"Mods that should be stock!" A community list for new players! Please vote!!!

[Flashblade]

*placeholder*

 

The expression this mod should be stock or that mod should be stock is heard quite often in the KSP community. But there is no doubt that we have quality mods around that truly deserve to be recognized as such. If you are new to KSP and KSP modding the number of available mods is staggering and intimidating and many might ask themselves where should I even start. That is why I want to create this list that is easily accessible to anyone who enters this sub-forum.

 

A mod needs to be a flatout improvement to the KSP experience to every part of the playerbase to be applicable for this list. For example Ferram Aerospace Research to me is probably the greatest mod since the discovery of sliced bread. But it only caters to the aerodynamics enthusiasts and therefor it does not qualify to be part of this list. Any mods which focus on the introduction of new parts will always be a matter of an individuals taste as well, so neither do these qualify. So this list will probably mostly consist of quality of live mods. We have some mods in our community that come with a huge amount of features some of which only cater to a certain part of the playerbase. These mods are applicable but when you make the suggestion you need to focus on the aspect which everybody profits from. I would want to limit the number of entries on this list to no more than 15 to 20 mods. So is becoming a part of this list a permanent thing once the mod is on it? If something great comes around and the community decides that a not so popular mod should be removed from it for this new great thing then it will be removed.

 

Okay now that I have suitably explained what this is suppossed to be I'd like to suggest two mods that should imho be part of the list.

 

The first is AtmosphereAutopilot by Boris-Baboris. An autopilot mod you say? Surely that only caters to a certain part of the playerbase doesn't it? That is indeed not the case. While the autopilot functionality is certainly there everybody in the playerbase will profit from the amazing fly-by-wire system. Press P and enjoy an unprecedented level of fine control and stability while flying in the atmosphere. While the SAS certainly has improved quite a bit it is still not where I'd like it to be. It still struggles way to much to keep an ascend angle. It still doesn't stop properly when the control input has stopped. With AtmosphereAutopilot all of this is a thing of the past. But surely only plane people have any need for this right? Not so, the fly-by-wire will also help you get your more wacky rockets into orbit. If you want to you can customize the system but you don't have to. The standard settings are good for almost anybody.

 

My second candidate is  Editor Extensions Redux by linuxgurugamer. This one is truly a no brainer. It gives everybody more and better assist tools for building in the VAB and the SPH some of which are even customizable.

 

P.S. At the end of the day the community will decide whether a mod receives a spot on this list or not. It will be put to popular vote.

 

And now please suggest your entries.

Just shortly name the mods you think fit this criteria in a list and that will count as a vote for these mods overall.

Edited December 14, 2016 by Flashblade
Updated with how to cast your vote

[Superfluous J]

MOD BINGO

B	I	N	G	O
Contract Configurator	Take Command	Kerbal Joint Reinforcement	Waypoint Manager	Visual Enhancements (Any)
Realism Overhaul	Blizzy's Toolbar	Real Solar System	Extraplanetary Launchpads	Precise Node
Kerbal Attachment / Inventory System	Docking Port Alignment Indicator	FREE SPACE (ModuleManager)	Strategia	RCS Build Aid
Kerbal Engineer	Transfer Window Planner	MechJeb	Kerbal Alarm Clock	Procedural Anything
Distant Object Enhancement	Life Support (Any)	Editor Extensions	Chatterer	Better Burn Time

Use this card any time anybody asks any question about anybody's opinions on mods in general.

Edited December 13, 2016 by 5thHorseman

[Flashblade]

52 minutes ago, 5thHorseman said:

MOD BINGO

B	I	N	G	O
Contract Configurator	Take Command	Kerbal Joint Reinforcement	Waypoint Manager	Visual Enhancements (Any)
Realism Overhaul	Blizzy's Toolbar	Real Solar System	Extraplanetary Launchpads	Precise Node
Kerbal Attachment / Inventory System	Docking Port Alignment Indicator	FREE SPACE (ModuleManager)	Strategia	RCS Build Aid
Kerbal Engineer	Transfer Window Planner	MechJeb	Kerbal Alarm Clock	Procedural Anything
Distant Object Enhancement	Life Support (Any)	Editor Extensions	Chatterer	Better Burn Time

Use this card any time anybody asks any question about anybody's opinions on mods in general.

While I agree there are a ton of instant picks on this Bingo card, there are also quite a few that do not match the criteria. For example Realism overhaul, Real Solar System, Life Support (Any) expressly only are of interest to the groups who enjoy them.

[smotheredrun]

Using your criteria my votes in order are:  Chatterer, DPAI, Transfer Window Planner, Kerbal Alarm Clock, KJR, DOE, KAS/KIS, Mechjeb/KER.

Edit:  OPM should be stock too.  Thanks @Nansuchao

Edited December 13, 2016 by smotheredrun
Forgot

[Nansuchao]

Well, for me, should be stock:

-Kerbal Engineer Redux

-MechJeb 

-SVE (or any other beautyfication pack)

-Ambient Light Adjustement

-Docking Port Alignment 

-Blizzy's Toolbar

-TAC Fuel Balancer

-any LS

-Kerbal Konstruct(Kerbin is too empty)

-Infernal Robotics (moving parts are necessary)

-Kerbal Alarm Clock (otherwise multiple missions are almost impossible)

-Transfer Windows Planner 

-Outer Planet (cause the stock planets are the same from... 0.18? We know everything about them)

-KIS/KAS(cause EVAs are otherwise almost useless and cause space-tape is always welcomed)

-Interstellar Extended(probably out of the thread, but it makes the end game much more entertaining)

-B9(the stock parts are ugly in comparison, not just for spaceplanes)

-KJR(the stock autostrut is great, but KJR is the same a big step forward)

-Procedural Parts(for the part count and the ability to choose shape and usefulness, instead of the stock few choices)

Module Manager, obviously.

