KSP Interstellar Extended Continued Development Thread

[Einarr]

1 minute ago, The Destroyer said:

@Einarr That's a nice ship! What's the center structure sphere?

That'd be the 3.75m ISRU. This was back before stock ISRUs (and not many mods had them either).

Edited January 4, 2017 by Einarr

[The Destroyer]

@Einarr ahh, yeah. I remember those days. Even the early days of kethane when docking was not stock and the first KSPI from fractal had no custom models yet...

 

With almost all hydrogen burnt off, and a full 80g of antimatter, the Z-4 collects hydrogen from Jool... however, at a maximum of 1000x this will take a while...

 

EDIT: 1000x is so slow. I'm still waiting.... only refueled 2 km/s over a few days

Edited January 4, 2017 by The Destroyer

[zanie420]

1 hour ago, Einarr said:

An old ship, but one I may see about rebuilding once I unlock the requisite techs. It was originally built back in 0.23.x or 0.24.x with whatever KSPI was available then.

https://imgur.com/a/sBtxc

Unfortunately, I can't embed the whole album, it seems. So there's a link.

Are those radiator wings!

[Einarr]

No, just radiators.

[The Destroyer]

The gang are back home- barely. The loss of a rear wheel on Eve meant the craft had to come in fast and didn't have as much braking power. It also had to warp a lot to kill the 9 KM/S of speed coming to Kerbin, and then endure a 1.5 km/s straight down re-entry, causing loss of airbrakes. The craft skidded down the runway, lost its D-T vista and a radiator, swerved madly before crashing into a light, finally stopping the craft. The warp rings are still intact, as is the antimatter, so everyone and my 16 million funds is alright!

Edited January 4, 2017 by The Destroyer

[FreeThinker]

4 hours ago, The Destroyer said:

@Einarr ahh, yeah. I remember those days. Even the early days of kethane when docking was not stock and the first KSPI from fractal had no custom models yet...

 

With almost all hydrogen burnt off, and a full 80g of antimatter, the Z-4 collects hydrogen from Jool... however, at a maximum of 1000x this will take a while...

 

EDIT: 1000x is so slow. I'm still waiting.... only refueled 2 km/s over a few days

Doesn't the atmospheric work off screen anymore? O damn, you don't have electric engine that would counter orbital degration, that would mean scooping above the atmosphere will not work

[The Destroyer]

@FreeThinker Oh. Maybe it would've, I didn't think it did.... also, I saw something about that cancelling degredation randomly, I think when I quickloaded. So if I go into the atmosphere with an electric engine (but not too much) it will allow timewarp?

[FreeThinker]

31 minutes ago, The Destroyer said:

@FreeThinker Oh. Maybe it would've, I didn't think it did.... also, I saw something about that cancelling degredation randomly, I think when I quickloaded. So if I go into the atmosphere with an electric engine (but not too much) it will allow timewarp?

 

 

Unfortunately. KSP will pull you out of time warp whenever going into the atmosphere. Timewarp only works when you remain in space.

I checked the codeof the atmospheric scoops and as long there is an electric engine with an Isp larger than 4200s or a thermal engine with a core temperature larger than 40000 and the orbit is enough circular, it should be able to collect resource off screen

Edited January 4, 2017 by FreeThinker

[The Destroyer]

So... what's this about orbital degredation? Is it that when you are in trace atmosphere it slowly slows you down? So that's why my PE was 10km lower after I finished timewarp

[FreeThinker]

21 minutes ago, The Destroyer said:

So... what's this about orbital degredation? Is it that when you are in trace atmosphere it slowly slows you down? So that's why my PE was 10km lower after I finished timewarp

KSPI-E does not degrade any orbitals, it just assumes it is present and must be countered by engine burns ...

Edited January 4, 2017 by FreeThinker

[Aaron Also]

FreeThinker,

  Ive had an interesting idea. As best I can tell the Particle Accelerator only functions as a science experiment. However, the implementation of the generation of anti-matter is entirely feasible; that is what some of them are used for on Earth today. 

  I was thinking that it would require direct attachment to the science lab, with a max of 2 per lab. Then with scientists in the lab you have the option to start anti-matter production. This would be about the same rate as having a couple of collectors in the correct orbit around the correct planet, but locally where it is needed. 

Well, that is just me talking out loud. Any thoughts? 

[FreeThinker]

1 hour ago, Aaron Also said:

FreeThinker,

  Ive had an interesting idea. As best I can tell the Particle Accelerator only functions as a science experiment. However, the implementation of the generation of anti-matter is entirely feasible; that is what some of them are used for on Earth today. 

  I was thinking that it would require direct attachment to the science lab, with a max of 2 per lab. Then with scientists in the lab you have the option to start anti-matter production. This would be about the same rate as having a couple of collectors in the correct orbit around the correct planet, but locally where it is needed. 

Well, that is just me talking out loud. Any thoughts? 

