Warzouz

That's a good idea. Every thing could be considered automatically struted and centered

I did a Jool test few days ago. That's not the point. As I played in creative and want to end the mission before unreasonable bed time, I ignore Alexmoon correct transfer window and got a dirty transfer back. That wasn't seemed to be catastophic. The return nearly touched Eve orbit and encounter Kerbin 30° later. The issue is that I hit Kerbin Pe around 6300m/s. Even the fuel I had left (1600m/s) didn't allow my ship to survive the reentry. I used all the fuel before hitting the atmosphere, but, even my ship had a big heat shield : Hitting a 35km wasn't enough to slow down to a capture speed Hitting a 25km turn ship and crew to (mostly) gazeous form Sure, my transfer was awful. I usually plan much better and always try to get then encounter at 180° of the starting position hitting the target orbit with an tangent approach. My 2 questions Is there evaluations of return speed from all bodies when hitting Kerbin atmo (or PE) ? Was there a way to handle with my dreadful encounter at 6300-1600m/s slow down = 4700 to 5000m/s

I play KSP for a bit more than a year now. Since the beginning, I felt the game is meant to be played as a space program, not a space mission simulator. So it's logical to have multiple missions at the same time. Not forcing myself, I find that an approaching window triggers the desire to go to that place, as soon as you start to go interplanetary. Further more, if you use play with space stations, you usually have to refuel them, collect science or manage crew rotations, so you need to use every transfer window. For example, When I played the beta as science game mode (easier for newbees), after visiting Duna, I wanted to go to Eve. But the window was in more than a year away. I noticed that the Jool window was in 20 days, so I dropped the Eve mission and build a big mission to Jool (a 13 flights space station assembled around Laythe to explore the whole Jool system). I played 2 full weeks on that mission (design + exploration). As there was an Eeloo window few days later, I sent a exploration vehicle there too. As the voyage was long, I had a chance to go to Duna again. And finally, as 1.0 was approaching, I never find the time to get there It feels the game is meant that way, but offer very few tools to do so. There is no KAC-like feature, and experience, science system and many contracts are very "Kerbin centered". The Tracking Station is also missing some kind of grouping objects by "mission" (BTW is there a mod for that ?) BTW, recently I did a test mission to Jool in a creative game, I found the game much easier and quicker to handle as there was nothing else to bother than the mission. KAC was only comfort an not a necessity. So my question is how do you play KSP ? Despite its name, do you feel the game is designed to be played that way ? What features on that matter do you think the game lacks ?

Advancement detail Escape burn 1925m/s (from 200km - 10 min) Jool plane change 210m/s (DN was very near Kerbin) but I got a Tylo encounter Tuning in Kerbol SOI : 1.2m/s (got a vall encounter) Tuning before Vall : 3.7m/s (got a Laythe encounter) Tuning before Laythe : 9.1m/s (got a very far DN with Bop) Bop plane change : 250m/s (Ap is on Bop Dn, cool) Random node tweaking 200m/s : Bop encounter ... Avoid crashing into Bop = 12m/s Circularizing at Bop = 80m/s Escape + partial plane change = 247m/s (a very dirty interplanetary transfer...) Final plane change 50m/s with Pol Random node tweaking 40m/s : Pol encounter Circularizing at Pol = 65m/s Dirty escape from Pol/Jool and partial plane change with Kerbin : 1280m/s (I missed the window and don't want to wait) Final plane change and Kerbin encounter = 150m/s When entering Kerbin SOI, I've 1650m/s left, EDIT : I mess my encounter with Kerbin. I was too eager to finish that experiment and arrived at Kerbin at 6500m/s... I should have waited for a proper and less expensive return. In the end, I Got the School bus in dV = 4800m/s

I started a mission. The ship is 6470m/s. I'll keep a log of the burns I do. So far I got a Tylo + Vall encounter for 1.2m/s

Snark, I checked if I could avoid Bop (I hate this moon...) and land on Pol instead, but the whole trip would give 59XP instead of 65 (62 with the mun fly-by). I would miss level 5. A Mun flyby would only give 3 points. Maybe a Vall landing could be possible, but that would cost a lot. I also studied a refuel at Vall (in my current game, I've a station there), but when I'll try that (in 1.1), I wouldn't have space station there yet. I think, I'll go for a 6500m/s ship. And BTW, it's true, it's for the challenge and a bit of RP

Thanks for this detailed answer, Snark !

