| Kerbal Space Program | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Squad (game developer) |
| Publisher(s) | Squad (game developer) |
| Engine | Unity3D |
| Version | 0.13 (Open Alpha) |
| Platform(s) | PC, Macintosh |
| Release date(s) | June 24, 2011 (first alpha release)
December 16, 2011 (current alpha release) |
| Genre(s) | Space flight simulator game Simulation game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | Not yet rated |
| Media/distribution | Download |
Kerbal Space Program (KSP) is a currently in-development space flight simulator game that allows players to build a rocket and launch it into space.
Contents |
The game allows players to design, build and pilot a space vehicle from pre-fabricated modules, also referred to as 'parts'. These parts include engines, fuel tanks, and wings. Additional parts such as bombs, payload fairings and landing gear have been added to the game by players.
Within the game there is currently one planet, Kerbin, which the player launches from, and its moon, known as the Mün. While it is possible to orbit the sun, named Kerbol, there is currently no geometric model representing it, making the sun a singularity. Both Kerbin and the Mün travel along an orbit, with Kerbin orbiting the sun and the Mün orbiting Kerbin.
The game supports extensive end-user modification, allowing craft parts to easily be built and implemented by players. As a result, the game enjoys a significant modding community, with hundreds of modifications released to date. These modifications to the game add to functionality, allowing craft such as land vehicles or airplanes to be created far more easily than with the base game.
It is planned by the developers to add increased support for player-created modifications at a later stage of development, including a software development kit for the game.
While newtonian physics generally are implemented in a realistic manner, the game engine's inability to calculate n-body problems only allows gravity from one celestial body to be modeled, with gravity 'switching' at a definite point. This prevents the simulation of Lagrangian points and other situations involving gravitational pull from multiple objects. This was a trade-off intentionally made by the developers, to improve the stability and speed of the simulation, in addition to the predictability, which will help certain planned features.
According to the game's website, several features are planned for KSP in the future.[1] Among them:
The game is currently in very early stages of development, with the current game being only a very small approximation of the final product. While the game is currently free to play, once the game enters a certain stage of development, it will only be available for purchase. The free version will remain free as a demo.[2] The game can currently be pre-ordered through the developer's 'Kerbal Space Program Store' at a cost of US $7.00.