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Bill Phil

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Posts posted by Bill Phil

    Is it just me or is the Stayputnik useless now?

    in KSP1 Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Bill Phil

    The name is STAYPUTnik, and it can't stay put when it comes to attitude. Plus if it can't hold up to a LVL 0 kerbal, then there's no point. It's pretty far in the tree, and by that time I had a few LVL 1 kerbals. Seriously, the only point to probes now is so you don't risk valuable pilots. So why can't it have SAS? It should. Maybe they could move the Mk1 to the first tech node, and have a mk2 that has SAS ( I like the spherical shape...) to replace the current one. Also, I think all probes should get SAS and level up as other probes do. Some people like the aesthetic of a certain probe, and for me that's the Stayputnik. Now I can't use it....

    The physics of avatar

    in Science & Spaceflight

    Posted · Edited by Bill Phil

    I think that carrying two Valkyries on your Starship is kind of dumb. You should build a station as a way point in Pandora orbit. That's where the starships should rendezvous. Then load off cargo, and use the Valkyries already at the station to deliver cargo to the surface. Also, a station elsewhere in the solar system could function as a laser to propel the starship could be built as well. Then no more antimatter is needed for the loop to and from Alpha Centauri. Of course anti-matter ships would still be needed for other star systems, but now there's less needed for Alpha Centuari. If only we could convert any kind of mass into pure energy...

    Torque with no Pilot? What!!?

    in KSP1 Suggestions & Development Discussion

    Posted

    I think you mis-understood the meaning of trim. "Trim" doesn't mean you telling the pilot holding a stick at a fixed location. Trim, in real-life aircraft, is a setting that a pilot can set that sets a collection of control surface at a fixed offset.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_flight_control_system#Secondary_controls

    I know what IRL trim is. But here I'm talking about trim in the context of KSP. Trim in KSP is essentially telling the craft to move this way by default. It was added for aircraft, but it is a feature called "trim". This implementation of trim applies to spacecraft as well. And this applying to spacecraft should be removed. Especially with KXP.

    Resources and a new Aero model coming.

    in KSP1 Suggestions & Development Discussion

    Posted

    An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases.

    There is the straight definition. Extreme manner is not something that would be met by this. It is a combustion, not an explosion.

    Also chemical reaction is not necessary. You can have an explosion from electrical discharge (explosion is the rapid phase change of a solid/liquid to a gas and the extreme high temperatures resulting in expansion in an extreme manner), pressure release/failure of a containment vessel of a gas under extreme pressure, etc.

    The combustion starts with no volume and ends with a large volume extension. The volume increase is at first the beginnings of the explosion, which tries to get out but can't except for one opening, and subsequently the expansion imparted by the nozzle, and this is where the majority of the rapid increase of volume occurs. I was also referring to the context of rocket engines, in which case it generally is a chemical reaction.

    Resources and a new Aero model coming.

    in KSP1 Suggestions & Development Discussion

    Posted

    If you have a controlled explosion, either you have an awesome Orion engine, or else you are doing it wrong. Nothing is exploding at any point (controlled or otherwise) (if it does, you have pieces of rocket raining everywhere). Also, generally you only have a volitile fuel source being mixed with an oxidizer being lit with a match and exhausting out a hole in the bottom. In the case of some rockets, you have a couple of fuel sources mixed with an oxidizer, lit with a match and exhausted out a hole in the bottom.

    Ideally at some point we'll figure out a way to mix that fuel source with atmospheric oxidizer a match and exhausted out a hole in the bottom. Right now though, scramjets are proving real hard. But maybe someday will get it right (Scramjets typically range from around 1,400-4,000s Isp, compared to a rockets 220-430s, so even if you can only use a scramjet for a portion of the launch, that can make a HUGE difference in terms of payload capacity and or launcher size).

    An explosion is an outward reaction that's ectothermic caused by a chemical reaction. Rockets are controlled explosions, the explosion is happening the whole time. Pressure is applied to all the sides of the chamber. It's a splosion.

    More Multi-Crew Capsules

    in KSP1 Discussion

    Posted

    "Most authorities consider the story apocryphal."

    It's quite funny though. :)

    They started off with research, watching birds (unmanned, pre-made airplanes), and then kites (unmanned, self-made airplanes) before proceeding to gliders and powered flight.

    ...

    That being said, why not let the users decide their own path?

    Would it kill KSP to put the Stayputnik and Z-100 battery into the first node? That would let users start their space program however they want.

    Yeah, but I wouldn't call that a probe core.... Plus balloon flights occurred in the 1800s, and Congreve war rockets existed...

    But I think we should start with basic plane parts, it let's us do the survey missions a whole lot easier...

    The physics of avatar

    in Science & Spaceflight

    Posted

    Hmm...

    The first thing is that the Venture Star uses unobtainium... And antimatter. Not to mention the giant radiators that take up half of the ship. I assume the engines are huge. So not only is the antimatter exhaust taking heat away ( remember, the antimatter was locked in a magnetic trap), but the coolant is taking the ( relatively) lighter heat load from the walls to the radiators, which are big for a reason.

    Now, chances are that the venture star is impossible, however, a multi staged fusion drive may be possible. Problem is, it needs to be huge, like, size of Manhatten first stage.

    More Multi-Crew Capsules

    in KSP1 Discussion

    Posted

    I think the whole idea of starting manned is mad, let alone starting with larger, heavier, multi-crewed capsules. Probes first!

    Hmm...

    *dusts off old book, blows on it*

    Wright Flyer, 1903. Seems like we started manned...

    Although I do think the tech tree should start with a mk1 cockpit, mk1 fuselage, straight wings, jet engines, etc. and then get rockets from that.

    Constructive feedback

    in KSP1 Suggestions & Development Discussion

    Posted

    The inline cockpit has been missing an IVA since it was introduced. The IVA scene when extracted into Unity is marked as "Generic Space", there's also a larger 3-man one that thankfully isn't used as it's awful (it is used in the old B9 HL cockpit if you have Rasterprop installed). As for the contract briefings, as rubbish as they are, it saves a lot of dev time to do procedurally generated text than it does to write out +500 contracts.

    Actually, if you just make a template for all the contract types, and have procedurally generated filler words in certain areas.

    Test contract:

    We here at *insert name here* wanted to find out what happens to our *insert product name here* when it gets used *insert test criteria here*. Surprisingly, no one came up with this idea until *insert witty comment* happened and that's why we're here.

    Torque with no Pilot? What!!?

    in KSP1 Suggestions & Development Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Bill Phil

    I know it's trim. But I'm saying that trim shouldn't be applied unless a pilot is in the craft. Or that it shouldn't be given torque with no pilot. It's almost like if Jeb left something on the joystick holding it down. But why would it do that? Oh, and the reaction wheel should be auto turned off when a kerbal leaves, this almost ruined my mission.

    Dont get me wrong, this is a great update, but it's the little things that matter, the Stayputnik can't stay put, the torque is applied when no pilot, the landing gear is too small, etc. Things like that are what really count.

    EDIT: if I remember right, there was an announcement saying it had no control... So that means that only a pilot can move the control stick, but if the pod has trim, why does it need a pilot for SAS? Logically, besides gameplay wise, it shouldn't be movable at all except outside forces.

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