"Duna, Ore Bust!" -- a KSP Graphic Novel (COMPLETE)

[Scotius]

Ouch. That landing had to hurt. And i already like Tedus - is he going to Eve too? If yes, i can sense a lot of banter incoming

[Geschosskopf]

That's interesting and too bad it doesn't work so well.

Well, there are quite a few folks who use RT and love it but I find it just gets ridiculous after a while. KSP physics preclude using many of the more useful satellite placement schemes from the real world so you just have to brute-force it with way more satellites than you really should need, which costs money and eats time. Further, for this and numerous other reasons, it's not at all career-friendly. Probes are wasteful for gathering science to begin with, their only attraction being they're cheap so can grab some quick cash and science in a pinch. RT takes this away by vastly increasing the cost and hassle of doing probes.

Never been too interested in RT but I could go for a mod that takes transmission time into account...

I've played with that and the kOS scripting thing that you use to deal with the signal delay (and has other uses as shown by damerell's crewed rovers). That was fun in a nostalgic sort of way (seriously, I learned to program with punch cards). But once I got over that, I realized I was just chasing my tail. There are 2 ways to look at stock probes (no RT). RT chooses to assume that probes are total marionettes, needing somebody at KSC constantly controlling their every action, from which comes the need for all the commsats to provide uninterrupted links all over the place. And from that comes signal delay, and thus kOS to provide a very limited amount of autonomy (1960s-style) to the probes in compensation. OTOH, you can choose to view probes as 21st Century autonomous vehicles needing only periodic general orders from KSC and are able to figure out and execute the necessary fine details themselves. Looked at this way, there's no need for much of a comms network and signal delay isn't an issue. Given that I do futuristic stuff like invading other planets, I figure the latter is more "realistic" for my game world than using antique stuff .

[Starhawk]

Once again, brilliant work.

That panel with the heat gauges is classic!

Happy landings!

[Mister Dilsby]

Ouch. That landing had to hurt. And i already like Tedus - is he going to Eve too? If yes, i can sense a lot of banter incoming

It DID hurt, I really was trying to land in one piece! As far as Tedus goes, Walt will have to do some polling, see how he plays with Kerbfleet's target demographic.

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...I've played with that and the kOS scripting thing that you use to deal with the signal delay...

Oh right, I forgot about kOS--I might have to try that. I didn't learn on punch cards myself, but I am of the C64 generation so I can relate a little bit

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That panel with the heat gauges is classic!

Thanks! I really do like that Gliido, it's an all-liquid fuel design (turboramjets + nukes) that I use in a few different configs depending on mission. This was the long range version, there is also a 6-passenger model and a science payloader. I'm especially happy that I managed a '727' style three--jet layout that flies reasonably balanced. But it DOES get hot--typically the whole thing is still glowing when it docks in LKO, and then the station's panels radiate the heat.

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

Dat hidden rust pun though.

10/10.

1v1 me rust, LV-45s only, no RCS.

[Mister Dilsby]

Lots of ships in motion to get ready for the Eve mission--but I think I will get the crew I want home to Kerbin in time for the transfer window. I think we'll have one more Interlude page after these two, and then it's back to the pink ice and red sands of Duna.

Edited June 16, 2015 by Kuzzter

[GehringGame]

I love the look (but mostly the name) of the atmospherikdipperkraften! Wernher ist die beste!

[Geschosskopf]

Hehehe, the idea of picking crewmembers based on focus groups is pretty amusing. I don't recall anybody else doing that, but I suppose that's as good a way as any to interpret the intangible commodity of "reputation" .

[Mister Dilsby]

I love the look (but mostly the name) of the atmospherikdipperkraften! Wernher ist die beste!

Thanks! I may have to revise it slightly though--isn't 'kraften' plural? Should it be 'krafter'? Je ne comprends pas l'allemand... I know I have another correction to make in that word balloon anyway.

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Hehehe, the idea of picking crewmembers based on focus groups is pretty amusing. I don't recall anybody else doing that, but I suppose that's as good a way as any to interpret the intangible commodity of "reputation" .

I guess Walt just wants that second light green bar. (SO close....)

It's funny, I've written a couple of reasonably good but ultimately unpublished historical novels before this, and know the importance of making sure the work and the characters connect with the readers. It's a new experience for me to make that connection personally and in something like real time. Also, in many ways fanfiction is a LOT easier than a purely original story. I can just throw in a minor character like Walt or Mort for a gag, and everyone who plays the game instantly knows who it is and gets the joke. No backstory to slow things down. And of course as long as I stay true to the fanon-accepted personalities of the major players, everyone will be familiar with them and care about what's happening to them.

Now, fill up three ships with a bunch of "no-name whitesuits", as Walt puts it, and that character-to-reader connection gets a bit harder. Picking a character who's appeared before and is associated with the main characters makes it easier: "Oh yeah, that's the guy that found Bill's 'hydrazine'!" Now that Tedus has had a memorable interaction with Bob, you'll remember him--and this gives me time and space to properly introduce the rest of the no-name whitesuits going to Eve.

[Scotius]

What's with your kerbonauts and old shanties? Is it Bill's influence or "hydrazine"? Or both

[GehringGame]

Je ne comprends pas l'allemand...

Moi non plus, evidemment. Pourquoi il n'y a pas Kerbals francophones?? haha

Now, fill up three ships with a bunch of "no-name whitesuits", as Walt puts it, and that character-to-reader connection gets a bit harder.

Thankfully SQUAD has given us a hilarious name generator to come up with memorable kerbal names that are much better than anything I could come up with on my own. Even the no-name characters are naturally imbued with that goofy kerbal charm.

