Looking for a Suggested Mod list

[Yokata]

Hello,
I've been playing KSP off and on for the past few years. I've always gotten to the mun and setup a sat. Network but never got past that point. I'm interested into getting back into the game. Can someone suggest a list of mods that are compatible with each other.

My Interests: 
More realistic gameplay
Building bases / orbital space stations and refueling centers
any decent graphics overhauls to make the game look better
Parts mods
 

Also does Mechjeb work still? I loved using it to do automated takeoffs! I know its lazy but I enjoyed watching it.

 

Thanks! 

[Snark]

Hello, and welcome to the forums! 

Moving to Add-on Discussions, since this is mainly about mods.

28 minutes ago, Yokata said:

any decent graphics overhauls to make the game look better

You may want to take a look at the following (though be warned, they pummel your graphics card, so you'll need to have a good one or they'll tank your frame rate):

^ These two mods do different things, but they happen to work well together.

Both of the above mods are big on the "gee whiz!" factor-- they'll really be obvious when you have them running, they significantly change how KSP looks.  Here's another visual F/X mod that I like a lot,

...it's more subtle, but I think the effect is really pretty.  And the good news is that it's gentle on your GPU so you don't have to have a top-end graphics card to run it.

I always run PlanetShine.  I didn't use to run Scatterer and Stock Visual Enhancements, since my GPU wasn't up to the task; but then I got a better graphics card and now I run all three mods.  And gosh, it's purty. 

[Yokata]

I have a 1060, will that be good enough for those visual enhancement mods?

[Snark]

2 hours ago, Yokata said:

I have a 1060, will that be good enough for those visual enhancement mods?

Depends what resolution you're running at, and how high you have the various knobs cranked up (they're highly configurable), and what framerate you consider to be "enough".

I had a 970 for the longest time and it definitely could not handle them, at least not at the high resolution that I like to run KSP-- I was getting seriously crappy framerate, no matter how low I turned the knobs.  Then I upgraded to a 1080, and it handles 'em without even breathing hard. 

About the only advice I could offer is "try them and see."

Some sample screenshots with these mods installed:

Spoiler

 

[katateochi]

If you like building bases then I highly recommend Kerbal Attachment System and Kerbal Inventory System (KAS/KIS) which let you assemble parts in the field.  I'd also say Infernal Robotics is a must, but it's a bit confusing as there's a new WIP version (but the older build for 1.3.1 seems to still be working fine on 1.4.x)
For some nice base parts have a look at Kerbal Planetary Base Systems (which goes well with the above two and also has nice optional support for the major life support mods).
If you like a more in depth science and satellite experience; DMagic Orbital Science and SCANSat are great (I'd also throw Remote Tech in there too).
And to answer your question; yes MechJeb is still very much alive and well.
This is a list of the mods (50ish) that I've been running in 1.4.3 https://kerbalx.com/katateochi/installed_mods
(I've just moved up to 1.4.5 and all those mods seem to still be working fine).

[Yokata]

19 hours ago, Snark said:

Depends what resolution you're running at, and how high you have the various knobs cranked up (they're highly configurable), and what framerate you consider to be "enough".

I had a 970 for the longest time and it definitely could not handle them, at least not at the high resolution that I like to run KSP-- I was getting seriously crappy framerate, no matter how low I turned the knobs.  Then I upgraded to a 1080, and it handles 'em without even breathing hard. 

About the only advice I could offer is "try them and see."

Some sample screenshots with these mods installed:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I added in all three mods, however I selected Medium resolutions for SVE Mod and I get 60 FPS throughout all my gameplay I'm also on 1920x1080. Thanks for the Recommendations!

16 hours ago, katateochi said:

If you like building bases then I highly recommend Kerbal Attachment System and Kerbal Inventory System (KAS/KIS) which let you assemble parts in the field.  I'd also say Infernal Robotics is a must, but it's a bit confusing as there's a new WIP version (but the older build for 1.3.1 seems to still be working fine on 1.4.x)
For some nice base parts have a look at Kerbal Planetary Base Systems (which goes well with the above two and also has nice optional support for the major life support mods).
If you like a more in depth science and satellite experience; DMagic Orbital Science and SCANSat are great (I'd also throw Remote Tech in there too).
And to answer your question; yes MechJeb is still very much alive and well.
This is a list of the mods (50ish) that I've been running in 1.4.3 https://kerbalx.com/katateochi/installed_mods
(I've just moved up to 1.4.5 and all those mods seem to still be working fine).

That Link you added with your installed mods didn't work could you relink them for me, I really love to see them!

Thanks both of you.

[katateochi]

5 hours ago, Yokata said:

That Link you added with your installed mods didn't work could you relink them for me, I really love to see them!

huh, seems that the <username>/installed_mods url only works if you're logged into KerbalX, I shall have to fix that! 
Meanwhile this link should take you to the same mod pack without needing to be logged in - https://kerbalx.com/mod_packs/970

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

On 8/3/2018 at 11:38 AM, Yokata said:

Hello,
I've been playing KSP off and on for the past few years. I've always gotten to the mun and setup a sat. Network but never got past that point. I'm interested into getting back into the game. Can someone suggest a list of mods that are compatible with each other.

