Landwalker

Good to know, so I don't go diving into Space-Y blind. No pressure or anything on KWR, it would probably do me good to cut a parts mod out (and I would believe it could benefit from an update). If nothing else, I can just cut out the 1.25m engines and a few other things and see how things go leaving all the rest in (or cut out everything except post-1.25m engines and tanks, and the SRBs). I always felt like their 1.25m fuel tanks looked a little too not-stock, anyway. I'll have to try the HRB Jet and see how hilarious that is. I'm not the best plane pilot in the first place, so that should be a trip.

Dang, 50%. You, sir, are hardcore. Or maybe a masochist, I'm not sure which. I'm just trying to figure out what "game start" settings to use for an eventual AAR/Mission Log. I've been using 60% Science in my pregame testing, and it seems to work well (I don't imagine 50% science would be too horribly worse), but my 60% Funds attempt was just brutal. If if the game's contracts weren't so asinine, I wouldn't mind grinding them too much, but between the craziness of the stock contracts and the craziness of trying to work in (and learn) RemoteTech, grinding things like "Fly a propeller plane around for 40 minutes so you can conduct visual surveys" and "test the Launch Escape System while landed on Minmus" drive me crazy. Some of them are great sources of cash, but I'd prefer to keep grind to a minimum. I'll pick up RealChutes and tinker around with it, see how it goes. Looking at all the tech tree work, I might finally have to bite the bullet and axe KW Rocketry from my list. It makes me sad, because I especially love their late-tree heavy engines and their SRBs. Unfortunately, the early-tree stuff is too all-over-the-place right nowâ€â€the WildCat-V is in the first LFO Engine tech (same as the LV-T15 Dachshund), and it's just so good I can't in any sort of conscience use any other engine for early lifting if it's available. I will be sad to see the Vesta VR-1 go, though, since it's my pre-Terrier "space stage engine" for early flights (sorry Swivel). Speaking of late-game engines, any idea how well this mod plays with Space-Y? Allow Reverting Flights - Yes Allow Quickloading - Yes Missing Crews Respawn - No Require Purchase for Researched Parts? - No Indestructible Facilities? - No Starting Funds - $50,000 Re-Entry Heating - 30% Resource Abundance - 100% Science Awards - 60% Funds Awards - 100% (?) Everything Else - 100%

Downloading now. I didn't see HGR in the 0.9.1 changelist and support list... did it make the cut for this edition? (Edit: Looks like it didâ€â€The HGR 5PUD-N1k Command Pod is now in the same tech as the Mk1 Command Pod, as it should be, instead of available right at the get go. Yay!) Out of curiosity, when you're playing career mode (if you play career mode, I guess), are you really using 60% funds? That strikes me as almost punishing. I might have to look into RealChutes, too. I'm just concerned that they might overcomplicate my already difficult KSP life.

Sounds like you might be using USI Life Support. Kerbals who run out of supplies with that mod effectively become tourists and shut down until resupplied. To avoid it? Keep them fed! To turn them back to kerbonauts? Feed them! Assuming they're in your station, and that your station has a docking port, send up another ship with some supplies to dock with it and feed your poor kerbals.

What distresses me most about this is statements from the Squadcast stuff that there won't be any updates until 1.1... and that 1.1 is still a ways away. Considering how often I use service bays packed full of scientific instruments (I mean, that's their whole point), having the contents spontaneously explode is really putting a damper on my games.

Very much enjoying this! Where are those boosters from? They look mod-y, but then again, it's been so long since I climbed that far up the tech ladder that maybe they're stock. If nothing else, they don't look like anything I've ever used...

Encourages, maybe, but I laugh in the face of encouragement! Early probes all the way! Clever name, I like it. The Koviet Union The Fifth Kerbal Republic The Kerbalwealth The United Kerbal States The United Kerbaldom Credit for all of the "KSA" flags goes to Jossen K.

Very cool. Thanks! I'm curious what you would make of kerbalized versions of the Scandinavian countries. Might also need to figure out a kerbalized name for Germany...

My general attitude about part tiers is that if I unlock parts of a certain size before reaching a tier that gives me the means to seamlessly connect them to other parts, either of the same size or of different sizes (since I don't use Procedural Parts, adapters matter), I'd just as soon unlock them later when I can actually do that. Which is to say, unlocking 2.5m Fairings in a tier before I have anything to put them onâ€â€1.25m-to-2.5m adapters, and other things to do with 2.5m (which usually means "engines and fuel tanks")â€â€just annoys me more than anything else. In other words, I'm in favor of the proposal.

