Maximum realism Hard career ? What mods ?

[Mapoko]

Hello,

After completing my goal - visiting every planet, landing, every research done, no dead or stranded kerbals and so on on vanilla on hard I think I need some additional stuff to make my game even more challenging (and interesting).

I am kind of out of ideas what more can I do now, except overly complicate my miner complexes /orbital stations.

So I am thinking about moding up.

First mods that pop in mind from 0.90 are :

1. Remote Tech - a mod that I have never used before and frankly combined with Hard Career it may be the biggest uphill, but that's what I wanted I guess.

2. TACLS - The only LS I tried and used to. Probably a greenhouse too for Jool stations as I do not want 40% of my ship weight to be food and 40% fuel.

3. KAS/KIS - realism means kerbals can do stuff on EVA besides collecting samples and experiments data.

4. SCANSat- I think it is redundant now with the new way of ore finding, but it is still good for terrain altitude mapping, easter eggs and others ?

4.1 SCANSat contract pack - May make my life easier and less tourist grindy at the beginning, but still keep it real, right ? Not sure if the income is balanced though ?

5. Stage recovery - Hope it fixes the non-opening parachutes in vanilla ?

6. Background processing - Sorry, I have not checked mods for a month(full vanilla), hope this works now?

7. KER - should help me sync my satellites ? I am only using the hangar part of it now.

Those are the first ones that come to mind as long as few more (balanced to the game) command pods and parts.

Anything I am missing ? Maybe malfunction mod with reasonable durability on the parts? I do not want to have to change satellites after every mission. Maybe I will have a kerbal engineer stationed and stocked with supplies to repair them, but do not want that to be my primary gaming.

Which one do you suggest if any ?

8 - EVA Parachutes ? Realistic or not ? Honestly for hard mission and if I put malfunction mod I rather have them and not need than simply watch my kerbals plunge into Kerbin oceans with malfunctioning parachutes.

Keep Fit

[regex]

Remote Tech isn't entirely realistic since we don't build batteries of relay satellites to communicate with our probes on faraway worlds. I mean, sure, we use relay satellites but they're generally local to the specific probe. Generally we program probes to do certain tasks and talk to them during the times when we have line-of-site. There are, however, plenty of features you can use from Remote Tech that are realistic, such as the light speed delay and command execution (although their SAS will turn your craft into a dying fish, so strut it down good), and getting the Realism Overhaul RT2 config file will give you the equivalent of our "Deep Space Network", as I understand it.

If you want realism get MechJeb instead of KER and let the machine do the flying.

8 - EVA Parachutes ? Realistic or not ?

For the most part.

Also, you might want to get FAR and Deadly Reentry for realism's sake.

[CosmoBro]

maybe dang it! or entropy which is harder. because parts fail in real world.

Real Chute, DRE and FAR just like regex says.

And if you ar using RT use the Contract Pack: Remote Tech

[beabop]

Real anything. Real Solar System, Real Fuels, ...

[Ippo]

Dang It! Is not a realism mod, it is a difficulty mod.

[Feradose]

kOS works very well with Remote tech, also youre missing FAR and DRE

[Mapoko]

Thanks. I will look into FAR and DRE, although I would like to make it as game realistically as possible, not hell. Therefore the remote tech is game-realism, as regex pointed out. In real life we do not do that, but we wait years for proper alignment of the celestial bodies, using automation (like MechJeb) and so on, but it is a game after all. I would like to be in charge of the fine things like maneuvering, corrections, nail bitting landings and so on. AFAIK remote tech have option to enable/disable delay ?

But seems like I was almost right on the spot. Only missing 2 key mods you guys pointed out.

Will also look into dangit and kerbal mechanic to see if that added difficulty will be realistic (to me) or just making the game tedious chore of repairing satellites.

Now I need to figure out what kOS is too. Mech Jeb like autopilot ?

[Feradose]

Thanks. I will look into FAR and DRE, although I would like to make it as game realistically as possible, not hell. Therefore the remote tech is game-realism, as regex pointed out. In real life we do not do that, but we wait years for proper alignment of the celestial bodies, using automation (like MechJeb) and so on, but it is a game after all. I would like to be in charge of the fine things like maneuvering, corrections, nail bitting landings and so on. AFAIK remote tech have option to enable/disable delay ?

But seems like I was almost right on the spot. Only missing 2 key mods you guys pointed out.

Will also look into dangit and kerbal mechanic to see if that added difficulty will be realistic (to me) or just making the game tedious chore of repairing satellites.

Now I need to figure out what kOS is too. Mech Jeb like autopilot ?

kOS is a mod where you program stuff into stuff like we do in real life so you dont have to mess with RT's delay, and you can program the probes in the launchpad with orbit programs so you wont ever need an antenna if you can program very good.

