Kerbal Space Program

[spatular]

So i got this in the steam sale and have been actually playing it, not just leaving it running for cards, honest guvnor.

i did the rocket building tutorial, then hit launch, and spent half an hour trying to get my creation to do anything - turns out there's another tutorial for flying - i didn't realise you had to fly the thing, just thought you built it and see how it flies.

so spent some time building a cool looking space rocket thing, and it massively fails to get anywhere near space, so i just keep adding more and more fuel sections and more boosters till it looks a bit silly - still no where near space..then i try a different type of fuel section - this is more like it, turns out there's 2 types of fuel - i think one is for takeoff and the other is for in-space stuff. but now the rocket is massively uncontrolable, it takes off in a straight line and then flies out of control - my piloting skills are not at all up to it, after about 10 goes i am geting better mind but no where near good enough.

quite early on while all the above was going on i was loosing some astronauts to incompetence so decided to equip a parachute and detacher thing for a 3 stage plan - boost - decouple - parachutes - this works quite well at saving the little guys. at one point landing near the takeoff area i got out and planted a flag.

then i remember about the stability control from the tutorial - add one of those and it's still no better, then remember you have to activate it! - finally made it into space

http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/920142672133217078/C7E44353CABE7FC6BDCFB66820A040C445FCE957/

unfortunately my projected orbit took me crashing down to kerbal

http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/920142672133280283/FCBB806C66A7D7374F019FF5B84591B8DF9919DD/

so i went to get an rocket lolly, by the time i came back i'd forgotten to detach/deploy parachutes and the little guy exploded on collision with the ground.

next step - control in space/proper orbit. then onto the mun landing.

so yeah i'm enjoying it so far.

anyone else get it? played it? - have any tips/stories of space type conquest?

edit - tried to post pics but the forum doesnt seem to like steam pics for some reason, or i'm doing it wrong.