If you’re building a space station in orbit, for example, you either need the cash to build multiple ships at once or you need to plan for the first module to orbit for a few months before the second module can join it.
It also forces you to plan ahead, designing and sending new ships into the construction pipeline weeks or months before you’re ready to launch.
The more complex the ship, the longer it takes to build. Time is paused while you tinker with design of a new ship, and only begins when you click “launch,” meaning every ship is built instantly. Every second of spaceflight is added to the overall game clock, which tells the game where every planet and ship is in space. One of the quirks of KSP is that it keeps track of time. Simulate a few times, then when you’re happy with it, build it for real. Don’t forget: You can “simulate” a ship to see how it flies without waiting for the actual construction time.