 

 

 

 

Well particle accelerator could play a major role in the production of antimatter, but in the interstellar context it would be more economic to do it in conjunction with magnetic traps. Currently magnetic traps produce antimatter without much effort. The problem however, realistically any caught antimatter protons, would be charged, meaning they lack they antimatter counterpart of the electron, the positron. So the correct way of harvesting antimatter would be beside catching the antiproton, to fabricate the positron in a particle accelerator and join them together to create our desired anti-matter. Of course antimatter production is expensive (in terms of power) it is fortunate that positrons, like electrons, are a lot less massive than the proton, so it should be easier to create them. If I'm not mistaken, a cyclotron, a type of particle accelerator, would be capable generating positrons, so a possible realistic improvement for an antimatter farm would be to require a cyclotron, and a large amount power to convert AntiProtons into Antimatter.

 

Edited January 4, 2017 by FreeThinker

[Aaron Also]

5 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

Well particle accelerator could play a major role in the production of antimatter, but in the interstellar context it would be more economic to do it in conjunction with magnetic traps. Currently magnetic traps produce antimatter without much effort. The problem however, realistically any caught antimatter protons, would be charged, meaning they lack they antimatter counterpart of electron, the positron. So the correct way of harvesting antimatter would be beside catching the antiproton, to fabricate the positron in a particle accelerator to create our desired anti matter. Of course antimatter production is expensive (in terms of power) it is fortunate that positron, like electron, are a lot less massive than the proton. If I'm not mistaken, a cyclotron, a type of particle accelerator, would be capable generating positrons, so a possible realsitic improvement for an antimatter farm would be to require a cyclotron, and a large amount power to convert AntiProtons into Antimatter.

 

Sounds like you have put more thought into this than I have. I was just thinking simplistic terms for game mechanics, but sure whatever you feel is best I would be happy with. 

[FreeThinker]

12 minutes ago, Aaron Also said:

Sounds like you have put more thought into this than I have. I was just thinking simplistic terms for game mechanics, but sure whatever you feel is best I would be happy with. 

Actually someone else did it for me:

I consider it a nice to have one day feature, but now that we have another developer, @EvilGeorge working on KSPI ISRU related functionality, it might be implemented sooner

Edited January 4, 2017 by FreeThinker

[Siama]

1 hour ago, Aaron Also said:

As best I can tell the Particle Accelerator only functions as a science experiment.

It is also best fps-eating part. My whole 400-part station does not slow down rendering as much as this one item.
 

[ss8913]

OK so I'm having what looks like a new structural integrity issue here... I'm using KSPIE and KJR, and Interstellar Adventures, which adds a bunch of new stars and planets to the game.  I took a non-landing-capable craft to Theros, the only planet of Trappist-1, which is about 2.50Tm from Kerbin on a good day.  That went fine.  Several updates to KSPIE have happened since then.  I now have a carrier craft with a spaceplane docked to it.  There's a warp-mass ratio of 2.60 or so, there are no heating issues, Wasteheat levels are nominal.  After warping past Kerbol at 1.00c and verifying everything was fine at 1x timewarp, I kicked it up to 6.30c which is the max I can do with the available warp power (antimatter reactors & charged particle generators).  accelerated time to 1000x until I was within the other star's SOI (TRAPPIST-1).  everything looked ok.  Then I turned timewarp down to 1x.  The docked spaceplane and several other components of the rear of the craft spontaneously exploded and went away violently.  F3 menu said "structural failure" was the cause.

 

Seems like crossing that SOI boundary.. is breaking something now, that wasn't broken on the first time I took this trip.  I have repeated this numerous times, it's 100% consistent although which specific pieces explode and go away is not.  But it always explodes   I feel like it should not.

[FreeThinker]

18 minutes ago, ss8913 said:

OK so I'm having what looks like a new structural integrity issue here... I'm using KSPIE and KJR, and Interstellar Adventures, which adds a bunch of new stars and planets to the game.  I took a non-landing-capable craft to Theros, the only planet of Trappist-1, which is about 2.50Tm from Kerbin on a good day.  That went fine.  Several updates to KSPIE have happened since then.  I now have a carrier craft with a spaceplane docked to it.  There's a warp-mass ratio of 2.60 or so, there are no heating issues, Wasteheat levels are nominal.  After warping past Kerbol at 1.00c and verifying everything was fine at 1x timewarp, I kicked it up to 6.30c which is the max I can do with the available warp power (antimatter reactors & charged particle generators).  accelerated time to 1000x until I was within the other star's SOI (TRAPPIST-1).  everything looked ok.  Then I turned timewarp down to 1x.  The docked spaceplane and several other components of the rear of the craft spontaneously exploded and went away violently.  F3 menu said "structural failure" was the cause.

 

Seems like crossing that SOI boundary.. is breaking something now, that wasn't broken on the first time I took this trip.  I have repeated this numerous times, it's 100% consistent although which specific pieces explode and go away is not.  But it always explodes   I feel like it should not.

