ValleyTwo

Of the same game? Show me.

Well, majority messed up the landing. Tried to go to a earlier save, failed, game deleted and will not be playing KSP for another year or so. Maybe when they make it so that a game can have more than one save file available? I don't know. Sandbox should not feel like iron mode. I should not feel like messing up one thing messes up the game completely.

Where are the tiny little space beers and tiny little space bags of heavily salted space chips?

So, I decided to get it over with. The Robotic Nuke-Tug took the Mini-Miner to the Orbital Science Station. Not only were tanks topped off but I had decided to fix the wheel as suggested. I hate space walks. Partly because I feel the RSC control of the suits kind of sucks. Mostly because I hate heights. So no images were captured till after the wheel was repaired and Bill was on his way back to the airlock he started out from. Tomorrow, with all the equipment repaired, tanks full, and the designs tested I will be sending it to the MUN!

Boy, oh boy did I have problems. And I had nobody to blame but myself. I decoupled the Mini-Mining Platform from its Booster and found that MechJeb and the Probe had no control over the Mini-Miner. So I have to place another one in Orbit. And tested it. I needed it to have a solid control over the Mini-Miner because it would need to land on its wheels when it got to the Mun. But once landed, depending on how far away it was from the Lander, I needed it to use Rover Autopilot to get to the target. At this point, being paranoid, I checked on my Robotic Nuke-Tug and found out I had launched a MK 1 into space. The one with the messed up RSC set up. So I junked it, deleted the MK 1 from the saves, and launched a MK 2 to link up with the functioning Mini-Miner. But the Mini-Miner had a broken wheel. So, I could have them dock at the OSS, get the fuel tanks topped off, AND have a Engineer do a spacewalk to fix the wheel. OR just head directly to the Mun. My problem is I don't know how well the Mini-Miner will be able to handle a broken wheel all by itself. Or even if I could drive it with such a handicap. Any advice would be welcome.

So, the rescue begins with the Mini-Mun-Mining Platform being placed into orbit around the home planet. This is, in fact, after the first launch failed. The Booster had to be re-engineered to handle the new payload. And the second Robotic Nuke-Tug also put into orbit to help carry the Platform to the Mun. I just have to make sure to check all the settings, make sure the fuel in the Platform STAYS in the Platform, and so on. Let us see where this goes.

So, started the serious business of making a mini-mun mining platform to send to the Mun to help refuel the trapped Lander. Spent much of the time reeducating myself on how the Rover Autopilot works. I might have to drive the last few meters myself when approaching the Lander. I assume I may have to put an antenna on the thing too. Otherwise I am not sure it will work with just a probe alone. Maybe more testing. And a smaller design? Hmmmm.... Then I would have to design a Booster to get it into orbit. And have another Nuke-Tug launched to take it to Mun orbit. To the drawing board!

Back to the drawing board! The Basic Lander was redesigned - in other words the jet fuel tanks were replaced with rocket fuel tanks. Sadly, I assume this means the Booster for the Lander will have to also be redesigned later to deal with the extra mass. A mining platform was designed. A experiment - not a design that would be used on the Mun or other moons. I just want to relearn how it all works. I even fast forwarded to see how the equipment works. Sadly, this region of the planet has little ore and turning it into fuel was slow going. Luckily the spot where the Lander is trapped on the Mun should be a better spot for mining. So I will now design a tiny mining rover to mine ore, process it to fuel, and top off the Lander's tanks. That should give it enough Delta-V to get it into orbit. Once there the Nuke-Tug can link up with it and take it back to the OSS. Learning what I have at Mun I can think about a full-scale mining operation on Minmus to supply future interplanetary missions.

So, last we left our Heroes around the Mun. They decoupled the Basic Lander and started the process of landing on the selected site. But I noticed something was very wrong. Where was their FUEL? At first I wondered if maybe the Nuke-Tug had used some of it instead of using its own. Still, they were able to land in one piece. But now they were trapped on the Mun. Oh no! Muntrap! (Coming to a theater near you). I examined the Lander and realized, once again, it was my fault. The four outer tanks were JET FUEL tanks. The crew were not pleased. Also I just noticed "Bill" is on the flag instead of "Bob". No doubt Bob is even more upset now. Also, the solar panels were on top of the tanks. Which meant recharging the battery was harder to do because we had to wait till high noon to properly broadcast the data collected. So. first thing - redesign the Basic Lander. Second, testing the mining equipment back home. For I need to make a tiny mining platform, on wheels, to refuel the Lander to bring the crew back. Luckily, I am not using one of the Life Support Mods. Still, at least this isn't Dwarf Fortress. One of them would turn into a weremoose and kill the other one. Off to the VAB!