I think I've included most of the mods I don't play without, or the gameplay, for me, isn't complete without.

Edited December 13, 2016 by Nansuchao

[Flashblade]

Should we do it like this then? Everybody suggests all the mods he think that apply here, I count the results and the ones which have the highest number of mentions get to be a part of it?

Edited December 13, 2016 by Flashblade

[Nansuchao]

8 minutes ago, Flashblade said:

Should we do it like this then? Everybody suggests all the mods he think that apply here, I count the results and the ones which have the highest number of mentions get to be a part of it?

It seems reasonable.

[Waxing_Kibbous]

KAC, TWP, BetterBurnTime, Basic Orbit, easyvesselswitch, and portraitstats are all quality of life enhancers that compliment stock nicely. I think a simple lighting enhancement like planetshine adds a good deal of value for a lightweight mod as well.

[Superfluous J]

2 hours ago, Flashblade said:

While I agree there are a ton of instant picks on this Bingo card, there are also quite a few that do not match the criteria. For example Realism overhaul, Real Solar System, Life Support (Any) expressly only are of interest to the groups who enjoy them.

These are not my suggestions, they are a prediction of what WILL be suggested. Because they're always suggested.

[Norcalplanner]

KAC, Landing Height, and Better Burn Time get my vote.

[Flashblade]

5 hours ago, 5thHorseman said:

These are not my suggestions, they are a prediction of what WILL be suggested. Because they're always suggested.

Agreed and a lot on this bingo card should be placed on this list imho. But if I just create the list with the entries I think belong there, it is just my list. Putting this to a majority vote gives the list a legitimacy it would otherwise lack. Since this is a list of what the modding community thinks a new player should look at first when it comes to modding, this legitmacy is needed I think.

*Update*

The OP has been updated with the method on how to cast this vote. I would like to have the vote open for a week and then count the votes cast. I guess I would like to have at least 50 people participate and hopefully it will be more else I don't think this really has a leg to stand on. In that case I will drop it which would be a bit of a shame I think.

Edited December 14, 2016 by Flashblade

[Benji13]

- SVE (with scatterer and DOE)

- SVT

- MechJeb (should be able to be disabled in settings of course)

- Kerbal Alarm Clock

- Chatterer

- Ven's Stock Revamp

[Birdco_Space]

I would vote for:

KER (Engineering data that any competent space program would have hordes of engineers calculating for mission prior to launch, ands could calculate on the fly from telemetry)

Transfer window planner (Navigational data that any competent space program would have scientists and supercomputers calculating for mission planning)

Gravity turn (Because no human has ever controlled an accent into space on top of a rocket... and controllable/repeatable launches with set parameters make the planning in KER much more effective)

[Enceos]

Better Burn Time is like a fix to an old KSP bug, which devs don't bother to fix. So this is a must above all.

More readouts in the flight scene, like altitude above surface, periapsis / apoapsis, time to periapsis / apoapsis.

[Val]

Moved from Add-on Releases.

[p1t1o]

MechJeb

KIS/KAS

KER

KAC

Environmental Visual Enhancements / Scatterer

Procedural wings

B9, FASA, KOSMOS parts packs

That one that lets you customise the contents of your tanks.

Transfer window Planner

 

Edited December 14, 2016 by p1t1o

[TheEpicSquared]

In order:

KER

KAC

Transfer Window Planner

BetterBurnTime

Interstellar Fuel Switch (that's the one that lets you change the fuel configuration right?)

GravityTurn

Procedural Parts

Procedural Wings

Infernal Robotics

Kerbal Konstructs

KIS/KAS

Docking Port Alignment Indicator

 

 

[Kosmonaut]

Definitely Kerbinside

MOL

Mk4 Spaceplane Parts

That docking port mod whatever it's called (The one that helps you dock)

Flight Engineer

Kerbal Alarm Clock

[foamyesque]

KER and KAC, both of which provide vital data for design and piloting. Glitzy graphics and autopilots aren't necessary, and in the case of the autopilots actively remove one of the game's features (flying your own stuff).

[OrbitalBuzzsaw]

KER and KAC. Also the Necrobones stuff and RLAContinued, plus BDAc if you're into that sorta thing.

[*MajorTom*]

1. KER, Kerbal Alarm Clock, TAC-LS, Kerbal Krash System , KAS, KIS,  for entertainment

2. and SVE,SVT, Real Plume for cool and relaxing space!

[simonh]

Visual Enhancements..

That's it. I'm serious. I routinely install KER and Kerbal Alarm Clock, but I'm quite happy to leave those sorts of functions as mods. Maybe add them in if the alarm clock got a major feature trim, but that's really it. The core game is about done IMHO.

At this point I'm much more interested in what Squad might come up with for an expansion pack that adds major new game play elements and objectives. But such a thing would have to be pretty epic - more than could be achieved by any mod. I'm not sure what that would look like.

Simon Hibbs

[Flashblade]

I would like to thank everybody who participated in this idea with a vote. Sadly this sample of the userbase is much to small to claim that this really is something the community majorly voted for. So sadly I declare this a failure. I expected this to happen when the thread was moved from the mod release forum. Thank you again all who voted and have a happy new year!

@Val

[Codraroll]

Is it possible to create a forum mod that auto-merges all new threads in the Suggestions section that have the words "Mods" and "Stock" in the title, with the existing, stickied, official "Mods in Stock" thread?

[Kerbal Fried Chicken]

As a relative newbie: I simply can not function without KER for the data and KAC for...um.   the clock.