Search the Community

The problem of reaction wheels, as I said in my first sentence, it is that you need lots of them to make your craft stable enough. So it will consume lots of energy, make the plane ridiculously heavy and insanely reactive in every turning attempt. With a center of mass shifting section, it won't help you craft turning like a reaction wheel ( a 0.18 SAS block ), but it will only help at stabilizing the plane without turning it into a 500t spin machine. And don't talk about those crazy robotic parts that make your craft explode when you time warp...

There is a problem parsing multi-line arguments with 0.85. That is what is causing the generic error. If you wish to force everything that has an argument into one line, it might work. I am just gonna wait until it is fixed. For now use .71. I have taken this time to try and get a handle on using some of the new features. Until the bugs of the new version are fixed, I won't be able to test the improvements I have in mind. I can talk about the ones that work with .71 that I have added to my test set. Cirularizing and orbital calculations are moved to their own separate functions in anticipation for the use of maneuver nodes. The menu system lost a little more weight. I don't know if anyone noticed, but the menu system overhaul cleaned that up to a respectable level. There where still some small changes to make that saved a little more space. Until the new versions of kOS are up to scratch, I will probably continue further testing of the newest features and evaluate whether they will impact SC enough to warrant any major rewrites. So far, I just have visions of a nice launch profile graph.

I recently saw the movie, it was great. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time! Even though some things are scientifically inaccurate, it's just a movie. I don't see why you would talk about the scientifically wrong things before the plot or the theme. For those of you who haven't seen it- go see it!

hmm k, well to me the engines in this game... why oh why do the higher engines always have to be a pair or 4 or 3 engines. And talk about no good enough engines in the mid range.. its hard to find a decent sized engine that I can use that isn't to over the top or doesn't have enough TtoW. I'd like small engines for probes etc and landers, good enough low range like the 200-300 range, then a few decent engines around 500-700 range and more top line ranged ones around the 1000+ end. And I'm talking about single engines.. if I need 4 or 2-3 engines I can par them together... Rant over..