[Mister Dilsby]

What's with your kerbonauts and old shanties? Is it Bill's influence or "hydrazine"? Or both

Shanties are long-standing tradition of Kerbfleet's Space Service branch. Another popular one starts, "What do you do with a ragdoll Kerbal?" and I'm sure someone in the comic will sing it for you sometime. Many of the rougher Ordinary Spacekerbs in the fleet actually think 'Joolish Ladies', and not 'Launch Clamps Away', is the official Space Service anthem.

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Moi non plus, evidemment. Pourquoi il n'y a pas Kerbals francophones?? haha

Si je trouve un kerbal avec un nom français, peut être il va parler des mots français parfois

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

Shanties are long-standing tradition of Kerbfleet's Space Service branch. Another popular one starts, "What do you do with a ragdoll Kerbal?" and I'm sure someone in the comic will sing it for you sometime. Many of the rougher Ordinary Spacekerbs in the fleet actually think 'Joolish Ladies', and not 'Launch Clamps Away', is the official Space Service anthem.

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Si je trouve un kerbal avec un nom français, peut être il va parler des mots français parfois

"What do you do with a ragdoll Kerbal?" Perfect! I WILL rep you, when "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Kuzzter again." goes away.

[ZentroCatson]

Funny as always! Do I see a one-way landing capsule in that Atmospherikdipperkraften? Kuzzter, if yes, please, don't do that, otherwise you're one of those mindless Kerbal murders!

Edit:

I'm german, so this thing needs to be called Atmospherikdipperkraft.

Edit:

I LOVE your chanties. Joolish Ladies, Launch Clamps away and What do you do with a ragdoll Kerbal sound awesome! Also, your francais is better than mine.

Edited June 16, 2015 by ZentroCatson

[Mister Dilsby]

Funny as always! Do I see a one-way landing capsule in that Atmospherikdipperkraften? Kuzzter, if yes, please, don't do that, otherwise you're one of those mindless Kerbal murders!

Edit:

I'm german, so this thing needs to be called Atmospherikdipperkraft.

Danke! I will change it. As to the capsule in back, it's there so that someone can transfer to it from the cockpit and reset the experiments without having to climb all over the hull. It does detach and it does have a parachute, but that's for emergency use only. Just like it says on the tin, the Dipperkraft is meant to dip into atmosphere, take data, and scoot back up to the Evestation.

[ZentroCatson]

Danke! I will change it. As to the capsule in back, it's there so that someone can transfer to it from the cockpit and reset the experiments without having to climb all over the hull. It does detach and it does have a parachute, but that's for emergency use only. Just like it says on the tin, the Dipperkraft is meant to dip into atmosphere, take data, and scoot back up to the Evestation.

Phew, I really tought you where to sacrifice some Kerbals! Good luck flying this thing on Eve, Eve is very though!

[GehringGame]

Si je trouve un kerbal avec un nom français, peut être il va parler des mots français parfois

Un Kerbal avec un nom français - ce serait super! Tu parles vraiment bien le français, incidemment. Mieux que moi, je pense.

I am just loving this thread right now. Shanties, German compound words, and the resultant atmospherikdipperkraft are making my day.

[Geschosskopf]

...Also, in many ways fanfiction is a LOT easier than a purely original story....

Well, there aren't any purely original stories. As far back as ancient Greece, folks realized that all of literature contains only a handful of basic types of story, so all we done ever since is retell the same stories over and over with different characters and settings. And that's the creative people. Creativity, however, is nowhere close to a normal human trait. Grandpa Erectus chipped his rocks the same way for over 1 million years and most folks since then haven't had much more imagination. I certainly lack the gift.

Now, fill up three ships with a bunch of "no-name whitesuits", as Walt puts it, and that character-to-reader connection gets a bit harder.

Well, I only use no-names, pressganged unwillingly into space and treated like galley slaves. It's how my universe works. I suppose this allows readers to form sympathetic attachments to them but I doubt many do .

[Geschosskopf]

Si je trouve un kerbal avec un nom français, peut être il va parler des mots français parfois

Mais le faire parler de maudite patois d'Acadie. Ça serait bon, ça

[Mister Dilsby]

Mais le faire parler de maudite patois d'Acadie. Ça serait bon, ça

Ah, that's where I might have to draw the line, mon ami! My family is actually Acadian, but we've been anglophones for a few generations now. I barely understand textbook French, and am completely sur le mer with Quebecish or any other variant.

And hey, look who I just found in the persistence file...une belle kerballe française! No promises, I have to see what her specialty is and if there's a billet for it... but yes, Squad haz French-ish Kerbal names!

KERBAL

{

name = Clauselle Kerman

gender = Female

type = Applicant

brave = 0.4606009

dumb = 0.2794138

badS = False

tour = False

state = Available

ToD = 11619752.7536771

idx = -1

CAREER_LOG

{

flight = 0

}

FLIGHT_LOG

{

flight = 0

}

}

ETA: "tour=false"? I never noticed that before. Does something happen when a kerbal visits every world?

Edited June 16, 2015 by Kuzzter

[Geschosskopf]

Ah, that's where I might have to draw the line, mon ami! My family is actually Acadian, but we've been anglophones for a few generations now. I barely understand textbook French, and am completely sur le mer with Quebecish or any other variant.

Heheh, I keep forgetting "Acadian" also refers to Canada. I was thinking of la sud de la Louisianne.

[SemiaCloud]

Awesome story!

[Starhawk]

Love the shanties!

Ever hear of 'Barrett's Privateers'?

Happy landings!

[ThatGuyWithALongUsername]

I think "tour:" determines whether its a tourist or not.

[JonDahm]

I love this series. Thanks for the read!