My Interests: 
More realistic gameplay

For realism, you have a couple of options:

Increased difficulty with more realistic planet sizes. Look for rescale mods. I've heard a lot of people like 6.4x, but I haven't personally used a rescale mod.

Second, stock-alike additions of mechanics simulation real considerations. For example, life support. USI is probably what a stock life support system would be like, being made by a dev:

Similarly, Kerbalism adds more life support considerations than just "supplies:"

There are also part failure mods with varying degrees of realism.

There are many mods that model individual mechanics like this, such as Engine Ignitor, Ferram Aerospace Research, etc, however the best and most realistic way to experience KSP is the Realism Overhaul (RO) suite of mods. It pretty much just combines all the realism mods, modifies a bunch of other optional mods, and turns the KSP solar system into the real one, modifies all the parts to match real world ones, etc. This a large increase in difficulty, I've never made it beyond high earth orbit. It takes more delta-v to get into earth orbit than it does to take off from Eve and get a transfer back to Kerbin. I highly recommend CKAN for installing this, although I don't recommend it for everything. It is very fun.

The only problem is that it lags 1-2 full versions behind KSP.

On 8/3/2018 at 11:38 AM, Yokata said:

Building bases / orbital space stations and refueling centers

As others have said, Planetary Base Systems. I also recommend Stockalike Station parts Redux:

And Modular Kolonization Systems if you want more reasons for build a base:

On 8/3/2018 at 11:38 AM, Yokata said:

any decent graphics overhauls to make the game look better

If you don't use any parts packs, Texture Unlimited (which I hope will catch on with mod makers so I can install it on heavily modded installs):

Note that this is just a plugin, it needs a config to work. It does work with SSTU though.

KS3P adds post processing, although I haven't yet configured it the way I like:

On 8/3/2018 at 11:38 AM, Yokata said:

Parts mods

Missing History is one of the few "must-have" parts mods, especially if you have the Making History expansion. SXT, SSTU, Tantares + LV, RLA stockalike, MRS, SpaceY and KW all have nice parts, although there aren't really a lot of gaps in stock parts. Nertea's mods (Kerbal Atomics, Cyrogenic Engines, Near Future series) all extend stock nicely, with balanced but much more powerful upgrades.

You might also want to take a look at Smart Parts Continued too:

On 8/3/2018 at 11:38 AM, Yokata said:

Also does Mechjeb work still? I loved using it to do automated takeoffs! I know its lazy but I enjoyed watching it.

 

Thanks! 

Mechjeb should still work.

This is my list of must have mods:

Spoiler

https://github.com/jrbudda/KerbalEngineer/releases

https://github.com/linuxgurugamer/WasdEditorCameraContinued/releases

https://kerbalx.com/CraftManager

http://www.kerbaltek.com/hyperedit

 

 

[scottadges]

Glad you're getting back into the game. I'm the same way: I play for 6 months, take a break, then come back. I've done that twice now (between 1.2 -> 1.3, and then again between 1.3.1 --> 1.4.3)

A big question: Are you playing from an older save and a previous version of KSP? Or starting fresh with 1.4.5? Did you pop for Making History or no?

I've included what I think is my core mod set right now. This is after two weeks of diagnosing incompatibilities and assessing gameplay vs overall performance. (I'm running a Core i5 6500 16GB of RAM and a GTX 1060.

I know you mentioned an interest in Parts Mods. In my experience,  loading up TONS of parts in one game can take >10+ min to load KSP. For me, I like to go with a few main parts packs and load up on Quality of Life mods that are more lightweight but add better gameplay. My KSP load time is <3 min.  

Mods are included in groups below. You can search for these using CKAN (assuming you know what that is), so I won't include all the links or this will get crazy long. The version numbers are current as of August 2018.

GRAPHICS

Spoiler

For basic better graphics:

• scatterer (Scatterer 2:v0.0331b)
• scatterer - default config (Scatterer-config 2:v0.0331b)
• scatterer - sunflare (Scatterer-sunflare 2:v0.0331b)
• Environmental Visual Enhancements (EnvironmentalVisualEnhancements 2:EVE-1.4.2-2)
• Environmental Visual Enhancements - Stock Planet Config files (EnvironmentalVisualEnhancements-HR 2:EVE-1.2.2-1)
• PlanetShine (PlanetShine 0.2.6.1)
• PlanetShine - Default configuration (PlanetShine-Config-Default 0.2.6.1)

More advanced (but generally lightweight) improvements:

• Distant Object Enhancement (DistantObject v1.9.1)
• Distant Object Enhancement default config (DistantObject-default v1.9.1)
• Real Plume (RealPlume 2:v11.0.0)
• Real Plume - Stock Configs (RealPlume-StockConfigs v1.2.0)
• TextureReplacer (TextureReplacer v2.7.0)
• IndicatorLights (IndicatorLights 1.3.1)
• IndicatorLights Community Extensions (IndicatorLightsCommunityExtensions 1.3.1)
• Outer Planets Mod (OuterPlanetsMod 2:2.2.1) Dependency is Kopernicus Planetary System Modifier (Kopernicus 2:release-1.4.5-2)

