GoSlash27

I'm a weenie when it comes to this. I never build a rocket without doing the math first. On the one hand, it removes all the fun and suspense of wondering whether it's going to work (of course it is ), but on the other hand it allows me to complete missions I otherwise couldn't do. And for me (and I know I'm in the minority here)... I actually enjoy the engineering side of it. I don't use any mods to help me with this, just some spreadsheets I knocked together. Best, -Slashy

Personally, I don't use the fuel lines or radial decouplers in early career, but I agree with the others. I do use the FL-T800 tank and the 48-7S mini engine. Bigger tank to cut down on part limit and mini engine to extend my operations in space. Given those parts (and previously unlocked stuff) I can return science from the surface of Minmus. That pays off huge in early career. Best, -Slashy

Joe Schmuckatelli, I recommend forgetting about SRBs in early career unless you've upgraded the launch pad. Using an SRB just eats into the payload you can get to orbit, even if you use them for boosters. A single LV-T30 has enough thrust to lift anything within the 18t pad limit and will make a lighter boost stage than an SRB for the same DV, thus improving your payload to orbit. Once you've upgraded the pad, have at it. SRBs are cheap and that's a good thing for mid career and beyond. For gravity turns, your best bet is to climb vertically to around 100 m/sec (depending on t/w). After that, pitch east 10° and hold it until the prograde marker matches your heading. After that, just turn off SAS and let it fly itself. You will have to reengage SAS and manually fly it after around 30km altitude. Best, -Slashy

Noname, The Iowa class boats are all museum ships now. They're not getting reactivated. Furthermore, shore bombardment has never been "left open". All of our destroyers have had the same guns that are on the Zumwalt for the exact same purpose. Nothing in the fleet since the end of WWII has been considered a "replacement for the battleships". Best, -Slashy

I should also point out that Scott Manley is not the "be all and end all" of KSP skill. There are plenty of people around this forum who are more adept at this game than he is. He's an excellent presenter and we're thankful to have his videos as a resource for new players, but his KSP skillz are not the best out there. Best, -Slashy

Noname117, This is not correct. The Arleigh Burke class also provides shore bombardment. In both cases, the guns are tiny compared to the monster 16" guns of an Iowa class battlewagon. Moreover, there's no need for such heavy shore bombardment anymore. That's what air power and cruise missiles are for. For the moment, the Arleigh Burke is the replacement for the Arleigh Burke. They've cancelled all the Zumwalts (except the ones that were already under construction) and restarted production on the Arleigh Burkes. Best, -Slashy

Joe Schmuckatelli, I recommend keeping a z-100 battery in your service bay with the scientific instruments. The stayputnik doesn't have nearly enough battery on it's own. Best, -Slashy ^ My early career Mun flyby probe

Aluc24, It does not. You have to account for that in the math. Best, -Slashy

You're welcome and good luck! Be sure to use the reaction wheel with the stayputnik. It doesn't have one built in. Also, once your battery is dead, it's dead. Be sure to disconnect it when not in use to extend its life. Best, -Slashy

The Zumwalt class is basically the replacement for the Arleigh Burke class. As such, it is not intended to fight by itself, but rather integrate it's weapons and sensors with an entire carrier battle group. Any enemy is going to have a very difficult time getting anywhere near one of these, and an even harder time hitting it if they can even find it. I'm personally not a fan. It's too expensive for what it does. *But* it can't be evaluated on the basis of 1v1 combat (they don't fight that way) and a submarine wouldn't be able to do the job. Best, -Slashy

Joe Schmuckatelli, If you have all of the tech nodes up to level 5, you are capable of building a science probe that can do a Munar flyby and recover safely. No solar panels and no SAS yet, so it's a pain in the butt, but it's doable. Get the experiments for high space over Kerbin and then see if you can unlock the Okto probe core and solar panels. After that, a pair of Munar flybys (low and high space over Mun), a pair of Minmus flybys, and even a quick trip out of Kerbin's SoI. Best, -Slashy

5thHorseman, Thanks and I hope that's not the case. 10% rewards would suck out loud! Best, -Slashy

