Who else is unable to really play Orbiter?

[Shadow Addict]

I've been (for the most part) steadily on O-F since September of last year. When I rejoined, I was playing Orbiter a lot, and that continued for months. At some point, though, I started to play less and less and got to the point where I was thinking about it a lot but actually playing very rarely. It's not so much that I can't find the time as that I just don't seem to be able to get involved (though I started playing again a few days ago, here's hoping I stick this time). Does anybody else feel this way?

 

[Zatnikitelman]

I sort of do. But I'm right now in the middle of a big (for me) development project for Orbiter. My story goes something like this: I built my space station, then wanted to go to the moon, but found my station lacking a bit, so I decide to build my own launcher to do it right this time, and I've been working on the launcher ever since And starting this was like back at the end of 2008!

 

[TSPenguin]

Isn't it like this with everybody?
Orbiter is very addicting and you stay with it for a long time. Then somehow get off the drug for some time, only to come back later in full force!

 

[eveningsky339]

I've been through this phase multiple times... I go from using my computer solely for Orbiter to not playing at all, and then back to Orbiter in full force. I also used to do this with FSX, though I haven't picked that back up for two years now.

 

[SiberianTiger]

I just don't really have time to do anything with a computer which can't be paralleled with a work.

 

[garyw]

I spend a lot of time in planning the next mission. For me that's a lot of the fun of Orbiter and there are odd evenings where I zip around the solar system in the firefly or Enterprise...

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

I usually play every day, if only for 5 minutes or so. On weekends I'll sometimes have a good few hours on it!

 

[insanity]

I've been through this phase multiple times... I go from using my computer solely for Orbiter to not playing at all, and then back to Orbiter in full force. I also used to do this with FSX, though I haven't picked that back up for two years now.

I know that feeling with FSX. A year and a half ago I made a round-the-world flight in the default mooney bravo and after that finished I put down FSX and only last week could I actually touch the controls again without going crazy.

Orbiter is much the same. I'll go through periods where I don't even want to think about it, and periods where I play the hell out of it. Right now I've been doing some suborbital flights in an XR2 and thats been a bunch of fun

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Here lately I find myself spending more time reading the forum that flying in Orbiter, but when the OFSS restarts I'll be back in the saddle quickly.

My time on the computer now is mostly with Anim8tor building the mesh for Athena, and messing around with textures, etc.

 

[Urwumpe]

I have the weekend for it, but I mostly have it full of development work for Orbiter, which sort of means I can't just play around as often as I want to, and often, my playing around ends in a new add-on getting done almost naturally.

I would really like to have the time to kick off a small VSA for a la-grange space station project, but I don't see my time budget for orbiter changing anytime soon.

 

[dougkeenan]

If we stop playing Orbiter do we have to, you know, work or something?

I don't like that idea. At all.

 

[Urwumpe]

I don't like that idea. At all.

Stop talking and navigate! This ship needs to get to Brighton Beach by the end of the day!

 

[Pablo49]

I was working on a space station project, but it got to the point where it was feeling repetitive. I suppose I could have done hings to eliminate that feeling, but I didn't and my Orbiter usage has gone down. I've been planning on some sort of moon mission or the like, to get back in. But things like girlfriend etc get in the way of my weekend Orbiter time.

 

[Lucy]

Stop talking and navigate! This ship needs to get to Brighton Beach by the end of the day!

It's all good, man... we're cruising... Cruising.... lithobraking...

 

[flytandem]

I usually check in on the forum every day or so in hopes of finding others interested in using orbiter as a exercise in planning and navigating. Seems that it's a rare breed that uses Orbiter for this use. To me, using Orbiter the way I like it is as lonely as space itself. After a while I get disillusioned with the forum and get back to a run at Orbiter and get completely consumed for a couple of days and do several fun and lengthy flights. I am happiest when orbiting, especially the anticipation of starting a long complicated flight after the final tweaks of planning are done.
signed ,
Lonely in San Bernardino.

 

[eveningsky339]

I know that feeling with FSX. A year and a half ago I made a round-the-world flight in the default mooney bravo and after that finished I put down FSX and only last week could I actually touch the controls again without going crazy.

Orbiter is much the same. I'll go through periods where I don't even want to think about it, and periods where I play the hell out of it. Right now I've been doing some suborbital flights in an XR2 and thats been a bunch of fun

Weird how these things work. When I first picked up FSX nearly three years ago I was convinced I was going to be a pilot... Now I could never imagine such a thing.

Around the world in a Mooney Bravo? I could hardly finish the US tour in a POSKY 737-700.

 

[ar81]

People play less when there is nothing new and interesting that can be done.
Orbiter has lots of replayability value.
Perhaps what was interesting for some people was already done.
I think it has to do with ideas of new things that can be done.

 

[rucinter]

Orbiter has lots of replayability value.

That's true. I've started playing Orbiter when it was at version 2005. Then forget about it. Came back. Forget it. And so on. At the beginning, I loved Shuttle-A. Then, I embraced the real Shuttle. A few moths ago, I was into historical mission. Now, thanks to Dave and the wonderful Shuttle Fleet, I'm back to the Shuttle and ISS. There are so much things I haven't done, like seriously going beyond LEO or seriously playing an Apollo mission. There are a lot to do in Orbiter and there will be fun things to do in the future also.

 

[Shadow Addict]

That's true. I've started playing Orbiter when it was at version 2005. Then forget about it. Came back. Forget it. And so on. At the beginning, I loved Shuttle-A. Then, I embraced the real Shuttle. A few moths ago, I was into historical mission. Now, thanks to Dave and the wonderful Shuttle Fleet, I'm back to the Shuttle and ISS. There are so much things I haven't done, like seriously going beyond LEO or seriously playing an Apollo mission. There are a lot to do in Orbiter and there will be fun things to do in the future also.

If you like historical missions, have you tried NASSP? It's the ultimate historical addon.

 

[rucinter]

Not yet. I've started with Mercury and Gemini, more simple mission. I love the complexity of NASSP and it's on the to-do list, but now I'm passing trough a shuttle phase. NASSP will surely follow, when I will have time to read the manuals and commit myself to an Apollo mission.