Lord_Demon

You could also make a tug vessel. Small plane with fuel efficient engines (nukes?) and docking port. Get parts into the orbit, dock with tug, and move to final location. You can also equip your tug with the grapple, and use that to move parts and junk that does not have docking ports, but that is harder.

I learned from the forums here long time ago that you can make a manouver node, and change it's location by click and drag (click on the grey part of node). This helps a lot when going from kerbol to mun, and plotting the encounter. However, I'm wondering if there is a way to finet une the movement. With mouse it tends to jump quite a lot. The only trick I can think of is putting a light on the lander aimed down. Helps identify your height when landing as you see the lights.

I don't think saves are good for this. If for example I would want to test if a lander can get down on Duna and up to orbit again to meet with main vessel, it would seem pretty silly to create the whole thing and fly it to Duna just to find out that the lander part does not work. Then you have to load your save, resign the lander, then fly again to other planet to test it. And maybe changes added too much mass, so now you can't even make it to the planet, and you must design your main vehicle again. Specially if you are one of those who design stuff on gut instinct, I think it would be a nice option that you could test just one part. It would enable you to build programs in reverse so to speak. "can this lander part get to orbit from the surface of other planet" -> "what do I have to attach to that part to make a working lander?" -> "what kind of delivery system do I need to get the lander on orbit?" And as said, this could be done with Hyperedit. But that will complete any missions and train the Kerbonauts. So I don't know if that is ideal way to do this. That is why I would like to see a simulator built in. I think it would be pretty easy, as it would simply save your old game, and start a new one with defined parameters (and when that one ends, you would return to your previous game.) From implementation POV it might be quite easy addition (not sure but based on my limited programming experience) so it would not be that much effort to do it. I guess the same framework could also be used as a scenario editor, allowing people to create scenarios with their own designs, and maybe share them like ships. After all, scenario is only a save file with pre defined situation and description and some parameters for success/failure, isn't it?

Hi. I know a lot of people build their designs with accurate mathematical models and careful Delta-V calculations. But I guess there are a lot of players like me, who simply build the rocket based on a "hunch" or reliable "let's try if this works" principles. This is all fine and good in the early stages, like getting airborne, getting on orbit, going to Mun and minmus. But when you want to start planning more complex and longer distance designs, you can't really test your stuff without actually getting it to other planet, which takes time and money. And then you notice you forgot the landing gear or something equally silly, or that your design doesn't work well as a lander or something. You could use hyperedit, but that is not so handy. So could we have a space craft simulator in the space center for testing our designs in other situations? One could design a vessel, and then try that out in a simulator. Simulator would have different options to start the vehicle from (From low orbit or surface of any planet). You could use this to test if your design works as a lander and can possibly return to orbit, or see if your SSTO can take off from other planet. Or you could even try to see if the design can do planetary transitions. (for this, you might want date/time setting for the simulator too) Gameplay wise this would create a alternative universe, where there are no other objects but the simulated vessel and planets. In addition: -Time should also not advance much (maybe a bit, but simulators should be able to do the time compression without game time moving faster. -Actions in simulator would not field any science, and would not fill any mission conditions. I guess EVA should be disabled in this model too. -Running the simulator should cost a little credits (fixed amount maybe? Or small % of ship cost) in "programming fees". -Simulator could have multiple levels as a building, with higher levels locking more distant planets to be used in testing. So what do you guys think? Would there be use for something like this? Is there some things I didn't think of that need addressing? Is my idea explained clearly enough? Feel free to post comments and questions.

See if my Dart series SSTO planes still work. If nott, redesign. Most likely relearn the whole flight and reentry as mentioned. And create a mun and/or minmus mining op/orbital service depot. Then it is time to get everywhere and back.

As noted by lazarus that would lead to players running out of things to do in the economics once they got to certain level. It would effectively only be another techtree, which would be overlapping the current one. In any case, some form of fixed income must be available: Either small scale goverment funding monthly (or whatever time period), or some limited parts that can be used for free so player can complete missions even if they are running out of credits. I'd prefer to see fixed goverment funding, which was enough to do small scale stuff so players could use that to boost up the economics with the missions. If we ended with free parts people would just build huge rockets from those parts. Or maybe goverment subsidiary, which pays for the first xxx credits of a rocket cost? That way making rockets that cost less then the subsidiary would be free. Goverment could of course deduct that provided cost from any profit from mission.

