This is why EVA needs fixing...

[klgraham1013]

"There's a mod for that" shouldn't always be the answer to problems in the stock game. Though, not really sure there is a problem here.

[sal_vager]

No one else makes gear+engine rovers anymore? :/

[Liowen]

No one else makes gear+engine rovers anymore? :/

Well do jet powered boat count? If so I just built one using the MKII parts LOL.

[RCgothic]

The limited instrumentation you have while on EVA is intentional, you wouldn't have the equivalent to the capsule's navigational computers jammed into just a space suit. You're lucky you at least have a HUD in your helmet that gives you targeting capabilities and distance values, as well as that altimeter.

A compass would still be nice. There's no good reason you couldn't have one of those!

[Xavven]

Why walk when you can fly? On airless, low gravity moons, I intentionally pack extra dV to perform hops to each survey site. This makes for superior gameplay for several reasons:

1. It's way, way faster
   
2. You have navigation
   
3. You get practice piloting and landing (player skill, not Kerbal exp)
   
4. You get more interesting views from higher up
   
5. You get a bigger design challenge (if you like designing and building rockets, which I hope you do if you're playing this game!)
   

[Tankbuster32]

My greatest issue with EVA is the Kerbals' tendency to fly off the ladder once they exit the pod.

[Torquemadus]

I landed too far from my four EVA sites to walk. A test jetpack flight showed that EVA fuel was going to be marginal, especially since I had only an approximate idea of there the sites were. Therefore, I decided to move my ship closer. I dropped it in at the Gamma site and visited the others via the jetpack.

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A compass would still be nice. There's no good reason you couldn't have one of those!

There's no good reason why you couldn't have a compass. A compass should be standard kit for exploring any geologically inactive body that doesn't have a magnetic field!

[LordFerret]

The problem is he ran out of EVA jet pack juice and yes he should have tried for a closer landing. Also a compass would be nice as well. Sometimes the contracts are a bit far apart and you don't want to waste fuel getting there due to the place being far away and some times a bit to far away to well. The craft did not live but the Kerbal did. Might as well go get them contracts complete. Now I just need to know whichway I'm goind to to craft no longer being there to get a reading from.

I can't say much about contracts because I'm playing a Science_sandbox game, close to vanilla (only two mods). I've run out of EVA fuel several times in the past though, it's a pain. These days, I try not to rely on it, only using it for emergencies... like once when I EVA'd down into a crater, and discovered I couldn't climb back up and out - EVA jetpack to the rescue.

I wonder, and find it hard to tell really, if it's faster to walk (be it on Mun or Minmus) or hop your way along... which covers more ground faster?

Below is a picture of my latest rover, on the Mun. My first one used the TR-2L wheels, but I found they had too much torque and would flip the rover. This one I've reverted back to the Rovemax Model M1's, which in my opinion perform better for my Mun/Minmus missions. There are twin Stratus-V tanks on the rear, with O-10 Mono engines mounted atop the SC-9001 Science Jr. ... they are each assigned to an Action Group key (the Mono engines), so that if I flip the thing (and it doesn't get destroyed) I can use the Mono engines to flip it back over. The Mono engines also come in handy when I've got a hill to climb which has too steep a grade for the Rovemax wheels to manage (and vice versa). The rover can return to it's MPL-LG-2 base/complex, drive beneath it, and the docking port magnetics pull it up and dock it... then I can process the Science. I'm sure there's better ways of doing all this, but I'm having fun with it. This rover works great, best handling one I've done yet.

[Renegrade]

Has the issue with KAS flipping thing in low gravity been resolved? Last time I tried to make one using KAS it was a funny sight, but ended up destroying the lander.

Haven't seen that issue myself yet, but I haven't played too much with it (and of course, with all things KAS, F5 for safety is recommended). Like I said in the rovers thread, I'm disappointed by the lack of purpose of rovers in stock, so I generally only send 'em up for fooling around...

My greatest issue with EVA is the Kerbals' tendency to fly off the ladder once they exit the pod.

Yeah, that is irritating. It happened every once in a while before 0.90, but now it's happening almost every time.

Fortunately.... There's a mod fix for that.

(There's also a radial decoupler fix there that works very well)

[boxman]

My greatest issue with EVA is the Kerbals' tendency to fly off the ladder once they exit the pod.

That usually only happens if you have something very close to the hatch/door. I have never had this happen except for when there is some part right next to it.

[TimePeriod]

or you could just ya know...

Land closer?

[CalMacDa]

Surface report mission, rover parts not unlocked yet, no minimap, 4x time warp 2 mission elapsed hours....

http://oi57.tinypic.com/28btnh1.jpg

This aspect of EVA does not need fixing. if you're walking around as an astronaut, you don't just get to have hours go by in seconds. Wait to do things like that until you have unlocked rovers....