@TheCanadianVendingMachine, You must be running Modular Fuel System Continued v3 You must be running Real Fuels version of it (have extracted the RealFuel.zip file to the ModularFuelTanks folder) Then go into that new RealFuels folder. Open RealSettings.cfg. Change the line useRealisticMass = false to useRealisticMass = true Zander, while I am happy to send you a preconfigured archive if you need one, I would prefer not to constantly maintain three different archives. That will, IMO, prove more confusing to people than having the one archive. Regarding tech levels. I implemented the system before .22 hit, and since I've been busy rescaling Kerbin I haven't integrated it into the tech tree. First, let me run down how the system works; second, I'll tell you how I recommend you use it. In order to have realistic engine performance, MFSC divides engines into types and tech levels. While type cannot be changed in game (it is determined by chamber pressure, area ratio, cycle type, etc., all abstracted as "engine type" and applied, as well as can be done given how unrealistic most KSP engine models are, to most stock and mod engines), tech level can. Tech level represents the advances that are applied to a specific model of engine over time. For example, the venerable LR87 used in the Titan rocket went through upwards of 11 revisions over time, and was converted to use all three main fuel types (kerolox, i.e. Liquid Fuel [kerosene] and Liquid Oxygen; hypergolic NTO / Aerozine-50, simulated through the similar NTO/MMH combination ingame; and hydrolox, i..e. Liquid Hydrogen and LOX). Its Isp and thrust-to-weight ratio increased considerably through revision. Terms: SL = sea level, TWR = thrust to weight ratio. Note that in MFSC, all engines include the mass of their thrust plate, so MFSC TWRs will be about 20-30% lower than real life engine stats. So, first MFSC classifies each engine it supports by type. The types are: O = Orbital maneuvering system (like the Apollo SPS or the Shuttle OMS, designed for tons and tons of restarts, and vacuum-only use). High vac Isp, very poor SL isp, lowest TWR. Example: LV-1, LV-909, Poodle. Usually hypergolic. U = Upper stage. At most a couple restarts. Same Vac Isp as O, better SL Isp, better TWR. Like the Titan's LR-91. KSP doesn't really have any of these, they'd somewhere between the LV-909 and the LV-T45. Given the way it's shaped, I made the Skipper one, for example. U+ = Upper stage optimized for vac use. Highest Vac Isp (higher than O). Lower TWR than U. That's what + means, higher vac, lower SL, lower TWR. Real life: Centaur's RL-10. KSP: doesn't have any examples, but KW's Apollo-SPS lookalike performs like one (though it is properly made Type O by me). Hydrolox is the fuel mode of choice. L = lower stage. No restarts. Lowest Vac Isp, highest SL Isp barring Aerospike, highest TWR. Real life: Saturn V's F-1. Stock KSP: the Mainsail, obviously. (Although with its Isp unchanged, it's really an L+, so that's how I rate it.) Fuel is usually kerolox, though could be hypergolic or even hydrolox. L+ = same changes as U+: higher IspV, lower IspSL, lower TWR. Designed for a single-stage-to-orbit stack (or at least an engine that's never staged away even if boosters are). Example: Space Shuttle SSME. KSP example: LV-T45. A = Aerospike. Note that in real life nozzle losses are only 15% or so, and most of the efficiency loss at sea level is because there's air there, not because the nozzle is the wrong shape. For now they have the Isp of a U in vacuum, and 0.9x that at sea level. Real life examples: J-2T-250k (plug nozzle mod of the Saturn V J-2), the linear aerospike on the X-33. KSP Examples: obvious. S = Solid. S+ = Solid for vac use, lower SL, higher Vac Isp. Note that I haven't integrated support for HoneyFox's engine ignition mod, so all the talk of restarts is just for information purposes. What Isp an engine has is determind by grabbing its type, checking its tech level, and getting the appropriate entry in the TLTIsps area of RealSettings.cfg. Then any appropriate multipliers are applied: Hydrolox gets 1.3x to Vac Isp and an engine-specific amount (usually less than 1.3) to IspSL. Hypergolic fuel mode gets only 95% of the Isp in either case. Engines have minimum tech levels; they aren't available before that. You can, however, upgrade past that. =============================================== Now, as to how I recommend using tech levels. Note that the KSP tech tree has, roughly speaking, tiers, going from left to right. Start = TL0. When you've researched all techs in the tier after that, you get TL1. When you've researched all techs in the tier after that, you get access to TL2. And so forth. If there are any remaining TLs, you get them all at the end, or impose a delay on yourself. (Eventually I will make this happen by code. For now, you're on your honor.) You ARE, however, highly encourage to upgrade any engine, after placing it in the VAB, to your maximum available TL. So if you've researched 3 tiers of KSP techs, upgrade that LV-T45 to TL3! Otherwise your Isp will be horrific. Rough TL to year comparison: TL0: 1945+, WW2 and immediate postwar TL1: 1955+, early Space Age rockets, Sputnik TL2: 1960+, Mercury TL3: 1963+, Gemini, early Apollo stuff TL4: 1968+, Late Apollo TL5: 1972+, Apollo Applications Program, etc. TL6: 1980+, the Shuttle era Tl7: The present day.

That is possible. I would have to talk with Greys about it. However it is possible that i may get Grays help with making the weather balloon part as well.

That video is great, thank you! Do you know of any more sources of info regarding their PQS mod system? It comes across as a bit ambiguous when it talks about the particular technique used. I know they mentioned Simplex Noise within the later stages of the talk but is the same technique used to create Height data for all if not most planets in KSP? I know Kerbin has some hand drawn features but it's the rest I'm interested in. I want to avoid misinterpreting any info they gave us in the video.

Lack of decouplers at the start of career mode means that you cannot recover a live Kerbal from any actual rocket flight. At the start of career mode the only type of parachute that is available is a standard (not radial) mount, meaning there can be just one (that works). This one parachute will fail every time if slowing descent of anything larger than a pod. Lack of decouplers means : you will be slowing descent of something larger than a pod, but not really slowing. All the advice given here is fantastic for starters, especially those new to the career mode, which as I understand it has just been released. As I mentioned above, most of the online tutorials are for people *not* in the starting career mode - the zero tech, etc - and so watching someone on youtube talk about building a rocket with just two stages or using different low tech stuff doesn't apply *because it's not available at the beginning of career mode*. The solution for me was to follow the advice of several and just put a pod on the pad and do a report and eva and so on. This unlocked enough science to get a decoupler, and some real (though still simple and low tech) rockets. Because much of the advice here is so good generally, and some of it applicable to the new careerist otherwise unfamiliar with KSP this thread should be converted into a thread for people starting off in career mode, and building up through the tech tree. This is an aspect of the game which can allow KSP to really reach escape velocity, as it has a new appeal vector. Thanks to all.

