Looking to enhance my vanilla experience

[MagicFireCaster]

Hey all so i've been  playing ksp for a long time, i still have a lot of things to do in my career but i wan't to do more things in the planets and moons i visited besides collecting the same science experiments and mining and off course around kerbin.

I've been downloading mods like Cacteye Optics which adds telescopes that would be fun to try out in kerbin.

So please, I want to ask you guys what kind of mods do you recommend me?

So to help this is what i'm looking for:

Mods that add science experiments or fun machines to try around in space/kerbin

A mod with attachable cameras to have dramatic flights 

Mods that add engines, fuel tanks, cockpits, probe cores equally good (but not better) than stock ones (or configurable to do so) (Do you think tantares is good, or too overpowered?)

Maybe a mod that changes stock planet to look more appealing.

An opinion/review on KIS/KAS would it be fun to use with the kind of experience i'm looking for?

Anything you think i would like!

 

Edited September 10, 2016 by MagicFireCaster

[ShotgunNinja]

24 minutes ago, MagicFireCaster said:

Mods that add science experiments or fun machines to try around in space/kerbin

This mod add a lot of novel experiments, all interesting in some way: DMagic Orbital Science.

24 minutes ago, MagicFireCaster said:

Mods that add engines, fuel tanks, cockpits, probe cores equally good to stock ones

Then this one replace most of stock parts with higher quality ones, and add a few others: Stock Part Revamp

24 minutes ago, MagicFireCaster said:

An opinion/review on KIS/KAS would it be fun to use with the kind of experience i'm looking for

KIS/KAS I don't use, so I can't comment. But people seem to like them a lot.

25 minutes ago, MagicFireCaster said:

Maybe a mod that changes stock planet to look more appealing

Try OuterPlanetMod instead, that does not change stock planets graphically but add other planets to the solar system, in such a way that it seem 'finished' in comparison with the stock one.

 

[LN400]

One mod you could try out, if building weird and wonderful stuff is your thing, is Infernal Robotics. Combine it with KIS/KAS and Tweak Scale to get the most out of it.

[Mikki]

Hi there, Nerteas Atomic rockets mod is awesome, you might need Near future electrics aswell to asure some huge energyconsumption... MkIV spaceplane mod is aswell very stockish... bigger cargobays for bigger rovers, whatever...

[eddiew]

Try SVT and SVE for a visual overhaul

[DStaal]

Take a look at MOLE for experiments and parts - it gives a lot of 'stuff around Kerbin' that you can do, all based on NASA programs/ideas.  (Skylab!)

[Kertech]

I might just do my mod spiel 

for me KAC (kerbal alarm clock) and KER (kerbal engineer redux) are essential and even my "clean" copies of the game have them.

 

KW rocketry tends to be in there for more parts. Space Y as well just for some of the rare massive launchers needed for late career mode mad stuff! (Though they are expensive understandably!) 

 

near future construction, space craft and solar are great for advanced late stuff and well balanced into stock, engines and electrical aren't so balanced to stock so I would advice using a tech tree mod such as community tech tree, SETI or engineering tech tree to make getting the advanced stuff more rewarding.

 

I've run interstellar, I would not advise it for a "vanilla" style save or if you're not used to resource management and complicated station stuff (see below for station stuff) but something to aim for, especially if you're going to run any added solar system mods!

 

station science is amazing. Flat out what I want from a space research station. You have a lab, which you then fly separately an experiment to, do it the experiment module to kerbin for science. They also look great and fit into the stock aesthetic.

 

surface experiment pack adds loads of new experiments that have to be set up on Eva by an engineer then run by a scientist, requires KIS and KAS (but then I rarely play without them)

 

if if planes are what you're after though I'd recommend KAX, kerbal rotor expansion and mk 2, mk 3 and mk 4 expansions. (Firespitter as well) 

[CSE]

CactEye and DMagic science are good choices. The surface experiment pack, if you are going to use KAS, too. There's also the impact experiments, where you the player have to perform the experiment. ScanSat has experiments as well as mapping satellites. If you install all these extra science sources, I'd also add an expanded tech tree such as CTT, otherwise you'll complete the tree rather rapidly.

Stock Visual Terrain makes the ground scatter object solid (and therefore collision hazards), which will give you more to think about when surface-side.

A life support mod will also give you more to do to look after your kerbals, at the cost of having to do life support-related things whether they are fun for you or not. USI-LS is most integrated with other mods for planet surface activity. TAC life support has more detail, Snacks is simpler.

[Sgt.Shutesie]

I may not be able to recommend other mods, but I think you might find Bluedog Design Bureau and Surface Experiment Pack very useful part and science packs. Both BDB and SEP have KIS/KAS compatibility (SEP relies on it) and BDB cameras have optional hullcam configs for it's science cameras.

[Chiron0224]

I cannot stress enough how Docking Port Alignment indicator is basically a must have mod.  Can't live without it.  Also Chatterer is cool because it adds com chatter and beeps.  That's it.  Still, very atmospheric.