LordCucumber77

Setting down on Duna with a fully equiped base set as part of a mission. It's probably the heaviest thing I ever launched in one go, so without refueling or modular building it in orbit, and it included a science lab and habitat unit. The landing did not go very smoothly though, as I was very nervous (it took me a couple of 'simulated' tries but I felt it had to be possible) & I fiddled with the landing gear and the last of my Delta V upon arrival: A landing you can walk away from....

I'm like the German army in World War 2 & tanksin this situation: I almost always build either from scratch, or (heavily) modify existing models for each launch. I think half my videos are about building rockets and testing them. As I completely suck at math, I generally don't bother calculating Delta V (up until recently I had no idea how, in fact) so scratch building and winging it was key to my (often questionable) success.

Funny and often all too true

I accidentally ordered a kerman to EVA during re-entry. Whilst recording it. A scientist, dead in a split second:

Woohoo! I got a probe to Duna for the very first time ever playing the game, and it felt sooooo gratifying. The Mun? Moderately hard but not impossible! Minmus? Easy when you've visited the Mun a couple of times. But Duna? Oh boy...! Let's Play: Kerbal Space Program 1.0, Part 43: Duna Probe, Arrival & Execution LESSONS LEARNED during this mission: - I've concluded that I have used a TON of Delta-V for this simple probe, sending the cost of the rocket soaring up, and could have done it with (a lot) less probably - RCS is great for maneuvering, but not for slowing down a descent, even with parachutes out - Parachutes work a leeeeeeeeeeetle different in Duna's atmosphere - It's takes a while to get there & back again, good to note for any manned mission and short running contracts

That time I accidentally confused EVA with Crew Report during a return trip from my spacestation (hey I was tired from all the failed docking maneouvres, ok? I mean LITERALLY tired..): https://youtu.be/PT69iK4ATLU?t=3692

With a good 100k views under my belt, I may be able to contribute here: - Make sure you offer something new to watch every video. Progression is the key to lasting success. This is pretty difficult: I tend to repeat myself several times during a series with stuff I simply don't remember doing earlier. In my experience, the only way to make sure it stays 'fresh' is to set goals for each video, and scrap the goals you've achieved from your list of series goals. For KSP goals could perfectly coincide with the missions you are given, such as altitude records and achieving orbit for the first time. Later you can set yourself up to go somewhere, like Duna, and do something specific, like building a base there. Again, missions help to reinforce a plan. - Make sure your viewers see you fail from time to time, too: There is no shame in failure, it happens to everyone. KSP takes a lot of attention, and mistakes pile up in situations that you cannot reverse, unless you save/load constantly, which isn't fun to watch. Back out of a plan if it seems destined to fail over and over again and go smaller if you need to. E.G. Get to the Mun first before trying Eeloo, even if this is your end goal. Keep it realistic. - Figure out the basics of the game before starting. It's generally not fun watching three videos of you bumbling with the controls. I know because I've made that mistake. Make checklists if you have to. I used to mess up my staging CONSTANTLY untill I made a small list of what to check before a launch. It saved time and it really helped keeping the flow up. - Half an hour is what most people that enjoy KSP can stomach. Anything longer has to be very exciting to keep the average KSP fans attention. Short videos generally equals more views. 15 - 20 minutes will bag you a lot more new views as well, as it is easier for new people on your channel to assess what you are all about. And some general stuff, from experience: - Be well rested before a recording. - Have a drink (water) handy, as you will be talking a lot. - Get a good mike. Static is not nice to hear longer than a few minutes. - Viewers will notice when you are not enjoying yourself. Make a cut to continue another time if things get boring/annoying/repetitive. - The most important thing of all: HAVE FUN and express that if you feel like it.

My KSP series can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/user/LordCucumber77

Hey peeps, As a recording gamer, and a somewhat noob-ish KSP player learning as he goes, I've started a new series on KSP (unmodded) recently. For those interested you can find it here: Enjoy!