Tw1

Very true, it's be like challenges. I set aside separate saves to do challenges, if missions were like challenges, I'd do them like that. Though I'd still prefer them to be more of the kind of thing you can do as part of missions you plan on your own. (Like taking a special, paying tourist kerbal with you.) Though, if the devs want to, they could include both types of things somehow, though I'm not entirely convinced set missions will even work. If you're up to the part where you're meant to go to the Mun, and somehow send something to Eve instead, are you penalised for that achievement? Or does the rest of the solar system simply not exist until you unlock it?

True, but these changes are very rapid. I'm more concerned about the loss of ecosystems than bad weather, particularly sensitive ones like reefs. Sure, the world will still be here, add may bounce back if given the chance, but not without loosing lots of cool things we have around us already. For example, I enjoy swimming at the beach in summer, yet a few degrees warmer, and I will have deadly box jellyfish arriving at my local beach. Sea level rise, even small, requires a lot of change to coastal infrastructure. We will survive, but not without many problems. And isn't it that plants put more energy into toxins when you increase the CO2 levels?

With Minmus, the gravity is low enough you could easily use rockets to convay kethane from further out to the base, without many losses. The diminishing science thing though, that's one reason why I hope that we get the ability to collect actual data, rather than just points to earn. Collecting data means you could poke around for a long time.

It's true, however, I still don't feel that locking in a certain story is necessary. Just make the next logical step. You've made orbit. Now isn't that big grey circle in the sky look tempting? Landed on both moons a few times, which planets are closest? How are you going to check them out- probes, or send a kerbaled ship and hope? Making your own decisions, and succeeding or failing is one of the good things about kerbal space program- it gets you to think, and experiment, rather than follow some elses orders. There is a tutorial mode already, no doubt that will be somewhat more extensive in the final game, so you get a better handle on the basic skills. I'm hoping for a more request style thing with contracts, rather than "Now, go to the Mun!". For example, Dr. Fred Kerman might request certain data from the Mun. This could prompt a new player to go to the Mun for the first time, while someone whose space program is more advanced could send out someone in a lander stationed at their mun base, etc. Or, you could completely ignore that request. The thing is, somewhere along the line, they decided not to include science in the sandbox mode. I want to take the kerbals out to discover things, now, sandbox now seems like it's just meant for mucking around with the parts, building crazy things, etc.

The broken stayputnik further enhances the futility and hopelessness of the shot. But I'm still going to go there.

The witchcraft is ready! Great! More room to pig out on modsNo more crashes more hopefully!

You fixed it, just as I was getting used to the permanent polar storm.... Will have to check the new version out. Also, been looking up how to make seamless textures, so I might have a go at improving that city detail texture again in several days time.

I like the OP's ideas, though I'll toss in an idea I raised previously- stations and bases, if they contain enough kerbals, the right parts, are there for long enough, etc, should add to your reputation level. They should also be possible destinations for space tourists. I'm hoping for another level of science, which lets us collect actual data, so doing tests on the ground, and expanding the knowledge of kerbalkind would be another. I'd like to point out that all these ideas, can simply be added as a gameplay mechanic. There is no need for you to "accept a mission" to map a planet, but having the maps is useful, not to mention damn cool, and if you go about it the wrong way, it simply won't work. This is a good thing. Many games are story driven. The story shapes the experience, makes sure you won't get stuck in an impossible situation etc. It's perfectly valid, and I've enjoyed many games that work this way. But Kerbal doesn't need this. There's enough in this game to inspire you to do your own things. Just look at the fanworks, and mission reports sections. I made a base on Minmus because there was a nice spot, I'm going to Eve because I want to sail the boiling seas and see what there is to see. And if you end up in an impossible situation, well, you should've tested your stuff better. Career mode should challenge us with the need to manage the home front of our space programs, and give as things to do as we fly about the solar system. Not lock us into a certain story, when most players seem to find there own.

Agreed. I like to do the tests over and over again, even in spots I've been before, just incase they might find something new. (I know they won't, it's a roleplay thing.) Though the "Science points" may diminish, I'd like a secondary system where you collect actual data- rock composition, atmo comp, even if the substances named are fictionalised- It would make it more interesting. For example, regolith composition could vary based on distance from certain coordinates, and if they went down to a few decimal places, you'd only have to drive so far to notice the data changing. Maybe they could be used to lead you somewhere. This wouldn't be for more points, this would make sure there were things to do on a long term mission, and after you've exhausted all the science points. Because really, science never ends. There's still so much we don't know about our own planet, and we've been here for ages.

I'm pretty sure tweakables is more about selecting if you want a tank to start empty or full, or what LF - O ratio, or if your landing legs start deployed or not, rather than being about reshaping parts. I do like this idea though. I suspect it would work like KAS's storage containers- as the parts inside are unloaded, you can't make use of them until you get them out. I'm by no means a Unity expert, but couldn't you do exactly that by changing some ridgidbodies to kinematic (they only make programed movements), but leaving others non-kinematic (affected by physics)?

I've had that bug. So annoying.

Made this, while listening to lectures all day- giving my brain a break. Kind of. It's the Jool(and-definitelly-not-really-Eve) mission supply ship. It will launch probably sometime tomorrow. (The slides for the lecture I'm up to are really interesting, and KSP just crashed.) Edit: Nope. Launched tonight, at 700+ parts, took the whole hour for few minutes of launch. Oh Noes! Not using KAS? Then you can pull of small struts and things as you please. Or any part really, if you edit the file.

Aerobraking at Duna not an option?

