[Min KSP 1.12.2] Buffalo: NASA Inspired Modular Space Exploration Vehicle

[Angelo Kerman]

3 hours ago, AccidentalDisassembly said:

Small observation about most recent Buffalo. In KSP 1.11, the Buffalo Cargo Tail causes rather insane drag.

For comparison - a guppy command pod as the furthest-forward part on a fuselage causes drag of about 3.5. The cargo ramp (while closed, at the back of the craft) creates about *28.0* units of drag (at around 7 or 8,000m). While open, it creates slightly more drag; while opening, the drag varies (seems to be highest in the middle of the animation).

Could something like the colliders or meshes or ... uh... other bits.. (?) be causing this, or is it more likely to be a craft shape/configuration issue? The parts on my craft are simply [guppy]-[crewcabin]-[servicebay]-[servicebay]-[cargoramp] from nose to tail, in that order (with various wings and such attached to the sides, engines mounted on the wings, tail on top of the cargo ramp etc.).

Thanks for the info I'll look into it.

[Zmeya]

I have no idea what the cause is but it seems trying to reconfigure storage breaks the game in 1.9.1, the UI opens but aside from saying "Reconfigure Storage" at the top the UI is blank, there seems to be no way of closing it and its impossible to build after opening the UI, leaving the SPH and re-entering it seems to only hide the UI, I still cant build

Edit: I also cant build in the VAB
Edit 2: I realized I should check the console, its being spammed with Null Reference Exceptions and other errors

Edited March 7, 2021 by Zmeya

[Angelo Kerman]

1 hour ago, Zmeya said:

I have no idea what the cause is but it seems trying to reconfigure storage breaks the game in 1.9.1, the UI opens but aside from saying "Reconfigure Storage" at the top the UI is blank, there seems to be no way of closing it and its impossible to build after opening the UI, leaving the SPH and re-entering it seems to only hide the UI, I still cant build

Edit: I also cant build in the VAB
Edit 2: I realized I should check the console, its being spammed with Null Reference Exceptions and other errors

What version of Buffalo are you using? The latest is built for KSP 1.11.1.

[Zmeya]

2 minutes ago, Angel-125 said:

What version of Buffalo are you using? The latest is built for KSP 1.11.1.

I think I was using the latest version since there aren't any specifically for 1.9 or 1.9.1

[Angelo Kerman]

8 minutes ago, Zmeya said:

I think I was using the latest version since there aren't any specifically for 1.9 or 1.9.1

2.10 is for KSP 1.11.1. I suggest trying 2.9.0 instead.

[Zmeya]

1 minute ago, Angel-125 said:

2.10 is for KSP 1.11.1. I suggest trying 2.9.0 instead.

I actually already downloaded 2.8.2 and have launched KSP with it installed

[Pure]

I install this and now my sh*t runs on 'propellium' and such, what?

 

The Buffalo is awesome. Used it for years. I leave for a bit and now it just sh*ts up all the resources?

 

Thanks... not

 

[Angelo Kerman]

5 hours ago, Pure said:

I install this and now my sh*t runs on 'propellium' and such, what?

 

The Buffalo is awesome. Used it for years. I leave for a bit and now it just sh*ts up all the resources?

 

Thanks... not

 

Thanks for the feedback.

[Pure]

Would it be possible to get a Buffalo that does not need all the other stuff?

 

I guess i can just strip all that out if not.

Edited April 4, 2021 by Pure

[eightiesboi]

20 hours ago, Pure said:

I install this and now my sh*t runs on 'propellium' and such, what?

 

The Buffalo is awesome. Used it for years. I leave for a bit and now it just sh*ts up all the resources?

 

Thanks... not

 

 

14 hours ago, Pure said:

Would it be possible to get a Buffalo that does not need all the other stuff?

 

I guess i can just strip all that out if not.

So, you blast the mod dev for making changes to a mod that they made and share with the community for free, and then after your  disrespectful "thanks... not", you expect the modder to make changes for you? 

If you want to do something helpful, you could make and share an alternative version of the mod (the license allows it, with restrictions). Or you could make your own personal version. Or you could thank the modder for what has likely been hundreds (if not more) of hours creating and debugging these mods and then ask about the change. I don't normally respond like this, but your post from out of the blue is an affront to the hard work Angel-125 has done and merits being called out. KSP wouldn't be as good as it is without modding and modders, and if you've played for years, you know that. 

