Liowen

Well after much fanfare, and physics per launch breaking things, I finally got the tug and lander up in orbit with a very basic lifter (14 orange tanks double stacked, 6 of those asparagus staged and 7 of the big rocket max engines). That unshielded docking port on the bottom of the tug was just not working so I put 2 on either side of the main fuel tank and left the top one with the lander attached. Now with it 1,000km above Kerbin I noticed something I like on all my ships to have..... lights (ok there are some but I don't where). I also forgot one important thing this one I do not have a good encounter with Duna on this save that is on my one I do all my videos for <sigh>. Well anyways enough of that, here are the pics I took of it in orbit, I would have gotten some of the launch, but I had a hard time getting it to not go boom on the pad. On a sidenote I need to remember to turn off cross feeding while flying the tug as it drains from the lander

This is the normal tactic on this her show to be honest, she tries to make sure that the point brought up is forced home. Other opinions other than the original statement are usually swept under or completely dismissed. I doubt highly the guests, other than the OP of course, would be real gamers in the true sense of the term. Most likely they are people who played some games in their youth and now, having kids of their own, do not want them to play. However I have not heard todays show so I may give it a listen in the AM and see how close I am on those points, and if I am wrong I will gladly admit it. Also if the theme was games are the reason for violence, then how do they explain all the violence before video games? I have always question this thinking as I have played my share of violent games and non-violent ones, and I seem fairly well adjusted (I refuse to call myself normal). Sorry for getting a bit ranty on this subject, and to the OP well played on getting word to a different market.

Ok Well now I know what I would need to do an Eve mission with one vehicle......yeah I need more practice docking I think. Impressive ship, but I think you might be a few chutes shy, seriously though from what I have been told Eve is a chore to get off of. I landed, sort of, on Eve, well more like hit it going really fast, but I did get there and that is a start.

Billy-Bobfen Kerman He maned my first Mun mission ( although my youtube channel has Jeb on there as I forgot to FRAPS the first one) and he was the first one on Minmus. I am debating onusing him for my next mission to Duna or not, he is kind of valued on my long list of Kerbals. I made it apoint to hire a lot of them as insurance in case I did a lot of kabooms.

I made a save of both when I started, and split my time between both. Using what I learned in sandbox and applied to the career mode. I did end up deleting the career save for now as I wanted to work in sandbox mode more right now. I will go back and work on career once I have done my small list of moons and planet landings.

You know I have never learned how to turn on infinite fuel or gravity hacking. I honestly thought using mechjeb to help me learn how to time interstellar missions was a bad thing, but using a fuel hack is worse LOL. Congrats on the Duna run, I have been to Duna, both with mechjeb helping me get the right burns and by hand, but have not landed there yet.

I actually did not get to play yet today, there is still time though, I did however make 2 apple pies. It is kind of Kerbal related since Kerbals like snacks and pie is a sort of snack.....I hear you laughing at me LOL.

the RCS tanks I figured more for a refueling as well as the payload ship, but now looking at it it does seem excessive and I will edit in a bit (just got home and need a break). The RCS ports I knew when I put those on I would need more this was just a reference to what the tug may look like, it is always subject to change. If I use the 1440 tanks would I still feed center to engine like I am now or center to outside tanks? That has always been a nagging question, from a design aspect I would think inner to out tanks but the inner to engine set up seems to work as well. I kind of wish there was a slightly bigger pod like this one that could hold 2 Kerbals, the bigger can is just too big in my eyes. As for the cosmetic thing I have to agree, but having the unshielded on the bottom like that hooked to the tug should be fine so long as it is braced, but the one under the decoupler may have and issue or be fine? All this docking stuff is new to me still, but I am learning it as I go. I will check out you lifter as well and see how it works, maybe "steal" some ideas from it for testing. As for getting into space I had a concept that I tested (using a ship much like the tug that went both to Duna and Eve orbits) but I think a different lifter maybe in order. Thanks again and hopefully you have a good Thanksgiving tomorrow. Edit: There are 3 generators on the craft, but they are clipping badly so they are not really visible (just double checked before editing). Sorry for the size of the pictures I tend to shrink them with imageshack to make them a bit lighter for people to load

Hmm this sounds like a challenge, but what were you landing on....or rather attempting to land on? Though I do not have any beer on hand I do have some vintage rum, a couple of shots and it will do the trick.

Locking the space bar so you do not separate SRB's while they still have fuel and running, makes things go boom.....badly.

