Kerbfleet: A Jool Odyssey-CHAPTER 22 pg 2: Yet >another< narrative device!

[Mister Dilsby]

8 minutes ago, Alchemist said:

Mort listed as an engineer?! OK, the finance report is closer to technical documentation than a scientific report, but... Surely, there was some documentation mess listing senior personnel with the crew

Before anyone gets too excited, this roster isn't canon. Mort's a lawyer and a CPA, not an engineer. But I had to put him on the astronaut roster to be able to animate him for the trial scenes at the end of Order Zero.  

2 minutes ago, Starhawk said:

Now I'm wondering exactly what the limit is for a gravity capture at Jool.   Hmmm.

I suppose it could be interesting to try to calculate that... if you are in Tylo's SOI for 's' seconds, you would slow down by a maximum of 7.85*s. Of course the vector of Tylo's gravity wouldn't be pointed in the right direction the whole time, but that would at least bound the problem. 

[Starhawk]

Upon further thought, it seems likely that the greater majority of a ship's velocity when entering Tylo SOI is from the acceleration due to Jool and its gravity well.  So it seems that 'kicking down the door' shouldn't change the gravity assist by very much, relative to what Jool will impart by the time you fall in as far as Tylo.. 

Of course, this is all based on fuzzily thinking about it as a big picture rather than any calculations so I could be wrong.

Happy Concerned landings!

[Dman979]

Seems like this is a case for Gameplay Questions!

[Angelo Kerman]

1 hour ago, Kuzzter said:

Before anyone gets too excited, this roster isn't canon. Mort's a lawyer and a CPA, not an engineer. But I had to put him on the astronaut roster to be able to animate him for the trial scenes at the end of Order Zero.  

I suppose it could be interesting to try to calculate that... if you are in Tylo's SOI for 's' seconds, you would slow down by a maximum of 7.85*s. Of course the vector of Tylo's gravity wouldn't be pointed in the right direction the whole time, but that would at least bound the problem. 

I figured the "Engineer" rating was because he was a Financial Engineer. Sort of like a Sales Engineer is an "engineer" for sales...

[smjjames]

1 hour ago, Starhawk said:

Now I'm wondering exactly what the limit is for a gravity capture at Jool.   Hmmm.

Happy Concerned landings!

Generally I leave at around or a month to either side of the point where the deltaV requirement is least, which is where the deltaV is in the 2,000 to 2,500 range. That way I can do a gravity braking without having to expend deltaV doing the actual braking.

It's still possible to end up where there isn't a very good opportunity to do gravity braking and I've had cases with poor timing.

[Deddly]

1 hour ago, Kuzzter said:

Before anyone gets too excited, this roster isn't canon. Mort's a lawyer and a CPA, not an engineer. But I had to put him on the astronaut roster to be able to animate him for the trial scenes at the end of Order Zero.  

Yeah, and you have a 3-star pilot available who doesn't really exist in canon.

[FlyingPete]

5 hours ago, Kuzzter said:

Fun fact: Many of the internal views you see in the comic come from the "Intrepid Playset" save:

@Dman979...the 'playset' includes all the interior spaces including main engineering, the bridge, habs, science modules and a cupola. There's a passenger compartment as a "green room" for all the actors to hang out in when they're not on set.

 

It's a conspiracy! Kerbfleet faked the Jool mission on a sound stage at KSC!

[RA3236]

2 hours ago, FlyingPete said:

It's a conspiracy! Kerbfleet faked the Jool mission on a sound stage at KSC!

No, the Kerbals controlled the mission from there.

Edited March 8, 2016 by RA3236

[TaintedLion]

8 hours ago, Kuzzter said:

With the lag issues, that's not necessarily a bad thing  Fun fact: Many of the internal views you see in the comic come from the "Intrepid Playset" save:

...the 'playset' includes all the interior spaces including main engineering, the bridge, habs, science modules and a cupola. There's a passenger compartment as a "green room" for all the actors to hang out in when they're not on set. 

Not sure why Dilsby has no pilot skill in this save--he's at least a 4-star in the main save. I think I 'lost' him in this one and had to edit him back in for some reason. And yes, @Dman979, you're still on the roster  

Don't worry guys, I won't mess this up  Whenever I do a fast burn to get ahead of a transfer window I always plot the capture burn and check the dV requirements before i commit to the escape. 

Also, ERRATUM: The Dwagonfly is pulling a Class-C asteroid, not a Class-A. Will correct Bob's speech when I can  

Wait, so does the actual Intrepid have the bridge setup?

[Mister Dilsby]

Just now, TaintedLion said:

Wait, so does the actual Intrepid have the bridge setup?

Yes, it does--everything in the Playset exists on the Intrepid. I only use the Playset to get shots I can't get during flight. It can be very difficult to get shots of the crew aboard the Intrepid, especially if I am trying to maneuver the ship at the same time.

