What smallish mods should be integrated into the base game?

[Frostiken]

I'm going to go with 'TweakScale', or at least a more limited version of it.

TweakScale is fantastic for a lot of parts - it's EXCEPTIONALLY useful for structural, aerodynamic, and decorative parts (though I wish I didn't have to manually add it to certain things like antennas and dishes, because I like having bigass antennas and dishes). TweakScale lets you fill a lot of gaps that currently exist - for example, the first aerodynamics tier has those delta wings. Well, they're kind of small to the point of looking really silly. Use TweakScale to scale them up to 150% (which you have to manually add to the settings because it goes 100% -> 200%, which is too big) and you have a normal-sized wing on a normal-sized aircraft.

However, the problem with the current mod is that TweakScale is extremely cheaty. You can basically skip the entire 2.5m rocket parts and just scale up the 1.25m parts. It's up to me to not cheat with it.

Integrating a more subdued but identical functionality into the base game to scale around aerodynamic parts (and perhaps, like Mechjeb, unlock scaling options on certain tech nodes) and structural / decorative bits would be a fantastic addition to the original, base game.

[FonVegen]

I would go with Kerbal Alarm Clock. It's just a really handy little tool if you have problems with seeing phase angles for transfer burns or are fed up with accidentally skipping really important maneuvers or close encounters.

[Slam_Jones]

I agree that Tweakscale is endlessly useful, but it shouldn't be incorporated exactly as is.

A Squad-made version would be nice, particularly for structural plates and girders (which make up the bulk of most of my designs )

[xXIndestructibleEVAXx]

Persistant Rotation. It's fantastic, and I highly recommend you install it.

[moogoob]

Planetshine. It's a small change that makes screenshots look gorgeous. Duna's red glow, Eve's purple and Jool's green are particularly striking.

[Frostiken]

I agree that Tweakscale is endlessly useful, but it shouldn't be incorporated exactly as is.

A Squad-made version would be nice, particularly for structural plates and girders (which make up the bulk of most of my designs )

Yeah, that's why I said it's pretty cheaty as-is right now. A Squad version with more limitations would be nice.

For example, no scaling of engines, pods, and other things that make no sense. Lock scaling of fuel tanks to the equivalent part size (for example, I couldn't scale the 1.25m fuel tanks up to 2.5m until I've unlocked and purchased the 2.5m version of that tank (tiniest tank for tiniest tank)). At that point, the tweakscale options become more about aesthetics. Scaling down tanks to 0.615 shouldn't be an option, really, that's what the Oscar-B is for.

Same story for adapters, fairings, and things like the nosecones.

It would be oustandingly useful for structural bits, as you said, and would be an easy way to expand our part options without cluttering everything up with tons of parts.

[Alshain]

Definitely TweakScale but not across the board. I don't like the idea of scaling engines, solar panels, science equipment, etc. I'm not sure about tanks, I mean we do have enough of them for every size. What is lacking is structural and aerodynamic components, have scale on the girders, octagonal struts, and structural planes would be incredibly useful at keeping station part count down. Being able to scale the Mk2 wings would give us the Mk3 wings we have been asking for, since 1.0 didn't add what we really wanted. Make sure that scaleable parts can have a separate tech tree unlock for EACH scale on a per-part basis and you have a winner, then you can eliminate the 3 entries for fairing bases, 3 entries for heat shields, etc. You just have one part called "Heat Shield" and that part scales up or down. Each scale is unlocked in a different node. Why this hasn't happened yet is beyond my understanding. 1 part model, not 3.

Other smallish mods that are useful and benign to how the game is played include a lot of visual stuff the game needs. EVE/Clouds, PlanetShine, CoolRockets, we sort of got HotRockets with the new dust effects already (which are way better than HotRockets effects btw, especially with VTOl) and the engine effects are arguable. Finally we need a better skybox and the ability to re-scale the NavBall GUI independentally a la EnhancedNavball.

Seriously Squad, that last one, my bad eyes really hate you for that

Edited May 9, 2015 by Alshain

[Gargamel]

Quantum Struts. Only one part now I believe. Makes building space stations much easier as the modules would connect much more firmly.

[MarvelousBreadfish]

Kerbal Alarm Clock + Kerbal Engineer + Transfer Window

[Xacktar]

Hotrockets would be a great stock addition.

As well as other visual improvements. The stock space texture is looking a little dated and could use an upgrade.