CHAPTER 10: IKE Rodbald: “Trajectory is confirmed, Buzz, we can commence the burn within the hour.†Buzz: “Alright, thanks Rodbald. Now then, Kirlin, could I talk to you for a minute?†Kirlin: “If you want to. What is it you need?†Buzz: “Well, I don’t see why you’re suddenly relinquishing command. You’re the mission commander, and you said yourself, back on Kerbin, that even if you landed on neither Duna nor Ike, you would still be in charge of what we are doing on the surfaces of both planet and moon.†Kirlin: “Buzz, I’m not going down to Ike, and as you’ll be the ranking officer on the surface, you’ll be the one handing out the orders on whatever silver platter you like. I may offer input and advice, but I’m not going to tell you to do something specific when I can’t enforce it, unless it is an abort.†Buzz: “I think an abort enforces itself.†Kirlin: “Heh, I suppose it does. Anyway, I still stand by my decision. You’re in charge of the Ike landing par-ty.†Buzz: “If you say so.†Almost 1 hour later… Buzz: “TII in progress. Inform control.†Rodbald: “Control, this is Venturer, we are now in the middle of TII, over.†KSC: “Copy that.†Rodbald: “There, Ike encounter with a 30km periapsis.†Buzz: “Luner, Ike is your speciality, isn’t it?†Luner: “Well, I know a lot about it, but I’ve done so much other stuff the last few years that I can hardly call myself a specialist. That being said, I’m the most specialised out of all of you.†Buzz: “Do we know whether or not it still has that odd darkening effect when we get close?†Luner: “Currently, no. However, in 2 more hours, we’ll find out.†Kirlin: “Wasn’t there speculation about… what are they called, Space Snakes?†Buzz: “Oh please, Space Snakes? If they even existed, then they most certainly got wiped out by the Krakensbane device when it detonated.†Kirlin: “Hmm, that is a good point. Nevertheless, were there any other reputable theories?†Luner: “No other theories. It remains a mystery. A universal bug.†Rodbald: “Unless of course, Ike is no moon…†Kirlin: “…†Buzz: “…†Rodbald: “Oh come on, I quote Space Wars and you go silent on me?! What is wrong with you people?!†Buzz: “We’re having a scientific discussion and you throw in a reference to the Dread Star battlestation? I can’t possibly see why we’d go silent on you…†Rodbald: “Hmph.†Edory: “I thought it was a pretty good reference.†Rodbald: “Heh, thanks.†2 hours later… Luner: “It’s not going dark. Ike is not going dark. I don’t even…†Edory: “Surely the Krakensbane couldn’t have done this?†Luner: “I don’t know. Maybe Ike was just geologically unstable for a time. Whatever it was, it’s gone now.†Edory: “Hmm…†Buzz: “Prepare for orbital insertion burn.†Rodbald: “There, we are now in a circular, equatorial Ike orbit 100km above the surface.†Buzz: “Alright then. Rodbald, Luner, suit up, we’re going down to the surface.†Luner: “Yes sir.†Buzz: “And Luner?†Luner: “Hmm?†Buzz: “Please don’t do anything government-oriented down there. You can do that when we get back here.†Luner: “Alright, captain, you have my word. No government stuff.†Buzz: “Good, glad to see you can see sense.†Luner: “I’ve seen more than sense the last few years…†Buzz: “I’ll bet you have.†Buzz: “Hold on, who lowered the landing legs? We only have three of them!†Rodbald: “Umm, yeah, one second… there, they should be raising up again.†Buzz: “Ok, thanks.†Luner: “Fuel levels looks good, and structural integrity is fine. No reason to abort.†Buzz: “Good, I need to stretch my legs down there.†Buzz: “Venturer, we’re down on the surface. See you in a day or two.†Kirlin: “Roger that, nicely done Buzz. I’ll let control know that you’ve set down.†Buzz: “Right then gentlemen, we have a moon to explore, so let’s get to it.â€Â

Talk about barebones design there. The downside is that the rules specify no rocket parts and I see you used the 1.25m short rocket fuel cans for fueling your plane. Doesn't DQ you, but it does get hit with the time x2 penalty for using rocket parts. Still it's pretty awesome that A: that thing flies, and B: that you otherwise came in with the shortest time.

