SyberSmoke

I was wondering, What would I need to add to the default behaviour to the science.cfg so that I can have both the default and the impact test. I know people have done it...but for my manned missions I am doing just the default...but later with larger ships I would also like to drop impactors. Thoughts?

Questions/bug? The DM Flat Fuselage - End Piece: Could there be two versions, one in the Aerodynamic/Structure panel that does not have fuel and one in the Propulsion section with fuel? And second is it intended that this module does not cross-feed fuel? I ask because I am building a small craft with these and needed to put in fuel lines to connect the center round tank to the outer tanks...something I had assumed it might do with out the added parts. Usually I do not assume...that was my bad. But I am curious if this is the intended behavior. I know it may also be an off suggestion...but could you use the tweakables to allow the player to turn cross-feed on and off as an option? I could see a point to not having it on as well as having it on. And it would save on part counts (an added part I know...but I am a little **** about keeping the counts down to a minimum).

Just say no to Dice, EA, and Frostbite. IF anything I would be more of an advocate for CryEngine like what Star Citizen is using. BUT that would only be if Squad got a HUGE infusion of cash and a majority of the player base were into that idea. Unity is...not the best choice for this, but it works for what it is. So may be if they do a KSP 2...they can go to something more oomphy then Unity.

If your going to make a bioreactor I would suggest looking at the current research and development in Algae and the development of fuels from it. This way you can have a primary Algae tank, Clear Tube Solar Cells, and a BioReactor. The Algae tank contains the base algae for the system. The Tube Cells are then filled with the algae and use sunlight to get the algae to propagate. More cells means more algae. Excess algae is then placed into the Bioreactor and converted into different fuel types. If you want to make it a little more complex, you can create different reactor types to create different fuels. Hope it helps. Oh and recently a system like this was demonstrated as a way to create light crude to help supplement crude oil for gas.

Alienware has gone downhill since Dell bought them. There are better gaming laptop manufacturers then them now and for less than the Alienware brand premium you will pay. Kind of a shame, but oh well that is the way it goes. As for the Air, the current ones have an i5 Dual core that can go up to 2.6ghz. So they are not bad machines, they were just not meant to game on.

The Mac Book Airs use a SSD, they are meant to be something of a subcompact laptop.

Easiest points to get, Start with an EVA and samples from the launch pad, Dirt by the launchpad, the airstrip, beach, and ocean. Remember to off load your reports and samples into the command module and go back for more. No rocket necessary, just a Kerbal. Later, it is still about the Kerbals. Probes are OK, but if you want points, you NEED a Kerbal for the EAV reports and samples. You can get allot of points by EVAing around a planet and collecting reports while over biomes. This works for Kerbin, The Mun, and Minmus. Samples are the same, they are worth allot of points and need to come from each different biome. DO NOT transmit things, always try to land the craft, at least the pod back at Kerbin. You can EVA and collect results from experiments if you do not feel you can land with the modules intact. That way at least the data can land for near full value. I hope this helps...at some point probes will be good...but for research...you need a Kerbal.

I love the people that say that our modern space programs were built on people flying the rockets...HAHA, that makes me laugh. In truth MechJeb is nothing at all new and is in no way new to rocketry. The grans majority of rocketry was controlled by computer being it mechanical or digital (Yes there are mechanical computers...there are also mechanical calculators, my father has one). Most of space flight is done by a computer and was done even for the Apollo missions. United States Astronauts had to demand that manual controls be put in as they were not planned but in time saved many missions including Apollo 11. But Manual control is for the most part a minor event and typically only used when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, your just a passenger trusting a computer with your life. MechJeb is a great mod for how ever you choose to use it. You can use it just for the information it gives, or you can use it for more. The thing is, people payed their money to play a game, and they have the right to play it as they please with what mods they please. I personally use MechJeb for landing and docking, things I am not good at.

I have been thinking about resources and about making a mod that takes a different look at the idea of resources. What I am curious about is if an object can be designed to anchor it's self to the ground/planet that it has been landed and deployed on? I am curious because one of the thoughts was towards large, expanding or inflating structures that once deployed would anchor to the planet preventing any issues from bumping. Any way that is the question...

Majiir: I was wondering if you had considered a path for "resources" other than the exploitation model? The exploitation model of resources is simple, go some place, mine the crud out of it, then move on. It revolves around the idea that a resource is used only to advance your own path in the game and does not really offer anything in its own right other then opportunities to get more resources. With all of this discussion about resources, I got to thinking about another model for their use, the Development Model. Unlike Exploitation, the development model looks at resources as a way to develop game play, in this case the natural progression of space travel to colonization. Resources would be Water, Food, Waste, Kerbals (non-playable), and materials (Kethane, Ore, Etc). The point of the development model is to give the player a larger sense of accomplishment when their development reaches points of sustainability. This is more like what you would see in SimCity or Anno2070. This would not invalidate what has been done, but would alter the path of resources to something other then just mining for the sake of mining. A process that is, in game terms, something of a dead end. If interested I would not mind discussing this in more detail with you, but right now with ideas flowing in my mind I could go on for pages. Eah probably will as I detail out the ideas. But I was just wondering if this path was under consideration as it would offer a different perspective to resource development and would be in line with what a space programs ultimate goals would be.

