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Vanamonde

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    My (mostly) un-crewed campaign.

    in KSP1 Mission Reports

    Posted

    How many points had you accumulated before switching to just probes?
    I don't recall. I didn't set out to do all-probes, so I don't remember when I switched over. I could have done more with probes if I'd set out with that intention. For example, that Minmus mission could have been replaced with more of the probes I was sending to Mun.
    nice write up!
    Thanks. :)

    My (mostly) un-crewed campaign.

    in KSP1 Mission Reports

    Posted · Edited by Vanamonde

    Just for something new to do, in .23 I decided to see how far I could get with uncrewed ships.

    Of course, you don't have the option for your first few flights, so I made some sub-orbital and orbital flights,

    t4fAIW3.png

    mlLLIdN.png

    then moved on to Mun.

    cFmXEM0.png

    I then flew a fairly elaborate Minmus mission

    2UmXcBQ.png

    which landed at 4 places before returning to Kerbin.

    W4Q5sVq.png

    But then I turned my attention to probes, including sub-orbital probes to Kerbin biomes,

    HZGCgcP.png

    Mun fly-bys,

    SikBiiA.png

    and round-trip (non-transmitting) Mun biome probes.

    4HCZOQI.png

    Then it was on to solar flybys.

    sd4usEY.png

    And at last, alien worlds,

    2YxzSkv.png

    where I took a bad bounce at Duna,

    9oyVLCY.png

    though enough solar panels remained intact to transmit the data, even if quite slowly.

    On to Eve.

    th9pFJE.png

    And then back to Mun, to do additional science with newly invented instruments.

    F4yjDzN.png

    Next step, the vacuum worlds, with a more sophisticated design which takes readings at several biome/altitudes, transmits the data, and then ejects the inert instruments before proceding to a landing.

    HOLwLEp.png

    That one went to Dres,

    9UNGxt3.png

    then Moho,

    rhOBjwm.png

    Ike,

    wgZAJI0.png

    Eeloo,

    zOk6cEM.png

    Gilly,

    MjEbXmW.png

    and Pol.

    G9vhLvP.png

    For variety, I then sent a similar probe to Jool,

    cwscYK8.png

    though that one was only partially successful because I had forgotten how thick Jool's atmosphere is. I waited until my descent speed on chutes was 2.2m/s, but the solar panels still shattered when I opened them. And without power to transmit, over half of this mission's data sank with the probe.

    So back to more forgiving worlds, such as Laythe.

    SbNkVm6.png

    Where it was Duna all over again, because I'd forgotten to replace those frikkin' weak landing legs.

    9VYc64H.png

    However, that mission did earn me the last science points I needed to purchase the last invention. I have now entirely swept the tech tree in .23, despite the fact that my Kerbals themselves have only so far been to orbit a few times, and once to Minmus. Never fear, though, as they are about to set out on a new era of space adventures now that the campaign has reached sandbox-equivalent status. :)

    Thanks for reading, and I hope it wasn't too boring.

    Docking question

    in KSP1 Gameplay Questions and Tutorials

    Posted

    It's a question of terminology, Nick7892. To dock, you must match speed and direction (velocity) with the target so that you make contact gently and don't just collide. But if you match velocity with something in orbit, you are also in orbit and therefore no longer sub-orbital. That being said, we often do fly our KSP ships directly from launch to a rendezvous, which is basically doing what you're asking about. So yes, it can be done, but only if you don't use those terms for it. :D

    Eyeballing Transfer Windows

    in KSP1 Gameplay Questions and Tutorials

    Posted

    Not an answer to the question but a word of advice: launch windows are not all that critical. There is a maximally efficient instant, but if you miss it, it's merely a matter of burning a bit more fuel, proportionally to the degree of the deviation from ideal. Just eyeball it as close as you can, and then play with the maneuver node until you get an intercept. If you're having trouble, get as close as you can and then plot a mid-course correction, which will often be enough to close the gap and achieve an intercept.

    Descent Freespace: The Great War + Silent Threat

    in The Lounge

    Posted

    I played this game to death when it was new, then re-bought it several years later and played it to death again. I think it's the best space-dogfighting game of all. A variety of ships to fly and weapons to carry, decent graphics, lots of scenarios, interesting storyline, and when it ends, you can just roll over and start it again while retaining your pilot's accumulated medals and kills. Good tutorials for new players, too. I especially liked the way it handled large ships. They slugged it out with each other while the fighters mostly fought a separate but parallel battle. More realistic that way. And you *felt* like you were in a fighter, because if you were unwise enough to get between the big ships, their guns would knock you spinning while they shot past you at enemy capital ships.

    One Launch Kethane Station

    in KSP1 Gameplay Questions and Tutorials

    Posted · Edited by Vanamonde

    You'll need to send it to a file-sharing site such as Mediafire.com. Most places give you free accounts or don't require accounts at all. But often, posting a picture is enough for people to lend help. For pics, you'll also need to post links to sharing sites like Imgur.com.

    Incidentally, the ship Exchange is for players to share completed ships. I've moved your thread to gameplay questions, where the folks who like to help other players hang around, looking for questions to answer. :)

    alaska?

    in Welcome Aboard

    Posted

    There are several reasons that you might be experiencing this. Outside time does not pass while you are "inside" the buildings, so, for example, spending hours assembling something in the VAB doesn't mean the planet will have rotated when you go back outside. And of course any time you "revert" a flight, outside time is backed up. Furthermore, the game is not 1:1 scale, and Kerbin's rotation cycle is only 6 hours long. It's quite possible, especially if you've used accelerated time (warp) that you left the launch site one night and came back to it the following night. Most likely, it's some combination of those.

    Anyway, welcome to the forum. :D

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