Self imposed rules to play by

[worir4]

1. No safety/escape devises. The kerbal goes down with his ship! (a lot of them already have)

2. If nothing explodes, i have failed my mission.

3. Kerbal conscripts only... (not that any volunteer.)

[Skorpychan]

- No asparagus staging.

Mostly because I can't be bothered.

- Reverts are okay for design flaws or actual errors.

Mostly because there's not enough thrust, or Bill snuck into the driving seat again. I'll call it a simulation.

- Quicksave/quickload is okay, but not overused.

Abusing it for testing, sure. But no blatant savescumming to cheat the RNG and so forth.

- No destroying debris. Let the ring build itself.

Plus, I'm a hoarder. I might need that tank someday.

- If it's manned, it's going to come back. Unless it's a permanent outpost, of course.

[ATSinged]

I've developed a few house rules, some make things harder, some make things easier or at least more sane to me. My current rules are:

Unmanned (unkerbed) exploration first, satellites, unmanned landers, then Kerbals get involved.

Stranded Kerbals must be rescued as soon as feasible.

Maximum orbital mission duration within the Kerban SoI is 60 days, any longer than that, like on a station, I must institute crew rotations.

Rockets must have some semblance of realism, I use FAR so this is kind of forced to some extent anyway.

No deletion of space junk, all spent stages must de-orbit and be recoverable with the Stage Recovery mod. Satellites must carry enough dv to de-orbit upon completion of their mission, they can "burn up in atmosphere" or be used for "impact testing". If something is stuck in orbit then it's stuck up there until I can figure out how to bring it down through game play.

I use Scansat and once I've mapped the biomes of a body, I'll let myself use the alt-f12 menu to make them visible when planning a landing. IMO, I've earned that information.

I can use Mechjeb to automate common tasks like circulization burns and transfers within the Kerban SoI if I've done those maneuvers by hand a few times with that pilot So if I'm training up a new pilot, I do everything by hand for a while, it also helps keep my skills up. I can't get MJ to work on launches with FAR, but if I could, I'd probably have a rule about all craft must be hand flown a few times before I used launch assistance.

Hyperedit can only be used in my career in cases of Kraken attack. I can use it to test all I want in sandbox, but I can't transfer the craft from save to save.

[Hotblack Desiato]

I have set up a few rules for myself for the next round in ksp (when 1.0 gets released).

first and most important rule (I want to play sandbox): there is only one launch. there is no resupply-mission from kerbin, no additional snacks, nothing. only way to get additional stuff: extraplanetary launchpads, karbonite and kolonists (a nifty little mod that enables breeding kerbals in space).

second equally important rule: kerbals can return to kerbin, for example to set up a base on kerbin, but if they want to go back to space, they have to build their rocket on kerbins surface, KSC is off limits.

debris is allowed, yet not recommended, since it is useful metal.

mechjeb is allowed for tedious routine missions (send supply to a location)

the MKS/OKS logistics hub module however is not allowed (not yet sure about this rule).

currently I'm thinking about a ~1000t payload SSTO, which will be mostly recycled (another 1000t metal) in order to gain extra resources.

[keeper]

hehe interesting to read how others are playing -

I tend to build symmetrically, Except for specific science landers :s

I build up my lifters, and use subassembilies so they're all tested, but payloads dont have to be tested,

It takes as many "test simulations" as required.

Kerbals can go decades in space, just so long as they get home. They should never be stranded.

I do everything I can to get all parts of all stages recovered :/ failing that i terminate it all, only tracking my flights.

Satelites/flags/stations i make for contracts never get removed, but labeled/named who and how much.

I will accept most any contract, within reasonable..

[tater]

FAR/DRE/KJR/RSS(variant scaled Kerbol systems)/and a LS mod (TAC/IFLS/Snacks(set to kill kerbals))/KCT on career.

I use simulation in KCT, and I've never used quick saves.

[Rath]

Extra room on all missions with kerbals. Kerbals must be able to talk to mission control (Antenna). No RTGs on long term manned launches (I have them on my crew shuttle but they are as far away as possible from the kerbals+the crew are only in it for less that a day.

[Wabbit]

Quicksaves are reserved for glitchiness

Semi-realism

Kerbals need space!

LES on most manned flights... The exception being ones that can't have an LES effectively put on. I also like to focus on safety.

Kerbals get personalities, too!

[GoSlash27]

Rule#1: Do not kill or strand kerbals (forces me to do my homework before launching)

Rule#2: Do not ignite the LV-N in Kerbin's atmosphere

Rule#3: LV-N engines and PB-NUCs must never return to Kerbin. (Arbitrary political rules to temper the use of nukes)

Rule#4: No getting all explodey over land. (arbitrary political rule)

Rule#5: No physics exploits, no intake spamming (arbitrary realism rule to avoid making it too easy)

Additional rules:

-No exoatmospheric or supersonic flights with command chairs

-Kerballed flights must have a kerbal in command.

