adge

Progressing nicely and enjoying career mode. Using Monthly Budgets, Kerbal Construction Time, RemoteTech and USI: Life Support all mean I am putting far more thought into missions and launches, and they are making me build/design more conservatively, rather than my old approach of brute force and ignorance when funds were not a factor Today I set up a deep space Comms network that covers as far as Joolian system, and I've sent off some probes to Eve and to Jool.

Eeloo. The magnificent desolation does it for me.

A couple for me. Firstly, building efficiently. No problem going between the planets, but my rockets are always brute force and ignorance Secondly, transporting rovers effectively and modular surface building. I can never picture it when I am designing in the VAB. For rovers (and other cargos) I can never picture how to properly secure the payload without it looking daft, or wobbling, etc. With the modular bases I can land in a decent target area, but never figure out how to move part a over to part b to dock (join) them into one unit. Instead I have lots of single launch buildings all close by, but never joined together! Also, my rovers, when I do manage to get them carried, look like a mess of girders I don't have an 'artistic' mindset at all, so visualising my builds is frustrating

Started a career mode save for the first time in... ever? Always stuck with Sandbox or Science before.

This. I use FF and it is a great way to rotate crew between flights so Jeb (etc) don't end up with all the milestones. Plus the rank insignia add-on for FF is a nice little extra immersion

I do believe that Kerbal Engineer will provide a relative inclination read-out, even when targeting a ground-based target, when using the Rendezvous option.

I use MechJeb to do my launches and Mun/Minmus transfer/landings, because I am bored of them. I cannot design sleek looking craft such as a Saturn V with LEM extractor etc. I only discovered the "Badlands" and "Great Flats"/"Flats" biomes on Kerbin and Minmus respectively today. I cannot dock or rendezvous to save my life. I have never built a rover as I can never figure out how to attach them to my craft without looking like a drunken lego session. I tried FAR, but my rockets kept cartwheeling at ~8000m, so I raged and deleted it.

Same as above: money is so easy to come by, I decided against trying to save every penny possible. I wouldn't find the constant planning and focus-shifting and returning everything enjoyable - but that's just my style. If you love the challenge, excellent! However, that being said, I do try and return more than just a capsule now. If my lander has some fuel left in the tank, I'll not jettison it and just capsule return, for example! But I'm not actively looking to have enough fuel to return for the extra cash, just if it happens The only perfectionism striking me is wanting to be a completionist and fulfill every single contract offered

This. I like the new font. Everything appears to be more sharp, and crisp, and easy on the eyes

Star Destroyer for me. Despite the 'flying cheese' shape, I really like it. Something rather.... imposing about it.

Haha, if you drag the street-view "man" over Area 51, he becomes a UFO Simple things....

Yeah, it's a nice little nod to Gene Kranz As LethalDose pointed out, Von Kerman is a nod to Von Braun, too!

Off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa Seeing land for the first time in a month is the best feeling

I see why Squad put in the parameters for testing: I'm sure that in reality, when experimental builds and parts are being put through their paces, the engineers, technicians and designers behind the builds will have a list of certain parameters they want to see fulfilled during the test. Granted, some of the in-game ones are a little head-scratching, but you're under no obligation to accept the contract

Hi all, I've found my Agency operating in a manner that one would expect a real-life agency to operate in. I'll do a few non-contract missions to further my technology, land on the Mun a few times, etc., and then I'll jump back and do a few test contracts on experimental equipment. As I said, that's how I picture a true agency would run things: they'll go for the scientific discoveries and all that good stuff, but they'll intersperse it with taking contracts for private companies to boost their budget. So yes, it's more than feasible to fly your own missions, and you're not stuck doing nothing but contracts at all.

Hmm. Seems my post was gobbled up in the merge. Let me try again. In my opinion, and I cannot speak from a position of authority on the matter, the "stupid" requirements for contracts are an attempt to mirror reality. I'd wager that when a prototype is tested, it is done so at a variety of different altitudes, speeds, and other parameters determined by the engineers and technicians responsible for the design. It wouldn't just be handed to the tester to test when it was convenient for them. The requirements for altitude etc, to me, appear to be Squad's attempt to mimic this. If the game allowed completion of contracts by testing whenever the player wanted, or when it suited them, then it'd be far too easy to breeze through the contracts. So, I for one applaud the different criteria that contract fulfillment requires!

Completed a few contracts, you know how it is..... Edit: 100, woo!

Thank you for all the hard work, Squad. Really appreciated

*updates sig* It's been a great ride

Woo Hoo!!! It has been a wonderful journey with you good folks. Thank you for the laughs And the biggest thanks of all... to Squad!

This thread has turned me from a lurker to a poster

I've not been RickRolled in many a moon. I tip my hat to you, Sir

IIRC there was over an hour before any update after they uploaded a scratchpad yesterday, and it still went back to Experimental. Not to ruin any hype, of course.

Very much yes. 331ERock is awesome

I wonder if the extent of this HYPETRAIN makes the devs feel pressure to get it right, or pride that they've got such an amazing fanbase?