KSP Loading... Preview: New ESA Parts

[shdwlrd]

I like what I'm seeing so far. But I do see an opportunity to add some new solar panels into the game.

[SPACE-MAN]

I heard through the kerb-vine that they're adding a third kerbin moon, one that looks just like our moon!!!!!!

[AlamoVampire]

Firstly, I like the parts, the flags/decals are ok I guess.

second:

6 minutes ago, SPACE-MAN said:

I heard through the kerb-vine that they're adding a third kerbin moon, one that looks just like our moon!!!!!!

citation/source?

 

230706102020

[Superfluous J]

16 minutes ago, SPACE-MAN said:

I heard through the kerb-vine that they're adding a third kerbin moon, one that looks just like our moon!!!!!!

I totally believe that without any proof whatsoever.

[Shamash]

The flag decals and the magnetometer both look very nice and I'm excited to my hands on them. I like the new textures for the Rockomax tanks and the kickbacks look nice (though I do think it should have been the BACC and Skipper to be our Ariane 5 engines, not to imply that's something it'd be a good idea to backtrack on at this point). We haven't been shown it yet, but I'm going to go ahead and assume that the decals on the new kickback model can be toggled off, because anything else would be silly. The MPO probe core is kind of neat but it'd be very, very nice if little dish it came with could be a separate part. Seems like it would be useful on surface rovers and small landers or as an aesthetic piece representing a radar antenna like on the Apollo LM being more reasonably sized for the role than the HG-5 with its massively long arm, currently our only option for a small parabolic antenna. The MTM's foil texture looks like its probably a good deal more wrinkled than the MH panels, it would be nice if those could match more closely so one wouldn't stand out against the other if they were used side by side. Beyond that, I don't feel I have much to say other than looks like generally nice work to me. Hopefully we get to see some details soon about those comets that keep being mentioned and maybe a closer look at what seems to be a new fairing base texture and the new custom raceways on the orange tank's ESA variant both shown off with the build of a full Ariane 5 out of the parts a few weeks ago. I'm also wondering if we're going to get some some new tracking solar panels to go with these parts and maybe fill out the gap between the six panel ones and the gigantors or a new asteroid grapple to emulate Philae's landing gear, since we're supposed to be getting Rosetta parts according to the initial announcement, with 1.10 as well.

[Clamp-o-Tron]

Regarding the MTM:

Like others have said, the MTM is greatly lacking in modularity. It's only real purpose is for replicas. However, I have a proposal for making it more useful. 

The real life MTM used ion thrusters for fine corrections after being but in a heliocentric orbit by the Ariane 5 it launched on. However, it had more of a "brute force" approach to ion thrusters, at least compared to Dawn's thrusters (which let's just say are the basis for the stock thrusters), with lower Isp and higher thrust. If @SQUAD were to replicate this, we could see an alternative to the powerful, but unplayable (burn time) Dawn thruster that trades its raw utility for user ease. 

If you look at the back of the MTM shown in the OP, you'll see two concentric circles that resemble an ion thruster. With a little bit of work, this could become a combination Ion thruster, Xenon tank, and structural adapter, SSTU style. I hope this at least gets considered as a rework of the current part, so we don't have as much as a model kit. LEGO kits all the way!

[RealKerbal3x]

The parts look fabulous (and I love the decals ). I can't wait!

But I can't help but echo the sentiment that the MPM and the MTO kind of go against the LEGO style of KSP. They look cool, sure, but I feel like they'll take a similar place to the MEM from Making History - useful for very specific replicas, but not much else.

[KerikBalm]

Need more details on the MTM stage, and the MPO probe. At the moment, I don't really see myself using these just based on their form factor.

What do they offer that distinguishes them from our current parts?

A new super long extending science part seems cool though...

[AHHans]

13 hours ago, St4rdust said:

Take a look and let us know what you think in the comments!

What I think: Don't tell ESA that we are most excited about the flags?

I like the magnetometer boom. (Anything else that comes to my mind really just says the same with other words.)

The MTM stage and MPO probe feel a bit too specialized to me. Their unusual dimensions make it hard to include them in your own designs.
I do think that there is a niche for a combined Xenon tank + battery (is that's what the MTM has). But could we also have a variant of that in some boring regular shape? (E.g. the standard 1.875 m cylinders.) Or adapters from their shape to the standard cylindrical shapes?

An I wholeheartedly support @Shamash's suggestion to make the antenna on the MPO a separate part!

[Superfluous J]

I'm thinking those aren't decals, but instead just a variant texture. Looks like we're not getting generic decal support, at least not in 1.10

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Superfluous J

[AHHans]

Just now, Superfluous J said:

Looks like we're not getting generic decal support, at least not in 1.10

Isn't that what the "RFP Flags" are?

[Frank_G]

Very cool  Looking forward to this update.

[The Aziz]

With that magnetometer we can totally build a proper stock Voyager replica, I love that

[Superfluous J]

19 minutes ago, AHHans said:

Isn't that what the "RFP Flags" are?

I assume they're just regular flags.

