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FTL would be a rather huge jump, even within Kerbol system given nothing past 1960 tech along those lines in game (Nerva). Fusion, either as reactors are not right around the corner (I know people working on it at Sandia, but I'm not holding my breath). Orion is a far more plausible option, and even that is at the very least fraught with some danger (if you want to launch from planet side). I don;t see end-game as a "thing" you unlock, and more as something to do after you unlock everything. Hence colonies. It's at least something to do. Really it would be better with some kerbal autonomy.

Also the short story, The Big Space F***, by Kurt Vonnegut (in Again, Dangerous Visions)

FTL requires someplace to go. That means how many other solar systems to be worth it? The scope is clearly 1950s-present (in a world where the doable stuff of the 1970s actually happened, there is no reason that we could not have had moon bases, etc by now). What the future concepts of manned spaceflight might look like are debatable, clearly, but the only reason to send people vs robots… is to send people, "because." I remember a discussion in a lecture hall about this when visiting caltech/jpl back around the time of the Neptune flyby, and we were asked what people could do that robots couldn't do better… the one shout from the audience that nailed it (and got applause) was "have children." A degree of self-sustaining habitat is needed, or it's pretty much not a thing that will happen. Who pays for it is debatable, and while I personally think that it will be private entities or not at all, I'm open to alternate possibilities (The kerbal universe seems to tend that way given the "contract" nature of their space programs, and the stated goal of the devs to have the game be "tycoon" like. I'd be perfectly happy with a semi-hard SF game with FTL, BTW. A jump drive, warp gates (ideally some large distance from a gravity well would be required)… something that is discrete, and results in all the rest of the travel not breaking physics. You'd need something to do, however. That's why I think it's not a reasonable end-game for THIS iteration of KSP. As it is players reach "end game" in terms of the supplied content/tech in days. I'm playing a modded (DRE/FAR/snacks/etc) game in the Kerbol system right now. Career. Hard, with rewards dialed down to 30%. I'm trying to play methodically, I'm testing stuff for a Duna mission, day 130 or so. The entire tech tree is nearly done (I haven't bought any spaceplane stuff or ion because it's to magic for me). 130 days… my "end game will be maybe 3-4 years from first suborbital flight, lol. FTL? Really?

What does the BoulderCo folder do? Yanked it, no difference, put it back. Nothing except the base MM 2.5.1 in there has any non-"parts" textures. Odd.

Yeah, I saw that (the idea made me search to see if it had been done). Still, it would be cool as a set of parts.

Oh, that's very helpful! I can try removing stuff one by one. I will try stock plus ATM and report back. Other than DRE/KIDS/FAR/KJR, I have some part mods, nothing environmental. You are correct, stock plus ATM is fine, so it must be a conflict. Hmmm.

What works in the game engine is not relevant. The scope of KSP is clearly past/current and at most near future space exploration. Interstellar travel is not out of bounds as long as it is plausible (orion, ion, etc). FTL is magic. Adding FTL to stock KSP would be like adding liftwood, ether propellers, reaction less drives, whatever. It is completely out of the scope of KSP. This is self-evident (my parts list has no ether propellers), it's not opinion. There is a powerful reason for an ADD ON, which is that Squad can make money, which I'm fine with, this is their job, they need to put food on the table, shoes on the kids, etc. A follow-on/add-on sits right on top, it's not a new game from scratch, it's new content to the existing game. Other games have done this, look at the Il-2 series (they added Il-2 Pacific Fighter, then 1946… later there were free updates on top of that adding content, there were some engine changes, but no more than patches/updates would do. The benefit of this model is that they can concentrate on content, and maybe a few game engine improvements/additions without having to start from scratch. All of us would buy it, too. Tomorrow. Pointing out that FTL is entirely beyond the scope of current KSP is not bashing, it's a statement of fact. If they were going to do magic, they could have not bothered with all this pesky orbital mechanics stuff. I'm not even against FTL, it's a useful mechanic for a sci-fi game, but it's not for THIS game given the scope of time it demonstrably covers. Aside from that, they'd then have to add whole nearby solar systems worth of content, the work load would be huge, and it would add nothing other than some new balls to land on after having pressed the "magic" button. One, I disagree entirely with the assumption that disagreement and respect are even connected. Ideas are judged on their merits, and none deserve respect without earning it. FTL is a fun game mechanic in the right situation, but for it to be the end-game of KSP 1.0, they would have to massively alter the scope of their game, which seems rather a lot to ask given the next patch is version 0.9. Two, for the sake of Squad, anything beyond KSP scope that still has promise (FTL, for example) would be best served by either an add-on, or entirely new game, IMHO.

Sorry these are in very different lighting conditions, but I took the first a while ago game time on the MUn. Below is modded 9DRE/FAR/KIDS/etc. Same lander, same mods, but with ATM basic (same issue with aggressive, or perhaps aggressive was spread even more). Stock 0.25 looks just fine.

