Good planet packs that replace the stock system?

[Sky Kerman]

I think it would be cool to play on a new system

 

[evileye.x]

is the best imho...

[jimmymcgoochie]

Don’t assume that once you’re done with the stock system, it has nothing more to give. There are ways of sprucing it up:

• Outer Planets Mod (adds Kerbalism Saturn/Uranus/Neptune/Pluto to make it more like the real Sol system);
• Minor Planets Expansion (adds dwarf planet analogs, plays well with OPM);
• Kerbol Origins (adds in versions of planned planets that were never added to stock KSP, seems to be no longer developed but should still work);
• Snarkiverse (rearranges the stock planets without adding anything new, pretty memory-light but adds plenty of new challenges, works with Kerbol Origins and OPM I believe; I recently did a playthrough and it’s well worth a look)

If you want a stock-scale alternative, there are plenty to choose from:

• Galileo’s Planet Pack (can also be used as a second solar system with the stock system);
• Beyond Home (features it’s own version of the stock system as a second star, not compatible with most other planet packs but still worth a look);
• Grannus Expansion Pack (designed to extend either GPP or stock system (or both!) by adding an extra star system, but can also be used on its own);
• Kerbal-scale Real Solar System (you guessed it, it’s the real Sol system but at the scale of the stock system (about 1/10th real size), there is also a 2.5x stock scale config for it).

And if you want something a bit bigger and more challenging:

• JNSQ (2.7x scale reimagining of the stock system- the stock planets are redesigned and new planets have been added, also has support for a similarly scaled version of Grannus Expansion as a second star);
• Rescale an existing system using Sigma Dimensions and an appropriate config- use Rescale! for the stock system and pick anything from 2.5x up to 10.625x (making Kerbin the size of Earth), or find a config for another planet pack (GEP has one pre-made as does KSRSS, there’s also one for Beyond Home somewhere). It’s generally agreed that stock parts, and most mods balanced against stock, work best in 2.5x scale systems (and are overpowered in stock scale), but if you want a bigger scale system there’s a mod called SMURFF that can rebalance parts to suit e.g. a 6.4x or even 10x scale
• Real Solar System. If you want to go big, this is about as big as it gets. Realism Overhaul (RO) and Realistic Progression (RP-1) go hand in hand with RSS, though you can also use SMURFF instead if you’re not into historical re-enactment. Experienced players only!

But don’t give up on the stock system just yet! There are plenty of challenges you can still conquer- do an Elcano (rover circumnavigation), or a Jool V, or a Grand Tour, or try something else in the “challenges and mission ideas” section (Kerpollo, no-contracts career, caveman challenge etc.). Try adding some mods to make things more difficult- life support, part failures and so on- or that add new resources and new ways of getting them (exospheric harvesting, more complex mining systems, offworld craft construction etc.).

The great thing about KSP is that you never have to play the game the same way twice. Don’t be afraid of trying something new, but likewise don’t assume that once you’ve done something once that it’s time to move on.

[Sky Kerman]

4 hours ago, jimmymcgoochie said:

Don’t assume that once you’re done with the stock system, it has nothing more to give. There are ways of sprucing it up:

• Outer Planets Mod (adds Kerbalism Saturn/Uranus/Neptune/Pluto to make it more like the real Sol system);
• Minor Planets Expansion (adds dwarf planet analogs, plays well with OPM);
• Kerbol Origins (adds in versions of planned planets that were never added to stock KSP, seems to be no longer developed but should still work);
• Snarkiverse (rearranges the stock planets without adding anything new, pretty memory-light but adds plenty of new challenges, works with Kerbol Origins and OPM I believe; I recently did a playthrough and it’s well worth a look)

If you want a stock-scale alternative, there are plenty to choose from:

• Galileo’s Planet Pack (can also be used as a second solar system with the stock system);
• Beyond Home (features it’s own version of the stock system as a second star, not compatible with most other planet packs but still worth a look);
• Grannus Expansion Pack (designed to extend either GPP or stock system (or both!) by adding an extra star system, but can also be used on its own);
• Kerbal-scale Real Solar System (you guessed it, it’s the real Sol system but at the scale of the stock system (about 1/10th real size), there is also a 2.5x stock scale config for it).

And if you want something a bit bigger and more challenging:

• JNSQ (2.7x scale reimagining of the stock system- the stock planets are redesigned and new planets have been added, also has support for a similarly scaled version of Grannus Expansion as a second star);
• Rescale an existing system using Sigma Dimensions and an appropriate config- use Rescale! for the stock system and pick anything from 2.5x up to 10.625x (making Kerbin the size of Earth), or find a config for another planet pack (GEP has one pre-made as does KSRSS, there’s also one for Beyond Home somewhere). It’s generally agreed that stock parts, and most mods balanced against stock, work best in 2.5x scale systems (and are overpowered in stock scale), but if you want a bigger scale system there’s a mod called SMURFF that can rebalance parts to suit e.g. a 6.4x or even 10x scale
• Real Solar System. If you want to go big, this is about as big as it gets. Realism Overhaul (RO) and Realistic Progression (RP-1) go hand in hand with RSS, though you can also use SMURFF instead if you’re not into historical re-enactment. Experienced players only!

But don’t give up on the stock system just yet! There are plenty of challenges you can still conquer- do an Elcano (rover circumnavigation), or a Jool V, or a Grand Tour, or try something else in the “challenges and mission ideas” section (Kerpollo, no-contracts career, caveman challenge etc.). Try adding some mods to make things more difficult- life support, part failures and so on- or that add new resources and new ways of getting them (exospheric harvesting, more complex mining systems, offworld craft construction etc.).

The great thing about KSP is that you never have to play the game the same way twice. Don’t be afraid of trying something new, but likewise don’t assume that once you’ve done something once that it’s time to move on.

Wow! Thanks!

[wpetula]

(Self promotion)

This mod replaces the stock solar system with a wide variety of unique and challenging celestial bodies. Its science and lore expand upon the KSP story. Precursors has been majorly updated since its initial release. Hopefully this is something you might consider playing!

[Sky Kerman]

36 minutes ago, wpetula said:

(Self promotion)

This mod replaces the stock solar system with a wide variety of unique and challenging celestial bodies. Its science and lore expand upon the KSP story. Precursors has been majorly updated since its initial release. Hopefully this is something you might consider playing!

This is funny really, I’ve all ready started that! I’m going to start makeing a career series on it! (How are there trees groingon silence? There’s no oxygen!)

Edited January 3, 2022 by Sky Kerman

[wpetula]

11 hours ago, Sky Kerman said:

How are there trees groingon silence? There’s no oxygen