 

 

 

 

mmm, not sure but when crossing a SOI, the Higgs field (gravity effects) might radically  increase forcing the warp vessel to decelerate too rapidly. Try lowering you speed or increasing you power production ...

Edit: Oh, what also might work is increase to power of the warp coil, technically this could be accomplished by increasing the mass of the warp coil ...

Edited January 4, 2017 by FreeThinker

[ss8913]

3 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

mmm, not sure but when crossing a SOI, the Higgs field (gravity effects) might radically  increase forcing the warp vessel to decelerate too rapidly. Try lowering you speed or increasing you power production ...

OK, I'll try dropping to sub-1.0c before crossing the SOI boundary and see if that helps.  If it does, will send pictures of the spaceplane landed on Theros to the thread

Just to clarify though, the problem happens not when I cross the SOI boundary but specifically when I drop out of *time*warp from 1000x to 1x.

Edited January 4, 2017 by ss8913

[FreeThinker]

@ss8913 What might actually happen is that due to deceleration, a part is ripped off and due to floating point inaccuracies crashes into another part of the vessel, destroying both .

Edit: The problem might be averted by adding struts, auto struts or increase part torsion strength in the config ...

Edited January 4, 2017 by FreeThinker

[ss8913]

6 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

@ss8913 What might actually happen is that due to deceleration, a part is ripped off and due to floating point inaccuracies crashes into another part of the vessel, destroying both .

Edit: The problem might be averted by adding struts, auto struts or increase part torsion strength in the config ...

yeah, the problem may be induced by having the spaceplane docked to the carrier... if the above experiment produces no results, I'll add quantum struts to the craft to hold the docked spaceplane in place and see if that helps.  Auto-struts don't get along that well with KJR, I've read.

[FreeThinker]

On 3-1-2017 at 4:11 PM, Nansuchao said:

From a gameplay perspective, what I feel is partially missing, is the old sense of accomplishment when unlocking a part. Back in the day that was the VISTA engine, now there is not a real substitute, but other than that, the mod in itself is really great.

@FreeThinker, for all the nostalgics here, would it be possible to have the old VISTA as a alternate config?

1

In particular, what characteristics are you looking for?

[The Destroyer]

@FreeThinker On the Vista, why not have ISP linked to throttle, like electric engines, rather than a manual control? If I want to limit thrust I'll adjust the thrust limiter, otherwise this would be quicker and conserve fuel

@Nansuchao below, it's still a fantastic engine. Incredible ISP and thrust meant I did a Jool V mission, returned home, refuelled it just a bit, went to gilly, landed and did science and returned home. Sure, the daedalus may have huge delta-v but it's expensive and slow, and electric engines are great but also slow, whereas D-T is king in impressive thrust at impressive ISP. Granted, while I've followed the mod since the beginning I never actually tried it before.

Edited January 4, 2017 by The Destroyer

[Nansuchao]

49 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

In particular, what characteristics are you looking for?

Not exactly a characteristic but more a goal. The old (pre 1.0) VISTA allowed the building of wonderful motherships for interplanetary mission, and some of the best SSTOs. It was the Ultimate engine, high thrust and high ISP for every important mission. 

The actual version of this engine instead, while it's much more realistic, it's not the best choice in most cases.

My opinion is that many "old school" Interstellar players miss that milestone, that for many was more rewarding than the WarpDrive itself.

[dannyo862]

Hi guys, been going out of my mind to try find how to upgrade my radiators to find there is supposed to be a tech in the Experimental Electrics node of the tech tree - I have the thermal generator one but nothing for radiators, it's nowhere!  What am I missing? I really need these upgraded radiators!  In fact, looking at the upgrades, I can't find most of them ... what's wrong?!

Experimental Electrics

• Electric Generator: Brayton Turbine → KTEC Thermoelectric/Direct Conversion (better efficiency)
• Heat Radiator: Mo Li Heat Pipe → Graphene Radiator (better efficiency

Fusion Power

• Nuclear Reactor: Solid Core Reactor → Gas Core Reactor (3x power output)
• Thermal Turbojet: Atmospheric Thermal Jet → Hybrid Thermal Rocket (Basic version can only work in atmosphere, Upgraded version can toggle over to internal fuel)

Antimatter Power

• D-T Inertial Fusion Reactor → High-Q Inertial Fusion Reactor

Ultra-High Energy Physics

• Antimatter Reactor: Solid/Liquid Core Reactor → Liquid/Plasma Core Reactor (3x power output)
• Plasma Thruster: Magnetoplasdynamic → Quantum Vacuum Plasma Thruster (uses no fuel)

[FreeThinker]

@dannyo862 there is actually a Heat Heat Management Branch

with 4 technology nodes: Heat Management Systems (160), Advanced Heat Management (550), Specialized Radiators (1500) and  Exotic Radiators (4000)