captainradish

I love the MOL (and the general Gemini) stuff. I've not yet bothered updating all my missions to Apollo. The Gemini stuff is a lot cheaper and does most everything. The Gemini program was really interesting and could have become so much more than a steppingstone to Apollo.

One thing's for sure, you can almost always tell a Russian design. They are certainly unique and very 50's futuristic.

I like career a lot with a "budget" mod like "Monthly Budgets:" This allows me to more-or-less ignore contracts apart from the ones that I enjoy playing. I like the structure that career mode allows and honestly only really have middling issues with the tech tree.

Is there a measure to make parts more reliable depending on what science tier is unlocked? Meaning, the older a part becomes (in the tech tree) the more reliable it becomes? That would be realistic and make older parts considerably more desirable.

I love the versatility of Mechjeb. Personally, I don't like the flying at all and pretty much totally automate everything. I play KSP for the designing/building/planning part and leave all the flying to Mechjeb unless there is some awful problem the AI can't handle (such as if Dang It decides it wants to make an engine shut down on launch). I would debate on OP'ness. Honestly one of the issues I have with this pack is the R7-style engines are too far UP the tree. I mean, the original R7 was developed back in 1956-57 and basically used ever since. By the time I unlock the tier with the R7 stuff, I've already unlocked the Soyuz capsule (which is on the same tier) which was developed a decade AFTER the rocket that carried it. The tiers are difficult. I understand they need to be balanced that really good rockets don't end up getting unlocked really early (such as the R7s). I personally develop two mirror space programs simultaneously in my games, one based on the US program using the stock capsules and one based on the Soviet program. After I move stuff around the tech tree, my Soviet program has a major advantage over the American program until the Apollo-esque program. One thing I may recommend is using Dang It! which allows for a certain degree of reliability, which is what's missing in this game. It allows a balance between building large rockets using primitive parts and reliability. The rocket will probably lift a small Death Star with circa 1958 parts, but it also will probably explode thirty seconds after liftoff. Dang It! is actually pretty nasty with this mod because of how it handles engine clusters (single engines rather than multiple) so an entire cluster will fail rather than a single engine.

I'm rather embarrased I've never found this pack in the past. In the short time I've been using this it has become my absolute go-to for engines and fuel tanks and has completely replaced my prior go-to's Tantares and Bluedog for everything except capsules. Honestly there's few things this pack doesn't do well. I'm highly impressed! If I'm thinking correctly, in the Mercury and possibly even the Gemini programs there were arguments to not include basic flight controls because the pilots weren't supposed to do anything.

I've noticed (and I'm not sure if it's intentional or not) but you're missing the science generating part to the ScanSat compatibility. I updated the modmanager config file to correct this: @PART[ca_HOLA]:FOR[CoatlAerospace]:NEEDS[SCANsat] { !MODULE[ModuleAnimateGeneric]{} MODULE { name = SCANsat sensorType = 1 //2^0 fov = 5 min_alt = 5000 max_alt = 500000 best_alt = 5000 scanName = Laser Altimeter Scan animationName = deploy RESOURCE { name = ElectricCharge rate = 0.1 } } MODULE { name = SCANexperiment experimentType = SCANsatAltimetryLoRes } } @PART[ca_H2RS]:FOR[CoatlAerospace]:NEEDS[SCANsat] { !MODULE[ModuleAnimateGeneric]{} MODULE { name = SCANsat sensorType = 2 //2^1 fov = 2 min_alt = 5000 max_alt = 800000 best_alt = 750000 scanName = High-Res Radar Scan animationName = deploy RESOURCE { name = ElectricCharge rate = 1.5 } } MODULE { name = SCANexperiment experimentType = SCANsatAltimetryHiRes } } //TRIXIE, based on New Horizons @PART[ca_TRIXIE]:FOR[CoatlAerospace]:NEEDS[SCANsat] { MODULE { name = SCANsat sensorType = 24 //2^3 + 2^4 fov = 4 min_alt = 5000 max_alt = 500000 best_alt = 250000 scanName = Multispectral Scan animationName = deploy RESOURCE { name = ElectricCharge rate = 1 } } MODULE { name = SCANexperiment experimentType = SCANsatBiomeAnomaly } } //Vorona SAR @PART[ca_vor_sar]:FOR[CoatlAerospace]:NEEDS[SCANsat] { MODULE { name = SCANsat sensorType = 2 //2^1 fov = 2 min_alt = 5000 max_alt = 800000 best_alt = 750000 scanName = SAR Scan animationName = sar_deploy RESOURCE { name = ElectricCharge rate = 1.6 } } MODULE { name = SCANexperiment experimentType = SCANsatAltimetryHiRes } }