-Long-term missions must have living quarters for the crew

Best,

-Slashy

Edited March 14, 2015 by GoSlash27

[Taki117]

You do know that the LV-N is a thermal nuclear rocket, meaning that the exhaust is not radioactive?

For myself there's only one rule I live by anymore:

- Don't forget to build the solution before launching the game.

I play with KSPI so there are Reactors, and various other engines that are radioactive.

[Brotoro]

I must cook my pancakes differently than other people...because I can't understand why anyone would want to build a "pancake shaped rocket."

[Voidryder]

Here are my primary rules:

1) Must have a set strategic goal, i.e. land on Mun, establish permanent space station around Eve, etc...

2) Each strategic goal must have a Project associated with it.

3) Each Project must consist of at least two mission flights.

4) Each mission flight must have clearly defined objectives with a set deadline for accomplishment.

5) Each mission flight must strict go/no-go criteria.

6) Crews are not expendable. Death is permanent. Rescue missions will be launched whenever possible.

7) All crewed flights must have a crew safety abort system (CSAS), including all winged craft during launch phase or atmospheric flight.

8) Adequate life support is required for all crewed flights.

9) Kerbals are assigned to and trained for specific missions.

10) All crewed flights have a primary and a back-up crew assigned.

11) Back-up crews rotate to primary crews within two missions, unless Project has ended.

12) All station/base personnel must be rotated. Rotation schedule is determined by mission objectives and available launch windows.

13) All launch vehicles must be rated for flight safety. Uncrewed LV's require two successful test flights before mission launch with payload and crewed LV's require three successful test flights before launching with crew.

14) All crewed capsules and landers must undergo at least one test flight (uncrewed or in LKO) prior to being Project rated.

15) F5/F9 only used for system crashes or to resolve game glitch.

[Darnok]

No reverts, no quick saves.

[Xannari Ferrows]

Rule 1: Game crashes, shutdowns, or glitches always justify editing the save file.

Rule 2: Autopilots are overkill. Learn to fly yourself.

Rule 3: Never be inefficient unless you are using nuclear rockets.

Rule 4: One of these rules isn't true.

[KerikBalm]

#1) Use NEAR or FAR

#2) further modify so that jet fuel consumption is realistic

#3) Try not to abuse physicsless parts

#4) 1 Hitchhiker can + 2 seats in a command pod per 2 kerbals outside of Kerbin's atmosphere

#5) Probes visit bodies first

#6) No firing a LV-N in the atmosphere if there is the slightest doubt that it won't reach a stable orbit. Nuclear reactors aren't very radioactive before they are fired up the first time. So if a nuclear reactor is going to burn up on re-entry, its best that the reactor never went critical.

#7) Try to avoid leaving debris in space

-7a) Try to make spacecraft as reusable as possible: I have a couple LV-N tugs for ejecting payloads from kerbin's SOI, that then *gently* aerobrake(so as not to violate rule #6) back to LKO. The transfer stages that are ejected are fully re-usable, and except for Tylo and Eve ascent vehicles, they are all single stage landers.

#8) Duna and laythe get lots of resource devoted to them, because.. they are the closest things to habitable bodies.

#9) Mods for electric powered atmospheric propulsion (with top speeds below 350 m/s) are fine... because rovers are too tedious, and even jet fuel becomes scarce on Laythe (note the previously mentioned alteration of jet fuel consumption)

[Kibble]

Sandbox

RO

DRE

RT

TAC

No nukes

LAS on piloted launches

No Tweakscale

[Guest]

I trying to impose (somewhat successfully) the following rule: when KSP crashes AGAIN, no more then one minute of foul language outbursts.

[Ar180shooter]

* Never use MechJeb.

I think that's my only self-imposed rule.

Basically this.

If you can't fly it, it shouldn't be built. I find this also aids in your design as you want to design something you can easily control and maneuver.

I'm also trying to keep things as minimalistic and realistic as possible. I've also been playing in the new Career mode, and it presents a very fun and immersive level of challenge you don't get in the sandbox or science mode. The only mod I use is flight engineer, as it is really a feature the vanilla game should have had. I also try not to cancel any contracts in career mode.

[jarmund]

Basically this.

If you can't fly it, it shouldn't be built. I find this also aids in your design as you want to design something you can easily control and maneuver.

(snip)

I'm actually the other way around. Once in a while i use mechjeb for slow, boring, and tedious routine maneuvers. However, the more complicated ones, such as launches and docking, I prefer to do manually, as i do not trust mechjeb with it.

[cantab]

Nobody will sell the Space Centre any fuel, so the Program has to obtain it itself using the Kethane mining mod. All rockets and planes are rolled out empty and manually fuelled up on the pad.

(Exceptions are sometimes made for "simulations", mainly because I couldn't design a working spaceplane without a lot of flight testing.)