[AHHans]

31 minutes ago, Superfluous J said:

I assume they're just regular flags.

???

What would be your suggestion, that doesn't break the current savefile scheme?

[Burning Kan]

4 hours ago, Shamash said:

 it'd be very, very nice if little dish it came with could be a separate part. Seems like it would be useful on surface rovers and small landers or as an aesthetic piece representing a radar antenna like on the Apollo LM being more reasonably sized for the role than the HG-5 with its massively long arm, currently our only option for a small parabolic antenna

that`s constructive criticism par excellence (at its best) Chapeau! (Respect!)

would love a new little dish.

[RealKerbal3x]

1 hour ago, Superfluous J said:

I'm thinking those aren't decals, but instead just a variant texture. Looks like we're not getting generic decal support, at least not in 1.10

 

The RFP Flags look like they allow you to put a custom flag on them.

[RoverDude]

2 hours ago, The Aziz said:

With that magnetometer we can totally build a proper stock Voyager replica, I love that

I was peeking at both voyager and bepicolombo source data when I made that one

 

[Starhelperdude]

12 hours ago, desert said:

I really wished we would have new panels. Deployable panels now are not very equally spaced in size . And Rosetta and Bepicolombo have interesting panels not similar to stock.

Its good that we don't get new engines and tanks, there are a lot already. New command module is too specific, but okay. New and realistic experiment is cool. But maybe there is still time to add panels? Or at least add them as fix a bit later?

Near Future Solar is nice

[jimmymcgoochie]

I don’t care that the probe bits are “not modular” and “don’t fit the other stock parts”- neither are the MEM and Sentinel telescope, and the wolfhound engine and SM-25 service module aren’t much better. They’re meant to look like real stuff, so they don’t necessarily fit with the style of the rest of the parts.
 

 I just hope that ALL the Rockomax fuel tanks get the new paint scheme and not just those two.

[Jebediah Kerman Jr.]

42 minutes ago, jimmymcgoochie said:

I don’t care that the probe bits are “not modular” and “don’t fit the other stock parts”- neither are the MEM and Sentinel telescope, and the wolfhound engine and SM-25 service module aren’t much better. They’re meant to look like real stuff, so they don’t necessarily fit with the style of the rest of the parts.

I see your point, those parts are somewhat limited in use. I disagree with the Wolfhound, I'd say it's used rather often as an efficient, high thrust vacuum engine.

But I have only ever used the MEM once on a spacecraft. If I ever use the new probe bits at all, it will probably also be only once, so I can replicate the spacecraft it's... designed to replicate. KSP parts that aren't used add almost nothing to the game, in terms of creativity or play time.

[Streetwind]

17 hours ago, Dragon01 said:

How about an actual EAP, as opposed to a rather basic Kickback reskin? Really, I could replicate that one with ten mikes in GIMP, and the only things I can do are applying filters and copypasting stuff. Whatever happened to "never enough boosters"? Actual new stuff looks reasonably nice, so it's not like it can't be done...

 

17 hours ago, Jebediah Kerman Jr. said:

While this is cool and all, I simply don't see the point in adding the "MTM" stage. KSP is about designing things yourself, not snapping a few parts together in the correct way to create a predetermined craft.

 

And here, ladies and gentlemen, we have a prime example as to why it literally doesn't matter what Squad does.

Within half an hour of being presented with a selection of new things, some of which are reskins of old models and some of which are new unique models, the community produces both a "make more unique models, it can't be that hard" response, and a "make fewer unique models, this is not what KSP is meant to be" response. Which means that, despite both sides getting some of what they want, neither side is happy. Specifically, they are unhappy because the other side is getting something too.

Isn't it fun to be a video game developer?

[Serenity]

Happy with the new parts and the flags.

A solid update, good work!

[Jebediah Kerman Jr.]

7 minutes ago, Streetwind said:

 

 

And here, ladies and gentlemen, we have a prime example as to why it literally doesn't matter what Squad does.

Within half an hour of being presented with a selection of new things, some of which are reskins of old models and some of which are new unique models, the community produces both a "make more unique models, it can't be that hard" response, and a "make fewer unique models, this is not what KSP is meant to be" response. Which means that, despite both sides getting some of what they want, neither side is happy. Specifically, they are unhappy because the other side is getting something too.

Isn't it fun to be a video game developer?

I have nothing against unique models, it's just that the new probe parts are too specialized to have more than a single use.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Streetwind said:

And here, ladies and gentlemen, we have a prime example as to why it literally doesn't matter what Squad does.

...except we don't. There are two separate issues here. Nobody has a problem with adding more new parts. What people have a problem with is adding single use parts. Your use of the word "unique" is incorrect on both counts. It's clear enough what people want: more new parts similar in function, but distinct in looks and performance from what we have. Cheap reskins and clumped-together satellite buses are, in light of that, a rather disappointing addition. 

The magnetometer is the only part we can universally agree to be a welcome addition, and that one really is unique, because there's no other part like it. Squad should make more of that kind of thing, and failing that, more boosters.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Guest