[Mapoko]

kOS is a mod where you program stuff into stuff like we do in real life so you dont have to mess with RT's delay, and you can program the probes in the launchpad with orbit programs so you wont ever need an antenna if you can program very good.

I think I caught a glimpse on that in the past, but as I mentioned if I have to program my stuff, then launch them and just watch the auto pilot do it it is not the KSP experience I would like to have. I want to have full control and if my failing "A" key on my KB causes messing up my landing, then roleplay it and send a rescue mission if kerbals are still alive

So to clarify - Want to have as close to real experience, but still gaming experience.

Also I really really like to get a malfunction mod, but one that makes failures once in awhile to keep it interesting, but not reducing my gaming to repair service.

Also this will be redundant with RT ? [h=1][1.0] AntennaRange 1.9.1 - Enforce and Encourage Antenna Diversity -- Now with Pretty Lines![/h]

Edited June 9, 2015 by Mapoko

[NathanKell]

I'd highly, highly recommend Kerbal Construction Time. Not being able to instantly build things does a lot for willing suspension of disbelief, and means that you have to plan missions much better.

[Mapoko]

Here is what I installed :

(Gameplay altering)

TACLS + SETI greenhouse to compliment the stations for Outer Planets Mod.

KAS/KIS

RemoteTech + Contract pack - need to figure out settings, but I will be fine.

SCANSat + Contract pack (Lite)

Keep Fit - Funny little, but impacting mod I must have skipped seeing in 0.90 - expect to add towards reality. Especially high G death risk.

Outer Planets Mod - first time using that, so it should be a challenge going there (and back).

Stage Recovery - need to figure out settings, but I will be fine.

?Universal Storage - to compliment TACLS, but will see if it will be used much (or at all) Mostly for design purposes rather than using the converters. Having a greenhouse + converters will make the life just too easy.

?Kerbin Space Station Pack - I think there were stock contracts for that ? I may remove it.

(UI and utility)

Toolbar

EVE

Chatter

Raster Props

Vessel Viewer

KER

RCS Build Aid - for those non-symmetrical crafts.

Kerbal Alarm Clock

Alternative resource panel

Trajectories

Transfer Window Planner

(Parts)

Taurus HVC

Will hold on FAR and DRE for now until I get used to all other changes.

Also afaik there is no working background processing yet ? What do I use for TACLS and the rest?

Community approval ? Something to add that I have not thought about ?

I will avoid Space Y 5m engine pack, because I am planning to assemble my larger vessels in LKO before going outside Kerbin's SOI. Should count as part of the roleplay experience.

[NathanKell]

I really wouldn't suggest starting without FAR. If you add it later, all that'll happen is you'll need to relearn some aero. Best to learn it right the first time.

Also, plugging KCT again.

You might want to look into Connected Living Spaces and Ship Manifest, no more transferring crew through fuel tanks.

[Mapoko]

OK, I will do a research on FAR before I start tomorrow. I was always trying to be aerodynamic anyway.

What was KCT ?

I thought I am missing something - Connected living space will be installed right away.

Not sure what Ship Manifest do exactly.

Also - If I am completely new to RTech will the default RT antennas be strong enough for the Outer Planets Mod celestial bodies or I will have to plan operating windows bouncing the signal off Dress and Jool ?

Edited June 9, 2015 by Mapoko

[NathanKell]

Ship Manifest is the plugin that takes advantage of CLS to know when you can, and can't, transfer kerbals. The stock "click on hatch, click transfer" isn't CLS-aware.

KCT is Kerbal Construction Time. Now it takes time to assemble your craft in the VAB/SPH, and time to research new technologies. No more 4 launches and 5 contracts on the first day

[Mapoko]

Thank you. I will install the SM as well then. But about the KCT - although it adds huge chunk of realism I think it crosses the line for me and breaking the "game" experience for me.

Anything else you might add or suggest to remove ?

[Probus]

Mapoko,

You might also think about giving this tech tree a try. Its still in development though: Engineering Based Tech Tree but it hasn't implemented Taurus HCV yet, but since its a small part pack I can add it for you.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Probus

[Mapoko]

Mapoko,

You might also think about giving this tech tree a try. Its still in development though: Engineering Based Tech Tree but it hasn't implemented Taurus HCV yet, but since its a small part pack I can add it for you.

I see every type of parts have separate branch. Seems logical, but at the same time a lot to take at first glance.

Are the science requirement split as well or I require few times more science ?

Also about the Taurus - I was trying to stay with stock (+ mod specific parts like scanners for SCANSat etc) parts, but I especially love the science lab design with the 2 compartments.

-

I just tried to fly with FAR and almost killed Jeb on my 2nd flight. Good thing that I got used to deal with emergency situations from my vanilla Hard career.