I have a suggestion/request. Currently, when you use the "set to current location" feature of the land your ship thing, hyperedit stores the location with a letter, like K or h. This seems to make it very imprecise when you go and actually use that save location. I use that feature for setting things up, or if there are terrain changes, for putting things back in position. It would be much better if hyperedit stored the location with several decimal places, so things can be put in place with precision.

Ah. Now that makes perfect sense. I wonder if that reversal aspect has anything to do with why Kerbal speech sounds like Spanish in reverse. It's a strange business, language exchange across universes. I wonder if use of Old kerbish would extend to politics. It would make sense of a political decision in a story of my own. (I mean, really, Eve's totally fine to visit...) Though I know at least some communication is done VIA telephone, a recent invention in my kerboverse.

Haha! My work here is done. Actually, no. I didn't go to space today, due to power problems at KSC. I sent my technicians to investigate. Always wanted to try climbing one of these. Started making a model of one out of toothpicks once, skeched a few in my school books. Turns out large sections of the network were missing. This won't be fixed for a while... There's a great view up there. In a way, they are kind of magnificent. "Powerlines are a reminder of Kerbalkind's ability to generate electricity" -Darryl Kerman. (He's always saying things like that.)

Welcome to the club, again as a full member!

How to clean your Kerbals. Done! A clean kerbal is a happy kerbal. Edit: Extra steamy mode! Another Edit: And I thought hogging the hot water was bad...

I have also been following, but as your threads often seen to coincide with when I realize things of my own, I may have been avoiding bumping other threads.I know how much a comment is worth to a writter, so here's one now! Please don't throw things at me. I've been enjoying the "Kermunist" style.

If they do do it, I hope that the tourists just pop up in the crew list, then you can include them when you're ready. Bases and stations as well as planets, could be used as destinations.

* * * There are lots of ways to explore a planet. Just walking would be the most intimate, and the fastest in Eve's case, would be a plane with electric propellers and/or kethane jets. But the aim of this mission is to investigate the oceans. So what are we going to Eve with? I call it the Eve Oceans Explorer. Been working on it for a while, so you may have seen it around. Evepod, for short. Specially tested for Evian conditions, it runs fine carrying twice its own weight. It has driving wheels and reinforcing wheels (landing gear), a glass bottom, backup systems, and it is capable of steady sailing at 15m/s, at 4x physics warp. This may not sound like much, but that's equivalent to 200km in an hour of gameplay time, and should be fine for touring Eve's island chains. Of course, you've got to get it there first. KSC began an extensive series of tests: All this activity didn't go unnoticed. Some young boy: "Hey, look up there! There's something on fire!" KSC's latest tour guide: "Yes, that is, uh, an amphibious Laythe explorer, for possible future visits. We're working on landing sequences today." Boy's younger sister: "Oh my gosh, you're going to Laythe?! This will be just like in-" Young boy (interrupting): " But why is the heat shield so big? My book says Laythe has a thinner atmosphere than Kerbin, and you don't have those on other rockets." Tour guide: "Yes, but it's also got to survive an aerocapture at Jool, which generates a lot of heat. You need a big shield there." Boy (looking up): "But the engines just came of with the heat shield! Wouldn't it make sense to drop the heavy shield after Jool, then land on Laythe with something lighter?" Tour guide: "You're a smart kid. I'm sure the engineers have their reasons. If you study hard, maybe one day, you'll be able to work here-- (looks up) Oh my Squad... We've got incoming! Everybody run! RUN!" * * * Donvey was chosen to pick up Watsan Kerman, as he'd flown a VTOL once or twice before, and that was the only way to get to him. He landed at "Waoboaler ridge" in the mid morning: Watsan: "Uh, h-hi. You are from KSC, then?" Donvey: "That's me! Lovely place you've got here." Wastan: "Y-yes. You will find fuel over there, we will leave in 6 minutes. " Donvey: "Um, Ok?" Watsan inspected the aircraft, a modified Fn-135, RocketTurtle brand. Watsan: "I take it the external seat is for me?" Donvey: "Yeah, mission planning says you've got to prove you've got the right stuff, if you're going to survive on Eve," Watsan: "It will be adequate." Donvey may not be the greatest pilot ever... Donvey: "So, what's it like, living in the antarctic?" Watsan: "Comfortable". Donvey: "Ah... got any family?" Wastan: "Two sisters, parents deceased." Donvey: "Sad to hear it. Donvey: "So, what made you want do go to Eve? Not the nice weather I presume? Watsan: "Simple. I have beaten all of Kerbin's environments. Forest, deasurt, tundra.. I survived all of them. Eve presents an entirely new challenge." So Watsan joined the Kerbal Space Program. To anyone else, he would've been just another astronaut. But his training specifically put him with KSC's most experienced planet explorers, to give him the best chance possible on Eve. Have a training montage: 30 days until Eve window...

Career mode atmosphere research time. You know what, I'm going see if I can glide this to the VAB. I did it. Now, to explore this strange new place.

Since version 0.22, I've been getting a lot of crashes, mostly during scene changes. Today, it was crashing like crazy, and the only thing that had changed was a small update to windows, I think. Removing this plugin made it possible to fly around without crashing, but Kerbin looks like a rubber ball without it. I have a few chrash reports, if they are of any use. https://www.dropbox.com/s/nwkb7rdbmrtcd5j/2013-08-07_131122.zip Or, if it's RAM trouble, I've yet to try the texture reduction pack, or maybe it's time to say goodbye to some of hooligan labs's balloons.

KAS, by far. So much you can do with this.

I was going to only include a few images, but got a bit carried away. Enjoy the story, I guess. Plane used is RocketTurtle's swept wing VTOL. *Disclaimer: Some hack gravity may have been used, as I was getting heaps of crashes today, for some reason. But not much.