Oh, right: unless anyone objects, I suggest taking talk of this particular subset of realism to the thread I just made in Releases dedicated to it, and this thread can go back to big picture discussion...

Comments on the sheet, except for: 0. Looks good! I like the formula for power use. 1. I generally agree with kalor 2. Will you at least let me add the option of the different range model? I would very much like the option of putting a massive dish near Kerbin, and a realistic-size dish on my voyager probe, and having them able to talk to each other, rather than having to have medium-large dishes on both ends. (This model would default to off, obviously, as it does in the version I added to RT1).

Nope,I don't want to be the student of someone who can't write "student" properly. I'm assuming you don't talk about this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studen

actualy, this thread is general discution, when you talk to people in an elevator, see?

I find this POTUS-talk slightly confusing, as I constantly have to remember myself we are not talking about a hippo

Sorry I'm usually really on top of responding to you buys, my apologies, as for extending the cargo bay, hmmm we'll as Sierra has said, it is quite do-able. I'll talk to the r&d boys and see if they can fit it in their schedule, we currently have some real life commitments cropping up but rest assured we have heard the request and we shall see what we can do.

Hello I was trying to edit the picture files for a command pod unit and found it extremely difficult to edit. I managed to open SOME of the .mbm pictures but not the ones I needed (and they where all rainbowy and broken). I deleted the first 20 bytes from the image coding and they still didn't work! I suggest adding a .mbm editor FOR KSP and FOR ALL .mbm files OR edit the .mbm files so they work properly OR change them back into .png like they where much earlier. (and yes I know this is already suggested but this seems like a good time to talk more openly about this since its just after a big update.) - Avera9eJoe PS: please don't yell at me for saying stuff about the next update

Let's talk about that on steam. Also, I found an F-1 engine sound, will be included in the next release

Back in the days of 0.11 and 0.12, I admit that I was not the best of rocketeers. Most of my time spent with the former was just figuring out how the heck you get into orbit, and most of the latter I spent trying (and failing) to reach the Mun. There was a brief stint there where I embraced my inner Danny2642 and just made ships to blow up for fun, but that was short-lived. I did at least legitimately get to the Mun before 0.13 came out! And illegitimately with those old cheat super-nacelles too, but I don't talk about that so much.

My dislike of imperial units is certainly coloring my argument that the convention of including the acceleration of gravity on the surface of Earth in the conversion between effective exhaust velocity (which has a perfectly consistent physical definition and interpretation, with no arbitrary magic-number conversion constants thrown in whatsoever) and specific impulse as a time is a bad convention. We can leave imperial units out of it for a second, if we're ignoring where the convention came from in the first place. If, as you had said earlier, specific impulse were defined as the amount of time 1 kilogram of propellant would last if burned at a thrust of 1 Newton, then specific impulse as a time might make sense - at least the conversion factor in there would be 1 m/s^2, which from F = m a is the acceleration that 1 kilogram would undergo if 1 Newton were applied to it. But this is not the case. There's a factor of g0 arbitrarily inserted into the definition. That factor has no business being there if we're trying to talk about universal physical behavior. Or going even further down the rabbit hole, even kilograms, meters, and seconds have anthropocentrically chosen values, so 1 m/s^2 would also be a non-universal choice. If you want to call specific impulse a time, you have to at some point choose a ratio of thrust to mass (so an acceleration) to define as your reference value. There's no way to make that choice in a purely physical way that isn't biased by the values we've chosen to use, from our history and home planet. Unless we all used Planck units instead of SI, but those have crazy values and we don't know Newton's constant with enough precision for Planck units to be scientifically useful... So yeah, effective exhaust velocity is the only purely-from-physics unbiased convention that could rightfully be used here.

