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I love how "Jules Verne" the lander is, well done!

I, too, participated in a challenge, the Pico Lander Challenge:

Here is my entry, 5.132 tons completely stock (well, unless you count using Engineer in the VAB, in which case oh well): I could probably shave off a ton of weight by using only two engines but I do like my TWR.

This is awesome.

--> Challenges

I figured I'd make a flag that was representative of my space program:

I would imagine that, in order to balance such a pod against the others in the game, the mass of a pod with all that built-in stuff would increase proportionally. Otherwise there'd be no reason to use any other pod.

Why should the game limit your imagination by predetermining where your RCS and thrusters go, and how much fuel they have? Design some pods to your specifications.

SSTO - Single Stage To Orbit VTOL - Vertical Take-Off and Landing E: It's worth noting that most, if not all, of the acronyms you see on these forums are used in real life to describe actual vehicles or concepts. A quick Google search will answer nearly all acronym questions.

If you transfer to Steam it's probably a good idea to CYA. Make sure you have any receipts and proof of purchase from the SQUAD site backed up so you can prove you bought the game before April 30th. I don't think there'll be any real problem since you have to go through the SQUAD site to transfer, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. Speaking of which...

I backed up my save before landing on Eeloo, managed to do it and take some screenshots, but then completely f'd up the rendezvous orbit by burning in the opposite direction and out of fuel. So I delete the save and restore my backup, go in for a smooth suicide burn (the method I had landed with last time), completely misjudge the height to burn from and pancake the lander. Since all my backups are gone, Bob Kerman will have to make a lonely journey home.

The best part about modding is that if the developers stray from the vision of the game you have (a hard game that doesn't appeal to casual gamers), you can always mod the game to play the way you want to play it (a hard game that doesn't appeal to casual gamers).

So what's the point of restricting mods in some future career mode we don't have any concrete information about?

Fallout (and most other Bethesda open-world RPGs) are terrible examples to make your case with because they are easily modded and Bethesda even provides the modding tools. For instance, I don't play Fallout or Oblivion without mods because they're way too easy as published (Skyrim and FONV were pretty good stock, though).

I don't want career mode, artificial goals imposed by some distant developer just don't fit into the personal experience we have right now.

Wait, sandbox mode has no goals? Why the hell would anyone play in sandbox mode?

I made it. I thought I didn't have a valid encounter, but I sat down and played with the maneuver node until I found the sweet spot, then made several correction burns on the way in. Here's a picture of the final deceleration and dropping the last two fuel slugs; we're currently in an 80km x 80km orbit. Tomorrow I'll go for a landing.

You know what's wrong with Eeloo? Twenty minute transfer burns. I am never using nuclear engines again. E: Pretty sure I missed it too. Welp. At least there's a Jool encounter I can make...

Why would they even bother? Who's validating these save games? Is there a need to?

If you have, for instance, five Mainsails (four on booster stages and one in the middle) it is often beneficial to shut off the gimballing on the outer four engines in order to prevent your rocket from shaking too much. Basically you want to shut off gimballing on an engine when it would be over-correcting too much. 0.21 will probably alleviate that problem entirely.

One way to do this is to have a central engine or component that the decoupler can attach to between all the engines. Then use struts to strengthen the stage. For instance, if you have six engines mounted around the edge of a tank, put a seventh in the middle at the attachment point. Be warned that the engines you've mounted around the central point may clip into the decoupler and cause problems; you'll want to make sure the outer components are adequately spaced.

I can only point to games like Oblivion and Fallout 3 for examples. Some people don't even consider Oblivion playable unless they've got a few mods installed (I don't play without OOO, the stock game is way too easy). KSP career mode may end up with a very lively mod scene intended to make the game more difficult. Another point is that we have no idea what career mode will look like right now. It may not have a story at all, maybe just a series of random missions that scale up until you're doing outer planet transfers all the time. So you don't care but you do care? The answer isn't so obvious.

Then why all the fuss over this thread and your proclamations of how awesomely you use MechJeb if their decision to allow mods in career mode literally doesn't matter?

Why wouldn't they? Are you afraid they're going to grief you or something?

That helps, thanks. Apparently I need to leave now.