Starting the game again, what mods should i use?

[MagicFireCaster]

So i'm starting the game fresh once again on the latest version, so i was wondering what mods i should use for this run, so i can have a lot of options and fun, without cheesing the game too much.

What i'm planing:
KIS and KAS (with the respective compatible mods), KAC, KER.

If you believe i need anything else, please let me know  (But not graphics mods, my fps would die) 

[Geonovast]

2 minutes ago, MagicFireCaster said:

So i'm starting the game fresh once again on the latest version, so i was wondering what mods i should use for this run, so i can have a lot of options and fun, without cheesing the game too much.

What i'm planing:
KIS and KAS (with the respective compatible mods), KAC, KER.

If you believe i need anything else, please let me know  (But not graphics mods, my fps would die) 

If you plan on doing any orbital construction or just need precisely aligned docking, get Konstrucion!

If you like having stuff to do after you land somewhere and earn science for it, get SEP (requires KIS/KAS, but obviously not a problem there)

DMagic Orbital Science mixed with Universal Storage (which is currently undergoing a Huge, Awesome revamp) adds a lot to the game as well, especially if you go with a LS mod.

 

[Streetwind]

Kerbal Health is an interesting new take on life support. Well, ideally you combine it with a different life support mod that actually provides consumable resources. But Kerbal Health takes care of the habitation aspect better than any other mod I've seen.

Stockalike Station Parts Redux is Nertea's latest masterpiece and should probably be in your install just by virtue of how good it looks alone.  It's also useful, though... and compatible by default with Kerbal Health.

[MaxwellsDemon]

The ones I simply won't play without are MechJeb, Gravity Turn, and Kerbal Alarm Clock.

I really dislike playing without Kerbal Construction Time as well, and I really like KIS/KAS.

Most other mods are optional to varying degrees.  I actually have my mods saved in "first priority, second priority, third priority" folders.

[DStaal]

For options and fun, I think I'd start throwing in things like Kerbal Planetary Base Systems, the Near Future mods (actually, all of Nertea's mods...), Feline Utility Rover, and probably something like ESLD or a warp mod.  Maybe OPT Spaceplanes as well, if you like planes.  Between those, you'll have some good parts for surface bases, rovers, space stations, long-range ships, spaceplanes, etc.  Should give you a few options.   

I'd also recommend having at least one of EL and/or Ground Construction, then you can build off-world as well.

[MagicFireCaster]

Cool i will consider using some of them :D, will definitely use the construction time, i don't know about life support, i'm not sure how to handle it with long missions.

Near future mods don't cheese the game? I mean if i adds a super efficient engine is not my thing.

Well I've started the career and those are nice options, but using the community tech tree i'm missing some tech trees, like enhanced survivability and simple command pods, do you know what mods add to that? 

[Geonovast]

5 minutes ago, MagicFireCaster said:

i'm not sure how to handle it with long missions.

[DStaal]

41 minutes ago, MagicFireCaster said:

Cool i will consider using some of them :D, will definitely use the construction time, i don't know about life support, i'm not sure how to handle it with long missions.

Near future mods don't cheese the game? I mean if i adds a super efficient engine is not my thing.

Well I've started the career and those are nice options, but using the community tech tree i'm missing some tech trees, like enhanced survivability and simple command pods, do you know what mods add to that? 

Near Future mods don't cheese the game.  They have some nice efficient engines in there, but they all have downsides as well.  (Two main classes being either atomic engines in the Atomics pack, which require extensive cooling and management, and the various ion engines in the Propulsion pack, which require huge amounts of EC - some in the range of hundreds per second.  And thrust isn't great on them either.)  Nothing's free, they just give you different ways to tackle the trade off.  ESLD beacons could be cheesing the game, but the setup requirements (you need line-of-sight between beacons, avoiding close proximity to gravity wells...) and costs are quite high, so it's arguable.

You might look at REKT and USI's Exploration Pack for those nodes.  I can't remember exactly which are in there, but I think they have some.   Might also want to take a look at MOLE.

I'm trying to stay away from recommending the more complex game-overhaul mods like MKS or Pathfinder.  They definitely don't cheese the game - if anything they can make it harder - but they tend to be more comprehensive and add requirements, which starts to limit options again.

Deepfreeze is probably the simplest way to handle life support for long missions - but really, I think it's cheesing that requirement mostly.  If you want that challenge, go for it and you can use Deepfreeze to take off the learning curve though.  (And I'm not going to argue, as I use it myself...)  But really, the whole point of an LS mod is having to manage it's requirements on long missions.  If that's not something you find fun, leave it out.

[Streetwind]

7 hours ago, MagicFireCaster said:

Near future mods don't cheese the game? I mean if i adds a super efficient engine is not my thing.

Near Future has been carefully balanced around stock KSP. I should know, I had a hand in it  Now, it is a high-end parts pack, meaning that ostensibly it does enable you to build spacecraft that weigh less on the launchpad and can go further than pure stock vessels. However, it wasn't made to override stock parts with plain better versions. Rather, it extends beyond stock. When you have already researched everything in stock KSP, then Near Future parts start appearing. This is realized via Nertea's own Community Tech Tree, which is a great mod to have in general because a whole lot of other mods and mod authors support it out of the box (and it doesn't touch the stock nodes and part distribution at all).

