Steve Fink

@Ampsterman "Before it blows up, he is still smiling. When in Orbit looking at the pretty stars. Smiling. When about to land on Mun. Smiling. " Jeb's just always high on the Kerbal Kronic. His two sidekicks know this and they are freaking out cause Jeb's "in control". Just look at the splash screen; its all there man!

Thats pretty much my plan with KSP, BUT the rockets do need to be fully functional IMO. So if the Saturn-V for instance was not mun capable, including return, I would be in favor of tweaking the looks for function.. BUT, posting the pre-tweeked eye candy sounds fun.

Awesome, I'm on board with your mission (recreate real rockets). Just finishing up stock Mun landings, as I am fairly new. Then, time for me to get nova punch, and I'll post some vehicles for the gang.

I like MechJeb, a lot. But, I do share similar feelings with the above posts against MechJeb. First, I think everyone new to KSP (BTW, get the paid version, its only $20, well worth it) should start WITHOUT MechJeb and understand the basics of launch, control, and orbit. And even afterwards, I still build the beginning stages of every new rocket WITHOUT MechJeb. That way you know you have a stable well balanced craft if you can fly it manually. BUT, after a while the launch procedure gets so routine, you understand it and it is nice to have the autopilot take over so you can focus on the data being fed by MechJeb such as Apo and Peri data, thrust to weight ratios, and more. This info greatly improves your rocket building skills. You can also use it to figure out the optimal flight path, when to make your gravity turns, etc. Secondly, I am in this "game" for the sim side of things. In a perfect world, I would love a sim like KSP with all real-world parts to use. And in the real world, we would never be able to accomplish what we do in spaceflight without computers and guidance control systems. So adding a high-end computer to your craft that automates things for you is reality. When we watch real launches on NASA TV, what is happening is mostly automated and the dialogue you hear from the control room are just readings sent from the guidance and control systems. If you are the person programming MechJeb prelaunch, you are still controlling the craft. As long as you understand what is going on, and you can and should override the computer in an "event", using MechJeb is justified. Lastly, MechJeb is modular. It gives you multiple tools and you can turn on or off the ones that are important to you. I initially got it so I could see in-flight data so I did not have to toggle "M" to see my orbital info. Even though I crash land a lot, I have yet to use the landing computer, and wont until I get the landings down manually. Oh, yeah, and for now, other than MechJeb, I am all stock. Once I get the itch and run out of combinations of craft, I want the NovaPunch Mod to make cleaner looking rockets. For now, going all stock makes for a great challenge.

Very useful site! thanks for all the work everyone put in to make the site and mods happen.

very clean, nice work. Does it wobble much on the way up?

I dont do planes. I like the simulation aspect of the rocket program. For planes though I used to be a big fan of Microsoft Flight Sim and X-Plane. I always have been a sim person (not "The Sims" though). I love building and planning the stages of the mission. Prior to KSP I was big into the BF2 Mod "Project Reality". I understand that one of the KSP dev team was a PR person. If any of you play PR, you may know me as "roosterr", and I have been on that block for a long, long time.

I have yet to use the landing AP, but I think once I use it, I may agree with you. Landings are fun. Neil did by hand. :-)

Right on, one step at a time is my point. And MechJeb use is not easy to understand (unless you are already a rocket scientist) until you understand the issues involved. Also, I like to built my rockets so that they will always perform well enough to be steered manually. Then I know they will fly awesome when on autopilot. I am in this "game" 99% for the simulation aspect. (the remaining 1% is to save the Kerbal's )

Yep Tauge, after posting that reply I ran it through my little head and figured out that the orbital path would be changing dramatically as I slowed down and got closer to the surface with horizontal velocity etc. It all makes PERFECT sense. But I had to run off to work and could not update the post (until I got here, muuwahahaaa) For anyone else reading this and wondering why I dont just switch to MechJeb auto land: Cause I am new and want to learn the dynamics of landing first before I let the computer take over, but eventually will, just as I have with take off and orbit.

Yes, Mechjeb engaged in retrograde during landing. That must be it. My first and only actual landing did not have mechjeb (yet I dumped my lander on its side upon impact and survived :-) ) SO ya, I will disengage mechjeb, tonight! Although I will add that in retro I am still in "reverse" when this issue hits and understand your point. But even though my direction is truly retro, just very slowly, do you think this is a mechjeb bug? AND THANKS FOR REPLYING!

I have delivered 4 vehicles to Mun now, and my delivery system is in good shape. However, I have only put one Kerman boot on the surface and it wasnt pretty. The others landers succumbed to a strange anomaly (died a fiery death) as I get close to the surface. I am able to slow my craft on decent to 0 K/M s as long as I am a few hundred meters from the surface. But the closer I get, and the slower I get, the nose will tip over uncontrollably and I am unable to descend level. The behavior kicks in at less than 20 k/m s and gets worse the closer to the surface I get. I have seen some issues with some landers on youTube that might get this behavior with an unbalanced lander (top heavy). I assure you I have brought very simple landers in that look very much like every other lander I see on the web stick their landings with no mention of this issue I am having. BTW, SAS (updated: not SAS, but Mechjeb, and that is the problem) and light RCS cant over come it either. My newest lander has additional RCS added. I have yet to test it, but believe there is something else at play here. Anyone?

Agreed, the same thought came to mind when I wrote the post. Understanding the challenges of getting a rocket into orbit, de-orbit etc. makes you appreciate and understand mechjeb more so once you learn the ropes. Giving a newbie mechjeb would likely dissuade some from playing. Maybe one day when the money feature is operational, mechjeb would be something you could buy with your kerbal dollars as an acheivment.

:cool:

My first suggestion to the dev team: Make MechJeb an included feature of KSP. That piece adds so much to the sim. I would bet I am not the first or the last to mention that.