By "doesn't help with science transmission" I assume you mean "The command center doesn't process science sent to it by probes, so it needs to separately be able to communicate with Kerbin to act as a useful relay point in that regard," correct? In any case, setting up a meaningful off-world command center in conjunction with USI Life Support (or any life support mod, for that matter) sounds likeâ€â€at least for me, someone who's been outside the Kerbin subsystem all of twice, ever (one-way landing probes to Eve and Duna)â€â€an overwhelming task. Maybe I'm not understanding what'll happen with USI Life Support correctly (I don't have any real experience with that, either), I'm just under the impression that an entirely self-sustaining colony isn't possible, and that it'll always need periodic service visits to top it off.

Awesome news, and I will definitely link it here (perhaps with occasional pictoral updates just to keep things interesting).

Great to hear! Yeah, I hear that... I like KW Rocketry, but it's a lot of parts. I briefly entertained the thought of doing it myself, and immediately concluded "Naaaaaaa." I'm unfortunately considering removing it entirely just to save some space, and because I don't like having KW LFO tanks popping up in Basic Rocketry when I don't even have LFO engines yet. Also good to know that 0.9.1 is going to be a pretty significant update... I'm hoping to start a Mission Report log once I get all my mods settled in, and I'd love to use SETI, but obviously I don't want to start using something that's going to have a massive change two weeks later. I'm sure you're ready to kill everyone who asks this, but is there an ETA on 0.9.1? Just so I can decide to either wait, or wing it.

@Yemo, and I apologize if this information is already available elsewhere (I couldn't find it in the 60 seconds my attention span lasted), but I just have a quick hit-and-run question re: the future fleshing out of SETI: Are there any plans (or desires) to incorporate/fully support HGR and KW Rocketry? I really like both mods, especially their additional engines. (I'm a parts-hound. Love me some parts. Especially engines.) I also really like the "bridge role" of the 1.875m HGR parts as an intermediate/pre-Rockomax lifter stage, so I would love to see these get properly assigned around the tech tree. Yeah, that's my whole question. I love what SETI is trying to do and am really looking forward to it, particularly with the contracts and tech tree.

As an interjectory aside, if you're going to use EVE and PlanetShine, I'd also suggest picking up Distant Object Enhancer. Pretty minor add-on that really looks great. Also, looking forward to reading more!

I had the same thought about life supportâ€â€namely, "Get some!" I probably should have explicitly called it out in the original post, but I am using USI Life Support (which also works with Universal Storage). Just felt like the "Supplies/Mulch" would be easier to manage than the "Water/Oxygen/Food/Waste/CO2" stuff, although I do like some of the TAC elements, too (particularly the aesthetics of the parts and, I think, slightly more variety in sizing). I don't know about Dangit!... I have enough problems already without random part failures. But maybe it's worth a look... Might make for interesting story-telling, at least. -------------- Edit: I'm also wondering about folks' thoughts on Procedural Parts.

No idea if this is the appropriate subforum, but it's a question about playing the game, so it's at least initially going in Gameplay Questions... I'm getting ready to fire up a new (or rebooted) AAR/Mission Report career, and it's going to end up being immensely mod-heavy. Which is fine. But I have a few questions about folks' experiences/suggestions about particular mods and what they recommend for certain things. First, a non-comprehensive list of all the mods currently on the table: Outer Planets Active Texture Management Chatterer Community Resource Pack Community Tech Tree Contract Configurator, and various packs Custom Barn Kit DDS Loader Distant Object Planetshine Precise Node Firespitter HeatControl HGR Interstellar Fuel Switch JDiminishingRTG KAS, KAX, KIS, KCT, KER, KJR Kopernicus KW Rocketry Near Future Construction/Electrical/Props/Propulsion/Solar/Spacecraft Final Frontier TextureReplacer, with PimpMyKerbals Critical Temperature Gauge SCANsat Science Alert SETI (Tech Tree, Contracts, Greenhouse) Station Parts Expansion StationScience DMagic Orbital Science TakeCommand Transfer Window Planner USI (Not all of it, but just assume all of it) Universal Storage Ven Stock Revamp Field Scientist Pack Whew! Now, with that all in mind (and especially with things like Outer Planets, SETI, DMagic Orbital Science, and USI in mind), a few questions for the gallery: What are y'all's thoughts on, or experiences with, using RemoteTech or AntennaRange with Outer Planets? Even if I use RemoteTech, I would turn off the signal delay. On the one hand, I would like there to be good reasons for me to put up satellite networks around Kerbin (and of course, would grab related contract packs in the same spirit). On the other hand, I don't want uncrewed missions to turn into a colossal pain in the butt trying to make sure relay satellites are pointed in the right direction and four different crafts are in the right places at the right times, etc. Especially for missions to the outer planets (Jool and beyond). Thoughts? As you can probably imagine, my toolbar is... cluttered. Are there any recommendations for decluttering it? I tried downloading blizzy78's Toolbar, but that didn't help me prune/manage my existing toolbar, it just added a second, smaller toolbar (and one that didn't accommodate everything I had going on in the first place, like ScienceAlert). How much utility would I get out of something like Procedural Fairings? I have no familiarity or experience with FAR, so I have no idea how much benefit I would get from including it. Any? Minimal? Truckloads? Any point? Any glaring omissions you think I should be including, but am not? Again, any feedback from the hive mind would always be appreciated, since I don't have any prior experience with the items above. Cheers.

