Kerbal Space Program 2 has been developed to welcome new players and anyone who has even the remotest interest in space and rockets. A new developer video dropped by Private Division talks about how the game will act as an active avenue for people who are curious about space exploration to interact with it.
“There’s nothing about Kerbal Space Program that should stop anybody from enjoying it if they are enthusiastic about simulation games or the idea of space and space travel, or being able to build cool stuff,” said Executive Producer, Michael Cook. “It’s important for us to get approachability right so that instead of trying this experience because of whatever it is that brought you to it, [you’re] sort of feeling that you are being stopped from finding your enjoyment. We’re helping you into that experience.”
One developer mentioned that playing the first game was like climbing Mount Everest in your street clothes. Kerbal Space Program 2 will be that same mountain with Sherpas and basecamps. “It’s still an insane challenge, but we’re at least equipping you for success.”
Software Engineer Johannes Peter gave us an example of just how the sequel will help you understand what goes into making rockets, rather than just trying various things till your spacecraft doesn’t explode. He talks about the wings in KSP1, and how unintuitive the system was when it came to attaching them to your rocket. This would often lead to a failed launch. He said KSP2 will actually make these building tools easier to understand, rather than just adding in a button to do it for the player.
Kerbal Space Program 2 has revamped the UI to make things cleaner. Parts are sorted differently and easier to see, and you can also work on multiple sub-assemblies at the same time. An orthographic view cube allows you to line up parts in a much more efficient way.
Private Division will also be adding an extensive tutorial system to Kerbal Space Program 2, which is akin to an expert holding your hand while you build your rocket. The tutorial will primarily be a visual medium which will “show” you how an orbit works, rather than “tell” you. These animated tutorials will make learning these terms fun, rather than textbook-ish.
Kerbal Space Program 2 was originally supposed to launch in 2020, but has been delayed to 2022.