Mechjeb 1.0

[DrD]

I was checking out curse.com, Mechjeb is already out for 1.0.

I've never used it but thought you might like to know.

And KER! Now that I use!

[Stealth2668]

Nice. Gone are the days of checking the map to simply see my apoapsis.

[Enorats]

Mechjeb is just one of those things that really, really, really needs to be in the stock game. Playing the game without it is like trying to fly a plane blindfolded. They've added some of its functions (such as the Smart A.S.S. stuff) to pilots as you level them.. but it's seriously inferior by comparison (pilots always overshoot, then overcorrect, then finally correct and get to prograde/retrograde) and so much of it is just necessary for basic gameplay. Trying to eyeball planetary transfers.. ugh. Never knowing how much delta-V you've actually got or how much a maneuver will cost you? That's just stuff that needs to be stock.

[LadyAthena]

Mechjeb is just one of those things that really, really, really needs to be in the stock game. Playing the game without it is like trying to fly a plane blindfolded. They've added some of its functions (such as the Smart A.S.S. stuff) to pilots as you level them.. but it's seriously inferior by comparison (pilots always overshoot, then overcorrect, then finally correct and get to prograde/retrograde) and so much of it is just necessary for basic gameplay. Trying to eyeball planetary transfers.. ugh. Never knowing how much delta-V you've actually got or how much a maneuver will cost you? That's just stuff that needs to be stock.

I agree honestly. But who cares since we got mechjeb. Though the additional information should be added to the game regardless as it is pretty essential to making a proper rocket without complete guess work and yoloing it, which is honestly not very user friendly.

That being said, for everyone who says "oh but but Mechjeb is cheating!" Uhhh no, not really. I consider it another form of simulation and role playing. You see. IRL the pilots, engineers, scientists, and even ground control have what you call Mathemticians who give them the coordinates, burns, and all that jazz Mechjeb gives you... So no it's really not "cheating"

[Randazzo]

I'm pretty sure mechjeb is trying to kill my kerbals.

It's been doing weird things, particularly on the ascent guidance. Just now it actually turned around and burned retrograde to slow down.

[Khobai]

I still think its important to learn the fundamentals of the game. And you really should try to do things without mechjeb when you can. Because mechjeb does things inefficiently a lot of the time.

Where mechjab is invaluable is when you have to do multiple launches which would be tedious if you had to do them all manually.

[moogoob]

Mechjeb doesn't help you much if you give it bad instructions! Launching a few times manually to get a feel for things with a new rocket design is crucial before jumping to automation.

Also, some of MJ's commands are interesting. "Limit to terminal velocity" in launch guidance does strange things - because drag (and therefore terminal velocity!) goes up when turning a rocket, this command makes the rocket cut thrust when turning. This can either be annoying or deadly, depending on your design and launch settings.

I've been having problems though - MJ refuses to display windows (*most* of the time.. sometimes it works) in the VAB, which makes assembly harder. Works OK when I start a flight though.

[VirtualCLD]

Mechjeb is just one of those things that really, really, really needs to be in the stock game. Playing the game without it is like trying to fly a plane blindfolded. They've added some of its functions (such as the Smart A.S.S. stuff) to pilots as you level them.. but it's seriously inferior by comparison (pilots always overshoot, then overcorrect, then finally correct and get to prograde/retrograde) and so much of it is just necessary for basic gameplay. Trying to eyeball planetary transfers.. ugh. Never knowing how much delta-V you've actually got or how much a maneuver will cost you? That's just stuff that needs to be stock.

I guess I'm like DrD in that I've never used MechJeb (or any mod) so I don't know what I'm missing. I was always afraid it took the fun out of the game since now you don't need to guesstimate delta-V or planetary transfers. How effective is MechJeb in 1.0? Is the game still challenging?

[Telemake]

VirtualCLD]How effective is MechJeb in 1.0? Is the game still challenging?

Depend on what you use it for and what is your aim. It can be quite effective (depend on the ship design) and make orbital rendez-vous trivial if you use it as a robot. If you want to play manually it can provide a lot of interesting data (delta-V, apoapsis, periapsis, true altitude, vertical velocity etc) allowing to fine tune your ships and missions.

MechJeb only remove challenge ... if you want it to.

[3Dave]

I still think its important to learn the fundamentals of the game. And you really should try to do things without mechjeb when you can. Because mechjeb does things inefficiently a lot of the time.

Where mechjab is invaluable is when you have to do multiple launches which would be tedious if you had to do them all manually.

This. 100%.

By all mean learn how to do everything by hand. But when you start getting your kerbal kolonies going on several planets and launches/docking/planetary transfers become a routine thing, by all means let mech jeb do it to save your sanity... well, except for docking, dont let mech jeb do that, its far easier, faster, and more efficient to do it manually. lol

[Randazzo]

I guess I'm like DrD in that I've never used MechJeb (or any mod) so I don't know what I'm missing. I was always afraid it took the fun out of the game since now you don't need to guesstimate delta-V or planetary transfers. How effective is MechJeb in 1.0? Is the game still challenging?

It's as challenging as you want it to be.

The way I look at it, you wouldn't catch NASA sending a crewed vessel on an interplanetary journey without computer-assisted flight controls. Sure, they could do it all themselves if they really wanted and were really careful, but it's a lot easier and safer to just input a command or two and let the computer pull off the manuever. I can do pretty much everything myself (though my interplanetary transfers are usually pretty bad and need lots of adjusting), but using Mechjeb makes it less work and more game. I fully understand and respect the desire of some for an intensely realistic hardcore experience, but personally think that experience stinks, much as they would think my easy mode experience stinks. It's just a matter of preference, although you will encounter some who label mechjeb users as heretics who should be burned at the stake. Don't mind them. They live in their mom's basement.

[Stickton McStick]

I like MechJeb because you can use it when you want, and not use it when you don't want to. I love hand flying my own launches and training to nail trajectories and maneuver nodes and such. But when I was playing RemoteTech in .90 and had to launch a bunch of cam sats, it was nice to be able to just just auto launch a few of them, since it started to get tedious.

If I only want flight/craft info, I actually prefer Kerbal Engineer.

One thing that was a bit disconcerting in a way was that, in 1.0, apparently ALL of the mechjeb abilities seem to be available right away and I've only got the first couple notes unlocked. Not sure if that is temporary or what. I always like the MechJeb progression. You are rewarded with less tedium as you advance.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Stickton McStick

[Laie]

Mechjeb is just one of those things that really, really, really needs to be in the stock game.

I heartily disagree. Certainly not the whole bundle. When I first installed Mechjeb, it took me a while to understand what it all means -- it would have been overwhelming if hadn't already had a few hours of stock gameplay under my belly. Also, Mechjeb dramatically changed how I play the game. It became less playful, more determined. The days of just messing around were over (cf. #lolsokerbal).

Then again, I don't think I'd have stuck to KSP if it wasn't for MechJeb.

[AgincourtDB]

I'm pretty sure mechjeb is trying to kill my kerbals.

It's been doing weird things, particularly on the ascent guidance. Just now it actually turned around and burned retrograde to slow down.

Yeah ascent guidance is screwy now. Dunno if it got better or worse since the 1.0.1 update, haven't loaded the game yet today. It's as if the mod failed to take into account the change of some numbers, somehow, or didn't update the 'default' settings...

[Scientist]

i only use MJ for the data, mainly combined with RPM as i play IVA only if you use autopilot you achieved nothing, the autopilot did all the thinking