A few other things I forgot: -Do not over think the craft. This one I have done many many times already -Do not let other discourage you. While I realize many have had this game longer than myself, and other new people getting the game, there are times where I feel my crafts are not good in comparison to other who have been playing for a longer time. I have had some reservation about sharing my ships after looking here, but so far no one has said anything mean, rather the feedback has been positive and helpful. -Lock space bar..... I wish I had known sooner how to do this as I like to tap my thumb near the space bar from time to time.

Well I do some videos of my attempts, and I figure the launching bit is very repetitive so having a tug in space will make life easier. I will also just send up refueling missions once it returns to Kerbin, most likely switch out the crew for other missions and returning the one who landed back to Kerbin. 700NitroXpress on here was kind enough to help me on bettering my design of the lander, and now it is atop its tug waiting to go into space. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/59747-My-single-crew-Duna-Lander-in-need-of-help/ is where my lander talk is going on right now, and everyone here has been very helpful showing me how I over planned the design. Below is the current state of the test vehicle, since I will not be home for most of today and tomorrow the project is on hold but always in my head. Not sure yet how I want the main lifter system to work, but it will come to me I am sure.

Nice rover and ship DrMonte, I have yet to do any type of rover. I made an ugly tug this morning, basically like I figured a probe with fuel and engines. I did put a dish on it though in sandbox mode it really is there to make it look nice. I also just noticed I may need more RCS ports on it too looking at the pictures. The whole thing weighs in at 73 T, this is including the lander being docked on top. I was not sure I needed the struts or not, but safety first. As for docking ports I am not sure the difference honestly between the shielded ones and the unshielded (please don't say one is shielded and other is not ) If I use an unshielded one with something attached during take off will it be fine? Here are a few pictures of the tug and lander. Also I do not know if you can see, but I caught Minimus in the first shot. There are three generators on thetug and well as a big round battery under the probe structure, as well as two big RCS tanks. My idea is this will whole thing, lander included, will remain in orbit around Kerbin and refueling vechiles will go up top it off before its next mission. I feel this will do well for most moon trips, Laythe begin the only exception most likely. Also the tug can detach from this lander and hook on to another one for different missions. Also with having ports on both ends I can put on more tanks if needed for longer missions, unless I design something better later on down the road. Who knows maybe I will do a bus with the Hitchhiker cans, a kind of space tourism bus trip. one thing at a time first though, single mission or duo missions to places first until I get semi better at doing things. Edit: My original thinking was that if it could go into an orbit around Kerbin then I would have nothing at all to worry about on Duna as I would most likely have more than enough fuel left over for mistakes that would happen, and while I still think that is true it may have been overkill at the end of the day.

Sorry I just realized this was for career mode, I thought for some reason it was sandbox. I do apologize for my confusion.

That was the word I was looking for last night, but for the life of me I could not think of it for some reason.

I am humbled good sir, very humbled indeed. I should be able to reconstruct yours as it seems a bit more wide, I was having an issue with those side mounted thrusters using my design. I tweeked the landing gear config file as they seem seriously soft on all my crafts, but now I may put it back. As for Eve like you said another monster for another day, and I already knew this wouldn't be enough to get off of there....I am foolish but not that much . Now I feel like I was a pain having you go and do the testing of that, but is very much appreciated. One last question: if I repack the chutes can they be redeployed if they are restaged or no?

Yeah I will work on again tomorrow before I go off to make pies, bugs me I cannot take my tower with me now when there is work to be done in the universe LOL. Next up on lander ideas would be Eve, I will use the same tug to take it there as well I think so design wise it should be small as well. I know there are some who like big monsters of ships, but I figure if it is functional and does the same as a big one that is good by me. Of course when I get more experience I will do bigger ones, but this is what my goals are. Thanks again for the assist as this has been bugging me all week me all week. Edit: Just seen the second post....Hmmmm Might have to make a mental note on those changes and do 2 launches to see what one I like better.

Well I am not sure if KSP has true to life physics or not in this regard, but since the engine are only on their side it would only spin in that direction from my best guess. If you put them at a 45 degree angle it might work, but that is a mighty big might. Interesting concept though!