Honestly I am not sure if I will be able to deal with all those changes at once. From learning to fly, to new parameters for reaching LKO to satellite arrays with perfect alignments to antennas ranges. I am seriously considering cutting off FAR and leaving that mountain for my next save, where I will focus on planes.

EDIT: Also for some reason something is crashing my KSP now. And not sure how to find out, because I installed all those at once.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Mapoko

[Probus]

I see every type of parts have separate branch. Seems logical, but at the same time a lot to take at first glance.

Are the science requirement split as well or I require few times more science ?

Also about the Taurus - I was trying to stay with stock (+ mod specific parts like scanners for SCANSat etc) parts, but I especially love the science lab design with the 2 compartments.

There is a science branch specifically for science projects. There are also science experiments sprinkled through the tree such as Thermometer in Thermodynamics.

Also, I took a look at Taurus HCV and also really liked it. I added it to my campaign save, which means I also added it to my tech tree.

- - - Updated - - -

Also for some reason something is crashing my KSP now. And not sure how to find out, because I installed all those at once.

You often get better results with CKAN for installations. If all else fails do a clean re-install and then a handful of mods at a time.

[NathanKell]

I would definitely recommend doing this via CKAN.

As to other stuff, hmm. Anything beyond the set you've described and you'll get into the Real* realm--and based on your expressed preferences thus far I don't think that's what you want (RealFuels, RealSolarSystem, etc). You might want to look into SKY though--that's "just enough" of a scaleup to make things feel majestic without requiring anything but stock parts.

[CSE]

I will avoid Space Y 5m engine pack, because I am planning to assemble my larger vessels in LKO before going outside Kerbin's SOI.

The SpaceY pack contains some smaller engine sizes too. The 0.625m SRBs are a personal favourite for the early stages of career/science games. The combined decoupler/sepatrons give more reliable radial staging while keeping part counts down.

Kerbal Joint Reinforcement (KJR), if you haven't already considered it, can reduce the need for struts and help reduce part count when launching payloads such as space station elements.

You might want to look into SKY

I'd definitely recommend a medium scale-up such as SKY's 3.7-times planets. It changes not just how much delta-v you need to orbit but where it comes from: a bigger ratio of "sideways" to "up" as XKCD puts it. With a bigger Kerbin, your upper stage design will want different characteristics from the launch stage. It isn't just another lifter stage sitting on top of the first one any more.

[Mapoko]

I may consider Space Y someday, but for now I am doing fine. I used to use it back in the days.

About KJR - I used that in my early days when my design skills (and computing power of my old rig) did not let me use struts.

Now I did not see any problems with the stock aero. FAR on the other hand ... but I decided not to use it on this save.

I looked into sky and as far as I remember it was in 3.7 planet scale and 7 scale planetary distances ?

I may consider both for my next save when I conquer this mountain.

Also I am using KIS now, so if I need some emergency patch up to reinforce some dock I will use that option. As I said the main reason is that i am planning to assemble my stuff in LKO before I go to Duna/Eve and so on, rather than Space Y it all at once.

Now my current trouble is to figure out RemTech. I have Stayputnik With no antenna I simply do not have control on the launch pad. The only antenna I have now breaks at 100m/s^2

I took few missions for escape orbit trajectory tests, but with the current parts I can not build a manned mission with enough dV to achieve that and return safely.

So that is a pickle I am dealing with atm. Ever since I deleted FAR folder it seems that the crashes stopped. At least none today.

So I guess the code name of that save will be RTT -Remote Tech Troubles. As I mentioned I also installed Outer Planet Mod, so I will have brain food for few months ahead.

Thank you everybody for guiding me! I will make a hardcopy of the topic, so when I climb this hill and I am ready for the next one I should remember about all the additional stuff. Like FAR, DRE, SKY, Engineer based tech tree and so on. For now (and maybe next week) RT is simply overwhelming.

[Yemo]

I would take a look at the tech tree mods.

While I m not up to date, on them, I noticed that quite a few were published recently.

The 1.0.x stock tree is just underwhelming for a modded game.

I have my own one which starts with probes and is based on the CTT.

It is called SETIctt, you can find the link in my signature. A progression contract pack (SETIcontracts) is provided as well, though the SETI system is modular, so one does not require the other.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, and with SETIctt your probe cores have a 160km always on antenna for launching, so you do not need the DP-10 on every probe.

The whole progression is balanced around complexity modding, from RemoteTech to TAC Life Support, while starting with probes and planes.

[Mapoko]

You were right about the tech tree.

The first power generation in stock comes at 90 science. Being on Hard it was kind of hard to get to that, but being a newbie to those stuff I unlocked the one for the barometer for the extra science gains. Could not get 90 out of it, so I had to do many sub-orbital and orbital contracts.

Maybe on normal it should not be such a hustle.

So basically I got my contract for SCANSat to do low resolution scans (95%) pretty early and for ComSat Network I needed power generation.