Career-regression - Mechjeb solutions?

[Osprey]

Hi Folks,

 

So I've been a Kerbal player for over 2 years now, really enjoy all the new stuff and extremely excited about the new patch (limited signal ranges, wheel traction updates, etc).

My problem with playing Kerbal is, now that I have a family to look after, I can't dedicate hours of playing time needed (at least that I needed) to tinker rocket designs, or fly them to best efficiency once designed. Having also missed a couple of patches, I no longer know instinctively which engines with what fuel amounts will launch a particular sized payload to orbit, etc. Combine all this with my total lack of engineering expertise regarding aerodynamics, and basically none of my old tried and tested rocket designs work any more.

 

I had used Mechjeb long ago in the past to help me get a better understanding of ascent profiles and intercept planning (back before 1.0), and have recently re-installed it with the hope it will help me with my lack of fine-flying skill on Kerbin-ascent to achieve the best out of my rockets (and also let me hit the go switch and go tend to the offspring while my payload & crew achieve orbit under auto-guidance. Problem is, I can't seem to work out how to unlock the requisite parts or technologies to do this at my current point in my career game.

 

So, two questions...

1. How do I get to a career tech and parts level where I can set rockets on auto-launch guidance?
2. Is there a way to tinker with the part.ini files to allow this tech from level 0, or is it hard-wired somewhere in the mod?

 

I don't want to give up on career mode as I enjoy the drive and limitations of contracts etc, I just don't like the limitations of my raw skill and undermined design knowledge.

 

All help welcome, cheers.

[RizzoTheRat]

An alternative might be to use the Gravity Turn mod to run launches for you

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/129607-105-gravityturn-version-131-automated-efficient-launches/#comment-2355017

[Joco223]

You can edit the part.cfg's from MJ to set them to have functions from the very beginning of career

[sal_vager]

As well as MechJeb until you're back on your feet with flying in KSP, don't forget there's many excellent tutorials by our members that can help you lean how things have changed.

[Wemb]

27 minutes ago, Osprey said:

Hi Folks,

...
2. Is there a way to tinker with the part.ini files to allow this tech from level 0, or is it hard-wired somewhere in the mod?

IIRC, it isn't hugely expensive in career mode terms to get to the point where you unlock launch assist in MJ.  You might need to manually build and launch a few Minmus lander missions, but you should be able to get collect enough science then from a single class of ship to unlock most of the tech-tree at that point.

Wemb

[Elway358]

there's also this mod

I've never used this since I have the tech unlocked to add the modules to my crafts so I don't know if it overrides the need for it to be unlocked on the tech tree or not. It also seems to need a few tweaks as listed in that thread to make it jive properly with some of the newest versions of KSP/KER/MJ. May be worth looking into though.

 

EDIT: Couldn't remember where in the tech tree that the MJ module unlocked but after taking a peek back, it's VERY early on in the stock tree. I'm sure you could throw together a little science buggy and get enough science just from the Space Center biomes to unlock it easily.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Elway358

[moogoob]

17 minutes ago, Elway358 said:

there's also this mod

I've never used this since I have the tech unlocked to add the modules to my crafts so I don't know if it overrides the need for it to be unlocked on the tech tree or not. It also seems to need a few tweaks as listed in that thread to make it jive properly with some of the newest versions of KSP/KER/MJ. May be worth looking into though.

 

EDIT: Couldn't remember where in the tech tree that the MJ module unlocked but after taking a peek back, it's VERY early on in the stock tree. I'm sure you could throw together a little science buggy and get enough science just from the Space Center biomes to unlock it easily.

That unlocks SAS functionality, and perhaps SmartASS. There are several more unlocks, the second one gives you the Maneuver planner, the third or perhaps fourth are needed to get the launch autopilot. (I should know, I've done several career games with MJ)

[Elway358]

Ahhh gotcha. It's been a bit since I unlocked the tech tree so couldn't remember. Thanks for the correction on that  

 

EDIT: Yeah, looking again, the upgrade with ascent guidance is the 3rd upgrade for MJ that I see and it is a bit deep into the stock tree. I had forgotten that it split the features up like that.

 

Edited March 2, 2016 by Elway358

[Foxster]

I use Module Manager (a popular mod bundled with lots of other mods - Google it) and then I created this text file I called Mechjebeverywhere.cfg in the /Kerbal Space Program/GameData directory.   

It adds MJ to all capsules and probe cores without needing to add the MJ part to your craft and it also makes all MJ's features available from the first level on the tech tree...

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand]]:Final
{
	%MODULE[MechJebCore]
	{
		MechJebLocalSettings
		{
			MechJebModuleCustomWindowEditor { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleSmartASS { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleManeuverPlanner { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleNodeEditor { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleTranslatron { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleWarpHelper { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleAttitudeAdjustment { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleThrustWindow { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleRCSBalancerWindow { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleRoverWindow { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleAscentGuidance { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleLandingGuidance { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleSpaceplaneGuidance { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleDockingGuidance { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleRendezvousAutopilotWindow { unlockTechs = start }
			MechJebModuleRendezvousGuidance { unlockTechs = start }
		}
	}
}