[Pure]

That's exactly what i am doing, stripping all the useless excrements and just have the Buffalo. That's what 'stripping out' is all about, after all.

I might pop it on CKAN with the proper attribution and call it the 'excrementsless version".

Edit: Heh.. silly prudish forum. I will now call it the excrement-less version as the forum suggests, if i can be utterly arsed to even put the work in to put it on CKAN, outside of rescueing the Buffalo.

Edited April 4, 2021 by Pure
Added the 'excrementsless' information, you want the name of my first born too?

[Pure]

Oh, yeah, I had this done sunday but got bored.

So, I now have a 100% standalone Buffalo. Doesn't even need ModuleManager.

Angel-125, You want it? It's your mod, I just compiled all the excrements into the Buffalo dll. Works great though, as far as I have tested.

Putting stuff on CKAN looks an awful lot like work and I am retired, so, no. Anyone wanna do some work to put it on CKAN?

Edit:

You know, having the word 'sh*t' translate to 'excrements' on this forum might work against the point. It enhances the aroma of the original word quite well.

Edited April 6, 2021 by Pure
Remark about excrements being better than the word sh*t and only invites people to do it more because it is an awesome word replaced by an even awesommer word. Also, my first born's name is Darren. Ugly name for an ugly baby.. Married well.

[SmarterThanMe]

I think (?) this mod has the ResearchKits mechanic that gets added to the lab? Cool idea. But how do I make ResearchKits?

[I-iz-Zed]

What's the name of the part swithcher module these parts use? I need to blacklist it in KRnD to keep the batteries working

[Dave7]

Anyone else have trouble getting a kerbal back inside using the built in ladders on the sides?  I can get them out just fine but when I climb back up and get to the top, kerbals are too far away to board and if I let go of the ladder they fall back to the ground.  Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

[Krzeszny]

Do the play modes only make a difference if specific other mods are installed and if so, what mods use them?

Community Resource Pack/USI/Classic/Simplified/Pristine Play Mode

I've noticed that Buffalo has its own configs but also has the least play modes – only Classic and CRP, but then WildBlueIndustries has some general configs, too. For example, I haven't noticed any differences with the Classic config installed.

[wreckreation]

On 4/19/2021 at 12:00 PM, Dave7 said:

Anyone else have trouble getting a kerbal back inside using the built in ladders on the sides?  I can get them out just fine but when I climb back up and get to the top, kerbals are too far away to board and if I let go of the ladder they fall back to the ground.  Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

Wonderful mod, love the Buffalo, used it for years.

Unfortunately, I'm having the same or a similar issue.  When on the ladder for the Buffalo Crew Cab, pressing [F] to Climb Out does nothing.  But it *does* work on a stock ladder attached to the same vehicle.

And  option to Board does not show up when on the Cab's ladder, so no way to get back in.

KSP 1.12.1 and 1.12.2
Buffalo 2.10.2
Wild Blue Tools 1.82.1

Pic of GameData folder

KSP.log

Any other info you need to diagnose this, let me know.  Keep up the good work!

[Angelo Kerman]

On 4/9/2021 at 7:15 AM, SmarterThanMe said:

I think (?) this mod has the ResearchKits mechanic that gets added to the lab? Cool idea. But how do I make ResearchKits?

You can use the Micro ISRU to create research kits. Just set up its Omni Converter and search for ResearchKits. The formula supports both Classic Stock Resources and CRP.

On 4/9/2021 at 11:25 AM, I-iz-Zed said:

What's the name of the part swithcher module these parts use? I need to blacklist it in KRnD to keep the batteries working

WBIOmniStorage is the part module that's used to swap out resources.

On 6/6/2021 at 2:55 AM, Krzeszny said:

Do the play modes only make a difference if specific other mods are installed and if so, what mods use them?

Community Resource Pack/USI/Classic/Simplified/Pristine Play Mode

I've noticed that Buffalo has its own configs but also has the least play modes – only Classic and CRP, but then WildBlueIndustries has some general configs, too. For example, I haven't noticed any differences with the Classic config installed.

