KerbMav

Thread is old, but maybe some still do not know this: When doing a crew report the pod functions the same as a thermometer - or any other science device - as a thermometer it can only hold one "current experiment", the thermometer cannot be reused even in a different location until the last experiment has been transmitted, deleted or removed in EVA. This can be done with crew reports too, they can be transmitted, deleted or removed in EVA and then stored in the same pod as a "stored experiment". The pods have two pieces of code, one to make a crew report and one to store data. The first piece of code is the same/similar that enables all other science devices to do their thing, generating experiment data. So, if you create a crew report and do not have enough power (early game with just power in the pod or limited batteries) to transmit every crew report you will be able to create during your voyage, you can EVA, grab the data witout even letting go of the ladder, reenter/click the pod to store the data - and you are ready to do the next report. Mods with parts that have the ability to store data just like pods combined with e.g. ShipManifest will let you do this without going EVA.

Yes, it money, Felipe once said (in an interview I think), that science, money and reputation would be interchangable somehow in the finished game. So after filling out the tech tree you would use science to get money or garner reputation. I always thought of getting science as creating incentive for the industry to come up with new tech to sell to me. So the new tech does not come from looking at rocks, but me looking at rocks and finding out stuff about other worlds drives the Kerbal economy to invest in space tech, because they see something "can be done/achieved" with rockets. (tired, lingo skills dropping...)

Go to \Kerbal Space Program 23.5\GameData\Squad\Resources open ScienceDefs.cfg scroll to and edit these parts to look like this: EXPERIMENT_DEFINITION { id = crewReport title = Crew Report baseValue = 5 scienceCap = 5 dataScale = 1 requireAtmosphere = False situationMask = 63 biomeMask = 23 Will now give crew reports anywhere as usual but only differ by biome when landed, splashed, flying low and orbiting low. EXPERIMENT_DEFINITION { id = evaReport title = EVA Report baseValue = 8 scienceCap = 8 dataScale = 1 requireAtmosphere = False situationMask = 63 biomeMask = 3 Will now give EVA reports anywhere as usual but only differ by biome when landed and splashed. "Problem" remains that crew reports cannot be stacked in the pod. For a crew report the pod functions just like the thermometer, it can hold only one result at a time. You can though pick up the report and store it in the pod, it then frees up the function of making a new report, but you will have to leave the capsule for that. One more mod: Using ShipManifest you could place a part capable of storing science reports and transfer the data without leaving the pod.

Just do so and build them?! There are mods with parts that can grab a surface sample to do an automated rock and dust return mission. It might be that KSP is a game that gets a lot of depth from modding, customizing the game to your liking, instead of a precooked product. So, you do not want stations to generate science on their own, and not for siphoning science from the surface - what do you want them to do for you? And we agree in so far that the game could use more options to do science.

Playing stock or with mods there are still good reasons to use stations and probes (apart from "playing the game!" and "because we can!"): Uses for stations: - home port at Kerbin for a reusable interplanetary ship to refuel and re-stock on equipment like landers, probes etc. - ladingport for surface to orbit transports to drop of resources and interplanetary transports to pick them up (Kethane) Uses for probes: - scouting missions to pick a good/flat landing zone - get science from places hard to reach/get away from - independent mapping (SCANsat), comm relays (RT2) I agree that the science lab lacks another perk, as only Kerbin and its moons have biomes for now, the ability to make science equipment reusable is not worth much on the other planets, and even then you could just bring the sample home, as the lab needs to be manned anyway, so it will most likely be a return mission. There is no reason for data loss due to distance, the transmitting system can check for errors and the damaged part of the transmission can be sent again if needed - so maybe changes to data rate and energy requirements depending on distance to KSC would be more reasonable. Giving an incentive to use something is always better and more rewarding than punishing the player for not doing so. Maybe giving the lab the ability to evaluate the data - have an "experienced science officer" go over the astronauts (EVA-, crew-)report and sensor readings or just have the guys go through their field notes and write a proper report ... something along these lines - and add a small bonus before transmitting? Relay stations could still be used to alleviate the complications from long range transmissions though. The old logic of 100% transmittable data after a few repeated transmission might still be used for thermometer, barometer ... anything dealing with variable numbers. Switch EVA and crew report: EVA being the "we got here", and the crew report being "this is what we saw" - especially in regards to orbiting above different biomes it makes more sense to have different reports for each biome from the pod using its instruments (e.g. cameras) then "I am in space in a suit next to my spaceship and I see trees ... now water ... mountains ... trees again ..."

Satellites mapping Kerbin, Mun, Minmus, Duna - CommSat relay of four satellites at Kerbin - ComStation for systemwide longrange communication between Mun's and Minmus' orbits, to be built out as an emergency control center to be manned should KSC be compromised (RT2 stuff - large probe core only recently unlocked though) - KSS station 300km above Kerbin - Kethane bases on Mun and Minmus (en route) - Eve probe on standby in LKO - two ARM vessels waiting in (hopefully) correctly inclined orbits for the right moment to strike down their prey - several abandoned landers, mostly around Mun, and a few other pieces of debris both orbiting or landed. And some flags.

Should I ever roleplay a permadeath career with limited numbers of "simulations" before the "real" launch, than I might think again - but as of now I do not bother with it. Might be handy as a disposable-parachute/re-entry-control device for landings on bodies with an atmosphere though.

