nobody44

Hello, I use Flight Engineer everywhere I can, but the plugin has one weird bug: Once I get into an escape trajectory, the Engineer plugin calculates a *LOT* of stuff and blocks the entire game. If I disable the vessel window inside the plugin, it works fine. I looked into the source code and I think I figured it out: double s = seconds; int m = 0; int h = 0; int d = 0; int y = 0; while (s >= 60) { m++; s -= 60; } while (m >= 60) { h++; m -= 60; } while (h >= 24) { d++; h -= 24; } while (d >= 365) { y++; d -= 365; } Those loops are really expensive. Use this: int y = (int)(seconds / (24.0 * 60.0 * 60.0 * 365.0)); seconds = seconds % (24.0 * 60.0 * 60.0 * 365.0); int d = (int)(seconds / (24.0 * 60.0 * 60.0)); seconds = seconds % (24.0 * 60.0 * 60.0); int h = (int)(seconds / (60.0 * 60.0)); seconds = seconds % (60.0 * 60.0); int m = (int)(seconds / (60.0)); seconds = seconds % (60.0); And then the variables y, d, h, m and seconds as before. I didn't try to use it in your plugin, but it works fine in my plugin.

Sadly it is not save specific. I opened some days ago an issue on github to keep this in mind. I figure many users want this feature. Version 0.4 is out, and here are the dramatic changes: I introduced mission packages. There were too many mission files in a directory and you can not browse them conveniently, so there is a new mission package browser. It is a bigger window with all missions in the mission package you previously selected. You can preview the missions and if you decide to finish the mission you press the button "Select mission". Everything else is like before. I also added a new mission field: category, which lets the mission designer decide, which icons should be shown in the mission package browser. Currently this does not work, but it will as soon as I get some icons . Currently working on: 1. The open issues 2. documentation with mission guidelines and some scripts to make mission maintaining easier 3. some new ideas, act surprised . And I have several question: Should I make the mission package browser window bigger (wider, not taller)? Sadly Unity does not support resizable windows... Now where it is usable, what do you think about the mission package browser? @BlazingAngel665, I like the mission icons, but could you color them in the same color? It looks too colorful . And no text for the mission icons. The icons itself look great btw. A lot of work I guess. Thanks a lot!!! Try the new version and imagine two icons (maximal two) to the right of the mission buttons.

Oh yes indeed. Is someone willing to build a website for users to upload their mission packages? But wait till tomorrow for the new file format .

Did you rename the plugin directory? The path to the mission files has to be "KSP/GameData/MissionController/Plugins/PluginData/MissionController/" (case sensitive on Linux an Mac).

Ah, now I understand what you are suggesting. Generally, I like the idea, but: I don't know in what period of time I can implement this, so do not expect this to happen in the next release I would make this behaviour optional, default would be off. The users which are willing to use it should read your tutorial to see why the current vessel is so ridiculously expensive compared to the last vessel About the queue: Do you want the user to launch the vessels in the same queue as they were built in? Your idea makes the progress in the space program really hard (which I generally like): Want to Duna with that huge vessel? That will take a lot of work because you have a launch window and you have to take care of the penalties. Thanks for the suggestions, I would like to make this happen, but don't know when and how (the details) . I like it .

I will have to see if Mapsat provides an interface to interact with the plugin. If there is one, I would be very happy to make this happen. I am in contact with the developer of the "Sample Return" plugin, and as far as I can tell he collects resources which can be used in the ResourceGoal in MC. Kethane missions are already possible with ResourceGoal (Mine 500 units of Kethane and bring it back to Kerbins surface.) or PartGoal. The additional values sound nice and I will implement them in the near future (I think they will make it into the next release). I will not provide Kerbal Live Feed support in terms of that I will send the mission data. That would cause serious plugin dependency issues, but what I could and will do is to provide an extensive interface for access the currently selected mission (and mission packs). And if the developer from Kerbal Live Feed is willing do support my plugin, he is free to do so. There is already an interface for external plugins to access the space program (basically the money). Ouh yeah, it is getting hard to keep track of all those great ideas *and* my own ideas... And ... I see, I didn't chose my nickname very wisely. "then enjoy what nobody made" sounds weird but funny . Here is a status update: I am currently working on a mission package browser. So basically you, as a mission designer, have to provide a single file, the mission package. MissionPackage { name = Mission package name description = a very long text with contributions with newest changes and stuff Mission { ..... default mission definition } } Many users suggested that the mission directory and the current mission selection dialog would be very inaccessible, because the directory is full of mission files. So I decided to take that step and wrote a mission browser. Before you select a mission you select a mission package, which is a bundle of missions. A big window opens up with mission preview (you don't have to close the window again to see the mission goals and stuff), and this is it. I know that a huge mission file is inconvenient to maintain, so I guess I will write a simple bash script that converts a directory full of mission files into one mission package file. I have some other ideas, but as I said, do not expect huge development during weekends. My notebook is not capable of running KSP... at all. It crashes for some reason. I

I like the mission. This mission goal (minMass + maxMass) is feasible. BTW. Do you mean dry mass? I will use the bugtracker to keep it in mind .