Yesterday I spent about 30 minutes just getting Val and Bill into the Qwammer. Val was relatively easy, I floated her from her chair the bridge turbolift and transferred her from there to the cockpit. But I couldn't find Bill. His portrait didn't show up, meaning either (1) he was in a chair, rather than a crew space like a lab or a cupola, or (2) he was in a crew space but the portraits hadn't updated, or (3) he had at some point been ejected into solar orbit. He wasn't on the bridge, so I checked the habs--not in any of those. That meant he was probably in Main Engineering. To find him there, i had to pan and zoom my view of the ship until the camera just intersected the engineering room enough that I could see his little red shirt. Aha! Then more panning and zooming at 4fps until i could click his chair and tell him to get up--which of course kicked him outside the ship. Fortunately he was still considered adjacent to the turbolift, so I could tell him to board it and after a few more minutes of pan and zoom managed to select the Qwammer's crew cabin and send him there.

So yeah, that's why I shoot some interior scenes with 'stunt doubles' on a stripped-down set...   Next time you see the bridge, Dilsby will be in the command chair, with Bob in the first officer position and either Nimzo or Clauselle at the engineering station. I might put Sarge, Jeb or Tedus in one of the Science station chairs just so we don't forget they're still around. It might take me a half hour to do that on the real ship, or five minutes with the playset. #thethingsidoforyou 

[Geschosskopf]

36 minutes ago, Kuzzter said:

Yesterday I spent about 30 minutes just getting Val and Bill into the Qwammer.

Hehehe, it's your dream ship built especially for exactly this.  Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it 

Maybe someday there'll be a mod for this.  Until then, I'm not going to be making any bridges.  Or if I do, they'll have artificial gravity so I can fake the whole thing with a set and stunt doubles.

 

 

[Mister Dilsby]

Slow going but good going. Just a teaser this morning--file under, "this could get interesting".

ETA, TEASER PART 2 (after letting the approach run in background all morning)

DILSBY: Steady as she goes, Kenlie. Relative point one. And Bob?
BOB: Yeah?
DILSBY: Sound 'Collision'.
[SFX:] WHOOOP! WHOOOP! WHOOOP! WHOOOP!

 

Edited March 9, 2016 by Kuzzter
WHOOOP! WHOOOP! WHOOOP! WHOOOP!

[Mister Dilsby]

Ok, can't quite get the comic all the way to the point of the teaser today, but we can go this far at least:

[Starhawk]

That was great!

Dilsby is still an interesting character.  I very much enjoyed the 'throwback?'.  Fond memories.

Thanks Kuzzter!

Happy Concerned landings!

 

[Alchemist]

Now I wonder if the Intrepid can consume the entire asteroid for fuel

[Mister Dilsby]

40 minutes ago, Alchemist said:

Now I wonder if the Intrepid can consume the entire asteroid for fuel

The asteroid is just to give them enough oxidant to land. Hopefully we can fill up the LF tanks before consuming all of Minmus.  

[Commander Zoom]

4 minutes ago, Kuzzter said:

The asteroid is just to give them enough oxidant to land. Hopefully we can fill up the LF tanks before consuming all of Minmus.  

... which gives me the image of Minmus deflating/shrinking and being siphoned into Intrepid, ala Starkiller Base, with an enormous SCHLORRRRP sound effect.

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

Transcriptions!

 

CHAPTER SEVEN: TANKS, AND FAREWELL

First Officers's Log
CDR Dilsby Kerman

Captin Valentina and Chief Engineer Bill have taken a boat to Minmus Flats to mine oxidant in preperation for landing the ship.  Though Val didn't leave specific orders, I have no doubt that she intends me to load as much fuel and oxidant into the Intrepid's tanks as possible before she returns.

This is no oversight.  If I know the Captin--and by now, I think I do--it's a test of my initiative.  She wants to know whether I can handle a independent command of a this magnitude.

Yeah.  Risk ten lives and the flagship for a personal growth opportunity.  That's Val for you.

 

New page:

With me in the captin's chair, Science Officer Bob is doing my job.  Right, that Bob--the kerb I stranded on Eve the last time I was in command of anything.  Also, the Bob whose special ability is bringing up "concerns."  If he trusts, anyone, it's Bill--but Bill's not here.

I'm not worried about Bob.  Him, I can handle.  I'm a little less sure about the hundred and twenty ton asteriod currently on a intercept course with the ship.

BOB: Dwagonfly just burned again.  Intercept in forty-five minutes, range will be six hundred meters.
MAUVY: [ON VIEWING SCREEN] Hey, what about the cheese?!!
DILSBY: Thanks Bob.  Melbe, tell them to correct closer.
MELBE: Aye aye!  Hey, Dwagonfly!  Y'all gotta do better'n that!
DILSBY: Sarjint, open the aft ramp.  Rig Tugbot for towing.
SARGE: Yessir, Comder.
BOB: Wait, what?
DILSBY: That's right, Bob, I intend to grapple the asteroid...
...if you have any concerns, I'd like to hear them now!

