Hi newbie here

[humanking]

Hello, I'm 16 and i'm new to orbiter, before i start to play i would like to know if it's worth it, i know myself, i won't wait months before i can be able to do my first flight.

So here is my question: How much time does it usually take to be able to use orbiter well, and what should i do to do so.

Thanks!

 

[Tex]

1. Read the manual.
2. Read the manual again.
3. Check out some tutorials HERE.
4. Be patient and take it 1 step at a time.

Orbiter is a complex simulator, so don't expect to learn it all over night. It takes time and patience to learn how to properly fly in Orbiter. How quickly you understand how to fly in Orbiter will also depend on your knowledge of basic orbital mechanics. If you understand this you will pick up on the manual faster. If not, be prepared to brush up on these skills.

 

[Urwumpe]

If you can fall towards Earth, but miss it all the time, you have already the worst behind you. One month is realistic, when you really pay attention to spaceflight dynamics. You don't need to learn the math, thankfully.

 

[Woo482]

I did not learn the math and I have made flights from Charon to Pluto ( You need a addon to add pluto ) With out doing complex math

 

[TSPenguin]

Welcome to the forum.

The learning curve is very steep. After all, this is a simulator and not a game. But it is worth it! It may take a long time to reach a certain goal, but the rewarding feeling makes up for it.
If you stick with it, you will have a more than wonderfull time with it.

I recommend starting to learn on orbit operations before you attempt take off and reentry. IMHO Orbital Operations by Jared Smith is the best tutorial to start with.

Happy Orbiting

 

[humanking]

thanks for all the help! this is motivating me to start learning!

 

[MajorTom]

Welcome humanking,

For what it's worth (and I've been thinking this over since before I saw your post), here's my ranking, in increasing order of difficulty, of various Orbiter activities that you'll want to do:

1. Start in orbit, change your orbit (easy)
2. Ballistic re-entry in a capsule (fairly easy)
3. Docking, when within 100 m of your target and starting almost at rest relative to your target...final approach. (fairly easy)

4. Take off in Delta Glider or Blast off in rocket, and achieve orbit (medium-hard)
5. Setting up your burn and executing it, when heading to moon or mars, using IMFD or similar (medium to difficult)

6. Align your orbit and synch with your target, for example, when trying to rendezvous with a space station. (difficult)
7. Re-entry with a winged spacecraft, and flying to an airfield (difficult)
8. Returning from the moon, more efficiently than IMFD (difficult...haven't achieved this yet)

So: Plan your goals, download and read the tutorials...they're really helpful, and put together by the same people who frequent this forum. Of course the manuals are there and are very helpful, but the tutorials give a different perspective that can really clarify things.

Good luck
MT

 

[humanking]

thank i really liked this list, i actually am gonna follow it when i'm done with the manual (that i haven't downloaded yet, i missed time yesterday (got to study for my exams coming next week))

EDIT: i completed the SMACK! mission, which is easy but, it means i know how to change my orbit.

 

[ar81]

This tutorial could help you to have some graphical awareness of what you do.
[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3074"]Tutorial: DG to ISS[/ame]
I must thank Jared Smith, for he made the original Orbital Operations tutorial that helped me to understand make all these graphics.
This tutorial does not tell you what to do, but it let's you to understand WHY you are doing things.

Once you learn that, you may want interplanetary travel.
[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3403"]Tutorial: Concepts for Interplanetary MFD 4.2.1[/ame]

Be aware that at the beginning, no matter what age, these unfamiliar concepts bring a headache.
You try and fail in Orbiter. And at some point you suceed. I recall the first time I landed on Mars. I overshoot the target by a few thousand km, bounced agaisnt atmosphere and I crashed.
If you feel the path of learning I propose has a steep learning curve, you may try one thing at a time.

I started to use Orbiter in 2005 and I still do not know everything.
So welcome to this journey of learning.