[Scotius]

Chatterer. I can't play without probes beeping and kerbals gibbering at each other. When things are dead silent in stock i'm getting nervous and check if everything is still OK. And Diverse Kerbal Heads\Texture Replacer - we got different proffesions, different sexes...now it's time for different faces and voices

[Shadows2b]

Kas, the possibility to move parts saved my duna habited mission once. Was pretty epic.

[Galileo Kerbonaut]

Kerbal Engineer: I can't believe there is no DeltaV readout in the stock game.

[Shadows2b]

there is now

[Agate]

Environmental Visual Enhancements, or some other mod that provides volumetric clouds. Skip the city lights, imo. The only problem with the mod is it makes periapsis/apoapsis markers hard to see against the clouds: if it were a stock part of the game Squad could adjust the colors to improve contrast.

[Snark]

+1 to PlanetShine. It greatly enhances the visual appeal of the game. Besides the effects around planets, another nice thing it does is to add super-bright-glaring-white-with-inky-black-shadows lighting when you get really close to the sun. It always kinda bugged me that I could send a probe skimming practically to the sun's surface and it still is lit up like a normal sunny day on Kerbin. This really adds a dramatic "whoa, I'm going where it's hot" feeling to it.

Another must-have, IMHO: Navball Docking Alignment Indicator

https://spacedock.info/mod/1098/Navball Docking Alignment Indicator CE-2

...it's tiny, has incredibly small footprint, and is really useful. I have no problem docking without it, but the lack of a "docking port cam" is so annoying that I have to play tedious games with the camera to make sure I'm lined up right. This is a small but very useful thing that improves the gameplay experience without really taking away any difficulty.

[Random Tank]

Load on Demand. There is still plenty of optimisation needing doing on this game and that's one that's perfectly possible.

[WinkAllKerb'']

with career, contract, & time logic duration, availability and expires i think something like Kerbal Alarm Clock is definetly a must to be stock now to manage and plan your launchs accordingly.

Theese and more tweakable accesible stockish, things like fuel crossfeed on docking port, decoupler and a few more slider for certain parameter on some specific part sound legit too (may be an option window where you can set what you want to be tweakable or not for a save like with the career creator at save start)

(A detailed calculator like Kerbal Engineer would definitely be a great addition also, even if i don't think it has to be stock in term of gameplay, it's sound legit to be implemted stock anyway for example bottom right with the stagging sequencies in the editor and bodies selections )

Edited May 9, 2015 by WinkAllKerb''
more details

[The Yellow Dart]

Atmospheric trajectories mod, collision effects mod, and chatterer.

And of course EVE

[orven]

Kerbal Alarm Clock + Kerbal Engineer + Transfer Window

Oh, that's my basic set for almost-stock game. Just should add Docking Port Alignment Indicator and (maybe) KIS. With all theese mods integrated in stock I will be completely happy and mod-independent.

[WWEdeadman]

Really, my list of "should be stock" mods is:

-Kerbal Engineer

-Kerbal Alarm Clock

-Precise Node

Apart from that, Clouds (Environmental Visual Enhancement, minus the city lights) and Kerbal Attachment System are things I'd definitely like to be stock.

[djnattyd]

Kerbal Alarm Clock, Load On Demand/ATM, Antenna Range, Chatterer, Scatterer.

Edit: Distant Object Enhancement & Planetshine

[hugix]

Kerbal Alarm Clock.

I don't know how chatterer works but I would like sounds made by the Kerbals / parts of the ship. Some radio sounds made by the antennas when sending data. Kerbal speak when you gather a crew reports (only when a scientist is on board though!)

[WinkAllKerb'']

(speaking around a more detailed calculator inside the stock game this is the kind of thing i m thinking about in term of "ergonomic" GUI coupled with the stages sequencies in the vab and sph: )

Edit: and eventually a sum up top or bottom (especially when the stagging scroll bar pop and aslo slighty decal to the left the current "stock engineers" report and "contracts" icons to avoid popping overlays overlapping)

Edited May 10, 2015 by WinkAllKerb''

[Galileo Kerbonaut]

Kerbal Alarm Clock.

I don't know how chatterer works but I would like sounds made by the Kerbals / parts of the ship. Some radio sounds made by the antennas when sending data. Kerbal speak when you gather a crew reports (only when a scientist is on board though!)

Install chatterer ASAP!