Capt Snuggler

I left 3 Kerbals strapped in their seats for 7 years transferring to Jool. The smell when that capsule door opened could strip paint off a battle ship.

is this still being worked on?

I wish they would add programmable flight script automation to the 2.5m probe core. *not an auto pilot as the player must assemble the command list. for example, a basic launch script would look like: set throttle: 100% set SAS mode: rotation hold set rotation hold: pitch: 90° yaw: 90° roll: 0° Stage! wait for: alt = 7000m set rotation hold: pitch: 45° yaw: 90° roll: 0° wait for: stage fuel = 0.0L Stage! wait for: alt = 20000m set SAS mode: prograde hold wait for: apoapsis = 100000m set throttle: 0% wait for: altitude = 71000m Stage! wait for: altitude = 100000m set throttle: 100% wait for: periapsis = 99000m set throttle: 0% print msg: (free text) You are now in orbit. have a nice day! end It would make the high end probe cores worth striving for.

They could totally do this with the new texture switch feature coming.

I used masking tape and a sharpy but also came up with my own standard keys for common AGs: primary engine toggle secondary engine toggle engine mode toggle chutes coms toggle panels toggle cargo bay toggle cargo release docking release retract/close all

*cat food

yes them too and WOW that comparison is so jarring!!! need to post that every where repeatedly and stir up an old fashioned community frenzy. that's the only way to get things changed around here.

the longer they leave this the more resistance there will be from corners of the community. they need to be replaced now before too many more people ( @Majorjim!) get emotionally attached to the ugly parts.

Don't forget adequate tools/budget calculators/mission planners to help the player figure it all out. without the supporting tools it will just get shouted down by all the dummies. or worse diluted down to a boring mass depleting "fuel" resource.

anything with active volcanism. (or steam vents)

I mean that average players (my self included) cannot be expected to learn a programming language in order to stop their probes from bricking when outside comms range. You could crate the script and initiate it when in coms range. just make the first event a "wait for: X" or similar. so you could initiate the script just as you enter the SOI of Duna, then it waits until the X condition (ie. altitude) is met before continuing with the script. so for example, just as you enter the SOI of Duna you run the script. set SAS mode: retrograde hold set throttle 50% wait for: periapsis = 100000m set throttle 0% wait for: altitude = 100000m set throttle 100% wait for: apoapsis = 110000m set throttle 0% end

ALSO The functions and script length should be defined by the probe core. the better the probe core, the more "memory" and the more advanced functions. such as: set throttle: maintain acceleration = 2.0 G set rotation hold: match target orientation (for docking) or a bunch of specific rover driving or plane piloting functions. The player still needs to define all the values.

instead of "programming", which I agree is far too complicated for the average player, what about a simple event script? pick "events" from a drop down list and put them in the correct order. set the functions, targets and required values (time delays, altitudes etc, resource values). load to launch pad and click "run script". eg: set throttle: 100% set SAS mode: rotation hold set rotation hold: pitch: 90° yaw: 90° roll: 0° Stage wait for: alt = 7000m set rotation hold: pitch: 45° yaw: 90° roll: 0° wait for: stage fuel = 0.0L Stage wait for: alt = 20000m set SAS mode: prograde hold wait for: apoapsis = 100000m set throttle: 0% wait for: altitude = 71000m Stage wait for: altitude = 100000m set throttle: 100% wait for: periapsis = 99000m set throttle: 0% print msg: (free text) You are now in orbit. have a nice day! end This is a crude launch to orbit script. obviously it depends on the craft and could be improved and made infinitely more precise. (*also im not sure about the pitch, yaw and roll values. I think 0,0,0 points you at the eastern horizon.) The scripts would be as important as the craft files and shared by the community. by having predefined options you avoid having to learn syntax. instead you just keep adding events to the script. by selecting options from a drop down and inputting values where needed.

I'll Keep this short a sweet. the proposed dragon fly probe will be a quadcopter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly_(spacecraft) can we have stock electric propellers now... PLEASE.