I'm having an issue with the Vanguard not wanting to "connect" to the rest of the rocket. I've run into this issue somewhere in the past, but I can't remember where. If I launch it with the full rocket it acts like it's all alone. Any suggestions? It's getting annoying. EDIT: I commented out the built-in decoupler and it now seems like it's working fine. Odd.

I ended up just playing with Bluedog anyway, so probes are covered now.

OK, I didn't realize this was a companion to CobaltWolf's stuff. He does cover early probes well, but I honestly don't tend to play with his (otherwise excellent, BTW) pack as I tend to overuse it as it were. Honestly I don't really have any good suggestions as probes are more-or-less covered if the Sputnik probe core is moved back to start.

I just wanted to pop on to tell you you have done a stellar job so far! There are very few people who develop stock-like probe packs and this one is above and beyond anything I've seen before. Very well done! The only recommendation I would have is to put the "beginner" probe parts sliiiiighly closer to the beginning. I play "realistically" which means I do a LOT of unmanned missions and there are a definite lack of starting probe cores. EDIT: I just wanted to mention that if you have this one you don't really need any other. The lack of a tier-0 probe core is the packs only shortcoming as far as I can tell right now.

So far I like it a lot! I DO see two problems with it: one is a sometimes problem with the text (the formula show up in the text rather than the intended text), and the other is the crew requirements for missions where it doesn't implicitly require a certain number. Having the mission of sending two kerbals into orbit is fine. Having the mission of sending kerbals to the mun, but requiring at least three is not IMO. Make that change and (so far, I haven't played through the complete chain) it'll be gold.

This looks cool! I've been looking for something like this for some time. The historical contracts and the HS Light mod are great, but even the small one is large and a trifle redundant (and assume a two-agency world). BTW, you can also use CobaltWolf's Bluedog design bureau pack. It adds in early (50s tech) probe cores. I highly recommend it anyway.

There's some good ones that CobaltWolf has in his parts (at least for the time being).

I'm not sure if it's just me, but the "strap-on" boosters of the new R-7 are a bit OP. I've just launched my new Soyuz-style craft and they don't run out of fuel until almost 70,000m. The old ones worked pretty well from what I can remember. Also, they are missing their plumes in outer space.

I will say the new R-7 is pretty great!

Ok, no problems putting the two together and saving my sanity, but Beale, dude, you're STILL putting the R-7 rocket way too far along the tech tree! With Bluedog's parts, I'm unlocking the Gemini before unlocking the R-7. How can I lead the KSSP into space and beat the decadent westerners without my R-7? In all seriousness, I do sincerely feel it's too far along the tech tree. I'm sure you have a good reason to have it as far along as you do, but I always have to move it at least to Advanced Rocketry. I honestly have a hard time launching my sputnik and vostok without the R-7.

Ok, that's fair. The only issue is that you are the ONLY person who has a decent Vostok. Can you run the new version overtop of the old? I'm trying that now and so far haven't seen anything wrong.

Question: I've been a bit out of the loop and just recently re-downloaded Tantares. Is there supposed to be a bunch of equipment missing? I miss my Vostok.

Yay! You're not dead or something! I found this mod promising and was a bit disappointed that there hadn't been any replies since October.

The new solar panel animations are totally sexy! Keep up the good work! This and Bluedog's pack have become my only go-to parts packs.

As far as I can tell that's exactly what's going on. The new atmosphere is a lot more "soupy" at high altitudes than it used to be apparently. Mechjeb is partially at fault here as it seems to be overcorrecting itself, but that's not the whole issue.

Yep, me too. I have both Karbonite and Karbonite + and cannot locate the Karborundum tanks. I installed via CKAN, but have never had an issue in the past.

This is something we're messing with in the Mechjeb thread as well, so it not just your machines.

I very much approve!