The best part (in my opinion) isn't even done yet: the mission browser . Thanks, I am flattered. Let's see if I understand you correctly: Say we have launched a rocket with a communication satellite on it. We have presaved this rocket with its payload and we never change it for the randomized missions (e.g. the comsat contracts). Now, after a week or so we have to finish a Mun orbiter mission, and our presaved rocket won't do it. So the plugin needs to find a number that represents the similarity between those two vessels, like 50% similarity (could be done part wise, just count them and compare them, or mass wise). The lower this number is, the higher the manufacturing penalty is. Do I understand your suggestion correctly? So... it's possible that our vehicle will explode right on the launchpad or some time after it? Kinda harsh , especially when I am going to implement a hard penalty on death kerbonauts. Also the user could just use timewarp to skip those two weeks. Elaborate please. I don't understand what you mean, sorry . I like both ideas. Especially the passive mission. Better with a timeframe, say 5 years. "Launch a vessel into *that* orbit and we will give you 500 krones every day". Client control: I will have to dig through remote tech to see how to "deactivate" a vessel, also I need to see which vessels have been destroyed. But so far: Feasible. But actually I would combine them. A client controlled mission generates money in the background. You mean something like "you have 2 years from now to finish the trip to Duna", There is one huge problem with this approach (a design problem): The controller handles only the currently selected mission. There is no mission generation process in the background, that generates a mission that pops up for the user. I will have to think about that... Was suggested by a redditor, and I will see what I can do . I have to see if I can listen to those events. Thank you very much for your reply. BTW: Development will slow down on the weekend ... the notebook I use on weekends is not able to start KSP so I can't test anything.

And KSP loads a Mono/.NET 4.0 library? Thought it wouldn't load it.

It shouldn't matter. Which version of MonoDevelop/Xamarin do you use? I use MonoDevelop 4.0.8 and it works. Strange. Here is a screenshot from the current mission package browser: What do you guys think so far? Once you select a mission it behaves like before.

Are you referencing the newest dll versions? I will setup a VS environment and see if I get the same issues... /edit: The VS environment works fine :/... do you have Visual Studio? The free Express version might do the job, as far as I remember... It's not nice to work with VS in a virtual machine, because you have to copy the dll everytime you change something :/... but better than nothing.

Would you mind explaining this issue? Before we start a similar discussion like the "End Flight" button: Delete the spaceProgram.sp file if you want to reset the space program. I feel like a button to reset the plugin would be... dangerous.

He is talking about my plugin "Mission Controller" and I tried what you said, but Type.GetType("MissionController.MissionController") returns null, when I call it outside the mission controller plugin. And if I add a C# reference to my MissionController.dll and call Type.GetType(MissionController.MissionController) it does work, *BUT* it will need the mission controller library to load the plugin. It's a hard dependency and I would like to avoid that. /EDIT: Never mind, figured it out: You have to specify the dll name if the class is in another assembly: Type t = Type.GetType ("MissionController.Manager,MissionController"); works. So I guess I will code an interface.

I know about this bug. You can also manually activate the engines and you won't pay for the vessel. I don't know why the event is not fired (its from KSP side, not mine), but I could change it... I fixed the behaviour (it will load the mission), but: PartGoal is used to identify *one* part. If you want two parts on the vessel you will need two PartGoal (*or* a SubMissionGoal with two parts): Mission { name = Wings 03 High Altitude Research description = Fly an unmanned aircraft between 10000m and 11000m altitude for one minute. The UAV must carry a barometer and a thermometer. reward = 10000 #requiresMission = Wings 01 Slip the Surly Bonds OrbitGoal { body = Kerbin minAltitude = 10000 maxAltitude = 11000 minSeconds = TIME(60s) throttleDown = false } PartGoal { partName = sensorBarometer partCount = 1 #### This field is necesssary currently, the default field value for PartGoal will be false in the next release throttleDown = false } PartGoal { partName = sensorThermometer partCount = 1 #### This field is necesssary currently, the default field value for PartGoal will be false in the next release throttleDown = false } } So I thought about another feature: A mission browser. Some have suggested to create subdirectories where all mission files are, but this is currently not possible with the restrictive KSP.IO API, so there are two other ways: 1. A mission package with one mission package description file, with a small description about the mission package and a list of all included missionfiles, and of course the mission files itself. The directory will still have a huge amount of mission files though. But it would be easier to browse them. 2. A mission package is a huge file, where all included missions are. This results in lesser files (one file per mission package) but one big file for each mission package. Here is a quick mockup: The downside of the mission browser would be, that the user has to select twice: first the mission package (would look like the current window where you select the mission, can't change that) and then the mission inside the mission browser. For the user and the mission designer I think number two is the better solution. What do you think? The user needs to update only one single file, the mission designer has to upload one single file (no package) but has to manage the big file :-/...