The original author (ialdabaoth) is currently taking a break from KSP for personal reasons (I think), but NathanKell is taking over maintenance and development. He's also taking over the Modular Fuel Systems though, so give him a bit of time to find his way into it. I'm sure he'll post a thread for it when there is something to talk about (or something to tell, whatever comes first). Also, as far as I know it works basically fine at the moment, doesn't it?

So, uh... I've been completely burned out coding wise. Between work and this, I don't want to look at a line of code for a while. Since I've started this project I've had very little time to just enjoy the game. I haven't even played .22 yet ;_; I also have a lot of other things going on so I can't devote any time or energy to this project. I think I've completed my goal of a "proof of concept" so I think it's time to put this to an end and give the community my ideas and thoughts (as well as source code). So, that said, I think what I'm going to end up doing, sometime in the near future, is make a write up about KSP Multiplayer... Which means going through what I've done, as well as other projects, to explain why and how it's possible to bring MP to life. For the most part, it's already been done. Between my initial work and what the L.O.G. project has been able to do recently, it's already happened. We've played multiplayer KSP... Now it's just the long haul to make it playable and practical for you all. Along with this write up I'll explain what I've been able to do as well as talk about various other concepts... for example: what about the kraken? I'll also release my source code for everyone to look at. I still need to clean up a few things before then though (cleaning up some debug code and adding comments mostly). I'm sorry if I've dissapointed anyone by shutting this down but, again, it was never my intention to make a full-on multiplayer mod. Hopefully down the road I might be able to contribute some more time to either the L.O.G. project or some other MP project. I wish them and anyone else who's crazy enough to make this happen the best of luck