This are wrong numbers. This dV map is meant to be used from Kerbin TO ONE target body only. You don't need that much to go from Bop to Pol. When you're on a Bop orbit you don't set your PE to 210km and your AP to near escape, then do plane change and go to Pol. You do a interplanetary transfert. But you need to use another dV Map (I have on my computer at home but I can't find on the forum EDIT : Google is my friend. The Jool dV Map with a example from Laythe to Pol For example to go from Laythe to Pol with Jool dV map : 1350m/s Alexmoon tool : 1220m/s Kerbol map : 5200m/s (what you're using) Other example to go from Bop to Pol Jool dV map : 220m/s (doesn't count plane change) Alexmoon tool : 430m/s (but I found a 230 by waiting longer) Kerbol map : 1800m/s (what you're using)

About ISRU So if heat is 1000K (?), efficient is 100% but 100% for what ? I know that conversion rate is fixed, but speed of conversion can vary ? does energy consumption varies with heat for a constant

Rescuing missions are quite nice, but part recovery is a pain. you usually need some specifically design claw ship. It's long and painful. And who you want to pay 50000fund to recover a part that costs 1200funds. That's no RP. Recover parts should be ships or at least part of ships. Rescue missions should validate non on Kerbin return but when the pilot is dumped at a station. Rescue mission shouldn't give free kerbals, this is too easy. Kerbals should accept to com for a bargain price (which could vary with the rescue location. New mission type : recover science data from a pod (with or without pilot) More rescue landed pilots (especially Mun and Minmus)

Yes, the node is quite nice when you want to change plane, or circularize, but it's very hard to use when do interplanetary stuff. You focus on the target body and try to catch the node handles which is on the other side of the solar system. Very painful ! A better way to do that is to include some kind of "Precise node" feature (but maybe more simple).

I agree with you but the dV map is only valid for transfers from Kerbin (even, I'm not sure about "to Kerbin"). There was a dV map for Jool system, which was quite hard to understand. The classic dV map is a non-sense when you go from Laythe to Vall, you don't get to a hyper elliptic orbit from Jool LO to Jool nearly escape Ap. My first quick an dirty design is 5800m/s with 2 LVN for a total of 45 tons (wet). It carries 16 kerbals, has a large heatshield and 1 ton of undefined stuff (energy, chutes, airbrakes,). This is for a direct to land ship (option 1). For a circularizing option, I would remove the heatshield and cutes, but add a docking ring and RCS fuel and packs. I should alos add the plane change transfer cost and the kerbin circularizing (total 1200m/s) I'm not sure about the frontal heatshield. I chose the biggest one with a fuelled adapter. I hope this can handle the ship reentry as high speed (of course I would burn all the fuel left before entering atmosphere).

For tech level, I don't have a precise idea. What I call "mid-game" is when you nearly unlock all the tech tree. When you are at that level, you have only a few kerbals up to level 3, most of them will be level 2. 13 to 15 km/s ??? I suppose you include the launch to LKO. I find that very high. Going to Jool is nearly 2200m/s. Coming back would cost 1000/1200 for a aero-capture at Kerbin or 2200m/s if circularizing at LKO for docking without aero capture (including a worst case scenario about plane change) - from an eliptic Jool orbit. But I've a harder time to calculate what I need to do 3 fly-by (Laythe, Vall and Tylo) and 2 orbiting (Bop/Pol). I suppose this shouldn't be too expensive. Reasonable gravity assist should help on decelerating. Maybe some aerobrake at Laythe could help (I plan to add a big heat shield upfront) I think this can be done with less than 5000m/s (not counting launch to LKO) in option 1. 1800m/s should be enough to get 3 flyby and orbiting Bop and Pol (cheap moons). Finally for the size/stages/structure of the ship, that doesn't matter too much. I'm pretty sure I will use a MK3 passenger ans some adapters. The ship will be crude, it's not an exploration ship.

