If you haven't thought about add-on planets, walk... no run to sample!

[jpinard]

I took a long hiatus from Kerbal Space Program for a few reasons.  One I got very sick which is no surprise for my body, but the second and third reasons were planet packs were just starting to get going and the campaign mode was just starting to get fleshed out.  I had a set of mods I couldn't live without was having serious memory issues due to 32-bit executable.  So all these factors led to a lengthy absence.  You could say I hit the lottery for timing for when I came back 1.1 was in beta, 64-bit exe was solid as a rock, the campaign stuff was done, but what I hadn't seen until this week was what happened to the planet creation community.  While some projects stalled and some authors disappeared a lot of great ones came into being and some generous modders even took over some stalled projects.  

I'm not sure if I should list all the planet packs that I'm excited about or what protocol is.  But if any of you were thinking "the solar system is way too small" - then run to the mod section and look at what's available and what is being created and/or updated.  It is a thing of beauty

[regex]

2 hours ago, jpinard said:

the solar system is way too small

This is why we install Real Solar System with Realism Overhaul.

[jpinard]

With real solar system, does Saturn have Enceladus and Titan orbiting it?  And Jupiter with its crowning moons of Io and Europa?  If so I will crap my pants in excitement!

Edited April 25, 2016 by jpinard

[Mastikator]

21 minutes ago, jpinard said:

With real solar system, does Saturn have Enceladus and Titan orbiting it?  And Jupiter with its crowning moons of Io and Europa?  If so I will crap my pants in excitement!

AFAIK yes, all the planets and all the moons. Also crummy little non-planets like Pluto.

[Red Shirt]

@jpinard What planet packs have you tried? It doesn't break any protocol I've heard of to favorably mention a mod. I love Outer Planets Mod. I also love Arkas and Asclepius. I also like Kronkus, although that one seems to have been created with a different version of Kopernicus than I was using and I had to move the planet orbits a bit. I've recently spotted a couple new entries that I hope to try out as soon as I update to 1.1. I'm waiting for the dust to settle a little and some mods to get updated.

[jpinard]

I have not seen Asclepius so thank you for that reference!  I too am trying Outer Planets, and Arkas -though I don't have atmphshere for some reason :(  

I'm going to try and use Galactic Network for the planets that won't fit.  There is a bug in Kopernicus that makes solar panels blow up, so I will use Sigma88's temporary electric hack in the meantime.  

But this is my list:

• Will use Sigma Binary when the mods I want it for are updated.
• Farlo Planetary Pack (needs updating but looks good)
• Saru Planetary Pack - I love the fact it has a good looking Enceladus in it.
• Sentar Expansion - Based on original Planetfactory examples which were very unique and fun.
• Urania - beautiful gas giant ringed system
• Kerbal Origins - planets that didn't get into base game that were originally postulated.  Looks amazing.
• Trans Keputunian - Full biomes and amazing colors
• Kerbal Plus remade - I must have my notes wrong because I have same thing written for this as Kerbal Origins?
• Chani Planet Pack - nice gas giant with moons fits into stock.  Something is very wrong with planet right next to sun Pigge.  It is super pixelated for some reason.  Everything else looks OK. 

 

 

BTW this is what my solar system looks like without Galactic Network

 

[Project Pluto]

One of my favs: 

How does your system not crash?! Back in 1.05, adding more than 2 or 3 planet packs would eventually cause memory issues for me and my game would "break". Maybe 1.1 is more capable? If so, I'll start loading up!

[jpinard]

1 hour ago, Project Pluto said:

One of my favs: 

How does your system not crash?! Back in 1.05, adding more than 2 or 3 planet packs would eventually cause memory issues for me and my game would "break". Maybe 1.1 is more capable? If so, I'll start loading up!

Upgrade to 1.1 and use 64-bit exe.  Smooth as silk along with 30 other mods plus all the graphic enhancement mods.