Yes well...you have to start some where before you get wacky. Or may be just allot strut happy! Oh yeah...struts...lots of them...because the physics can be strange...

First, Smaller is ALWAYS better when it comes to rockets. There comes a point where you get to big and all your doing is lifting fuel to lift more fuel to lift even more fuel...to lift a 6 oz doughnut with rainbow sprinkles. Try to make things as SMALL as possible...heck, use a mod called Mechjeb, you can use it JUST to manage your Thrust to Weight ratio and expected Delta V. This way you can get an idea of what you can do with small. Second, Smaller engines, while less powerful are usually more efficient. No they do not have the AWESOME POWER OF GOD...but when your in space, you do not need a Mainsail. Instead try a Quartet of much smaller engines...like the LV-909 or the Rockomax 48-7S They are small...but instead of guzzling your fuel...they will sip it. Also, use the Mk. 1 Capsule a bit, it is not fancy...but it is light and that means you have less to worry about. As for the question...No idea. It may be some time till it can even be a problem. I mean Your still talking 1 billion seconds until it gets to that point in space. That is about 11,574 days...yeah...not much to worry about. May be the Kraken will eat it.

With the recent news about resources and multiplayer and so on. I got to thinking about what resources are to me. Many think that it is about exploitation, going to another planet and stripping it bare. But I think resources are something different. To me the ultimate goal of a space program is to get people, many people onto another planet to become a self sufficient colony. But while this is the long term, in the short term it is about resources. Air, Water, Food, Waste, construction, and people. To me resources are about getting Kerbals that are not astronauts onto a planet. Getting habitats there for the people. Finding the water they need, growing the food they need, and balancing their needs with what can in time be provided. To me it is more like the path you take in an RTS then it is Minecraft. The benefit to this would be you do not have to monotonously tend to everything. There can be contracts by companies to send additional goods to a colony. And research can be expanded and done by the people there. You do not need to know or manage every kerbal, just give orders and help them grow and do better. And there can be events and tragedies, damage to a habitat could mean an emergency mission with a rough deadline. But doing it is a sense of accomplishment that is far more rewarding then just collecting 50 tons of ore from the Mun to build that next rocket. This is the system I would like to see...make mining abstract and keep it about managing an ever growing space program. So what would resources be to you?

Resources, but it can not be about just going to a place and mining it dry for whatever is needed. The reason I think resources is because it needs to be about the Kerbals over anything else. Getting Kerbals to a planet, transporting more kerbals to a planet. Food, water, air, construction and science. Yes resources can be about ores and gas's, and such...but when I think resources for a game like this I think domes growing food, purifying water, finding ice, and so on. As for multiplayer...this sounds like a nightmare to me. Not just in terms of making it work right but also the differences in computer power and the possible part counts that could ensue.

The question is though...is the point of the mod to scan planets...letting the game sit a run while you go off watch a movie and have lunch? That strikes me as dull as the player can only sit there till they find all of what they need. I guess I bought into a philosophy of game design where the game mechanics should promote fun and not be busy work...scaning as it is is more busy work when really, the goal should be to find the resources then figure out how best to get them...should it not?

Nah, more like the First of the Xenon from Egosofts X games. Soon he will send them forth to terraform the universe, but they will return to destroy all Kerbal kind. On a side note, I also look like he is going to suck the Kethane out of every planet he passes.

Do you have any images of your craft? May be we can help with some design advice. F1 to take an image, you can use imgur as a place to put them.

I do not think they are mammals, instead they are highly evolved plants. This explains why they are green and only need snacks, because exposure to the sun gives them their base needs: Photosynthesis. It also falls in line with the Spore idea.

Huh, I thought I read they also fixed the drag issues...like they should. Oh well...may be next patch.

It is a premade ship you can access in Creative mode in the VAB. If you start a new game and then select Load you can see a number of premade craft.

.22 fixed nose cones...they work now to reduce drag. So keeping them is a good thing.

I do not use the predesigned craft, most I ever used them for was to learn some basic design. Once I did, I made my own stuff...like this:

You can get away with landing in water if you have a less fragile object under the science Jr. It could be a fuel tank or a modular girder segment on it's side so the girder hits the water instead of the Science Jr. As long as something else hits the water first, typically your Science Jr will survive.

Really it does not take much to land them safely. Parachutes and legs, they are not heavy so you should not need much. My Science Jr tends to be above a fuel tank with a 48-7S and some legs. That way there is something of a buffer. But also if I think I am coming in to fast I can use the engine to slow things down. By the time you to your Science Jr and pod, you should not have allot of mass to deal with.

Well I understand the general principles of it. The problem comes to my having issues with the relative motion involved. I also tend to confuse my maneuvers and key commands involving those maneuvers. This is not a new thing though...25 years of playing computer and video games and I have not been able to get over this little quirk. So...oh well. I hope your advice helps some one else though. It also does not help me that I do not touch type...heh. Oh so many issues.