I'm puzzled with recent heat management and ISRU updates. Here is what I understood, embedded with my doubts : Drill efficiency is modified by having an engineer on board. Further more, engineer level increase the drill output (or reduces energy flow ?) by a lot (x25 compared to a simple probe core) If drills don't receive enough energy flow, they shutdown and need to be manually restarted Drill ore output is constant, but energy consumption depends on ore density Are drills impacted by heat ? How ? If ore tanks are full, drills continue to consume energy (this can be a problem when relying to fuel cells). ISRU efficiency doesn't depends on engineer level, but depends on heat. ISRU have to be cooled down : at what level ? as low as possible or is there a threshold ? What heat impacts ? energy consumption or fuel output ? If ISRU lack energy, it pauses but restart automatically when energy flow is back (no need for manual restart as drills). Thanks for the insight.

I was reading about experience and planning a mission from my next career game. I find the experience very grindy. So I would like to build a one shot mission to train Kerbal up to level 5. The mission is designed to be done mid-game with limited resources and skills Here is the mission plan Orbit Kerbin (2) Orbit Kerbol (6) Orbit Jool (9) Fly by Tylo (8) Fly by Laythe (8) Flyby Vall (8) Orbit Bop (12) Orbit Pol (12) Return to Kerbin That should give 65xp, it's level 5 ! I chose no to plant flag or land to save time and fuel. Landing would allow to do one less flyby, but those are easy to get in Jool system. Assuming no refuel, what dV would you pack for such a mission ? Constraints : Departing from LKO (I find easier to design a mission that way) Not too technical gravity assist at Laythe/Tylo (but that's a good way to do fly-by 2 options for return: Option 1 = non reusable vehicle : the ship can aerobrake / aerocapture then land on Kerbin Option 2 = reusable vehicle : the ship has to dock at LKO (so do a proper interplanetary travel back and not a quick and dirty intercept) What would be your flight plan ? I would say try to do a gravity assist at Tylo so I could be on an elliptic orbit that could cross Vall and Laythe at a reasonable cost Then go to Bop and Pol Finally, from Pol dive to Jool and burn to escape SOI at Pe

I don't have too much time to play Kerbal, so I must focus on what I like the most. I like to design rockets, but as I've build several, using various technics, I prefer to focus on interplanetary stages, space stations and landers. So I use a lot of sub-assemblies. For launchers, I've 11 sub-assemblies from 15 to 600 tons payload (Cygnus recoverable SSTO rockets) For space stations, I've standard space station (Salamander exploration space station) but most of my last Career game was to design this space station (which is simple but efficient for my play style) I also use pre designed landers (even they are overbuilt for several bodies such as Minmus, Pol or Gilly). It's easy to fly a ship you're used to and which was tested many times. You don't end somewhere finding you forgot some science equipment or a ladder ... The only thing I don't reuse are interplanetary stages. They are easy do design and are usually very specific for the destination you want to go and for your target payload. As it's only a fuel tank with some engines (and sometime additional reaction wheels), it's very quickly designed when you know the dV you need. TWR is less important than for landers or lifters. So yes, I use a lot of sub-assemblies (launchers, satellites, landers, return vehicles, space stations), and reload old designs to adapt them to my a mission.

Your tutorial is nice, but I wouldn't suggest to activate SAS on launchpad. On the opposite, I strongly suggest to deactivate SAS until the ship hits 30km. SAS increases wobble. On few exceptions, I activate SAS more quickly if it's hard to keep the ship near prograde. Further more, when the ship stops burning, switch SAS to prograde until you hit 70km.

I agree with you. Most KAC features and KER feautres should be stock. But even I use MJ quite often, I don't think it should be stock (but some data features are missing from KER). "Precise node-like" and "Execute node" could be added though. MJ has 3 man advantages Helping new players to smooth the learning curve Doing stuff you don't like to do Doing some repetitive tasks (such as my 13 launches mission to Jool back in beta - even with MJ, it was looooonnnnnggg)

Ah, going to Jool : probably the nicest system to visit, you can se several moons mostly any time with the naked eye ! Exploring this system takes a long time and provide a lot of fun ! I woiuld recommend to set a permanent base there. Your rocket is too big and you might have some issue with going to LKO. Your ship seems also too big and have redundant parts. As others said, "send empty tank at LKO and refuel there" I would prefer to say "send empty tanks to Jool an refuel there" This is the whole concept of my Salamander Exploration Space Station : Use ISRU ! Burn all you station fuel during the interplanetary transfer and arrive there (mostly) dry. Then refuel at your target (or at Pol, it's easy) As for TWR and dV. Sure, dV is the most important, but TWR is about comfort. Planning interplanetary transfer with a reasonable TWR is much easier than with a low TWR. But to go to Jool, that's not really an issue because the SOI is very big, you can't miss it. It's more of an issue for Moho, Dres or Eeloo. Having a too low TWR may cost you dV. Don't hesitate to send multiple missions instead of a big one. Sending 2 Tons into Jool will cost twice sending 1 ton crafts (except for electric an control parts).