Those are awesome... but can you provide them without the Minimalist texture-layer? It always seems weird to have "Minimalist-ed" flags painted on the sides of my rockets... (And as a second question, do you have any objection if I bogart one of those for the agency flag in my next Mission Report career?)

Looking forward to your own AAR / Mission Logâ€â€I always enjoy reading other folks' career reports. I think the turmoil in my game's status/composition is nearly settling down. I just have a few more things to iron out as far as game parameters and mods. I'm wondering whether or not it's advisable to try to throw RemoteTech in thereâ€â€I've never used it before, and on the one hand, it seems like it could create a huge pain for uncrewed missions outside of the Kerbin subsystem, but on the other hand it has a dandy contract pack for setting up satellite networks that actually mean something instead of the usual "Send probe to X orbit, meet contract conditions, de-orbit because that probe isn't serving any purpose anyway and you can at least recover the salvage value." Maybe I'm overestimating how much of a pain it will be on long-distance probe trips? Maybe I'm overestimating how much benefit it will add to the "feel" of a space program? I don't know. The other big decision to make, of course, is whether or not to stick with the ÃÅ¡.á.ß. or whether to "re-nationalize" the program into a different incarnation.

I see what you did there. Good choice! (Although if I may nitpick, I feel like there's not enough "clearance" on the bottom border between the edge and the start of the emblem). Assuming "GD" is just shorthand for GameData, and that you didn't actually put it in a subfolder of "GD", then off-hand I'm not sure what could be going on. All I can think of it to try Vanamonde's suggestion of copy-pasting an existing file, and then cracking open MS Paint and replacing the image with this one.

Pretty mod-heavy indeed! I haven't monkeyed around at all with ModuleManager or ATM, and wouldn't really know how to off-hand. Right now my virtual memory is set at about 6.5GB. I have about 17.5 GB "free" on my "main" HDD, but also have a total of 3 TB in two other HDDs (1TB internal, 2TB external), of which about 2.5TB is "free". At this precise moment, after loading the game and sitting at the main menu, and bearing in mind that I'm using DX11 and (at the moment) half-sized Astronomer PNGs, KSP is eating about 2.6GB. I'll occasionally see it sneak up to the 2.9GB neighborhood, but since moving to DX11 it's never gotten higher than that despite piling mods on top of mods on top of mods. I've noticed the very occasional, and generally very minor, visual hiccup with DX11 (for example, when using overlapping deployed parachutes, things get weird), but for the most part it's surprisingly... workable. Which certainly doesn't mean that it isn't contributing to my weird magical-disappearing-clouds-and-Kerbin-dust-storms issue when I was trying to DDS conversion, but using half-sized PNGs and no other changes has avoided that, so at least that part seems to have something to do with them being .DDS files. I'm not attached to the DDS route, I just want things to look pretty (without preventing the game from running altogether) because once I start down the path of graphics snob, for whatever reason I can't stop. ------------------- Edit: Speculative "Am I Potentially Doing This Right?" Questions: 1) If I wanted to tell ATM not to mess with the BoulderCo files, would that just entail going into /ActiveTextureManagerConfigs/BoulderCo.cfg and making changes to the lines under BoulderCo/Clouds/.*? What would be the appropriate changes to make? ACTIVE_TEXTURE_MANAGER_CONFIG { folder = BoulderCo enabled = true OVERRIDES { BoulderCo/Clouds/.* { compress = true mipmaps = true scale = 1 max_size = 0 make_not_readable = false } BoulderCo/Atmosphere/.* { compress = true mipmaps = true scale = 1 max_size = 0 make_not_readable = false } } } 2) I do have GIMP, and could use it for compressing the Astronomer PNG files... The question then becomes how much compression?