It's set me doing so much I otherwise wouldn't have done. Flying a solar plane to the northern icecap where the Sun could barely keep the propeller turning, physically adding more boosters to a fully fuelled and wrongly designed rocket sitting out on the runway, fighting to get a kethane tanker plane airborne from the bumpy desert sands, and considering my one kethane miner currently in space an absolute invaluable asset that I really hope Dang It! doesn't break.

[Francois424]

#1- I will install mods or do it myself for some engines to be super efficient... HOWEVER, these will always only be used once the entire three has been unlocked in science mode. And even then, I can only use non-stock parts on the mothership. If I land on Tylo, I'm doing it with unmodded STOCK parts.

#2- Fuel is precious, so hopping from place to place on planets is a no-go. I will make a plane or a Rover, but a rocket is out of the question. Notable exception includes: self-refueling rocket, or if on a planet on which planes/rovers are out of the question.

#3- Drones always come first. I have a beetle rovers to scout ahead before sending manned crafts.

#4- No wobbling! If I cannot make a craft that doesn't wobble, and that includes assembled motherships then the design is scrapped. I really need to install KAS one time, or that needs to be stock.

#5- No lag. (or rather no poor framerate). This one is hard, and I break that rule everynow and then, then I remember why I made that one. On my PC that means at most 500 parts... MAYBE 750-850 if most is dumped at launch. I did 1100 one time... never again. (and such a shame too, so much more could be done with the game if it didn't slowdown as much).

[Cirocco]

self-imposed rules... Oh God where to start...

Almost all my self-imposed rules are linked to ship and station design. I very often loosen up these rules because often it is simply impossible to keep them 100% enforced with the stock parts and design options.

1) Kerbals should have some extra space. If at all possible, additional seats should include the hitchiker container because the IVA for that one shows actual supply cabinets and enough room to move around and do tasks other than sit in your seat. The MkII and MkIII kerbal carrying parts seem like aircraft parts to me, which means they're dedicated almost solely to carrying people around. So no supplies and no room to move around, which is unacceptable on long-duration missions.

2) all kerbal-carrying components must be linked with parts through which a Kerbal could feasibly move. This is basically any enclosed part that is at least 1,25m diameter and NOT a fuel tank. And there's less of those than you might think. Structural tubes see a lot of use in my space stations. The fact that it shouldn't be a fuel tank also comes from the next point, though I've been considering using empty tanks to substitute for structural parts.

3) Main fuel storage should, if at all possible, never be adjacent to living space. This to avoid destruction and decompression of living space in the event of catastrophic failure. I run stock so this is just for roleplay purposes, but hey, we're doing a damn space agency here and I care for the lives of those entrusted to me dammit! Even if the Kerbals themselves might be reckless enough not to care (I'm looking at you Jeb).

4) Part count allowing, Kerbals should have some way of evacuating the ship/space station. This is usually done by either a) escape pods (which incidentally also function as science-return vehicles on Kerbin space stations) or having the living quarters be an autonomous section of the ship/ station with its own power, engines and piloting abilities so that in the event of catastrophe, it can separate and make its way to the nearest celestial body. Either for landing (on habitable atmospheric bodies like Kerbin or Laythe) or for a parking orbit to wait for rescue.

5) in case of space stations or large motherships: at least one Cupola-like command pod is required somewhere on the ship, perferrably not as the primary command module. I like to give my kerbals an observation deck with a nice view.

6) designs must be both efficient and aesthetically pleasing. Just slapping stuff together in an ugly way doesn't cut it. The colour and design differences between all the different fuel tanks (especially those of different sizes) actually makes this pretty difficult.

that's about all I can think of right now. Those rules already make my design really bloody difficult at times, I don't know if I want any more self-imposed rules

Edited March 16, 2015 by Cirocco

[PB666]

Do you have any that you play by? If so, please state if it's career, science or sandbox.

Don't destroy the launchpad, Don't destroy the VAB, Don't pull the mask off the ole long ranger and you don't mess around with Jeb, dup do de da dup do de du dah (or kill him).

Lets see, any other rules:

No warp engines or unproven science.

--No LfOx engines over 500

--No ION engines over VASMIR (ISP = 5000)

--I'de have a rule about Nukes, but I don't use them in career mode.

--Since I play hard only in career and no science mode the reverts and quickloads are out, but I back up the game folder every day just in case the 0.90 Kracken strikes.

[Kieve]

One rule I haven't seen listed here that I'm using in my current career:

-No Recovery outside KSC.

If the craft or Kerbal can't make it back at least within viewing distance of the space center, it's staying there. Also means pilots can be stranded, even on Kerbin, until a rescue mission is sent to pick them up.

[Herbin]

Dead is dead. Career mode on hard difficulty. Have to pay funds for parts as well as science. Very fun. Absolutely no reverts.