FTL doesn't fit KSP at all. Aside from that, anything too far out of scope would be a future game that they could charge for and this is their JOB, they need to make money, that's the point. End-game for KSP is something that would be a segue to the next game. Bases is about the best idea within scope, with colonization being the next step past that… so maybe a small taste of that, with a paid follow-on that illuminates that aspect further.

A family of A-4 shaped parts that get continuously bigger, then smaller would allow building everything from the A-4/V-2, to a Tintin Moon rocket, which would actually be pretty cool. Have a nose part that is 0.625 to a point, the one that is 1.25 to 0.625 curving to match (FL-T400 height or so), then a couple 2.5 to 1.25 curves that are more like X200 height, and maybe a couple modules that are 3.75 to 2.5 (with cargo/habitat). Some big curved fins… very neat.

MY Mun texture looks perfect in my stock install, and looks perfect in my modded install… unless I have this mod installed, though.

A picture might help. Have you considered landing at a lower speed?

There is the Space Museum in Alamogordo, New Mexico, which is just a couple hours from Juarez (should they want a slight field trip). The Spaceport (Virgin Galactic) is there, too.

I saw "intern abuse" and my mind went someplace completely different...

Those were radiators, not solar panels on the shuttle bay doors.

I get those contracts all the time and have a test button.

As a dumb ole user, this would be awesome, of course. Didn't know it was a dead horse. i wonder if there is a way to get some of this sort of functionality without making a mega-mod though... for example a small app that would allow you to subscribe to mods, and it would simply swap the files into GameData (JSGME (we use that in Silent Hunter) will do the swapping already). The subscription bit I have not seen. You'd obviously have the stuff at a site that would dish latest a versions out. Then there might be a simple cfg that something like RO could provide that would subscribe you to the required constellation of mods. Nothing would change except the user not having to DL and extract manually.

I actually agree about randomized planets being very cool.

I'd like a scenario editor. It would look load all craft files from your various saves (or give the option to check/uncheck which saves), and you could place craft anywhere, along with their on-rails orbits, etc. It would save into a new folder within GameData so that the results could be easily shared. I haven't used it, but presumably you could do it with hyperedit now, this would just be a built-in way to set up novel situations. It would also allow an entirely new kind of mod where the player could built a solar system spanning set of missions/contracts that include a context.

Great thread, I think I assumed I needed the whole ginormous RO suite… I'm kind of intrigued by a sort of retro-future (stuff NASA artists drew in the 60s and 70s), but I'm not wed to an engine being a certain model number with exact specs, as it's an alternate history (as long as it's in the realm of possibility).

For stock (which is what we are talking about), the key is KSP scope. It looks to be basically early space program until sort of current (fantasy spaceplanes excepted). Really, a sort of "retro-future" seems more what the KSP scope is… what we thought NASA would have done decades ago. Given that, the end game is somewhat set on exploration for it's own sake, in a kind of government-sponsored way. So bases on other worlds, with any resource extraction there solely because it is required for the mission, not for the marketplace. So water for fuel, oxidizer, and life support. Farming pods for LS. Those should eb end-game goals for KSP, IMHO. MOstly self-sustaining bases, both planet side and orbital. The follow-on for Squad would be the colonization of the Kerbol system and beyond (not FTL). This is where the marketplace starts to come into play. I suppose other add-ons to the basic game could be added (each could make Squad some cash, too, which is great). One might be a sort of "space trader" in the more distant kerbal future where there are colonies here and there, and the player is an asteroid miner, or has a ship that goes back and forth moving cargo, and if he makes more money, he can upgrade, etc. (an entirely different kind of game from KSP, but it would be fun).

I missed the 0.24.2 RO version bit, sorry. Dunno how I missed that link, I was probably shell-shocked after all the mod links for the OP Very helpful! Bookmarked. (I have no idea why that would not be the most relevant search result… forum searches are practically useless)

It's a reason to do things, and I'd add that the end game might be designed to segue into a follow-on game or add-on.

I thought he was asking for a solution in lieu of resorting to FASA (which would only be a solution if it was supported, which it isn't, and he said as much). Or did I read it wrong? Is there a thread for RO craft designs/tips? (which is something I could use… I tried forum search but it was not super helpful)

Species survival would likely require a threat too proximate to matter. National pride? Sure, worked in the Cold War… but not since. Research? Absolutely, but that means probes, which are vastly more cost-effective. Some could be modeled, I suppose. Like a planet-killer inbound in XX years, you must colonize or die. National stuff would require an AI competitor (which is implied due to the reduce missions). I'm cool with actually populating the system with another, but AI , space program. Cultural imperative… sure, the Pharaoh wanted his after life, and maybe some workers wanted jobs… but as Mel Brooks said in the History of the World… "It's good to be the king." They can order whatever they like. The reality is that money drives everything. You need bucks for Buck Rogers. The nice thing is that a marketplace is a self-regulating system, and fairly straightforward from a game design standpoint. How would you model cultural imperative? "The great green sky monster has ordered all kerbals to colonize the stars!"