Chapter 1 The Facilities Bob: Hey Bill, Hey Jeb, Did you guys see the news last night. Jeb: No, I was up all night trading prepping my company for the contract with the KSI. Bill: (Puts down cup of coffee) Neither did I. I was errr…..sleeping! Yeah, I was sleeping. I was sleeping in my bed here. I was definitely not climbing up K^2 last night and then sliding down it. Bob: Oh, the Kerbin News Network (KNN) was doing an interview with Jefferson, Dale, Fred, and me about the KSI and its mission of putting a kerbal on the moon. Bill: How’d the media spin it? Bob: What do you mean? Bill: You now all the major news networks always have a spin. How’d they spin it? Were they pro or con to the KSI. Bob: Well if you put it that way I would say that were overall supportive to the idea of putting a man on the moon. They did skip over most of the part about the other missions of the KSI. Bill: See this is where they getcha. (Starts to examine his cup of coffee) Anyway, I’m going to make another cup of coffee. Anyone want some Bob: No, I’m on a no coffee diet Jeb: I don’t want any either, but if you see a bottle of scotch I would gladly take that instead. (Jefferson quickly runs in) Jeffeson: Hello Bob, I have some big news for you today. Bob: What is it. Jefferson: I just got off the phone with the boys at mission control and they have made their decision for the first person to go on a mission. Kerbonauts: Who? Jefferson: They have chosen Bob… Jeb: Oh come on I funded the entire KSI with the money from my company. Jefferson: Don’t get too excited yet though they have chosen Bob to be the crew on the launch simulation Bob: A launch simulation. Why? Jefferson: Mission control wants to run down the pre-flight protocol while Dale fixes the over air comm systems. Wait, has Jeb and Bob seen the rest of the facilities. Bob: Well Jeb hasn’t but I am not so sure about Bob, who did not climb up K^2 last night. Jefferson: Okay, so here we have the Kerbonaut complex. Her you kerbonats will relax between launches. We have a gym, cafeteria, snack bar, rooms upstairs, 5 bathrooms, 200 fire extinguishers, rec room, 6 coffee machines, and over 500 chairs. Any questions? Bill: Yes, why are there only 6 coffee machines we need like 3 times more. Jefferson: Umm…. I ‘m not going to answer that. Bill: Question 2, Why are there only 6 coffee machines. Jefferson: Let’s move on to the space plane Hanger. (Scene change SPH) Jefferson: Here we are at the space plane hanger Jeb: What is a plane? Jefferson: I don’t exactly know but the scientists who work here hav assured me it is nessacary. Bob: So this place is boring where next. Jefferson: To the VAB! (Scene Change) Jefferson: Welcome to the VAB where scientists are working diligently to build the Zeus-1. This is where I work helping to set the explosives into the vehicle. Bob: That doesn't sound safe to put explosives in launch vehicle. Jeb: Yeah, why are we sitting on the top of an e-ex-explosive? Jefferson: Don’t think of the rocket as an explosive think of it like a slow high velocity candle. Jeb: That eliminates the chance for an e-ex-explosion. Jefferson: There is a 35% chance of an explosion on launch. That should be no problem for the founder of Jebbadiah Junkyard should it. Why, Here comes Wernher Von Kerman, basic rocketry scientist. Wernher: Why hello Jefferson. Who are these people, and why are they in my VAB. Jefferson: Wernher, these are Bill, Bob, and Jebbadiah Kerman they are the Kerbonauts. Bob is the leading astronomer on the team he was at the original meeting. Bill is the famous adventurer. Jeb is the owner and founder of Jebbadiah Junkyard. His company was given the contract to design the rockets. Wernher: Ahh. Jebbadiah I love your solid rocket booster as you can see here it is the major part of the Zeus rocket. Jefferson: Looks like you have it fine here so I think we will be moving to the tracking station. (Scene Tracking Station) Dale: Jefferson! It feels like I haven’t seen you in decades. Jefferson: I saw you yesterday Dale: Yes that’s why It has felt like years. You have checked on my progress every minute except for today. It also seems you have brought along the Kerbonauts. Jefferson: How did you know they were… Dale: I invented the Kerbinwide communication system let’s just say news gets around. Bob: Looks like you have done a lot since I left you after the meeting. Dale: Oh yes, I currently have been working on taking the system from ground only to being able to transmit info to the capsule itself. I was the one who selected you for the Zeus Launch Simulator. Since the rocket will be a carbon copy of the Zeus rocket. I decided to choose you because I was afraid of Jeb or Bob pressing the staging button and launching the thing before we had groundless communication up. Jefferson: It’s been great meeting you but we are running out of time and need to talk to mission control before the simulation. (Scene Change Mission Control) Jefferson: Welcome to mission control. I would avoid running into anyone while they are going into final preperations. Bill: Who are all these people I thought we were going to fly these rockets by the seat of our pants. Jefferson: Well I will let someone else describe the crew. Gene! Gene: (Startled) Jefferson! I didn’t see you there what brings you to this mission control on this wonderful day. Jefferson: Oh, I was just showing the Kerbonauts around. They also need to be trained of whoeach of the flight crew is. Gene: Okay, that’s easy. Over there we will have Capsule command, and that will be one of you. Over there we roger who is in command of the rotational controls. Over there we have Franklin who is control of fuel operations. Stan is range officer and has the ability to abort a mission if it endangers the public. Booster is the launch vehicle expert and the representative of VAB scientists including Jefferson. Finally, David is the CCTV officer. More information will come during the flight test which is starting in one minute. So Bob I need you to get dressed and get into the capsule. Bill and Jeb you can stay also Jeb your running CAPCOM. Attention mission control! We go live in one minute. Hold onto your socks. -Authors Notes- This and the next chapter were supposed to be one chapter but I found it was getting a bit large so this is the first chapter. Again feedback is requested and yes it can be negative or positive feedback.

Agreed. It makes sense to start with just a probe and the other limited parts rather than a capsule. It's not like you can't earn your first advance or two by just walking around the space centre reporting and sampling anyway, so those who want a capsule could get one quickly. To my mind, some other things make even less sense. Like the fact I can get all of the necessary parts to build a high performance jet from the Tier 5 Aerodynamics tech node... but wait, the small gear bay is in a different, otherwise almost useless Tier Five box that has those and the (to my mind) almost useless tiny landing legs. I actually built a plane before I noticed them missing, and even tried launching it using girders as skids! Finally got it into the air using JATO (seperatrons for lack of a better small rocket). And don't even talk to me about ladders! How the <expletive deleted> can a frakkin' ladder be in Tier 6? So much for landing a plane and collecting samples 'til I'm most of the way through the tech tree... or doing EVA's on any planet.

Most people talk about learning how to land and dock before Mechjeb though. That's not basics, that's highly advanced stuf. I keep an eye on my Mechjeb though (except for the launch autopilot. I've seen so many rocket launch it's gotten boring), so he hasn't killed anyone yet for me. I like the big brother comparison. Very accurate