Curveball Anders

Then you first have to do your chores and hope that your legal guardian(s) allow you to enter (and doesn't steal your idea). (Still miffed about youngest no longer being a minor so all my kids can now legally ignore my wise instructions, as they have done for years).

For me it's Kerbal Space by trail'n'error Program.

I've learned to keep all references to KSP, orbital mechanics or even rockets way out of any conversation (except with fellow nerds and/or my kids). My SO can detect even the tiniest reference and enter a traditional state of "eyes glazed over - oh here he goes again". So I cook dinner (while planning the next mission silently inside my own head).

My biggest RL issue with KSP is that it's such a I'll just do one more test/thing ... Which has bad influence on my sleeping hours.

But the NASA parts in ARM was "ripped off" with consent from NASA, which is also why their logo was added as a flag in the game. (The addition of the ESA logo/flag was another story, legend says that it involved a fax machine ...).

I finally learned how to adjust orbits to match the exact stipulations in contracts. And learned quite a bit more of orbital mechanics

There's has been talk/rumour/gossip about a Space-X addon (in some form) in collaboration with (or at least endorsed by) Space-X (a little like the ARM was endorsed by NASA and Asteroid Day by B612). As there also has been with others (ESA, Bigelow, ULA and such). Making a "look-a-like" mod wouldn't be hard. Getting official endorsement is harder, but oh so much sweeter. So I guess that it's that balance that slows things down.

Oh yes, fun always is first. I tend to miss/ignore the first Duna window and build in the Kerbin system (and some Kerbol excursions) before I hit Duna with all I have at the second window Minmus is easier than Mun for several reasons, and 6 deg inclination isn't directly challenging.

Marwin the Martian. Also Patron Saint of MER-A Spirit

I always keep a copy of each download. Then I have the latest version installed both as stock and modded (playing the latter). When I migrate to a new version I keep the latest working one up, delete earlier stock installs (since I have the install files) and zip up the previous 'play' catalogs. So right now I have 1.2_stock, 1.2_mod (active) and 1.1.3_mod on my gaming box with all earlier zipped on the server (and backed up).

Currently I'm in 'slow' period in my 1.2 career save. I have enough kesos and all the science I need but it's 1 year 293 days until project Big Leap takes off for Duna (1 year 123 days until project W.T.F (weird trajectory futures) for Dres). So I potter around putting up comsats and finishing off random contracts (some using vehicles that will double as comsats, scanning sats or shuttling around gawkers).

I tend to follow my own 'grand plan' but I use the contracts for cash, science and free kerbals. For instance I launched a station for Kerbin, then I got one contract to expand it and another to launch a station for Mun. So I launched my 'Mun' station, docked it to the Kerbin one which solved the expand contract. Then refuelled it and shipped it to the Mun, which solved the second one. Then I did the same with Mun and Minmus

I stick to boring functional names. Like Kerbin Station One, Quad Return, Quad Taxi, Robo Tug ... I'm so old and ditzy that I forget what ship is supposed to do what otherwise

RL space exploration.

Added 2x expansion kits (fuel, mono, 5x docking ports, hitchhiker) and a lander to Minmus Station One. Used the lander on Minmus Station One to grab some data from the snowball (picked up a stranded Kerbonaut on the way back to the station). Repositioned the 'tugs' used to bring the station expanders in 1:3 sync with the station (they have relay antennas). In total 9 contracts done, 4 gawkers satisfied, 3 kerbonauts rescued and science maxed out (except airplane stuff that I never use). Tomorrow will be Solar Station One and prepping for Duna and Dres.

Minor issues, but no game breakers. So "Proper Job" Squad. (and experimantals and pre-release bug hunters).

The Friday hotfix (which is the only Friday release from Squad that I can remember) was just why they always try to release on Tuesdays. It gave them 3 days to deal with a critical issue and decide that the issue was critical enough not to wait for next Tuesday. It's also why a grey and grizzly project managers hold update meeting on Tue/Wednesdays, and never on a Friday. (Some really evil ones have theirs on Monday morning ...) If something looks bad, you need time to deal with it

Most companies/studios release on Tuesdays. It leaves Monday to make sure everything is good to go, and then Wed-Fri to deal with the fall-out.

Mostly (and there's issues in core that MJ shouldn't solve). So there are issues, but they will be sorted, I have faith in Sarbian

A bit the reverse for me. The disks on my gaming desktop is tragically slow, but the laptop has a lightning fast SSD. So yeah, spare cycles and spare disk bw is most likely the key for most screen recorders.

I almost learned this the hard way, when a lander with a scientist and a gawker was about to dock back at Mun Station One. Luckily I had a relay antenna on the station and a spare pilot on board so when but lander and station entered radio shadow the spare pilot on the station took over and guided the lander via the new remote control feature. (The relay antenna was on the station for relay stuff, didn't even realise that it worked as remote control, sometimes you get lucky).

I noticed that OBS can create issues on single or double core CPUs. KSP is very CPU bound but doesn't utilise more than a few threads. So on my quad core desktop (with HT -> pseudo 8 cores) OBS doesn't slow KSP at all, while on my twin core laptop it hits like a hammer.

I always explore "locally" before hitting Duna. Mainly because I feel it's the natural development.

I'm a bit odd because I more or less never listen to any 'background' music. I have the stock music on, but very low (and mainly because my speakers gronk out now and then, and needs a swift kick to work again, and I want to be sure that I hear more important sounds from the game). Normally have news or docs running on my TV (either live or from my media server) while at my computer (20 seasons of Time Team + all the Specials is default when there's nothing else to watch ). When I listen to music, I don't do anything else.

I actually like it being caps lock, since there's a nice indicator led on my keyboard