orbit. Said launch vehicle tends to discard pieces after they are spent on the way up, gradually shrinking the size of the "engine" until only smaller ones remain. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f07c1493 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f07c1493 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f07c1493 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f0926237 | type |
AllegedCar | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f0926237 | comment |
Alleged Car: Rovers were a bit unstable on release, sometimes shaking themselves apart or exploding with little reason. This has been corrected as of version 1.1... mostly. Update 1.11 added the ability to modify craft after they've been launched, provided one has the right parts and an engineer kerbal. Now it's possible to fix or at least salvage rovers that break down, greatly easing ustilizing them heavily. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f0926237 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f0926237 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f0926237 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f226207f | type |
Conveniently Close Planet | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f226207f | comment |
Conveniently Close Planet: Downplayed. Even taking into account the Space Compression, just getting to the Mun is a challenge for the newest of new players, and traveling to other planets requires quite a bit of planning and forethought — even more so if you plan on going home. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f226207f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f226207f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f226207f | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f237981e | type |
The Alleged Car | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f237981e | comment |
Rovers are essentially meant to be Cool Cars In Space. Now, whether this succeeded or not is up to some interpretation... | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f237981e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f237981e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f237981e | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f2a5f7f2 | type |
Expospeak Gag | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f2a5f7f2 | comment |
Expospeak Gag: A few of these have crawled into the fan vocabulary from real-world rocketry, notably "rapid unplanned disassembly"Translation The rocket suddenly breaks up mid-flight, usually because something exploded and "lithobraking."Translation The rocket "brakes" by hitting the ground The latter is a legitimate landing technique that can be used in-game successfully◊, but most of the time the term's used in the ironic sense. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f2a5f7f2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f2a5f7f2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f2a5f7f2 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f3a8ec93 | type |
Billions of Buttons | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f3a8ec93 | comment |
Billions of Buttons: Inverted for comedic effect. Kerbals have a joystick and a Big Red Button for commanding the modules, and... that's about it. Plenty of mods address this, with cockpits based around RasterPropMonitor are sufficiently instrumented for all-IVA flights. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f3a8ec93 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f3a8ec93 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f3a8ec93 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f3cf30d9 | type |
Arbitrary Headcount Limit | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f3cf30d9 | comment |
Arbitrary Headcount Limit: Until the VAB and SPH are upgraded, you are limited to a size restriction (to fit within the hangar) and a total parts number restriction. There's no weight to a part's value, meaning you may have to choose between a Mainsail rocket booster or a handheld thermometer, because putting both on would put you 1 part above the limit. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f3cf30d9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f3cf30d9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f3cf30d9 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f4fb7564 | type |
Diegetic Interface | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f4fb7564 | comment |
Diegetic Interface: The vanilla game has virtual cockpits on the majority of crew pods, with an artificial horizon sphere, surface/orbit speed, vertical speed, and indicators for subsystems such as SAS. The RasterPropMonitor Game Mod adds multifunction displays◊ to the cockpits, allowing you to play almost the entire game from first person - you can even get out of the MK1 cockpit by pulling the canopy lever. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f4fb7564 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f4fb7564 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f4fb7564 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f6b1ac42 | type |
Tim Taylor Technology | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f6b1ac42 | comment |
Tim Taylor Technology: Fan lore is that almost any problem you have with a rocket can be solved with "MOAR BOOSTERS!!" | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f6b1ac42 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f6b1ac42 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f6b1ac42 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f9375414 | type |
FacePalm | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f9375414 | comment |
Face Palm: Gene Kerman (the guy at Mission Control) does this if you cancel a contract. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f9375414 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f9375414 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f9375414 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f96f188c | type |
Drives Like Crazy | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f96f188c | comment |
Drives Like Crazy: Several of the multi-ton cargo and utility vehicles in the Spaceplane Hangar are apparently driven by speed-obsessed maniacs, including at least one who loves to drift in circles around much larger vehicles and another who nearly causes a three-car pileup by trying to thread between two moving vehicles. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f96f188c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f96f188c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f96f188c | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f9f2c33 | type |
Running Gag | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f9f2c33 | comment |
Running Gag: Just about all the science parts warn you in their descriptions that "the warranty will be voided if X happens" (X usually being a mundane or obvious use for the part). Becomes a Brick Joke if you somehow manage to land on Jool and run a seismic scan: | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f9f2c33 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f9f2c33 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_f9f2c33 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fa686f29 | type |
Weird Moon | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fa686f29 | comment |
Weird Moon: Apparently Minmus doesn't make a lot of scientific sense. The wiki has since been updated with a detailed and quite well-researched Hand Wave for most of its abnormalities. As of Breaking Ground, picking up a green sandstone from Minmus will mention how odd the fact that the moon has salt flats despite low gravity and apparent lack of water. Laythe also has liquid water and surface temperatures that would let humans - and presumably kerbals - walk around near the equator with nothing but a warm coat and a rebreathing mask, despite being much too far from the sun for this to be possible without some other mechanism. However, the developers have cunningly placed it in a Laplace orbital resonance with 2 other Joolian moons. The heating is supposed to come from the tidal interaction between these objects, in the same way that Io is kept hot enough to have volcanoes in our own solar system | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fa686f29 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fa686f29 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fa686f29 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fbd36744 | type |
MotherShip | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fbd36744 | comment |
Mother Ship: This is probably one of the most popular methods of interplanetary travel. Even if the mothership in question isn't reusable, it's still a lot more practical (if not as fuel efficient) to bring a big ship that can deploy a lot of probes than to just repeatedly send probes to almost the exact same place, or to cart interplanetary vessels to and from the planet. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fbd36744 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fbd36744 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fbd36744 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fc225bec | type |
Artistic License – Physics | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fc225bec | comment |
Artistic License – Physics: The game is generally pretty good about using real physics, but that makes the few places where it goes off of it stick out more. For example, a satellite is only calculated to be in one celestial body's sphere of influence at a time, making all exo-atmospheric orbits stable, and removing the Lagrange points. note Squad has written on their FAQ page to stop asking for Langrangian points to be implemented, much to the chagrin of several astronomy nerds (the L4 and L5 points are ideal places to put a long-term space-station) Reasons not to include such physics features include performance (calculating and predicting the effect of tens of celestial bodies on potentially hundreds of spacecraft would slow the game to a crawl), simplicity for players (it's much easier to see what's going on), and most importantly, orbital stability (the gravity of the Mun would cause standard Kerbin orbits to slowly destabilize over time, forcing players to make tedious stationkeeping maneuvers like real satellites have to do). | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fc225bec | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fc225bec | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fc225bec | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fcd993bd | type |
Video Game Cruelty Punishment | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fcd993bd | comment |
Video Game Cruelty Punishment: ... and then in career mode starting with 0.24, losing Kerbals will reduce your reputation, lowering the quality of the contracts that are offered to you because losing crew makes you look incompetent to investors. | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fcd993bd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fcd993bd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_fcd993bd | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_name | type |
ItemName | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_name | comment |
||
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_name | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_name | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_name | |
| Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) / int_name | itemName |
Kerbal Space Program (Video Game) |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.