20 votes

Interactive xkcd comic about gravity

21 comments

  1. [5]
    AugustusFerdinand
    (edited )
    Link
    First thing I did was blast off at full speed. Notice other dots, go towards one, find the NCC-1701-C. Nice. Found a planet covered in text that I immediately bounced off of and lost as well as...

    First thing I did was blast off at full speed. Notice other dots, go towards one, find the NCC-1701-C.

    Nice.

    Found a planet covered in text that I immediately bounced off of and lost as well as Jurassic Park. I'm sure there's plenty more and I haven't even explored the fist planet.

    For those trying, lateral thrust is your main enemy when trying to maneuver. You cannot crash/die.

    6 votes
    1. [3]
      mihaitodor
      Link Parent
      I found that you can get stuck in some places, so you have to start over. I don't mind, though :)

      I found that you can get stuck in some places, so you have to start over. I don't mind, though :)

      3 votes
      1. teaearlgraycold
        Link Parent
        I got trapped between two black holes.

        I got trapped between two black holes.

        3 votes
      2. Protected
        Link Parent
        You can escape the sun remant by thrusting very tangentially to the surface and bouncing a few times.

        You can escape the sun remant by thrusting very tangentially to the surface and bouncing a few times.

        3 votes
  2. TavisNamara
    Link
    I get the feeling I'd be at this for days if I wasn't careful.

    I get the feeling I'd be at this for days if I wasn't careful.

    5 votes
  3. [3]
    mihaitodor
    Link
    The comic promotes Randall's new book What If? 2.

    The comic promotes Randall's new book What If? 2.

    3 votes
    1. [2]
      Omnicrola
      Link Parent
      I got to go to a release event and got a signed copy. It's a great nerdy read.

      I got to go to a release event and got a signed copy. It's a great nerdy read.

      3 votes
  4. PetitPrince
    Link
    The first celestial body I found was b612 (yay!), apparently scheduled to be destroyed (boo!). It's sad. (also: look at my username)

    The first celestial body I found was b612 (yay!), apparently scheduled to be destroyed (boo!). It's sad.

    (also: look at my username)

    3 votes
  5. [11]
    Algernon_Asimov
    Link
    Well, that got very boring very quickly. It took a while to work out I was supposed to push the arrow buttons. Then I did, and the spaceship moved. Yay. And then it just kept moving. More yay?...

    Well, that got very boring very quickly.

    It took a while to work out I was supposed to push the arrow buttons. Then I did, and the spaceship moved. Yay. And then it just kept moving. More yay?

    Well, when I say "the spaceship moved", the stars moved. The spaceship just stayed in the centre of the frame, while a bunch of white dots whizzed past.

    I had whizzing white dots and a spaceship.

    And I could make the spaceship change orientation while the white dots whizzed past.

    Like I said, very boring, very fast.

    2 votes
    1. [10]
      MimicSquid
      Link Parent
      The white dots are each a thing to explore.

      The white dots are each a thing to explore.

      6 votes
      1. [9]
        Algernon_Asimov
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        There are millions of them! It's a simulated star field. There are lots of white dots (simulated stars) whizzing past.

        There are millions of them! It's a simulated star field. There are lots of white dots (simulated stars) whizzing past.

        1 vote
        1. [5]
          PantsEnvy
          Link Parent
          As you take off from the planet, you will notice a white little bubble underneath you. That represents the gravitational pull of the planet you just left. As you go straight up, you should notice...

          As you take off from the planet, you will notice a white little bubble underneath you. That represents the gravitational pull of the planet you just left. As you go straight up, you should notice occasionally you violently veer off course, as another of those little white bubbles appears to your ships side. That represents another planet's gravitational course altering your trajectory. You can follow the little white bubbles to other planets, or explore the planet you just left, to discover a variety of cartoonish characterizations.

          7 votes
          1. [4]
            Algernon_Asimov
            Link Parent
            Oh. Really? How was I supposed to know that? (Thanks, by the way.)

            You can follow the little white bubbles to other planets

            Oh. Really?

            How was I supposed to know that?

            (Thanks, by the way.)

            3 votes
            1. PantsEnvy
              Link Parent
              It took me a few times to figure it out. The name gave me a hint. And the weird changes in direction also helped. The only reason I persisted is from reading this thread I knew I must be missing...

              It took me a few times to figure it out. The name gave me a hint. And the weird changes in direction also helped. The only reason I persisted is from reading this thread I knew I must be missing something.

              2 votes
            2. [2]
              CodenameAnonymous
              Link Parent
              Mostly trial and error, kind of gamer logic in a sense. If you’ve played enough games, UI is there to assist you. It incentivizes discovery and/or also a extra system of mechanic(s).

              Mostly trial and error, kind of gamer logic in a sense. If you’ve played enough games, UI is there to assist you. It incentivizes discovery and/or also a extra system of mechanic(s).

              1 vote
              1. unknown user
                Link Parent
                Back when I played this, I thought the white dots were simulating sun flairs. Took me a while to notice they appeared suspiciously consistent.

                Back when I played this, I thought the white dots were simulating sun flairs. Took me a while to notice they appeared suspiciously consistent.

                1 vote
        2. [3]
          MimicSquid
          Link Parent
          Do you see bigger white dots that orbit your spacecraft?

          Do you see bigger white dots that orbit your spacecraft?

          2 votes
          1. [2]
            Algernon_Asimov
            Link Parent
            I think so. I just assumed they were animation artefacts. Why?

            I think so. I just assumed they were animation artefacts.

            Why?

            1 vote
            1. MimicSquid
              Link Parent
              Follow one of them and see what you find.

              Follow one of them and see what you find.

              5 votes