Commander Zoom

Edit the first post.

Seconded. (Well, actually I do have use for all three, but that seems like a good progression and division of functions.)

I've been looking for a good mod that uses zzz's excellent greenhouse model (I don't run Ioncross, at least at present). This looks very promising. I'll be waiting for the .22 update.

Ftaghn.

Well, heck. I went and downloaded the whole thing, 'cause in the past the patcher has caused me nothing but grief. Might want to advertise this a little better - "oh, by the way, our patcher actually works now" - then again, maybe not. :/

I'm hoping it'll be something that adds the flavor text for doing Science to sandbox mode, rather than boring variations on "you can't do that" or "it means nothing." I still want to pretend, damnit.

Yeah. Aerobraking at Duna is not that bad, IMO - you just want to be sure to hit somewhere in the middle of the 10-15 km band (might want to quick-save on the way in, and adjust your periapsis to various altitudes until you get one that works for you).

Indeed, something along those lines is what I've been contemplating (after further consideration, and reading the previous posts in this thread).

Pretty slick, slick50.

Anybody who's sent a ship to another planet knows that one of the most boring parts of the whole process is the initial burn out of (usually) Kerbin orbit. It's a big long burn, usually done with nuclear engines (efficient, but not that fast, especially when pushing a massive vessel with landers, etc etc) and you're limited to 4x acceleration at most; often, you have to make multiple passes (to take full advantage of the Oberth effect) because it's so long. Today, as part of answering someone's question about HyperEdit, I was messing around with teleporting a very simple ship (1-kerb capsule with parachute and decoupler on top of a tall SRB) I'd already built for something else into Mun orbit. On a whim, I decided to fire it off, and not only reversed my orbit but achieved escape velocity. Now, of course we're talking about the Mun, and a payload that weighs next to nothing, but it got me thinking... Has anyone out there tried strapping some SRBs onto your mission to Duna or Jool or wherever, to help give it that starting "kick"? Yes, you're trading efficiency for time, but if efficiency was all we cared about, we'd be mounting only a single nuke engine - or, God help us, ions - and taking a whole RL day. This is about impatience and (depending on who you ask) being "kerbal".

And/or on YouTube. Heck, thanks to SQUAD's own Media Team, most of the really critical information is already out there, and 22 isn't even publicly released yet.

Eric S: "While that will happen to some extent anyway," This is the Internet. Spoilers, secrecy, and security through obscurity does not work. All the information necessary to "optimize your career mode play" will be available within days, if not hours. This isn't about that, IMO. This is about making sandbox play more enjoyable and complete, rather than walling off flavor text (of all things) in one game mode.

I advise getting HyperEdit (and/or starting a separate save game), putting it in orbit above Laythe, and running "simulations" for yourself. Once you're satisfied and have made any necessary changes, you can do it "for real" as part of a full mission.

With regret, I must report a bug with the large SRB (confirmed by process of elimination, copying one mod at a time into a fresh install): The bug is not dependent on the craft being painted, as it is not.

Skyrunner: a few questions to make things easier for MadHorse - What color background? What color leaves for the laurel wreath? And I assume you want the wreath to encircle the planet, like the flags of the UN or the Federation, rather than literally "crowning" Duna?

I intend to swap out my station's existing Science Module for a new one with actual science parts, just on general principle.

So if I want fluffy flavor text with my science that I'm just doing to have something to do, I'm going to be held hostage to an incomplete and buggy game mode? ... I think maybe I should step out of this thread. I've made my feelings known, and it's taking me places I don't want to go.

What I find strange is that people are talking as if this update is going to give us career mode. It's not. We're getting beta 1 of the tech tree, plus further refinements of the changes made to the space center last update and some more tweaks to SAS. IMO, at this stage, it's still sandbox with science bolted on, and that's exactly how I intend and expect to play it. Once we get a consistent and working career mode - doesn't have to be polished, but all of the pieces need to be there - then I'll give it a shot. I figure that's still a year out, at least.

Yes, I know. I want that part too. For practice, for roleplaying, for all of the above. I'll still do it, either way, but...

I have a sandbox game in progress. When .22 drops, I want to add science parts to my ships, probes and rovers, and go do science. Not to unlock stuff, just to go places and do science. Please don't block that off.

Looks good! As for the 'no power of its own' issue, have you considered mounting just one (or two, fore and aft) of the small fixed solar panels to each side, as a trickle charger / back-up?

"Travelin' in space ain't like dusting... hm... actually, I guess it kinda is."

I'd like it if the small docking port (Clamp O' Tron Jr.) was moved down the tree a little, so that program directors can do their Gemini-style docking experiments earlier, with small orbiters, then move up to the bigger stuff.

Very cool! I especially like the way you did the 'wings'.

Great post, great design, great schematic!