Kerbal Space program

[CooLDoG]

This game has been eating away at my life. Discuss.

[Who]

My greatest achievement is either landing on Tylo (unmanned) or landing and returning from Moho (manned). My current project in KSP is a mission to both Eeloo and Moho (Both manned landings, both with the capability to return but who probably won't return because profit). I won't use reverts, quick saves, or crew respawn for that, though for most things I allow myself reverts.

After I'm done with that I'll launch an unmanned mission to land on and then reorbit Laythe and Tylo (It will break up into two ships while around Jool), then depending on how that goes I'll launch a manned mission to those two.

[CooLDoG]

Have you ever built a rover, who? I would be interested in flying one to the mun, but I'm not quite sure what design to use.

[Who]

No I have not. I sorta tried a Kerbin rover before I knew about ijkl controls, but it completely failed.

There's not that much point to them. It's far easier to use suborbital hops/multiple landers to check out multiple biomes.

Speaking of multiple landers, another thing I once did which was awesome was launch a ship to Minmus which broke up into 9 landers, one for each biome. I'm not sure, but I think that that was before I learned about the amazingness of struts. If it wasn't then that was when I learned about them.

I should do the same thing for the Mun. That will be after the manned Jool mission.

[CooLDoG]

I remember my first "lander" design. I didn't know that struts extended downwards so instead of those I used those metal boxes you can place anywhere instead. It looked so stupid. It never had a chance to land because my current rocket design was shitty and couldn't make it to orbit around the mun. But yeah, struts are awesome.

[Who]

I meant strut connectors, not those other things.

I still don't use those other things with the name strut that often. Strut connectors on the other hand to absolutely everywhere.

[CooLDoG]

^ yes, 100% agree. I'll post a pick of my ship.... and fuel lines are also from god.

[CooLDoG]

not the most efficient craft, but as a second ever Mun rocket it isn't bad.

[Who]

Interesting design. I generally do things a bit differently, I would post a pic but I'm currently without my computer for a while.

For example, I never have engines on the side connected by fuel lines like that, I'd just give them their own tank (Which may or may not be fuel lined to the central one). Also, since .24 I've stopped usng rockomax-sized parts for anything other than getting into orbit. I'll start using them again though, because the smaller parts aren't as good when carrying around multiple manned landers.

[CooLDoG]

In my opinion side feeding is the way to go. for a few reasons:
1) maneuverability. Having one tank alined with the CG seems to work better for me than many tanks with the CG in the middle. Need less RCS thrusters, which I know our designs differ on... but whatever
2) Less fuel used. You can easily add small fuel tanks to get the exact right amount (look at the bottom of my rocket) without having to go unbalanced and add one to every engine.
3) Fewer tanks in number means less weight due to the base "empty" tank weight. This gives you more bang for your buck.
4) it looks baller.

[Who]

The heavy interplanetary transfer stage I used in .235 and will soon use again formerly involved a rockomax jumbo, 4 lv-ns attached to radial fl-t800s, and a bunch of drop tanks. I suppose that I would get more delta-v by side feeding the lv-ns and changing the fl-t800s they're currently attached to into more drop tanks. I'm considering redesigning the entire thing though.

When launching the radially attached tanks are 100% necessary. Well, hypothetically I could redesign it but that would make it obscenely tall and a nightmare to stage...
...
...
And also a hair more effective. I should look into this.

[CooLDoG]

yeah, my rocket is pretty damn tall. Staging isn't that much of an issue. When actually discarding a stage it is much cleaner and you don't have to worry about parts hitting other parts. Everything just comes off in a nice straight piece.

[Maruchan]

egopost

[Oman]

I'm going to start this game again. Can someone give me a primer before I begin? Link me to something that will teach me basic concepts?

Or am I better to just explore more?

[CooLDoG]

I would play the basic tutorials up to the asteroid one (isn't necessary). Those will give you a good foundation on basic controls and a basic primer on orbital mechanics. After that I would just start a career mode and explore.

Basically thrusting in opposite direction that you are going will decrease the size you your orbit on the opposite side, and thrusting in the direction you are going will increase the size of the orbit on the opposite size.

For rocket design renumber the rocket should get much lighter after each stage. Make sure that you discard stages to remove excess weight. Boosters should not be your sole means or primary means of propulsion to get into orbit. And don't use boosters outside of an atmosphere.

[Who]

The heavy interplanetary transfer stage I used in .235 and will soon use again formerly involved a rockomax jumbo, 4 lv-ns attached to radial fl-t800s, and a bunch of drop tanks. I suppose that I would get more delta-v by side feeding the lv-ns and changing the fl-t800s they're currently attached to into more drop tanks. I'm considering redesigning the entire thing though.

When launching the radially attached tanks are 100% necessary. Well, hypothetically I could redesign it but that would make it obscenely tall and a nightmare to stage...
...
...
And also a hair more effective. I should look into this.

I take that back, I shouldn't. It would probably increase payload fraction by a bit, but it would make part count skyrocket.

(I was planning to put all my fuel into small tanks and ditch them as they ran out)

[Maruchan]

i can't even play the game because the resolution is to big for my screen and the apply button for the graphics section of the settings is below the cutoff of my screen, and my screen is on the max resolution it supports

[CooLDoG]

go to the game folder and there is a config that you can manually edit to make it whatever resolution you want. Just loose in the game folder and called "settings.cfg"

@who, Interesting idea of dropping tanks as you go. I might experiment with it later.

[Who]

Droptanks are a well-established thing, I think they might even be used irl. (They would be far less effective irl though, real fuel tanks have waaaaaayyy better mass ratios than KSP fuel tanks, so droptanks are less necessary)

I was planning to turn it up to 11 and make everything out of FL-T100s* and drop them as I used them.


*Actually given how decouplers have mass there might be a better option, I would do math and figure out which fuel tank was best. But I currently use rockomax jumbos, smaller tanks would definitely be better.

[Oman]

Career mode is hard. Funds and shit

[Who]

Career mode is hard. Funds and shit

I take it you have not yet figured out how to use bases and stations/satellites for massive profit?

Because they yield seriously massive profits if you know how. As in, enough that you will be swimming in funds no matter how much you spend massive.

[Klazam]

How do i get this game

[Oman]

Career mode is hard. Funds and shit

I take it you have not yet figured out how to use bases and stations/satellites for massive profit?

Because they yield seriously massive profits if you know how. As in, enough that you will be swimming in funds no matter how much you spend massive.

I HAVE NOT TEACH ME YOUR WAYS.

[Who]

How to get rich quick in KSP:

Spoiler: Spoilered in case anyone enjoys not having funds

Step 1: Get a satellite with solar panels and which is capable of collecting and transmitting data in orbit of something
Step 2: Accept contract which tells you to "Get science data from space around ***" when ***=the thing you have said satellite orbiting
Step 3: ??? (Do experiment+transmit data)
Step 4: Profit!

Alternate method:
Step 1: Land "base" (Kerbal+command pod) on something
Step 2: Accept "plant flag on X" contract
Step 3: ??? (EVA, Plant a flag on X, return to capsule)
Step 4: Profit!

Useful notes:
You don't have to transmit data worth science. Provided you transmit any data, it doesn't matter how much or how little science you get from it.
You don't have to plant the flag of the company giving you the contract, it's just plant a flag, any flag.

[CooLDoG]

^or just build silly ships that you know will reach the proper conditions for a test... they look pretty fucked up, but they are dirt cheap and rake int he dough. Funds aren't a problem. Even when my ship costs a shit ton, I always have enough funds.