Billyk88, FWIW, my shuttle has a body flap for additional pitch authority. My wings and strakes also have some incidence built in and I have 2 vertical tailfins merged so the rudder "splits" with braking, acting like an airbrake. That's all I can think of that I'm doing differently. I don't use RCS or reaction wheels on reentry and mine holds attitude nicely. HTHs, -Slashy

aluc24, The method I use is to mark the passage of my spaceplane over KSC in it's first orbit. Time to passage overhead-orbital period= time lost due to launch. With this info, you know that you must launch when the target is that much early. Again, you can figure this out by marking the target's time of passage overhead KSC. Note the time, then add orbital period and subtract lead time. This gives you your launch window. Fair warning though: spaceplanes have a lot of variance in their launch time loss. Best, -Slashy

The intakes haven't been nerfed. They've actually been buffed. I couldn't tell you why your plane had an issue without pics. Best, -Slashy

boxley, We do a lot of this sort of thing in the caveman challenge. In my experience you're not going to get any more than 3t of payload to orbit from the level 1 pad and VAB. Or at least not in 1 go. I've seen some of the cavemen "voltron" bigger launchers. This is the only way I think you'd get a lab up there. Still... 3 tonnes to orbit is a lot if you use it efficiently. That's enough to get you all the science in the Kerbin system. Best, -Slashy

I'm not sure that's accurate. Perhaps I'm just not visiting the right part of the forums, but I've never seen anyone speculate along these lines until just now. Best, -Slashy

Hard mode caveman challenge complete! http://s52.photobucket.com/user/GoSlash27/slideshow/KSP/CaveHard105/Proof I'll have to give it another go in HardS mode. *edit* I was just in the process of starting up my new "HardS" career and found out there isn't a "HardS" option. What custom settings define that mode? Best, -Slashy

haha you put Jeb on the Mun and brought him back?? That's crazy, man!

After the better part of a week on vacation, I'm ready to run the last couple missions. I will be landing on Minmus, conducting a full science sweep, and then returning the experiments to Kerbin. Wish me luck! -Slashy

I hadn't noticed it. Good catch! Best, -Slashy

http://wikisend.com/download/603504/orbit1.craft A very simple early career example craft: 1) Launch vertically at full throttle with SAS engaged 2) Hold vertical until 90 m/sec velocity 3) Pitch East 10° so you're holding 90° pitch 4) Maintain 90° pitch until prograde marker matches 90° prograde as well 5) When prograde marker is at 90° pitch prograde, disable SAS and go get a snack. 6) At 30 km altitude, reengage SAS and maintain nose in the center of the prograde marker. 7) When apoapsis reaches 72 km, cut throttle. 8) when ship reaches apoapsis, throttle up. 9) when periapsis reaches 72 km, cut throttle. You are in orbit. Best, -Slashy

I believe the community normally refers to that as "twisted candle" staging. I had conquered Eve a long time ago. It involved a highly complex technical approach called "cheating" http://s52.photobucket.com/user/GoSlash27/slideshow/KSP/KrakBadger Infinigliders (which produced free thrust from lift) were a thing and Kraken drives (which produced free thrust from part collisions) were a thing. So I put them together in one unholy contraption that allowed me to fly to and from Eve's surface without using any fuel. Of course... none of this is of any use to you whatsoever... Best, -Slashy

Potassium krakenate and kerbium tetroxide in a 9:11 mix. It's hypergolic and highly volatile. It leaches into metals. Anything it contaminates (which is pretty much everything) becomes susceptible to detonation due to excessive heat or shock. Best, -Slashy

MoeslyArmlis, After completing the Caveman for the second time (first time in 1.05), I decided to try completing it on "hard" difficulty. Reduced funding, reduced science payouts, no quicksaves, no reverts. Plus I have to pay cash to use individual parts the first time after unlocking them. Almost finished now. Here's where I'm at: http://s52.photobucket.com/user/GoSlash27/slideshow/KSP/CaveHard105 Just 2, maybe 3 flights left. Best, -Slashy PS Thanks for hosting the new and improved Caveman Challenge!