Well, I finally picked the crew to go the Mun. Bob Kerman and Jebediah Kerman will be going to the Mun. Jeb won the coin toss against Val. So the joint Nuke-Tug and Lander was allowed to drift away from the OSS for a time. I didn't want them hitting each other. Sadly, once again I failed to check which way was front and which way was back. So it wasted some fuel going nowhere. But I soon corrected my mistake and the journey continued. So in the end I finally got the two to the Mun with less fuel than I should have. But still enough to get back after the mission. Not even counting the fuel in the Lander. At least they both look happy at being in orbit about the Mun. As far as Kerbals have gone in their history. At least in this game save.

Well, the Nuke-Tug and the Basic Lander made it to the OSS - after a little issue caused by me forgetting to tell the Tug which way was forward and which way was backwards. And the Senior Docking Ports were set up correctly. Yeah! So the Tug's Liquid Fuel was topped off. And Mono was taken from one of the Crew Taxis. They don't need it for the "downward" return to Kerbin. HA! Now I just have to decide on the crew. The Lander is for two and has science stuff all over it. So Bob will be going because he is the only scientist on the payroll. Bill will stay in the OSS till I have a mining platform ready for the Mun. Then he can be its engineer. But which pilot will be going? Valentina flew up one of the Crew Taxis after they were tested and Jebediah flew up with the OSS after it was designed and tested. I guess I need to flip a coin.

When, today, I tried to link the Nuke-Tug and the Basic Lander. The Tug, within 60 meters, went nuts, the RSCs pushing it away from the Lander. I decided it needed a new design so I terminated it and rebuilt a Mk II. IT did better. In that after it lined up with the Lander airlock it slowly approached it. Over the next FOUR hours. Finally, at the last 20 meters, it came "alive" again and increased speed slightly to dock at dinner time. At least it didn't waste mono. Once linked I took fuel from the Lander Booster to top off the Tug's tank. Then they decoupled. Tomorrow we see if they can get to the OSS to pick up a crew.

Today I tried again and again to find a way to send a Lander to the Mun. But I just could not get that finally booster, the first stage, that gets everything into orbit just right. More fuel meant more mass which means less Delta-V and so on. So I sent a Basic Lander into orbit. And then sent a Robotic Nuke-Tug. I plan to have them link up then go and link up at the OSS to top off the tanks. The Tug could also take from fuel from the Lander's Booster before they decouple. IF the Senior Docking Ports of the Station and the Nuke-Tug are facing the right ways of course. *sigh* Otherwise I will rage-quit and come back in half a year when I want to try it again.

D'Oh! So...after everybody explained to me the issue I was having was the type of antenna I was using I built a new Relay Sat. I placed it in polar orbit around the Mun. And also visited the landing site during the day. It seems to be a valley with a flat bottom. So it should prove to be a good place to land and mine. Next mission will be a crewed one to check out the site first hand. Maybe with a rover and some science stuff. Plant a flag. Collect a few rocks for the OSS. And find the perfect spot for the mining base.

Today, in order to properly explore the Mun I decided to put Sats around it. My first failed. You can see it had some issues. And I tried another version. But that one also failed. After many MANY failures and retries, and a rebuild, I had a working delivery system for the relay Sats. But once the four were spread out...shouldn't they be talking to EACH other also? Oh well... Anyway, I landed a tiny mini-ore-lander in the Highlands, close to the North Pole. I picked it because I wanted someplace with a short night-day cycle and also, from orbit, looked like it had a good amount of ore. The landed mini-scanner showed 10.42 %. To be honest I am not sure that is good or bad. Due to the landscape I think I may have to send a crewed mission just to check the place out (in day light), take samples, find a flat spot. Maybe with a rover with another scanner to pin down a nice spot. Before the mining starts anyway. Or should I try to find a better spot?

A few days ago I uploaded the latest version of KSP (1.6.1) and MechJeb. I put up a bunch of Sats into orbit. I then built a Orbital Science Station and made two Crew Taxis to transport the crew to man and run the station. As you can see I over-engineered the Taxis. Today I put a Scanner into orbit around Kerbin and one around the Mun. Tomorrow will be the hardest and most fun part. Making tiny little rovers for scanning the surface. Small enough to fit a few on a rocket. But big enough to handle landing without crashing. I kind of already picked a spot that looks good. But I want to check the polar regions of the Mun also. I assume future mining operations will do better with solar power available. First will have to put a few Sats about the Mun of course.