Prices for controlled substances must be plummeting on the island.

Real missions, as in "really playing", so mostly since career: with return and not just for "I was here" probes: Mun, Minmus, Duna with manned missions, flybys/crashes of/on Ike, Moho, Eve with probes. Additionally since I started playing: "colonizations" of Eve and Laythe, flybys of Jool. Still (a) whole world/s out there for me to discover!

Labeled the Fifth Munar Landing Sixth Munar Landing ... also overshot the canyon due to weaker engines than I thought and had to land in the East Farside Crater instead. Luckily this also has not been visited/scienced yet. Returned the lander to orbit and docked with the command module. Guys will stay a few days for further observation. Had to check in on the Mobile Miner, its Minmus encounter got kerbed up somehow - brought it to a soft landing ... on the last piece of slope next to the Greater Flats ... fired up the engines and moved about 100 m further into the flats ...

You mean disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence? I can relate, I am also always worried being unable to return them - back in .20 I was rather careless ... in a most likely already deleted save there were Kerbals on Duna, Laythe and Eve ... Only recently in .23 did I go to Duna again, although I had a Kerbal in an Ion Ship in .20 too, on a more or less parallel orbit with Kerbin - got him home with a few puffs of RCS on the other side of Kerbol and lots of time warping, but I got him home!

New engines strong enough to push against and so leave atmosphere faster?

Ah, so that is why ...

What changes would I have to make to the engine cfg file to cover HotRockets? Something like if Module1 exists change Module1, if Module2 exists change Module2 for sure, but what would the code look like? Also, I think I would have to rename the folders/files? Like: HotRockets, zStockRebalance, zzFAR, zzzMyTweaks? Do mods not expect to find themselves in a specific folder? Should I rather add a config to Rebalance the engines after HotRockets is done with them?

I have a very small tug, just docking ports at both ends sandwiching MonoProp tank, probe core, battery and SAS module - whenever I activate SAS it starts to shake heavily. So, yes, SAS is not always our friend.

Docked an empty Kethane Transport at my space station, it carried equipment needed to empty the Mobile Miner from the pre docking port era of my space program. Sloshed around various fuels, converted quite an amount of Kethane, prepped the old Duna Explorer with an autopilot computer core for its last voyage to the radioactive waste disposal area on Minmus. Plucked some no longer needed RCS thrusters from a station module that was to big to be docked elsewise. Lenard Kerman had to be relieved from this EVA and returned to KSS medical bay after screwing one of the thrusters to his kerbocks ... Kethane Transport and Miner were sent away to Minmus, Miner is to remain landed as a no longer mobile mining base, the transporter will return fully fueled and loaded with both kerbonauts to the Kerbal Space Station. Transfer burns of both vessels coincided with each others burns as well as the arrival of the Command-Science-Module for the KSS - fuel was wasted, time tables reshuffled but all objectives have been achieved. The remains of a heavy lifting stage and the last orbital stage from the CmdSciModule are designated to become an emergency fuel reserve - location yet to be picked. Confered with my science team about which areas of Mun have already been visited, few obtions remain for our lander in its equatorial Munar orbit. Hired a bunch of new kerbonauts for specific tasks: one half is brave the others are intelligent ...

Launched the Command&Science Module for my space station, will have to circle a bit until a rendesvouz happens. Also carries a few KAS parts that would have been handy earlier and will be put to good use now and in the future. Mun mission has established orbit at its destination, finally got rid of the Kerbin orbital stage, a bit overfueled that one. Now to pick a landing site in a not yet visited biome.

I have not seen anyone using the new engines to leave Eve - does that mean they are no good for this due to weight and ISP?

Dont you give them an excuse for not making Mun lighter again!

Mun taught me to really use the navball, by kerbing me (with my) sideways (movement).

I am using both since yesterday and have not noticed any conflicts yet, will keep it this way as a longtime test.

The orbital insertion stage of my Return to the Mun mission is big enough bring lander and service module to Mun, into its orbit and fool around some more. Three new recruits on their way to fame and glory. Made sure my Munar Kethane base has automatic control units installed and told the operator to return from his rover field trip and prepare to go home. Design process of the Explorer II - which is actually the third ship, but the second got stuck with the working title "Duna Transfer", nicknamed Duna Explorer - comes along nicely. SelectRoot is invaluable for attaching the otherwise unattachable! Still unsure if I should go for an orbital assembly or just shoot it all up in one piece ... although I remembered the good old Quantum Struts strut guns, which would make orbital assembly of otherwise strutless wobble ships a lot easier. I was about to give rep for the name alone! Now that worked out really well, did it not?! Seems as if I underestimated the "impact" of impacts.

Could we stop discussing/comparing KSP to real life rockets? It does not make sense and leads nowhere. KSP parts have to fit into KSP - fullstop. It is the same as arguing the size and gravity of KSP planets by citing numbers from our solar system. Please.

So this can replace KER fully in the VAB?

1. The Research Center should give you an overview of what you have done where. Also, I have not tried it myself, but may it is what you are looking for: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/75716-Science-Remaining 2. SCANsat can give you a small info window after the planet/moon has been scanned, yes. This one does too, along with a load of other info. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/54533-0-22-VOID-Vessel-Orbital-Informational-Display