The difference is that science is a limited use resource: Once you have researched tech tree completely, it is of no use. Therefore it makes sense that you can't earn endlessly science from a single orbiting satellite. Credits on the other hand are unlimited use resource: There will always be new rockets you can build and launch, even if they are identical copies of one another. Therefore there needs to be a unlimited amount of credits players can earn. However, this should most likely have a limit on how much one single flight can earn. Credits also are the opposite of science: More science is earned the further you go. But to go further, you need bigger rockets, which cost more. If you would only get more credits by going further players could bankrupt themselves by a single failed launch. This is why IMO the game economics model will need to have some sort of "easy" credit making method. Satellites would fit this perfectly. At the very least they should provide you with enough credit income so you can build bigger ships, which carry mun rocks to sell to people for big credits. But overall my point was that there could be two type of missions: One which rewards credits instantly when certain parameters are met, and another that will operate for certain period of time, and earn credits slowly up to a certain limit (hence the time/data limits in my original post). My ideas are mostly similar, just the payment method is different (one is all or nothing, one has partial payment for partial success). Interesting idea might be if the kerbin was divided into different geographical areas. Then players could for example be rewarded only for time the satellite is transmitting over the area in question. (in real world example, imagine BBC paying a space agency for time a TV satellite transmits while above UK.) NOt perfect, but would require more work to the satellite track planning, and player could not use a single satellite for all the missions. Actually, I think satellites and Kerbal orbit flights for "scientists" (extra kerbals in specail module) could make the best example of early game income missions.

I'd prefer to see economics and resources. Specially for economics I'd like to see some randomized missions, and commercial applications (creating TV satellites for example). They could have the specs (orbit kerbin at 80-85k, must be able to transmit constantly for 24 hours with transmitter type X, etc.) that must be filled to earn the money, or possibly a fixed income for certain amount of time ("KTV 1 will pay you xx credits/mit your satellite can transmit between now and now+30 days, up to xxxxx mits total (<- this would need a "transmit constantly" button in the antenna though.). For resources, I see that as one way to gather credits, one way to get more science and one way to have something new to do in the game. But I think resources do need the money aspect in game to truly reach their potential.

Have played with 0.22 in the career mode a bit for now. I have to say I think it is a great addition to game, and while it is far from perfect, it is a good direction. It does give us something to do. I hope further career mode developments are coming soon: The open sandbox is nice, but having some goals gives you something to do. For 0.22 feedback (in no particular order): -I'm not a big fan with the how the SAS works now. However, it did give me an idea: Would it make sense to have two modes? The initial and simple SAS modules could work like the current, overshooting and wobbling a bit when turning. Advanced SAS and high end capsules would have a more smooth handling and no overshooting. -The science has it's quirks, and some aid is needed. A visible page in Science lab showing what you have researched would be nice. Have it only show biomes/experiments player has already completed. Maybe have them split by planet, biome, and experiment type. -Space center could also have a single hint from the scientists to give new players some help on what to research. For example, "Our scientists wonder if you could do some measurements near the poles of Kerbin", "do you think there is anythign scienfitically interesting in Mun?" or "we made a bet on weather things look different outside the capsule then the inside. Could you check this?" to point players to areas and experiments they have missed. -The transmitting/returning samples needs more work. Once you unlock solar panels, you can mine all the data by simply repeatedly sending the report until sending no longer yields research. At that point, there is only fractions left anyway, so it is worthless. Maybe have each experiment split to two parts, return and transmit. Any data loss and data earned via transmit only effects the transmit part. Return should effect both. This way you could repeatedly transmit the data, but only get the transmit % of the original (20%, 40%, 50% depending on the report). At some point, even if you transmit data you gain nothing, but still have the return part untouched, and would get that when you repeatedly return the experiment data. -Maybe adding sample bins, databases etc. parts to store more reports/data would be handy. Databases could require constant power or lose data, sample bins just add mass. And automated parts that enable probes to take soil samples. Well, my 2 cents. Might add more when I get more time. In any case, a great addition. Can't wait to finish the tech trees.

I suggest you put it on the launch platform, put engines on very low power (smallest you can put), and turn them on. This was it won't get in air, but you follow the fuel flow more easily, since you don't have to control it. See if some of the side setup tanks are not losing fuel. This means those engines are draining from higher up. Also, chech the "stage" checkbox and see how much fuel it counts. See if you can figue how many fuel tanks it claims you have for that stage.

I noticed you can do crew reports on unmanned craft, as long as you got the command pod. I wanted to rescue Jebediah who was stranded on mun after his craft fell over during landing. So I added a satellite core on top of the rocket, emptied the cockpit and sent it to mun. I was able to send crew reports form the cockpit, even though no-one was there. This might come in handy on early level long range unmanned planet research. This might actually be a bug though.

You know that most computers, like the one you use to type posts on forums, have some sort of calculator program, right?

Since the science has reduced efficiency, that means the amoung of science points one can earn is limited, right? If this is so, doesn't having lot's of mods mean you will run out of science points to research eveything? Or are there so many science points to gather that it is not an issue? Can modders add new science rewards? For eample, soil samples from kethane fields?

When designing a lander part, add two lamps that point down. Tilt them bit, so they are not straight down, but just a bit (5 degrees?) towards the craft center. When landing, put the lights on. The distance lights are from one another helps estimate distance from the ground. I've also used Jet engines as the first stage of smaller rockets. They are more fuel efficient, and you can often get to about 20k before they cut out even on one intake/engine. They even have fuel left at this point. Just make a separate keygroup that disables the engines, fires the decouplers and starts rocket engines/solid boosters in one go. If you just use decouplers, you risk the runaway engines hitting the craft. Downside is that the rocket usually has low velocity at that point.