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My greatest issue with EVA is the Kerbals' tendency to fly off the ladder once they exit the pod.

Heard That...

[phunk]

No, I've walked 10km on 4x time warp.

You walked, or you used jetpacks and didn't think to save half of your fuel for the return trip?

[magnemoe]

That usually only happens if you have something very close to the hatch/door. I have never had this happen except for when there is some part right next to it.

Note that the small starting parachute on the Mk1 pod count as this :-)

Kerbal has30-50%,chance of getting kicked of, chance of fail is much higher then you want to grab pod again.

This must be extremly frustrating for new players, remember using hours learning Eva on ships with controll and ladders

[Aragosnat]

Yeah. Probe part attached to the first command pod where the chute goes ejects the Kerbal from the EVA exit area. Great way to get some free Delta-Vs. But, yeah. One should always try to land closer first, have rover if capable next, and last but not least. Try to save as much EVA jetpack fuel as you can Just to make the return trip slightly faster. The last part can be difficult as you could over shoot and fall down a crater. Have had that happen more then once.

[RobotsAndSpaceships]

Why not just land closer? it's not that hard.

[rynak]

The limited instrumentation you have while on EVA is intentional, you wouldn't have the equivalent to the capsule's navigational computers jammed into just a space suit. You're lucky you at least have a HUD in your helmet that gives you targeting capabilities and distance values, as well as that altimeter.

So, a compass would be unrealistic scifi? Ahem.

[tater]

So, a compass would be unrealistic scifi? Ahem.

Not all bodies have magnetic fields, or fields that would provide useful information. The real moon, for example.

[SAI Peregrinus]

Not all bodies have magnetic fields, or fields that would provide useful information. The real moon, for example.

Gyrocompasses solve that. A full inertial navigation system using MEMS accelerometers and gyros is easily available as a single-chip solution IRL. Eg the ST LSM9DS1 goes for under $7 US. It can be used as a full inertial navigation system and includes a magnetic compass. And they're incredibly sensitive, easily good enough to use in a system like this (if in a radiation hardened package, etc). I picked that one because it's in the same family of chip used in my phone (samsung SGS4). That's a light, portable device that could function as a navball on EVA.

[LameLefty]

I think there are some mods that give navigational info on EVA.

[boxman]

So, a compass would be unrealistic scifi? Ahem.

Like another person said.. Compass is dependent on magnetic field to work.

How I think it should be done is with satellites like for example a GPS network giving you something like that on another planet/moon.

Could have been some fun contracts to actually having to put satellites into specific orbits to get additional features like that.

The current such contracts gives you absolutey nothing as those satellites have no purpose at all.

[katateochi]

No one else makes gear+engine rovers anymore? :/

That's old school sal! respect!

It has been a while since I've made one of those!

I agree with those who're saying that EVA doesn't need fixing. The need for rover parts earlier on is the issue (see the topic linked at the bottom of my sig).

Personally I really like the lack of any navigation gear when going EVA. You have to judge it all off your surroundings and that is what makes doing a EVA landing on Minmus with a return to orbit and rendezvous with a ship a worthy achievement. With nav-gear that would be just the same as landing a craft AND then it is a clear exploit because of the free dV you get, at least as it is you may be using free dV, but its still a challenge.

But there is some help you can get to navigate when on EVA in orbit. You can setup maneuver nodes and select targets from in map mode AND you can control your EVA thrusters while in map mode. The trick that lets you control your EVA pack while in map mode is to hit "."(on the numpad) when you first enter map mode. That would normally bring up the nav-ball and as there is none it appears to do nothing, but it does still act to toggle heading and throttle controls like it does normally. You also need to keep switching between map and normal mode to make sure you keep facing the same way.

Using maneuver nodes for EVA is different, its more something to reference your change in current orbit too. You also don't need to face in the direction you want to go in, you can exert basically the same force in any direction so I always line myself up so I'm facing prograde as its the easiest direction to determine (really doesn't matter which way you face, just so long as your not spinning). Then go to map mode and setup a maneuver node and thrust a bit in various directions and see which one moves your orbit closer to the projected orbit on the m-node. Use combinations of thrusters and keep checking in normal mode that you're still facing the right way and that way you can perform accurate maneuvers while on EVA. Same with target intersect markers once you've got your orbit close enough. By being able to control the EVA thrusters in map mode you can watch how thrusts in different directions move the intersect markers.

There's also a trick to land EVA navigation; zoom waaaay out while in normal mode and then you can tell which way north is and spot landmarks to head for (and then you can double tap map mode to quickly reset your zoom).