Something like philosophy about building rockets(technically not philosophy, is something I've discovered in the journey of becoming an expert)

James Brown

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#1
When I am in the journey of the expert, I found that I can develop some kind of philosophy in here so let me explain it


About building:
Now I think this will not be a difficult concept right? So let me give you a fuel tank:
Screenshot_2020-12-22-12-42-47-218_com.StefMorojna.SpaceflightSimulator.jpg

It is a very normal, right? But there are some simple questions you can ask to yourself:
What is the shape of it?
What can I add on it?
What will the color be?
What is the property of it?
Is there anything related to it?
Try to think of it's property first.
Yes it is used for refuelling and give fuel source to the rocket, and also make the rocket look nice :). And base on their properties, you will start adding something on it, you will add a docking module that helps you to refuel and an engine that can lift a rocket towards space. But don't just think that it can only refuel and give fuel source to the rocket! Try to ask more "What if?" Questions like what if I remove all fuel to the fuel tank? If you remove all fuel from the tank, then it is used for modules in space station right? Then base of their property, you will start to ask "What is the shape of it?" "Is there anything I can add in there?" If you are talking about the shape, then make the concept. What shape do the game have? Square? Triangle? Rectangle? Base on their shape, try to think "How many lines do this shape have? "Is it vertical or horizontal?" Base on the properties, we can see that sharp part can not stick with flat part unless you fuse the part inside it right? Then you can base on their properties to build a rocket.
The second part is the relation. You have a part(command module this time)
Screenshot_2020-12-22-13-15-53-303_com.StefMorojna.SpaceflightSimulator.jpg

You have to find some useful things that is related, so you will start thinking about it's properties like what is command module related to the fuel tank? Don't just answer they are all rocket modules. You can say "They are non separated parts". And "What can non separate part do?" You can answer it.
About building different things:
This is like making mind maps, you give a lot of relations and properties about a thing and you finally can build a rocket that you want. You can let's say: Build a launch tower. First, you can find some launch tower photos, then ask yourself: What do launch tower have? What are some similar parts that I found in SFS? What are the properties of it? Then you can start to build it. The important parts is finding relations to them cuz you will build the best one based on their relation.

So this is the end about it, most of you may find it useless but this is something I want to share it to you guys, hope you understand it.
 

Blazer Ayanami

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#5
Well, you forgot something important: you don’t build something without a purpose.

Whenever you build something, before putting the first fuel tank and asking about its properties, you have to define what will be the purpose or the mission you want to do.

Where do I want to go?
What payload do I want to take there?
What will be my mission’s procedure?
Is one build screen enough for what I want?
What other support vehicles do I need?

What I am trying to say is: you have to design your mission, in your mind, before start building anything. You don’t just throw something there and start thinking about it’s properties, before that you need to decide exactly what you are going to do and how you are going to do it.
 

James Brown

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#6
Well, you forgot something important: you don’t build something without a purpose.

Whenever you build something, before putting the first fuel tank and asking about its properties, you have to define what will be the purpose or the mission you want to do.

Where do I want to go?
What payload do I want to take there?
What will be my mission’s procedure?
Is one build screen enough for what I want?
What other support vehicles do I need?

What I am trying to say is: you have to design your mission, in your mind, before start building anything. You don’t just throw something there and start thinking about it’s properties, before that you need to decide exactly what you are going to do and how you are going to do it.
This is one of thing that I want to elaborate
 

James Brown

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#7
Purpose is included
 

James Brown

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#8
Ok, I am not talking in planning a mission I am just talking about how you can use or build the parts, I bet not everyone may not understand what I want to elaborate
 

James Brown

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#13
I am not talking about planning a mission, I am talking about how best rocket can be build, this is just like philosophy.
 

Earl

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#14
Well, you forgot something important: you don’t build something without a purpose.

Whenever you build something, before putting the first fuel tank and asking about its properties, you have to define what will be the purpose or the mission you want to do.

Where do I want to go?
What payload do I want to take there?
What will be my mission’s procedure?
Is one build screen enough for what I want?
What other support vehicles do I need?

What I am trying to say is: you have to design your mission, in your mind, before start building anything. You don’t just throw something there and start thinking about it’s properties, before that you need to decide exactly what you are going to do and how you are going to do it.
I would argue that that isnt always right. Sometimes it can be good to just place some parts and improvise without a purpose in mind. Obviously you will need the things you and James said for a lot of missions, but certainly not always.
 

James Brown

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#16
Sometimes we are boring, we just build a rocket with no purpose, you may fire all the throtttle and crash it with no reason, but what I said can be used in missions, I will talk more later
 

James Brown

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#17
The key of thinking is to think of it’s elements
 

Blazer Ayanami

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#18
I would argue that that isnt always right. Sometimes it can be good to just place some parts and improvise without a purpose in mind. Obviously you will need the things you and James said for a lot of missions, but certainly not always.
Welp, I have to disagree. If I’m bored I just play something else, not SFS, or just go to do something else. Call me boring if you want, but I never design anything without a purpose, a reason, and a mission in mind.
 

4KidsOneCamera

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#19
Welp, I have to disagree. If I’m bored I just play something else, not SFS, or just go to do something else. Call me boring if you want, but I never design anything without a purpose, a reason, and a mission in mind.
All of my stuff is designed for a purpose, but sometimes that purpose is just design. I enjoy building for the sake of building if that makes any sense.
 

Blazer Ayanami

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#20
All of my stuff is designed for a purpose, but sometimes that purpose is just design. I enjoy building for the sake of building if that makes any sense.
Design, aesthetics... that counts as a purpose. I mean look at replicas, they are nothing but aesthetics, yet still you put effort and dedication to make them look like the original one.
 

4KidsOneCamera

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#22
Design, aesthetics... that counts as a purpose. I mean look at replicas, they are nothing but aesthetics, yet still you put effort and dedication to make them look like the original one.
Exactly my point. That is the purpose for a lot of my builds.
 

James Brown

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#24
Well, what I've explain is not detailed, I will explain more if I can
 

James Brown

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#25
Guys, some people do a mission with purpose, some people are just boring and do a mission with no purpose, while some people just travel to other worlds with no destination like me.