I share your "kitchen sink" approach, unfortunately (or in my case, more like a disease). The specs aren't where I want themâ€â€4 GB RAM, so 64-bit is fairly pointless (I'm working on an upgrade, but it'll be a while). Intel i5, Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit, for whatever point that has). Radeon R9 200, or thereabouts. Mods? I don't think I could name them all even if I were looking in my GameData folder, but I'll give it a try. [*]Outer Planets[*]EVE [*]Interstellar (Hopefully!) [*]Active Texture Management [*]Chatterer [*]Community Resource Pack [*]Community Tech Tree [*]Contract Configurator, and various packs [*]Custom Barn Kit [*]DDS Loader [*]Distant Object [*]Planetshine [*]Precise Node [*]Firespitter [*]HeatControl [*]HGR [*]Interstellar Fuel Switch [*]JDiminishingRTG [*]KAS, KAX, KIS, KCT, KER, KJR [*]Kopernicus [*]KW Rocketry [*]Near Future Construction/Electrical/Props/Propulsion/Solar/Spacecraft [*]Final Frontier [*]TextureReplacer, with PimpMyKerbals [*]Critical Temperature Gauge [*]SCANsat [*]Science Alert [*]SETI (Tech Tree, Contracts, Greenhouse) [*]Station Parts Expansion [*]StationScience [*]DMagic Orbital Science [*]TakeCommand [*]Transfer Window Planner [*]USI (Not all of it, but just assume all of it) [*]Universal Storage [*]Ven Stock Revamp [*]Field Scientist Pack For what it's worth, I can miraculously run all of that except Interstellar, although I force DirectX11 in order to do so (I hate OpenGL). I have used Edge of Oblivion successfully, and I confirmed that if I convert the AVP-INT clouds textures to .DDS that I can run the game as wellâ€â€with odd visual effects. I also confirmed that if I half-res them (I half-res'd all of them, "just to be safe"), I can run the game. I'm just curious what the most effective "compromise" is on quality and actually-running-the-game, and to make sure I go about it properly. (All of that said, just to repeat, I am planning a system upgrade at some point this summer... just have to get motivated enough to start doing the research and acquisition.) Ah, good to know. I did look at Better Atmospheres as well... I don't think I'm adept enough to merge several packs seamlessly, but I do like the look of it. Particularly if it's less demanding on the system, I'd happily use Better Atmosphere's atmospheres (I'm indifferent about Joolian asteroids), Interstellar's auroras, and just "some good-enough clouds". What did you use for .PNG compression? That's an area that I'm not yet familiar with (read above, "graphically illiterate")

A couple of ignorant questions if folks are willing to help: 1) In an effort to get this running smoothly with all my other mods, I manually converted all of the PNG files in /Clouds/Textures and /Clouds/Particles to DDS files (using Paint.net, saved as DXT5). And the game loaded great! But there's some very squirrely behavior, like clouds suddenly disappearing or reappearing as I pass them, or what appear to be dust storms blowing through KSC. Is this something inherent to converting the files to DDS, or did I just screw something up here? Anybody encountered similar? 2) Does it make more sense, if my goal is saving RAM / avoiding crashes, to try the DDS route, or try reducing the resolution of the PNGs? 3) I've seen some references to reducing the PNGs to half-resolution, which I assume means resizing them on a 50% scale (which should result in a file that's 25% the total area of the original). Since I'm graphically illiterate, does it have to be a 50% scale? Could I, for example, resize them on a 60% scale? 70% scale? 75% scale? Many thanks in advance for any edification y'all can provide.

I assume that's Astronomer's Interstellar pack (rather than Edge of Oblivion)? Very pretty, and very awesome trip. SarnEx is a helluva rocket.

Picked up a couple of simple, single-site visual survey contracts. Already had a stable, reliable single-propeller monoplane designed, so I slapped a couple of Goo canisters under the wings to pick up some science data on the way, threw Valentina in the cockpit, and away she went. The plan was to fly to the two sites, then back to KSC to either do a regular landing or a parachute landing and recover the maximum value of the plane. Easy peasy. Well, because the plane is so stable, I just turned on SAS once I was pointed at the first site and at an acceptable altitude (around 2km) and then went about my internet browsing. A while later I hear a crash and jump back into the gameâ€â€the plane is flying nearly vertical up a mountain, missing its right front landing gear and right tail fin. Whoops. But hey, no problem, it still flies pretty well, so I situate everything and get it heading back on track. With landing gear only on one side of the plane, the plan is definitely of the "parachute landing" variety now. Get to the first site, take the report, head off to the second. Reach the second (in the middle of the ocean), report, and do a quicksave. Less than two seconds later, the plane runs out of fuelâ€â€completely off-guard, because I had not been monitoring the fuel even a little bit. I just assumed it was fine. It was not fine. Okay, well, we got our contracts, time to parachute this thing down to the water. I didn't put a parachute on the plane. So now I have a monoplane with no fuel, 2km above the ocean, and only half of my landing gear. Val goes into a steep dive to maintain speed, then yanks up at the last minute to try to coast down to the surface... The resulting impact (at 25m/s or thereabouts) destroyed the whole plane except the cockpit. Goo results? Gone. Salvage value? Gone. Valentina: Still alive! Parachute? Never existed. ****** Edit: And upon post-mission review, not only was there never a parachute, I haven't even researched the technology necessary for radial parachutes yet. >_>

For any game, the first time I land a kerbal on the Mun (and get them home, of course). That's my "Hell yeah, now I can do stuff" moment. Never mind that I almost never progress any further than that.