Short Answer: Yes, Play Mode makes a difference when other mods are installed.

Long Answer: Play Mode is a way to conveniently switch between Community Resource Pack, which is popular with several mods such as Nertea's Near Future suite, and Classic Stock Resources, which is a resource set that I created that's based on HarvestR's original vision for KSP resources. CRP support is considered legacy (not updated or maintained) at this point but it is included for interoperability. The biggest difference is in the resource chain needed to produce certain products. All my older mods (Buffalo, Pathfinder, MOLE, DSEV, Heisenberg) all support Classic Stock and CRP. My newer mods (Blueshift, Mk-33, SunkWorks, Sandcastle) are resource agnostic and don't support Play Modes. If you want to use them with a particular resource chain, you'll need to provide the configs to do it.

On 4/19/2021 at 12:00 PM, Dave7 said:

Anyone else have trouble getting a kerbal back inside using the built in ladders on the sides?  I can get them out just fine but when I climb back up and get to the top, kerbals are too far away to board and if I let go of the ladder they fall back to the ground.  Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

13 hours ago, wreckreation said:

Wonderful mod, love the Buffalo, used it for years.

Unfortunately, I'm having the same or a similar issue.  When on the ladder for the Buffalo Crew Cab, pressing [F] to Climb Out does nothing.  But it *does* work on a stock ladder attached to the same vehicle.

And  option to Board does not show up when on the Cab's ladder, so no way to get back in.

KSP 1.12.1 and 1.12.2
Buffalo 2.10.2
Wild Blue Tools 1.82.1

Pic of GameData folder

KSP.log

Any other info you need to diagnose this, let me know.  Keep up the good work!

I'm noticing that issue as well. It is a result of Squad's changes to how ladders work. I have a way to mitigate the issue but not completely eliminate it. I'll have that fix in the KSP 1.12.2 compatibility update that I'm currently working on. I'm hoping to be done later this evening or by the weekend at the latest.

[Angelo Kerman]

Buffalo 2.11.0 is ready for release:

- Recompiled for KSP 1.12.2.
- Aquatic parts use the SunkWorks plugin instead of Wild Blue Tools when SunkWorks is installed.
- If you have DockRotate installed, then the Buffalo Wing Root can pivot for compact storage of the aircraft.
- Fixed NRE generated when the gas generators are running.
- Fixed FLEX Fuel Power Pack constantly generating smoke even when powered off.
- Fixed issues preventing kerbals from boarding parts with ladders.

[wreckreation]

9 hours ago, Angel-125 said:

I'll have that fix in the KSP 1.12.2 compatibility update that I'm currently working on. I'm hoping to be done later this evening or by the weekend at the latest.

Dude, you rock.  Thanks so much for getting this out so quickly.

[luna_cat]

i have enjoyed using Buffalo for years. Currently I'm using  version 2.11.0 in KSP 1.12.2.

I'm having a problem building a rover using KIS/KAS at my landing sites. I've done this many times before, with no issues. I'm using the slim-2u and half chassis.  These are supposed to have 500 units of electric charge in each of them. When I build the rover, they have 0.03, and 0.01. Looking in the save file they have the consistent maximum values of 0.013984891536198401 and 0.027999998897314082. 

I'm also having a problem with the mountain goat wheels acting more like ice skates. Navigation is tricky, but a bootlegger reverse is effortless. Stock KSP wheels don't behave this way. This suggests to me that Squad changed something with wheel physics again.

Thanks for providing this mod. It really enhances game play.

[Crimor]

I feel like I remember seeing an upgrade that improved the heat resistance of the buffalo parts, but I can't seem to find it anymore.

[Angelo Kerman]

On 8/17/2021 at 10:54 AM, luna_cat said:

i have enjoyed using Buffalo for years. Currently I'm using  version 2.11.0 in KSP 1.12.2.

I'm having a problem building a rover using KIS/KAS at my landing sites. I've done this many times before, with no issues. I'm using the slim-2u and half chassis.  These are supposed to have 500 units of electric charge in each of them. When I build the rover, they have 0.03, and 0.01. Looking in the save file they have the consistent maximum values of 0.013984891536198401 and 0.027999998897314082. 