 

GAMEPLAY & QUALITY OF LIFE MODS

Spoiler

The Holy Trinity:

• MechJeb 2 (MechJeb2 2.7.3.0)
• HyperEdit (HyperEdit 1.5.8.0)
• Kerbal Engineer Redux (KerbalEngineerRedux 1.1.5.3)

 

Other really useful (basically essential) mods:

• Toolbar (Toolbar 1.7.17.11)
• Docking Port Alignment Indicator (DockingPortAlignmentIndicator 6.8.2)
• MechJeb and Engineer for all! (MechJebForAll 1.3.0.2)
• Trajectories (Trajectories vKSP1.4.2-v2.2.0)
• Precise Node (PreciseNode 1.2.9.1)
• Action Groups Extended (AGExt 2.3.35)
• Easy Vessel Switch (EVS) (EasyVesselSwitch 1.8)
• Keep It Straight (KeepItStraight 1.0.4)
• BetterBurnTime (BetterBurnTime 1.6.1)
• BetterTimeWarpContinued (BetterTimeWarpCont 2.3.10.1)
• Draggable Altimeter (DraggableAltimeter v1.0.1)
• Draggable Navball (DraggableNavball v1.0.1)
• Kerbal Alarm Clock (KerbalAlarmClock v3.9.1.0)
• Transfer Window Planner (TransferWindowPlanner v1.6.3.0)
• NavHud (NavHudRenewed 1.3.5.1)
• WorldStabilizer (WorldStabilizer 0.9.2)

If you're playing a science/career game:

• [x] Science! (xScience vV5.16)
• DMagic Orbital Science (DMagicOrbitalScience 1.3.12)
• Contracts Window + (ContractsWindowPlus 9.2)
• Contract Pack: Bases and Stations Reborn (ContractConfigurator-KerbinSpaceStation 2:3.7.1)
• Contract Pack: Field Research (ContractConfigurator-FieldResearch 1.2.1)
• Contract Pack: Kerbal Academy (ContractConfigurator-KerbalAcademy 1.1.10)
• Contract Pack: Tourism Plus (ContractConfigurator-Tourism 1.5.2)
• Crowd Sourced Science (CrowdSourcedScience v4.1.2)
• Better Science Labs Continued (BetterScienceLabsContinued 0.1.9.3)

 

PARTS PACKS

Spoiler

Parts packs I'm using now:

• Ven's Stock Part Revamp (VenStockRevamp v1.9.6)
• Universal Storage (UniversalStorage 1.4.0.0)
• KW Rocketry Rebalanced (KWRocketryRebalanced 3.2.5.5)

Highly recommended packs with tons of parts:

• Blue Dog Design Bureau
• New Tantares / Tantares in Color
• Stockalike Station Parts Redux
• Near Future - Basically everything
• SpaceY Expanded
• SpaceY Heavy Lifters
• FASA
• Mk2 Stockalike Expansion
• Mk2.5 Spaceplane Parts
• B9 Aerospace Parts Pack
• Airplane Plus
• Dr. Jet's Chop Shop

VAB/SPH MUST HAVES

Spoiler

These make building craft so much better (and IMO anything managed by @linuxgurugamer should absolutely be stock ):

• Editor Extensions Redux (EditorExtensionsRedux 3.3.19.3)
• HangerExtender (HangerExtenderExtended 3.5.3.2)
• RCS Build Aid Continued (RCSBuildAidCont 0.9.7.1)
• The Janitor's Closet (JanitorsCloset 0.3.4.1)
• Decoupler Shroud (DecouplerShroud 0.5.0)
• Kerbal Joint Reinforcement [need to look carefully at the versions; this isn't officially updated, but still works]
   

OTHER USEFUL MODS

Spoiler

Other useful mods, a lot of them dependencies for others in the list above:

• Flight Manager for Reusable Stages (FMRS) Continued (FMRSContinued 1.2.7.2)
• ClickThrough Blocker (ClickThroughBlocker 0.1.6.7)
• Toolbar Controller (ToolbarController 1:0.1.6.10)
• Community Resource Pack (CommunityResourcePack 0.10.0.0)
• Community Terrain Texture Pack (CommunityTerrainTexturePack 1:1.0.3)
• Community Trait Icons (CommunityTraitIcons v1.0.0)
• Contract Parser (ContractParser 8.0)
• Contract Configurator (ContractConfigurator 1.25.0)
• Progress Parser (ProgressParser 10.0)
• ModularFlightIntegrator (ModularFlightIntegrator 1.2.5.0)
• SmokeScreen - Extended FX Plugin (SmokeScreen 2.8.0.0)
• USI Tools (USITools 0.12.0.0)

 

Edited August 5, 2018 by scottadges