I played science mod game in beta 0.9 and I used a lot of asparagus launchers. As 1.0, I played in career mode, where cash as importance in early and mid game. There was 2 problems to deal with Reducing the cost of a launch to LKO Stabilising flight pattern/aspect/attitude (the ship design doesn't change too much) The answer was rocket SSTO. The shape of the ship doesn't change during flight, there is much less risk of flipping Faster and easier to fly than rockets or space plane SSTO The payload fraction is lower (15 to 19%) Need dedicated parts for reentry and control The cost to LKO is very low because of recovery (around 350/450 funds per ton, instead of 1000/1500 for a unrecoverable regular rocket) Easily scalable (just add engines and fuel to an existing design) Need a bit of time for reentry (around 1 minute with) Reentry is a bit trickier since 1.0.5, but I didn't test it a lot Here is my SSTO rocket launcher from 15tons to 600 tons http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/110947-cygnus-recoverable-ssto-rockets-15-to-600-tons/

Back in beta 0.9, I did it with a SSTO rocket. The lander was brought into low Tylo orbit from Laythe station by a tug. The lander had to land once and get back to the tug (the Tug would do the rendez-vous), Then, the whil ship returned to the station. The SSTO lander had a low TWR (0.98/tylo when deorbiting) but it raised up to 1.3 (if I'm not mistaken) when landing. The suicid burn was not possible (it resulted in crash every time) even the retrograde trajectory was deadly every time. I had to hover by keeping the vertical velocity under control (nio more than 100 m/s) and concentrating on slowing down the horizontal velocity until TWE was reasonable enough to land. Take off was easier. The ship, had 6050m/s before deorbiting (not counting the tug), it had 50m/s left back on the 30km orbit. The Tylo lander was 14 tons (the Vall/Bop/Pol lander was 15 tons and the Laythe lander was 16 tons) Sadly I don't have many pictures of the lander SSTO lander at Tylo : Success ! / SSTO reaching orbit ! The whole Jool station orbiting Laythe (this was not a Jool-5 challenge because the station was assembled around Laythe (13 flights). The Tylo SSTO lander is hidden below the tanks. It's on the opposite side of the alternative staged lander for tylo you can see below the return vehicle which is docking. I wasn't sure I would be able to land the SSTO lander so I brought another lander ( and 6 pilots !) This is the Tylo tug carrying the Laythe SSTO lander on it's final approach in his flight from Kerbin. The design was a bit different (ram jets + Swivel instead of double LVN) but the general shape and mass was nearly the same Of course, this lander should have to be heavily redesigned in 1.0.x due to LAN mass increase and physicless parts having no mass at that time. But that was a very nice multiple mission which I played during 3 weeks

Yes I'm very bothered with the need to return to Kerbin to get XP¨awards. I use the "Field Experience" mod which should be stock. A middle solution would be to add a "training pod part", like the mobile lab, which would allow Kerbals to turn XP into level with some time (few days). That type of part would be a nice addition to space stations. Also, a space station with this part would allow to validate "rescue missions"

For scientists, that's not true. When your scientists are level 3, you've nearly unlocked all the tech tree (I always do), even without researching in a lab. Level 4/5 scientists are mostly useless. As for engineers, its also very grindy to level them to 5. Except for a Jool-5 partial mission or a trip too Eeloo you don't get them easily. The OP suggestions are nice, but the XP system need to be changed. Experienced kerbals come too late in the game.

That's true. Stripping Mun and Minmus for Science will unlock the whole techtree. No need to use the lab. It's quicker that way. But I use mobile lab afterward to turn science into cash.

If you land near 3 biomes, you can hop there, it's not very expensive (except on Tylo/Eve) but much quicker. Bringing down a rover have its cost too. I'm also questioning he use of rover. Design is quite hard and piloting is not as fun as it could be. Even though, I'll give it a try on 1.1.