You generally pay for these ostensibly better parts in various ways:
- Science cost to unlock; CTT adds nodes to the end of the stock tech tree, and they do follow the existing rule that every new tier costs more than the last.
- Funds cost to use them; if you want peak performance, you'll better be prepared to open your wallet wide. For example: the top end nuclear reactor, suitable for 3.75m motherships, is over a million funds by itself.
- Vessel complexity; it's no longer just a matter of adding fuel tanks and an engine until KER tells you that you have enough dV. You'll need to provide power, sometimes in very large amounts, as well as cooling (which takes more power), and there's no single standard design that works best for every mission.
- Vessel volume; nuclear reactors, ginormous blanket solar arrays and poor volumetric fuel densities can make a spacecraft more bulky than a basic LFO design, even if it does end up being lighter.
- Low TWR; there's no such thing as high Isp and high thrust in the same engine. Well, okay, there is one engine that might qualify for that description... until you go check how many tons of power production equipment it requires you to add.  

If that is not your thing, that's okay. Everyone should play KSP the way they like it best. But I do encourage you to give it a try, if you feel up for it. You might be surprised how smoothly it integrates itself into the progression.

[MagicFireCaster]

Then i guess i will be getting Near future then  

i think my problem about management with life support, is that i kinda forget things,. I do manage several missions, and i'm most likely to forget a kerbal outside so they are most likely to die, or also forget about things like packing resources and such, with the mods i will be running, i'm going to be preparing other things and forget about it, so it will add a lot of complexity to the game and i will get stuck.

REKT does work for 1.3.1?

Also what mod is recommended for subsonic aviation?  

[DStaal]

REKT is a pure parts mod, no code, and those typically work well with lots of versions of KSP.  I haven't tested it with 1.3.1 myself (I've yet to get *any* modded install of that version to run...) but I would fully expect it to work.

For managing several missions - may I suggest Kerbal Alarm Clock? 

No idea on subsonic aviation however - I can't fly a plane worth anything in KSP.  I stick to rovers and rockets.

[Cortwade]

Definitally need KSS and Kopernicus. It's awesome!

[MagicFireCaster]

Probably i should try them, still any of you know of  a mod with electric plane engines that work on eve and duna? 

[Geonovast]

1 hour ago, MagicFireCaster said:

Probably i should try them, still any of you know of  a mod with electric plane engines that work on eve and duna? 

Firespitter has electric props.

Near Future Electrical has nice sized nuclear reactors.

Here's a small, packable planes I made that flies well on Kerbin, Eve, and Laythe.  Might be able to tweak it for Duna, but flying on Duna is a completely different ball game than the other 3.

https://kerbalx.com/Geonovast/Eve-Nuke-Plane

[DStaal]

Buffalo also has some electric props, as does Freight Transport Technologies.  I haven't tried any of them further afield than Kerbin, but they should at least give you options.  (The Buffalo ones also come with a neat little VTOL manager, as they're designed for tiltrotor...)

[MagicFireCaster]

3 hours ago, Geonovast said:

Firespitter has electric props.

Near Future Electrical has nice sized nuclear reactors.

Here's a small, packable planes I made that flies well on Kerbin, Eve, and Laythe.  Might be able to tweak it for Duna, but flying on Duna is a completely different ball game than the other 3.

https://kerbalx.com/Geonovast/Eve-Nuke-Planey

So that rotor you have there is from spitfire right?
Might try buffalo and freight, i used airline plus but all of (or most)the engines are air breathing. (didn't knew rotors in real life needed combustion.

[Geonovast]

2 minutes ago, MagicFireCaster said:

So that rotor you have there is from spitfire right?
Might try buffalo and freight, i used airline plus but all of (or most)the engines are air breathing. (didn't knew rotors in real life needed combustion.

Firespitter, yeah.  I really like that one because it folds up.  The Kerbalx page lists all the mods used on the craft.

Most real life prop plane engines are fundamentally car engines attached to propellers.

[MagicFireCaster]

Yep i didn't knew about combustion, did think i would work without oxygen 

[Tyko]

If you're just about to start keep in mind the game's going to have a point release next week that may impact many mods. It's worth deciding if you want to commit to a 1.3.1 game or stall for a bit until 1.4 mods are rolling out...just a thought

[MagicFireCaster]

17 hours ago, Tyko said:

If you're just about to start keep in mind the game's going to have a point release next week that may impact many mods. It's worth deciding if you want to commit to a 1.3.1 game or stall for a bit until 1.4 mods are rolling out...just a thought

yep i will be using 1.3, and  isn't 1.4 a dlc?

[Geonovast]

1 minute ago, MagicFireCaster said:

yep i will be using 1.3, and  isn't 1.4 a dlc?

No, 1.4 will be an update just like 1.3.

the DLC is separate, but will require 1.4.

[MagicFireCaster]

4 hours ago, Geonovast said:

No, 1.4 will be an update just like 1.3.

the DLC is separate, but will require 1.4.

Oh i see, i hope 1.4 doesn't add something i don't want to miss.

Also i finally got USI, and deepfreeze, but i was wondering if you can produce more supplies than you need at any point. 

[hypervelocity]