ArmchairGravy

Absolutey. I have sympathy for the long-time vets as the things like interplanetary returns are old hat for them, and still a white-knuckle challenge for me. I'm at the point where I can do aerobrake insertions, where before I was happy just to get a rendezvous.

I didn't have too much trouble reaching orbit, as I knew the key was going fast, and ballistic trajectories are the key to going fast. I had to watch some Scott Manley tutorials to get Mun intercepts figured out. I used to play Moon Lander way back in the day, so landings weren't too bad.

I use my Duna-return as a space station. Parked it at 125, and will use it as an SSTO target.

Realists vs. cartoonists: the war continues. We already know what our system is like. I'm all for plaid and paisley planets just to annoy the realists.

I just did this myself. Between this and the antenna fiasco, I'm going to have to fire myself due to gross incompetence.

I did a Mun return today using a T200 fuel tank and a 48-S motor as the ascent stage. Get down smooth, only had to use a smidge at landing just to get rid of the descent stage. I'm kind of in a hurry, so score my science, pop open map view, and blast homeward. As soon as I hit Kerbin orbit, I lowered my periapsis down to 24k, and speed on home. Mind you, I'm in map view all this time. So I hit atmosphere and finally come out of map view. I have .99 fuel left. What's your narrowly avoided disaster?

I don't have any issues with it. Unlock Stability, wham, you're orbital. Unlock General Construction and Science Tech, wham, Mun and Minmus flybys, and Minmus landing. Get those in, and you're off to the races.

Odd, the onboard SAS only drains batteries if I manuver, and even then not by much. I do Mun and Minmus flybys without batteries and still have plenty of juice left when I get home. Did you do a transmission?

I made this, and flew it to Jool.

Buwhahahahha! Nicley done! Our gift this year was .23!

It was not Porcine Avionic's finest day. Yesterday I launched missions to Jool and Duna. Today they arrived at their destinations. Both missions got great insertions and orbited with no issues. It's when they began to perform their missions that the trouble started. First off, the Duna mission consisted of a one-man lander can on top of a science lab with a 1-man landing craft that contained all of the science gear. I didn't put anyone in the science lab, as it only needs two people to operate, right? I collected all of the science I'd gathered on the way in, put Jeb and Kirlorf in the science module, and went to reset the experiments. No option to do so. I needed someone in the control room or the lab wouldn't operate! I accelerated time, put Genedas on a courier rocket, and got him to science lab. The rest of the Duna/Ike mission went smooth, and they are waiting on their window home. Time to switch over to the Jool probe. This is the behemoth I posted above. 5 probes, ready to rumble the Jool system. I get my aerobrake insertion all set, and I enter the system. Time for a gravity scan. I go to transmit the results, and find that I forgot antennas! :cry: Someone is so fired! I'm going to crash the probe into Jool.

Agreed. While I'm not sure, I think once multiplayer, missions and rep are added, that will make the game feature complete. Then the arduous slog of tweaking begins.

Prince Locklear's Omnibus Propulsions

I've started a fresh game today, and forced myself to use different designs than normal. I found the 48-7s. It was a nearly religious experience. For four months I've been toiling away, not realizing that awesomeness was a click away. I guess I just saw the size, and didn't read the description closely. I thought is was another Ant, one of those super-specific engines for teeny, tiny builds that I used to sneer at. "How can anything small be worth anything to me? I need more Skippers and Mainsails!" I am pleased to have been humbled today. My design strategy has been revolutionized. I will turn my back on the cult of Moar Boosters, and embrace the light of Effeciency.

The lab module is fairly useless within Kerbin SOI, but is great for interplanetary missions because you can remove the samples from the experiments, store them, and then reset the experiments. Within Kerbin SOI your are better off building a lander with multiple experiments, hitting multiple biomes at a time, and doing direct returns.

It's very useful on interplanetary trips as you can store experiment results and then reset the experiments. Took one to Duna and Ike as an orbiter, had 2 of everything on the lander, brought 4k science home.

Both are funny because both are true.

I know, right? It's like they assigned the numbers backward.

I'm taking one to Duna with me to reset the experiments after hitting Ike. They only mass 3. Throw a 1-man lander can on top, dock a lander, come come with 4k.

Yes indeed. I put a pair of separatrons on my command pod and set the abort button to blow the final decoupler and fire the separatrons. Removes the excess baggage and kicks me clear of everything so I don't take a fuel tank to the face on the way down.

Now that I've gotten used to .23 I created a new save and went hog wild, so to speak.

This, this, thisity this.

What? It has a built-in OSHA inspector?! Kill it with fire from a mainsail.

With a small vial of nitroglycerin inside for verisimilitude.

I enjoy the challenge of playing this game using just my nose. Let's make everyone play using just their noses. Two can play the sarcasm game.