Depending on how quickly we develop fusion reactors for wide spread use a lot of nations are already eyeing the Moon for its Helium-3 and other minerals. China and Russia have both talked about mining the Moon while other nations, such as the UK, have been eyeing Jupiter's atmosphere. Once it becomes profitable and everybody starts seeing dollar signs on the Moon we'll be back. And we're bring tourists and blackjack and hookers and taxes.

Found this while looking up alternate evolution and wondered what you folks felt about it? How would it change history? Would it have changed history? http://spaceflighthistory.blogspot.com/2015/10/an-alternative-stationshuttle-evolution.html

I have never gone to the North Polar before. And now I really want to. I think because one, I have been reading At The Mountains Of Madness again and two because I saw this: I also have a Life Support System mod. So now I want to try to make a land-ship of some kind. It needs to be stable, have room and board for a few crew members and MAYBE a type of aircraft that could be unloaded (maybe unmanned) for exploring the frozen north. But do I have the time for such a project?

I put up my second ComSat. I swear I am not drinking when I put up the Sats, I am just too lazy to make their orbits look perfect. I just plan to make it so they don't bunch up together.

I did not wait for MechJeb. I put a ComSat into a very bad orbit - but it works. How many ground stations are there? I seem to be having a ton of contacts all over the planet. Well, at least four I did not know of. My first basic ComSat.

Downloaded KSP 1.2 and then sent Jeb into space and he came down without killing himself. First try. Happy. Once MechJeb is back I will be putting up comsats and scanners and all kinds of junk. And start my long-term game to TRULY explore all the planets. Do or die. This will be the game. All this stuff we can do, even in a sandbox game now. I now have a reason to explore beyond the home planet. I will build a interplanetary mother-ship, fueling bases, landers, the works.

Well, as a person who has played both games I would say you have to define what you mean by best but I would have to go with Minecraft. While you can say you are comparing bananas vs. apples (which is something people say when you don't want to get yelled out) I prefer bananas. I like KSP but I have to add mods to play it. I love Minecraft and have to add mods to make it harder. Just like one adds mods to Fallout or Skyrim. But I could play it without them. I find Minecraft relaxing, enjoyable, and can do anything I wish in it, like Dwarf Fortress or UnReal World or, to a certain degree, even Hearts of Iron 3 or Mount & Blade: Warband. Minecraft is well know, played by more people (don't even pretend it isn't), and all ages can play it. Yes, I know young players also play KSP but I am betting the Minecraft crowd has some who are even younger. You may say people play it to waste time (which is insulting) but I would say they play it to enjoy it. Sometimes I just don't enjoy KSP. And sometimes I just don't play. When I come home and think, I want to play a enjoyable game I pick one of the others. When I come home and think to myself, I REALLY want to see if I can get that SSTO to work because it is bothering me, I sometimes play KSP.

As it states on the tin - having a 3-D Printer would be great. Of course, the size of the craft is makes would likely be limited to so many tons, so more useful for using on the moons or planets for creating habitats, rovers, so on. Or if used in space would likely be used to make probes, one-crew orbital craft, and droids for stations. Heavy, energy hog with limited use but still useful I think for long term missions allowing the players to make equipment on the spot without having to bring it all.

After some debate it was decided that the Students of the Draconis Combine's Space Camp (and Waffle House) would submit a science project to the KSC. And they designed a working model of the Nuclear Orbital Tugs that our engineers are working on (and failing to get to work). Unlike the real things this tug seems to work, mostly. It is very tiny and also free of any nuclear engines or nuclear material. At 0.752 t it is very light. And in vacuum should have 2344 m/s Delta-V. The goal of the model tug is to see how high a stable orbit it can reach before running out of fuel. Of course there is a danger, due to how light it is, that it could escape the pull of the planet's gravity and go interplanetary. The data from the observers on the shuttle (and the small computer inserted into the probe) would be broadcast back to the planet's surface to allow the students to get real feedback from their creation. The purpose of such a project, of course, is: 1. Give the students real hands on experience in rocket design and building. 2. Encourage students to think about future employment among the ranks of the Draconis Combine's Space Branch (or other space programs). 3. Good Public Relations for everyone involved. Model Tug: https://www.dropbox.com/s/k4jpc0tutzavj5p/Model%20Tug.craft?dl=0 (NASA takes part in a lot of programs with high schools and colleges and I figured you needed to launch a science project - also it is hard to make a model of my space tug without tiny nuclear engines. Also, I doubt, if we wish to be realistic, you would allow nuclear engines into a shuttle)