colmo

This is something that could be governed per weapon too. An Abrahms M1 turret, because it is long range, always gets selected over a chaingun turret, even though it will never, ever, succeed in shooting down an aircraft.

As Top Gun AI is currently run, each tournament has its own rules. By all means run one with turrets allowed. The problem with turrets is they take away from good plane design. We arrived at the fixed gun rule very quickly when we realised how OP turrets, even limited, were. The fixed .50 cal gun is more compelling because it's very lightweight, especially important on single engine planes struggling for TWR.

Learn how to use the editor and DIY. I believe bases on other bodies do work but AlphaAsh won't support you if it doesn't. Do so at your own risk.

Here's me wielding a Secchi disc. It is arguably the lowest tech science equipment I've ever used...

The #1 experimental equipment for an oceanographic vessel is a CTD. The primary measurements it gathers are temperature and salinity at different depths, often charted like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperature_salinity_diagrams?wprov=sfla1 You can also have drag nets to sample algae, and a Secchi disc, which would be an EVA experiment!

I'm watching David Attenborough on this fantastic research ship. This is the kind of craft Maritime pack is ideal for. http://aluciatheship.com/ Or like the new RRS vessel, which is currently being named by public poll with Boaty McBoatface leading the vote.... http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/rrs-boaty-mcboatface_uk_56edbec3e4b030d552ef678a?edition=uk&utm_hp_ref=uk&

Perhaps @RoverDude is worth adding - aside from being a prodigious mod plate spinner and dev, damage could become an extension of resources?

As @Laythe2 said, it's a stock bug. Try Kerbal Joint Reinforcement, there's a chance its physics easing functionality will prevent part damage. I know it reduces the impact on vessels loaded in water to a bit of unsettled movement, instead of launched into the sky, and if KKS is installed, some light damage.

That needs to become standard in BDA.

There's a plethora of damage systems now in play - now if this and others could combine with @EnzoMeertens KKS and @BahamutoD's BDA into a single, unified damage system, which covers progressive loss of lift, structural strength, buoyancy, melting, leaking, sinking, fire etc., all with visual scorching, denting and actual structural bending (transforming nodes and surface attachments), that would be very, very good.

Don't get too distracted by this first up. Concentrate on reproducing working parts. There's a few different mods circling around damage now, don't add to the confusion when you don't yet have any parts out.

I've floated ( ) a few ideas past @Azimech and @BT Industries about damage. Ablator was one. Kerbal Krash System, along with a modlet to convert BDA thermal damage back to physical, was another.

Infernal Robotics and KAS has you covered for cranes. There was a rather nice shipping container model around years ago. Sadly has disappeared, but it's an easy first model. Add some KIS storage and you're golden. If you want, use FSswitch to vary the contents and appearance (nice to have stacks of different ones, with corporate decals emblazoned on them of course) - a refrigerated unit for transporting snacks, and tangible objects like Rocketparts. For raw materials, tanks or silo bins are the way to go. I think Maritime pack as it was, IR, maybe USI mods and some onboard storage had the materials for a mining boat without being too specific. I've just envisioned a simpler Hangar mod variant which combines EPL with KIS (sized up!) - launch and recycle is instantaneous, but stashes the whole craft as an object (perhaps make use of the SPH/VAB thumbnail, though that won't reflect parts that have been attached, removed or destroyed) instead of destroying/rebuilding it.

If you open the main BDA settings cfg file, you'll find a damage multiplier. The default is 100, you could change it to something less. When using it with Kerbal Krash System, vessels survive much better - a bit too good, with planes shrugging off missile hits. I turned the multiplier up for it. Explosions do most damage by sending ground vehicles flying. This is partly because BDA inflicts thermal rather than physical damage. A modlet that turned BDA hits into physical KKS damage would be interesting.

The easiest way to suspend the Top Pad in position is using launch clamps, and maybe a girder or two to space them out. You could even use KAS to bolt them to the ceiling of the hangars on the Island! The Top Pad is also useful for launching directly into water.

SpannerMonkey has more guns in his locker than the NRA...

I'd be interested to see if Kerbal Krash damage could reduce buoyancy. Along with a modlet that switched BDA back to physical damage (the thermal damage is a workaround), that would satisfy the naval hawks who want to pummel ships with their massive guns until they sink (though as Maritime parts span the breadth of the hull, they wouldn't list).

You'll need to consult @allista about Hangar capabilities - unlike FSswitch this is not a trivial function to add so be prepared. If this is your first mod, go for the low-hanging fruit first; it'll build your confidence towards more complex modelling, texturing or coding changes down the line. The To Do list is getting long, but it can be sorted according to attainability, time required and your skills as they improve.

A better approach is to look at using the Firespitter texture switcher, unconnected to Tweakscale though the two are now compatible. This confers more than a cosmetic difference - for those looking to military uses, the parts can be sinkable and armoured (perhaps with ablator resource to ward off BDA weapons, higher impact resistance and dry mass, and painted militaristic grey), for shipping, they'd switch between fuel, ore and other resources, or KIS inventory, and so on. Given the poll results wanting every kind of maritime role catered for, this meets the diversity of demand.

There's no good reason not to, if you're willing to handle potential bugs. It won't do anything for those not using Tweakscale.

As I recall, you couldn't have FSswitcher and Tweakscale on the same part. Worth a try though. Edit: nevermind, it was fixed in 2014!

The Firespitter plugin has offered the ability to switch the texture and with it contained resources of a part for several years. Shouldn't need any coding, just some cfg hacking?

BDA has had a competition mode since the 18th Feb. Why isn't it being used?

There's no harm having an IR powered turret in the main battle tank of General Montkermanry, and the rest of the battalion using Old School Turrets on guard, following it using BurnTogether (which iirc still works).

That's a known 1.0.5 bug which has been fixed for 1.1