[TUGBOT MOVES AWAY FROM INTREPID]

 

New page:

[IN QWAMMER]

VAL: Wow, Bill- Intrepid's even prettier on the outside!
BILL: Couldn't agree more-but than again, I'm a bit partial.
I'd set down on the flats, near the old mining rig... heh, remember the last time we were here?
VAL: Hah! Who could forget?
[B&W FLASHBACK TO VAL AND BILL "REARRANGING" CRAFT] 

THROWBACK TIME!  THAT'S FROM THE VERY FIRST CHAPTER OF DUNA, ORE BUST!  --K

 

New page:

VAL: Were we really ever that young?
BILL: Hey, some of us still are!
Drills deployed, fuel cells on line processor heating up...so you worried about Dilsby?
VAL: No.  He's an excellent officer, andthe crew would follow him anywhere.  I think maybe the only one who doesn't know that... is Dilsby.

 

[Nitpick: A flagship is either a ship in command of a group of other ships, commanded by a flag officer.  Technically, the Intrepid does command some probes, but generally a flag officer is an Admiral.  Then again, in Kerbfleet, a Captin may be a flag officer.]

[Mister Dilsby]

33 minutes ago, Mad Rocket Scientist said:

[Nitpick: A flagship is either a ship in command of a group of other ships, commanded by a flag officer.  Technically, the Intrepid does command some probes, but generally a flag officer is an Admiral.  Then again, in Kerbfleet, a Captin may be a flag officer.]

Yeah, I know. Well, surely there is no admiral aboard, we left her back at KSC.  

But this is more of an honorary designation, similar to Enterprise-D being considered Starfleet's flagship despite Picard not holding flag rank and being very rarely in company of other ships. See Memory Alpha, and yes I knew that about 1701-D before I looked it up  

This gives me a good opportunity to head off something else-- the word "mister". I am aware that one doesn't call a Commander or above that, though sometimes it sounds right for me to have someone say "Mister" Dilsby" instead of Comder. Once again, I go to Star Trek for justification and a first officer frequently called "Mister Spock"  

So when Dilsby or Val calls an officer Mister, it's a senior-to-junior sort of thing. But when a junior officer calls Dislby that, he or she means it in the same way a student (usually) means it when addressing a teacher--with respect. At least that's what it sounds like in my head when I write it  

However, some other real-life human rules do apply. No one would ever call a captin Mister or Misster. Air Service generally doesn't use it (though AS kerbs attached to a ship like Intrepid might indeed respectfully address their first officer as such) 

But if Sarge ever calls you that, you are in serious trouble. This is neither a term of respect nor endearment in the KSMC.  

[RocketSquid]

I myself am partial to "So long and tanks for all the fish Oxidizer"

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

1 hour ago, Kuzzter said:

Yeah, I know. Well, surely there is no admiral aboard, we left her back at KSC.  

But this is more of an honorary designation, similar to Enterprise-D being considered Starfleet's flagship despite Picard not holding flag rank and being very rarely in company of other ships. See Memory Alpha, and yes I knew that about 1701-D before I looked it up  

[...]

That makes sense. 

[Tangle]

3 hours ago, Commander Zoom said:

... which gives me the image of Minmus deflating/shrinking and being siphoned into Intrepid, ala Starkiller Base, with an enormous SCHLORRRRP sound effect.

Did you know that Kerbin used to have three moons larger than E-class asteroids? One of them was used for the KSC's fuel. 

[Geschosskopf]

1 hour ago, Kuzzter said:

Yeah, I know. Well, surely there is no admiral aboard, we left her back at KSC.  

Certainly then Val should be promoted to Acting Commodore?  The rank of Commodore has a long a fabled history.  I recommend reading up on 100-year old examples such as Commodore Tyrwhitt of Harwich Force.  He had more vessels under his command than Jellicoe but most of them were rather small, and flew his flag in a light cruiser 

Edited March 10, 2016 by Geschosskopf

[Mister Dilsby]

23 minutes ago, Geschosskopf said:

Certainly then Val should be promoted to Acting Commodore?

There you go again trying to make this a flotilla  But I think I have to count the probes and landing craft as an air wing of a Weltraumflksd-- that is, a spacecraft carrier, not detached support craft. But someday, perhaps a proper carrier exploration group... Intrepid, a Kranefly-class hauler, some corvettes, maybe... Hmmm...

[Geschosskopf]

1 hour ago, Kuzzter said:

There you go again trying to make this a flotilla  But I think I have to count the probes and landing craft as an air wing of a Weltraumflksd

What air, other than at Laythe?   Surely the "away teams" will have OICs or NCIOCs, captains of their own ships, all reporting to Val.  Even if a torpedoboat is skippered by a lieutenant, that lieutenant is a "captain" for command purposes.  And who do captains report to if not an admiral or, at the very least, a commodore?