PsychoNoodle

I'd say start small: Kerbal Engineer Redux and other quality of life mods, but definitely install CKAN, it helps SO much. For realism mods, Realism Overhaul, Real Solar System, and RP-1 are very complex but very realistic (it is rocket science after all). But my favorites for life support styled realism include Roverdude's suite of mods (USI Life Support, USI Modular Colonization Systems, etc.) as well as Nertea's Station Parts Expansion Redux. For realistic parts in terms of just added new things in to mix up the game, anything by any of the major names in modding is generally good (Nertea, Roverdude, etc.).

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Hey, sorry I couldn't respond more recently, but if you want to start somewhere, here's my suggestion. If you want to start with outdated part packs that haven't been touched in a while, install the most recent version of the mod and use it on a 1.12.2 game. Test every part in that mod, and check to see if anything else that is added is working. Compare it to a game in the mod's defined version, and if all/most features are working, you could (assuming privileges are given from the author) begin the publishing process. As I said above, if most features are working, put out on the release that there is a known bug and state whatever bug it is. Afterwards, you could give special attention to that part, especially if you have prior modding experience. Then file an update for the mod. Or do that before release, up to you.

As soon as I learned this was the last KSP update, I had the same thought but two things occurred to me: 1). In order to continue older mods you need the rights which I assume could be difficult to get if the makers aren't frequently active. 2). I personally don't know how to adapt mods from older versions, as I only have experience with basic modelling and simple .cfg file modification / expansion.

In terms of mods, I would recommend downloading, setting up, and taking a look through CKAN. Just search for how to do it on YouTube, trust me it's nothing difficult. Personally I enjoy most mods by Roverdude (Including USI Mods, but also 'Sounding Rockets!') and mods by Nertea (The Near Future and Far Future mods, however these can get complicated to work with very fast so maybe not these). These are two big names in the modding community. Firstly and most importantly, get the latest version of Module Manager. This is a mod that allows mods to modify parts from the base game or other mods without having to change the actual files manually. It can be complicated but a fun thing to get into nonetheless. It is also required for most mods, so just grab it to make sure you have no dependency issues later on. But for general Quality of Life mods I would recommend Kerbal Engineer Redux, MechJeb 2, Editor Extensions Redux, and Trajectories. The first two tell you generally very important information about your craft while in flight and in the VAB/SPH, such as Delta-v, TWR, Biome, Situation, etc. In MechJeb's case it also offers things like autopilot for rovers and planes, automatic course plotters, and other things that get unlocked along the tech tree to help with the progression feel. Editor Extensions Redux is helpful for building craft as it allows you to get up to 20X symmetry and odd numbers in between like 5 and 7. Another key feature of the mod is that it allows you to Autostrut all parts with a single button. Trajectories improves upon the base game trajectory map, accounting for atmospheric drag and other minor things that can help you pinpoint your landing site. Another mod I would recommend if you have many separate part mods would be The Janitor's Closet. This mod allows you to filter parts by mod, helpful for large suites of mods. Lastly, I would suggest just generally searching for 'KSP Tech Tree Mods'. Community Tech Tree (CTT) is a good one that depends on either other mods to write in compatibility for the tech tree or for you to write Module Manager Patches, and is also compatible with most USI mods. Otherwise any number of custom tech trees can be very fun to play with. Hope I helped!

I recently got myself into modding, starting with Module Manager patches but growing more and more complex things. I tried my first part recently, following this tutorial. However, Beale uses Adobe Photoshop to make the texture for his mod, which I do not have access to. I do, however, have access to GIMP, and I was wondering how you do the same things he does but on GIMP. Does anybody have firsthand experience with making mod textures in this way?