Killashley's working on an update for New Horizons for 1.1 and it looks amazing.  I can't wait for that beauty to be done!

[mrclucks]

2 hours ago, jpinard said:

I have not seen Asclepius so thank you for that reference!  I too am trying Outer Planets, and Arkas -though I don't have atmphshere for some reason  

I'm going to try and use Galactic Network for the planets that won't fit.  There is a bug in Kopernicus that makes solar panels blow up, so I will use Sigma88's temporary electric hack in the meantime.  

But this is my list:

• Will use Sigma Binary when the mods I want it for are updated.
• Farlo Planetary Pack (needs updating but looks good)
• Saru Planetary Pack - I love the fact it has a good looking Enceladus in it.
• Sentar Expansion - Based on original Planetfactory examples which were very unique and fun.
• Urania - beautiful gas giant ringed system
• Kerbal Origins - planets that didn't get into base game that were originally postulated.  Looks amazing.
• Trans Keputunian - Full biomes and amazing colors
• Kerbal Plus remade - I must have my notes wrong because I have same thing written for this as Kerbal Origins?
• Chani Planet Pack - nice gas giant with moons fits into stock.  Something is very wrong with planet right next to sun Pigge.  It is super pixelated for some reason.  Everything else looks OK. 

 

 

BTW this is what my solar system looks like without Galactic Network

 

Think of all the gravity assists!!

Edited April 25, 2016 by mrclucks

[Red Shirt]

9 hours ago, jpinard said:

BTW this is what my solar system looks like without Galactic Network

All I can say is Wow!

[jpinard]

13 minutes ago, Red Shirt said:

All I can say is Wow!

Know whats funny is you can't even see the two extra star systems outside of that lol.  I might do a second game install just to play with tooo many planets.  Trying to work a ship through all those planetary/moon SOI's will be insane haha.

[Geschosskopf]

10 hours ago, jpinard said:

But this is my list:

Huh, what?  Have you no respect for Kepler?

Here's the thing about add-on planets.  Many of them put things in places without regard for Kepler so anything added inside of Jool will necessarily be problematic.  Most of these non-Keplarian add-on planets also end up in roughly the same places.  So never add more than 1 of them at a time.

If you want a well-made, Kepler-friendly planet pack, get Outer Planets Mod (OPM) once it gets fully updated to 1.1 (which should be fairly soon).  This adds KSP- and Kepler-friendly versions of Saturn (aka Sarnus), Uranus (aka Urlum), Neptune (aka Neidon), and Pluto (aka Plock), which are WAY out there.  It's somewhat of a WIP but working from the inside out so Sarnus and Urlum are good to go, Neidon is getting there, and Plock still needs a lot of work to incorporate New Horizons.  You can, however, pimp things with various mods by @Sigma88 to tilt the whole Urlum system 90^ and make Plock a Plock-Karen binary planet system.

[jpinard]

41 minutes ago, Geschosskopf said:

Huh, what?  Have you no respect for Kepler?

Here's the thing about add-on planets.  Many of them put things in places without regard for Kepler so anything added inside of Jool will necessarily be problematic.  Most of these non-Keplarian add-on planets also end up in roughly the same places.  So never add more than 1 of them at a time.

If you want a well-made, Kepler-friendly planet pack, get Outer Planets Mod (OPM) once it gets fully updated to 1.1 (which should be fairly soon).  This adds KSP- and Kepler-friendly versions of Saturn (aka Sarnus), Uranus (aka Urlum), Neptune (aka Neidon), and Pluto (aka Plock), which are WAY out there.  It's somewhat of a WIP but working from the inside out so Sarnus and Urlum are good to go, Neidon is getting there, and Plock still needs a lot of work to incorporate New Horizons.  You can, however, pimp things with various mods by @Sigma88 to tilt the whole Urlum system 90^ and make Plock a Plock-Karen binary planet system.

Oh I know for a serious game I will have to do some major league orbital editing.  Maybe even create a third star system for the extra planets I want.