I am fully aware of Squad planning a career mode. I was just kind of bored and wanted to try something new . Didn't use C# in a while and never even tried Unity. min max Altitude are kind of orbit elements, so I will pack them there, if thats ok with you , same goes for speed over ground. BTW: There is a new feature for mission chains (When does the narwhal bacon??), a new field: requiresMission. You can specify another mission that has to be finished.

You get 75% of your *landed* vessel. I prepare a new release right now .

Of course, you are right. I had it the other way around, don't know why... So... switching the values for liquid fueld and oxidizer will make rockets sill expensive, but airplanes less expensive. Will do it in the next release!

I know that this feature is really important. I just didn't have the time to implement a proper configuration window. It *will* come in the near future. But I have to say, that I won't make the codebase complicated because of some "cheaters": Deactivate the plugin, activate the plugin after launch, finish a mission and get the reward. Just edit the damn spaceProgram.sp file if you want money. You already can create your own missions: Project on github, especially goals.md to see how to define your mission goals. Even the first post says, that you can create your own missions . Of course you can. I discussed this feature with tek_604, it will be up to other addon developers (the kethane mod developer in this case), if he wants to support this plugin (interface to do so will be available).

I don't think that we need to hardcode this dependency like you described it... there are other possible solutions. For example: You tell me the name of your resource and the density. Once the vessel has landed on Kerbin and there is more than one zero units of your resource in the vessel, there will be a new option: Sell $NAME. The resource will be sold and you get the reward. No need for hardcoded dependency. Sure, I have to hardcode your resources name into my plugin, but no need to exchange interfaces, this could cause serious issues. I could support multiple resources, since all I need is the name and a factor to calculate the reward for one sold unit.

This functionality is already implemented. The mission designer can not define how much you get back for vessel, that is hard coded into the plugin. Less balancing problems and fair for those you built expensive SSTOs. I already tried to do that, but KSP does not allow file access outside the PluginData/MissionController directory, even if it is in another subdirectory. Sure, the next version will have some configuration possibilities. GOALS: This would be possible... have to think about it, its more than it appears. Kethane Selling: I already had this idea (I also modified the kethane mod, I added a new resource callen Kuranium), but with another new resource. The point is: Kethane doesn't weight very much and therefore it is really easy to get it back to Kerbin (besides the fact that it appears to be a gas. Sure, there are some expensive real life gases out there, but the real money is made with solid resources), but real mining missions should be hard. So the new resource would be very dense (weight much more than Kethane) and can be sold on Kerbins surface. Contracted supply run: How about a mission that brings up a space station into a very specific orbit (inclined, specified lan) and other, repeatable supply missions. Sure, still have to figure out the docking thing, but I don't have to magically add a new ship and destroy it afterwards (I don't even know if this is possible). Vessel Rescue: Same problem, I don't know if I can create a new ship in orbit :/... and the action thing requires a vessel part. Yeah... there should appear a warning or something like that... you can't finish any missions with recycled vessels, even if you have already finished the selected mission. Sorry about that :/.

You can't in the newest version. Just uploaded a new version, see first post .

Will do it now, thanks for the advice.

Those files (UnityEngine.dll and Assembly-CSharp.dll) are in KSP/KSP_Data/Managed. No problem , but don't ask me how to reference them *properly* in MonoDevelop. I have a hard time with MonoDevelop myself...

Yes, of course, I am talking about the fuel left over . As long as the fuel tanks do not explode (and if they do, the fuel is gone) nothing happens to the fuel, but the tanks still need to get brought back to KSC, thats the 5%.

Good idea about the useless recycled vessel, thanks ! But I think the mission creator is not able to say how much % you get back. Consider this: Someone built a really nice reusable Space shuttle, after a successful mission the user lands perfectly on Kerbin and the only krones he is getting back are the ones the mission creator defined in the mission file. Besides the fact, that I think it's unfair , this possibility does already exists: an optional landing goal on Kerbin with a reward. How about this: Once you land back on Kerbin you get 75% construction and material costs and 95% fuel costs back.