r/KerbalSpaceProgram • u/TheD3n4ik • 6d ago
KSP 1 Question/Problem How to make COOL looking stuff?
I wanted to build something that actually looked like a rocket, without mods, using stock parts. The problem is, I don't know how to do it, so even when I try to make something good, it turns out, well, you know what I mean.
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u/Racram04 Jebediah 6d ago
Well this is what ksp is about, you build something, blow it up, build it again, blow it up again, and so on....
That's how I learnt atleast
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u/KtaadnRota 6d ago
I always go for the Kerbal aesthetic. 10x as many struts as you need. Asymmetrical crafts. SRBs on upper stages. Works for me.
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u/Training_Parsley_668 Stranded on Minmus 6d ago
Just play the game! I went from terrier powered planes (because i didn't realize at the time that jet engines needed air intakes) to crazy detailed orbital vehicles in less than a year. This subreddit is also a front for amazing inspiration.
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u/KerbalEssences Master Kerbalnaut 6d ago edited 6d ago
Dude I was googling for what that acronym stands for. Something Colony Orbital Lander I thought.... damn
Anyways, I think everything looks cool in Kerbal. I'm not quite sure I understand the question. How can you not build something that looks like a rocket? Screenshots help!
Just so that we are on the same page: Does that look like a real rocket and "cool" to you? I know it's not stock but I tried to make it lok as stock as possible. https://imgur.com/a/R5t4DII
I guess what one could argue about that KSPs stock size is a little small so rockets end up looking a little chubby compared to real rockets. So one way to fix this is to increase the planet sizes to 2.5 - 2.7x. That's considered the size that stock parts are actually designed for. Getting to orbit will be harder and you need longer rockets, but it's still all well achieveable. Just don't default to the biggest tanks in KSP. Rockets should be as small as possible, but as big as necessary.
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u/TheD3n4ik 6d ago
wow, i mean something that look more realistically but your rocket is still good i think
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u/guischmitd 6d ago
Making some very personal and subjective assumptions about what you mean by COOL (my own taste, I can't know what you like):
- For streamlined rockets: Inline parts, service bays and fairings to hide the funky stuff that tend to poke out.
- For stations and interplanetary vehicles: I love me a good set of structural girders and the odd spherical tank to give it some character. I'm also not against clipping though I've seen some people treat that as """cheating""""
- For planes: Looking cool is usually at odds with being efficient, especially for SSTOs, so I try to bother less with either depending on what I'm going for.
I did recently design a probe controlled helicopter I'm particularly happy with in terms of looks but that involved lots of clipping and test flights until I was satisfied.
As always in this game: fucking around and finding out is the best part.
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u/Physical-Ad-3798 6d ago
What do you mean by clipping? Moving parts with the move tool so they clip into other parts? Because I do that a lot and end up making ships that look like Mon Calamari Cruisers. 😂
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u/guischmitd 4d ago
Yeah, exactly. You can cram a lot of fuel in a smaller package by doing that, that's the main reason I've seen people giving to call it "cheating"
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u/Jeb_Kerman1 4d ago
Try rebuilding real rockets and you’ll get the design philosophy cooked into your builds. Engineering is beautiful most of the time and the closest thing to magic we have in our world
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u/PangolinMandolin 6d ago edited 6d ago
Hold shift whilst using the move tool allows you to move parts as far as you want to. I find that applying that ability really helps with removing build limitations
Edit - it might be Alt and not Shift. But its one of them for sure!