I'm also having a problem with the mountain goat wheels acting more like ice skates. Navigation is tricky, but a bootlegger reverse is effortless. Stock KSP wheels don't behave this way. This suggests to me that Squad changed something with wheel physics again.

Thanks for providing this mod. It really enhances game play.

For the wheels, I think you need to add the following to ModuleWheelBase in the Buffalo wheels:

        adherentStart = 0.5
        frictionAdherent = .3
        peakStart = 3
        frictionPeak = 1.5
        limitStart = 6
        frictionLimit = 1.3

Stock wheels have those settings in ModuleWheelBase.

For the chassis parts, I haven't tried building them from KIS/KAS in a long time. They should have electric charge if you launch a rover from the VAB/SPH though.

19 hours ago, Crimor said:

I feel like I remember seeing an upgrade that improved the heat resistance of the buffalo parts, but I can't seem to find it anymore.

There is no part upgrade for improving the heat resistance of buffalo parts. If anything, you'd need to create a ModuleManager patch for that.

[luna_cat]

On 8/18/2021 at 2:47 PM, Angel-125 said:

They should have electric charge if you launch a rover from the VAB/SPH though.

Yes, they do have the proper EC when launched from the VAB/SPH. And more important, they have the correct maximum EC as well. I wouldn't mind if the parts just had to charge up, but with the reduced maximum they can never hold useful amounts of EC.

I have fixed the problem with my built rovers by editing the persistent.sfs file. Maybe in the future I will build landers with the parts stuck on the outside, instead of in an inventory. It's less esthetically pleasing, but I won't have to edit. I hope that you will fix this in some future release, but in the meantime there's a work-around. 

Thanks for responding.

[Krzeszny]

I'm using this mod for the first time and while it's good, I found lots of issues. To be honest, I stopped using it because of so many issues.

Major issues:

• Wagon Hub's omniconverter is broken. In career mode it said "zero efficiency" so I tested it in my vanilla KSP instance in sandbox mode with a skilled engineer. In the first test it was just super-slow but in all subsequent tries, while saying "Operational", it didn't convert any ore into LFO at all while all other ISRU's were working

Spoiler

 

• Wheel Jack's description says to attach a Buffalo Assembly Port to it but that part doesn't exist.
• Can't configure Oxidiser and Liquid Fuel separately in Reconfigure Storage menu (Wagon) even after unchecking "synchronize combo resources" box.
• Drill module doesn't work like stock drills. With and without an engineer (2 stars) on board it uses 8.03 electric charge and produces the same amount of ore per second (0.02 next to the launchpad). Also, it's rated for 6.75 EC/sec. It should be using much less than the nominal value without a 4- or 5- star engineer based on this. Just compare it to stock drill energy usage.
• ISRU's virtually don't heat up while in use, which is clearly broken
•  Converter reconfiguration menu causes lag from this:

Spoiler

 

Minor issues:

• Buffalo RCS Module has the power of one Mk2 5-way thruster (especially in jump mode) despite visually having two Mk2 thrusters.
• Drill module's icon is retracted, so it looks like an SAS module.
• Drill module virtually doesn't heat up when in use (only heats up by a few degrees even if stacked)
• Most parts are spawned inverted in the SPH
• Since there isn't a Simplified Play Mode for Buffalo, Storage (not Converter) Reconfiguration menus always shows all possible resources at the same time. Note that WildBlueIndustries Simplified Play Mode does not reduce the amount of resources in Storage Reconfiguration menus. How to reproduce: click Reconfigure Storage in any part's action widow in the editor.
• Balance: Wagon Hub, while having 2 ISRU's on-board, weighs more than Long Passenger Cab which doesn't have ISRU's.
• All Buffalo parts with built-in solar panels have a "Deployable Solar Panel" module.
• 355 Isp seems super-OP for RCS-sized engines (Mk2 thrusters), even if it's LfOx (for that kind of ISP you need closed-cycle engines with optimized nozzles)
• ISRU's are OP compared to stock based on their efficiency/weight ratio - very OP
• The thread title says KSP 1.21
• The Wagon part is expanded by default. I thought the point of having it would be to bring it empty and expand it after landing.

By the way, I'd greatly appreciate SystemHeat support for ISRU's and ClickThroughBlocker support for Omniconverter configuration menus.

Edited September 14, 2021 by Krzeszny
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