Thanks for the advice, I added aerospikes to the outer pods and kept the LV-T 35 in the center and man that thing motors up quick even on Kerbin. I did the asparagus staging on the spike tanks, but jettison them in flight (I may rethink this idea later as now it would be reusable). I think I got up to 300m/s before 9000 meters and the first set of spike tanks dying out, in fact I got up to 100km but no orbit mostly due to not paying attention. I think if I add four fuel only tank to drain into the first two that will die first I should be ok, but as it stands now I am at 28.3 T so I might be ok to add on the tanks and still be under that 38.55 T I had before. Your lander is so much more beefier than my poor little pencil LOL, but it is impressive. Now for my Robo-tug, basically a probe with atomic engines and fuel for days. It is becoming more and more likely I may have my first Duna landing soon...maybe by Christmas LOL. Edit: Here is the slimmed down version. I am still debating adding on more fuel tanks but at .3 the gravity I feel this should be more than enough to run away from Duna. Also I know this will not make it to Duna on its own, the tug is still in the build phase.....meaning I need to build it yet.

Try to get your horizontal velocity negated then all you have to worry about is your vertical velocity. If you keep it under 7m/s (lower is even better) you should be golden, just be prepared to chase the circle with an X in it...yeah I do not know that term for some reason . Feather the throttle, chase the node, and use crtl+L to ensure you do not decouple anything on accident. The last one was one I did once or three times before figuring that out... Also I have a video, though a bit lengthy, showing my landing on Mun and Minimus, and my Mun mission I actually landed on my side but got the ship back upright without engine assist. If you want to see it I will post it here if you ask...I don't want to post it and it wasn't warrented.

Ok that is what I was thinking after building it that it was too much in one direction and seriously not enough in the other. If I put LV-909's at the 4 corners with a LV-T 30 in the center I should have more than enough thruster action to slow myself down then, and keep the chutes to lessen the amount of thrust needing to stop before kaboom. Right now this all on my test save so what happens there is not too big of a deal, so long as I can do the same thing a few times there I should be good on the main save. I did name it Kaboom for a reason I guess hehe.

In the center I have one LV-T30 with 6 FL-T 400 tanks (2 mounted in the center and four on the sides) and 4 FL-T 100 tanks on to of the outer set of the 400's. Without the SRB's it is a struggle on Kerbin to make it to a 100km-ish orbit, I can do it but I have no room for error. Even with the boosters I only have enough fuel to burn for 2 seconds at most. But if it is easier to leave Duna than Kerbin am I going a bit much then on fuel? Also if that is the case I could also go to the LV-T45 losing only 15 from max power of the LV-T30 and ditch the SRB's and still be fine. I guess maybe the weight is not the main concern as needing to know if I am over shooting the dV to get off Duna with this craft or not. Thanks for the advice though

Ok I designed a small ship today that I intend to land on Duna, or Eve, and meet back up with the probe tug (yet to be designed) waiting back in orbit. My problem is weight I feel, it weights 38.55 T but can get into Kerbin orbit (around 100km-ish) with no fuel left. Is this a bit of over kill for landing on these two planets or a strong contender? I added parachute...lots of them... figured it will help slow me down so I do not need to use the main thruster much or at all. On Kerbin it slows to about 6.5 m/s before landing without the thruster being engaged. It has RCS with the small ball tanks, though I may put a big cell on it but I fear making it any heavier. The main thruster does not have gimbling, hence why there are winglets for aid in maneuvering. I could take and make the side tanks detachable to help aid in the lift off process. To me this just seems so heavy for what it is, yet from what I have read I feel everything is needed to achieve a safe landing and getting it back into orbit. I am so lost right now Any help would be most welcomed and great appreciated. Picture taken just a few moments ago showing what the ship looks like currently

Mine are very basic things right now: -No mods (while I do have 2 Mods downloaded they are only used for testing purposes and learning and do not count towards successful missions) -Only tweeked one item....landing legs as they have an issue I think (they are seriously weak and I beams are not landing legs) -K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple Stupid... Basically do not over engineer anything, just make it functional nothing fancy. -No man...errr kerbal left behind... EVER! -No reloads once a kerbal is dead he is dead. (unless something interrupts my game play and my testing save are the only exception) -No Debugging to achieve success I either do or do not. -No mistakes..... Even if it looked like a mistake it wasn't (ok that is more of an oxymoron) -Stock parts only This is more personal choice as I have had the game for a bit over a month and I am not ready for realism yet. -Send the stupid ones first. Hey at least I do not leave them out there though And the most important one -Have fun....this is said at the end of all my youtube videos, because if you are not having fun what is the point? I am sure I missed something in my list but this covers my rules for myself in any game. The last one being the utmost important one above all others.

Looking back Minimus is easier to to land on, but if he is having trouble with approaches Mun might be better to practice near until he can get the feel for it. It also makes rescue missions a bit more likely. As far as contrast I didn't think it was hard to judge the ship against either to be honest, but I would recommend lights just in case of a dark side landing. To quote Kennedy: