Leopard

The game is indeed very nearly addictive. Right up until I launch something, on a pretty routine flight, and the game locks up, won't save progress and forces a reboot When/If they finally get the console version working then maybe it will be actually addictive as opposed to something I start, play for a few minutes, then remember why I've thought about it but not played it for a couple of weeks

Aware the console versions are currently be re-written, this is more a hope to check this before publication than a request for a fix. Have noticed the tendency for the game to lock you to a view - unable to return to the space centre, when using the time warp feature - e.g. warp forwards in the tracking station and you're stuck there, in map view and while you can flip back to the spacecraft you can't return home either. Just a request to test this sort of thing...

But where was the Earth shattering Kaboom? There was meant to be an Earth shattering Kaboom?

On a console here, what do you mean by "if"? It's more a case of "when"? And what the chance of restarting the game actually helping is

Tried an orbital rescue, for the third attempt, failed at the same point - unable to transfer to the other craft to initiate the EVA, or back to the space centre, or indeed anywhere else. (eggbox one version). Have now given up until the re-write is released, has gotten to the point of playing for more than half an hour or so and something will lock up half the controls, or just crash, or something like the navigation nodes will stop working, or a craft will just explode when you switch to it (usually reporting "collided with the sun" as the reason). nice game, terrible implementation, roll on the update, until then all I'm doing is playing something else

Had this on the Eggbox, seems a reboot clears it, something inside the game coughs and you can delete all you want, this stuff doesn't come back - no idea what causes it but when it does just reboot

space programmes do have a long history of missing deadlines though

I'd add an option to allow the system to be randomised to some level, stuff near Kerbin less so, the stuff further out more so - e.g. tweak the atmospheric density of the worlds with atmosphere, ditto gravity, not hugely but a bit - ditto some of the surface features - provide a reason to explore as opposed to look up on wiki where to go. Plus say Cool and beyond a bit more randomised, e.g. how many moons and the orbits of them

Tinkering really today, prototyped a small cargo spaceplane, which after a few attempts handled with a brush, hose and a bit of paint on the runway managed to get in the air, this is not the work of genius by a long shot - the prototype eventually made orbit, just, unloaded with just enough fuel to come back - but no solar panels. The mission is module recovery, I have a tug probe in orbit (out of fuel naturally) attached to the target module, needed a way to get it home so trying a spaceplane. revised design with solar panels and a bit more fuel made orbit on the first try, flies ok on the way back but its a pig when loaded, anyway its in orbit. Lobbed a second tug, to take over from the first, got to about 2km away before I realised I;d forgotten the RCS fuel... ok so the mission changed to claw it, then transfer remaining fuel to the otherwise operational tug and let it carry on.. Hooked up but thats as far as I've got as the eggbox at that point decided that while it would save progress it would no longer allow me to select components, guessing there is a 'Y' in the day or something so couldn't transfer the fuel, will try again tomorrow. Discovered its not that hard to make a plane that flies, just a bit harder to make one that will lift off, the current one relies on flying off the end of the runway to get airborne, then very gradually lift as it builds more speed - its fast enough, just not enough control wing area when loaded. Still, its all unmanned so worst case is repainting the runway, again

first successful SSTO spaceplane mission. Its a pure test drone, no passengers or payload but from the runway to orbit, and back for a safe landing (though not at KSC, it was safely back on the ground, undamaged). slight modification saw a second flight with a small science package and again a safe return. Needs to be given a bit more fuel so it can adjust the orbit a bit more and come back more where I want and less where I have the DV to deorbit

Managed a single mission from start to finish in one sitting without the console version bugging out on me meaning I have to constantly return to KSC to force the damn thing to save progress before returning

if the limit will sit at 300 though a thought, set the 2nd stage VAB to somewhat less than 255 parts, makes the final upgrade a bit pointless, maybe go for something like 128?

Yup, you're playing a bit of guesswork on the costs due to being difficult to read the first symbol on the eggbox, somewhat irritating

After the mysterious explosion of the 2nd Eve resupply craft a replacement is in LKO waiting a window - since using warp seems to cause the controls to lock up half the time (eggbox, consoles suck for the moment) I wandered to mun on a contract to recover a bit from orbit, launched a small tug backwards, got to mun with its transfer stage attached, undocked, picked up the bit and discovered the transfer stage had drunk all the fuel.. Redocked and used its engines and the fuel it its tanks to return to kerbin, can't re-enter with the tug but the plan was get the bit home them work out what to do with it once I know what it is - game controls then decided that nope, I wasn't saving any progress today so back to the two craft in LKO to try again another day, when the urge to take a hammer to the console has died down a bit

Tonight consisted of testing a small mining probe, it can't do anything useful except refuel itself, purely to toy with the concept on a cheapish probe. second activity related to refuelling my science ship around eve, the first supply ship docked, with about 600 units of liquid fuel left.. um.. yeah. So a second one was assembled, modified to have heat shields to have a bash at aerobraking to save a bit of fuel. Launched, LKO easily enough, set up the Eve transfer, initiated the burn and got a nice encounter, set to 80,000m which I figured was enough for a test. warped out of kerb SOI and dropped back to the craft... Bang. Apparently it had "collided with the sun", which only managed to destroy two (empty) fuel tanks, though sadly severed the engine from the body, also changed the orbit enough the surviving bit got to about 95k from Eve, not enough to try the aerobraking with what was left. Grr. Went to play minecraft for a bit after. roll on the console update

Got my resupply flight on a path to Eve, used 2.5 Mk1 tanks of fuel for the insertion burn, so 9.5 left to brake and meet up with the ship stranded there - may or may not be enough to get it home after finishing its mission, but if not will just send another one of the same design and leave it there as a resource with the Gilly lander attached. Dropped a modified mun lander on mun, my basic design, inefficient as it is, is roughly a science junior with three radial fuel tanks and a terrier under each, above this is a further terrier/tank/pod as a return stage. Modification was a mission to recover a kerbal at a ground base - so stripped the science out, replaced it with a service bay as a placeholder - upper stage un modified. put three girders to space the radial engines - made space for an underslung robot rover - now on mun... The lander crashed though and ended up on its side, the reduced kerbal is currently sitting in the pod, waiting rescue, after the upper stage failed to get clear of the ground before exploding.. at this point the game crashed, again, with frozen controls so I gave up for the night

Last night I designed and assembled the "F1 resupply" craft, basically eight Mk1 liquid fuel tanks as payload, three more and a nuclear engine for itself, some solar panels, batteries and a probe core, plus a few reaction sheets and an RCS rig. Some 40 tons, got it into orbit (first time as well..). has a nose docking port to couple to the F1 currently orbiting Eve out of fuel - the Gilly lander now on one of its rear ports as a parking point. resupply ship also has a new module for F1 on its nose port, small service bay with the 'through' docking port, bay is stuffed with extra batteries and has an antenna on the side as it turns out F1 lacks one... Tried to get the resupply to Eve today but the game wasn't cooperating, if I touch the time warp controls I get the 'no target' issue whereby I can't return to KSC so gave up for the night.

I tend to go with multiple missions, each carrying whatever science kit they can - even if pre-EVA or flag planting, its all worth doing, even single biome missions. Rotate the crews to gain experience for later, each mission to Mun is likely unlocking a science advance, Minmus is similar but once you have a few more toys its two unlocks or one larger unlock. I have a semi-standard mun lander that will do mun or minmus, not the most efficient design but it works reliably. hardest part is making sure each flight hits a fresh biome. Plan to only go back for "missing" science when I make a better multi-biome lander. Each flight goes when a 'plant flag on' mission crops up to pay for it, the landers descent stage has a probe so handles science from the surface contracts on its own. Early science seems to be a case of have a goal in mind, I tend to aim for the 2.5m parts which make landers a lot easier to launch then science and probe tech to make other missions easier.

Continuing various random experiments, had a few contracts for Eve and Gilly, had a simple probe into orbit, managed one to the surface (forgot an antenna.. doh). Anyway so back we needed to go. Nuclear powered research vessel "F1" launched.. test flight to the mun dropping a satellite off and back, there and back on primary fuel leaving its reserve alone, figured Eve is in range.. Its currently in Eve orbit, with three Kerbals and a lander for Gilly, two Eve lander probes still docked, one on the surface. Primary fuel exhausted and have tapped the reserve so have plenty of fuel to muck out in system, just need to get a tanker there to bring them all home (and carry more fuel for the Gilly lander). So far have learnt a fair bit on making a larger science vessel, like give it larger than the smallest reaction wheel, it turns, like a pig. All good fun, roll on 1.2 on consoles.

Indeed, waiting on this one here, current version is way to glitchy to want to spend time with, just too frustrating, least Squad have taken a 'nuke from orbit and restart' approach here. And to get the full new version, bonus

Also unlocked enough bit last night to have a go at a space plane... Well it got to space, if not orbit, landing gently by parachute in one case and the second test landing on its wheels in the middle of nowhere after a long sub orbital hop. Will have to have a go at making one a bit smaller and punchier until I get better engines, starting to get the hang of planes, if not the hang for making them do anything, or landing them back at base

Watch my base headed for Duna explode, the crash report said "crashed in the sun", when out near Kerbal, having only just left the SOI.. The debris then proceeded to explode part by part as they were selected to see if there were any survivors.. Some sort of glitch I'm guessing as the mission was fine prior to this, liftoff, refuel in Kerbin orbit, insertion burn near the end of which it started to act a bit weird, engine off, and shut down yet the closest approach kept moving (significantly, like several hundred k) then relighting the engine and thrusting in any direction leading to it going further with the nodes not available... Shut down, restarted and Bang! blew up when selected.. Ho hum, adios three crew kerbals whose names are unrecorded. Plus side, my refuel tanker had a side experiment that worked, on its first flight I de-orbited it to watch it go bang, 'cept it didn't it blew up on impact, so this second flight I strapped a few parachutes and recovered it intact.. ready to stick back on a booster and use again. Still just mucking about really until the new eggbox version is released as its so very glitchy currently, have managed to get a (small) probe out to Jool though which is my first orbit of the green blob, so progress.. Replacement Eve lander probe is in Kerbin orbit waiting for me to remember what phase angle I need for an insertion burn.. this to replace the last one that was 100% successful expect for 'someone' forgetting to give it an antenna... Its good I don't get real rockets to play with, roll on 1.2 on consoles..

Probe to Eve, first landing in the current game, only my second landing there ever, landing gear exploded but pfff who cares landed, Science! occurred, then came to beam it home... Ahh yes, some how I forgot to fit an antenna... Still on the plus side the probe has space for one so can just start that mission again. face - desk.

Indeed, looking forwards to this, still tinkering but not really trying to do anything other than tinkering. Still getting the issue, to the point there are times I start the game and can't even leave KSC into any of the buildings due to this error, doesn't seem to be related to the size of the save either, no idea whats causing it but would hope the new company actually test a few things. Will see how long it takes but its worth the wait if it works

I actually like the stayputnik, works nicely on SRB boosters with disposable probes, say test 'x' on escape out of Kerbin. SAS is less needed when your under thrust with fins much of the time, and by the time you're unable to use fins and aero you headed for orbit anyway. Besides with lowish thrust its not unflyable. Test to make it my fist orbiting satellite in most career saves as well, liquid steerable rockets and careful use of the controls and it works fine. Obsolete the moment something better comes along of course but fun occasionally. Eggbox here, most of the bits I've never used are far enough along the tech tree I have yet to get there between crashes.. roll on the update.