Asteroid Base tips?

[Tyko]

Anyone building asteroid bases? I've been experimenting with them, but the Claw seems really finicky and I can't find any other good solutions for anchoring. I've tried KIS/KAS, but oftentimes the collision box doesn't match with the asteroid texture and you end up "floating" above the surface or buried a meter into it.

I was just wondering if anyone has come up with tips on building such bases that won't explode the next time I load physics.

 

[Aegolius13]

I think the Klaw is the way to go, at least in stock.  It may take a few tries, but it actually seems to work a lot better than in previous versions.  I've built some asteroid bases recently with the Klaw, but unfortunately have not figured out any productive use for them other than fuel depots.

[Sharpy]

- you won't get around sinking/floating through other means than poking the surface to find a place where collider matches the texture. Just use fuselages or such as "distancers" and keep the real attachment stuff under the surface.

- using KAS pipes for any permanent structure is really tempting the Kraken.

- someone suggested using the Konstruction ports to create permanent connection to the asteroid.

- the Hangar mod provides a big, sturdy alternatives to Klaw (although the textures are fugly; author fully admits "I'm a programmer, not an artist") Also, Klaw can be tweakscaled.

[Tyko]

13 hours ago, Aegolius13 said:

I think the Klaw is the way to go, at least in stock.  It may take a few tries, but it actually seems to work a lot better than in previous versions.  I've built some asteroid bases recently with the Klaw, but unfortunately have not figured out any productive use for them other than fuel depots.

Yeah, I have the same challenge. I guess I'm just looking for a way to use all these big rocks I'm collecting after I've stripped all of the ore out of them

[suicidejunkie]

Hazard course / ball pit near KSC for testing?

High buoyancy floats for large Kerbin or Laythe based watercraft or bridges?

Counterweights for rotating tether systems?

Might actually make good, cool landing markers for lining up your approach to the runway, although flags would be cheaper.

[Tyko]

1 hour ago, suicidejunkie said:

Hazard course / ball pit near KSC for testing?

High buoyancy floats for large Kerbin or Laythe based watercraft or bridges?

Counterweights for rotating tether systems?

Might actually make good, cool landing markers for lining up your approach to the runway, although flags would be cheaper.

Yikes...I realize that Kerbals are adrenaline junkies as a species...still though, the idea of intentionally dropping big rocks onto Kerbin sounds a bit excessive (but really cool!)

Could you actually make a rotating tether system work? I thought it would stop spinning on-rails and I'd have to spin it back up each time

Edited January 4, 2017 by Tyko

[suicidejunkie]

You could include the persistent rotation mod.

Or just spin it up each time.  But spinning it up is free: electricity + gyros.

 

There are youtube videos of people using tether systems.  My favorite is a double tether which launches Valentina from low Ike orbit into a Duna landing using the helmet-based lithobraking system at the end.

[TopHeavy11]

One word: Hyperedit.