Can you help with my addiction...

[Chris Hopkins]

Hi All,

As a new forum user I believe I should introduce myself before doing any other posting. I've been playing the game for about a year or so now, getting there, more of a sandbox user at the moment than a career mode person, but that's just a lack of time more than anything else.  I'd been avoiding joining a forum as I didn't want to feed the addiction that this game has become, but there comes a time when perhaps you just have to embrace it! :-)

I have a bit of a spaceplane addiction, and a love of orbital tugs. Just getting into ISRU at the moment. Still to venture outside of the Kerbin system, there's so much to do with experimenting with and building up my orbital infrastructure! (although I have a Duna and Jul mission both prepped ready to go as soon as the launch window comes up).

[Starhawk]

Hello Chris Hopkins and welcome to the KSP Forum!

The KSP experience is definitely addictive.  There is a great community here who share your love of the game.

I hope you find this place as enjoyable and valuable as I have.

Happy landings!

[BadRocket]

Hi Chris, and welcome!

Thanks for sharing what you're focusing on, it's neat to read what people are doing. I'm with you about the sandbox mode, I did one career mode playthrough, but then went back to sandbox mode permanently. I find it more enjoyable / less stressful.

And "addiction" is definitely the correct word.  :)

I'd be interested to hear more about your orbital tugs

[Chris Hopkins]

Thanks all.

I'll post some designs next week - I'm a bit too busy with work at the moment to get any time to spend on this, but briefly:

I have a couple of designs of tugs that are basically 50% rcs (either mono or lfox) and 50% reaction wheel. A claw at one end, a docking port at the other and they're really handy for anything that's construction/docking related. This saves most of my payloads from needing any rcs on at all (for the big stuff I might scatter some rcs thrusters around but no need for monoprop tanks). 

I've another couple of tug designs that are basically a nerva with fuel tanks and a claw/docking port that is tend to use for refuelling/transfer obit injection (I leave the final correction to the engine on the craft that has just enough fuel for the insertion/circularisation/landing burn). This is really handy because you only worry about the payload, and the launch. I even had a couple of missions where I messed up the launch, was in a sub-orbital trajectory, but had a tug close enough to get in, refuel and save the day. That was fun!

Finally I have a few puller tug designs that I use for my fleets. My Jul mission I'm currently building up is a puller tug with 28 Nervas (at the moment, if I get time I can upgrade it with at least another 24). It's a modular system where I can just dock an extra thrust module on (each module having 4 nukes). The plan is I'll be able to move the thrust units between missions. e.g. borrow a couple of units from my Jul mission to go and do an asteroid interception, then return them before the launch window opens.

The scaffolding that these big tugs use are all a pain to launch, but once they're up with a little bit of spaceplane refueling (or refueling them from any spare left in the tanks from the payload's launch) they really do save me a lot of payload. I end up never really needing an upper stage. It's also an architecture where if I just fancy flying a launch but don't have a design ready I can just launch another tug into a different obit, or do a spaceplane refuel or whatever.

 

Anyway, back to work!

[Vanamonde]

I also like working with tugs. This is what I use to place or move modules around my space stations. 

[fruitsbar]

Hello Chris Hopkins! We kerbals are happy to welcome you!

[BadRocket]

On 4/10/2019 at 1:53 AM, Chris Hopkins said:

I even had a couple of missions where I messed up the launch, was in a sub-orbital trajectory, but had a tug close enough to get in, refuel and save the day. That was fun!

Cool to read your descriptions! Thanks for sharing. Haha yeah, can confirm, refueling a suborbital craft in desperation (as the altitude readout clicks down) and boosting up to a stable orbit is incredible when you pull it off.

 

15 hours ago, Vanamonde said:

I also like working with tugs. This is what I use to place or move modules around my space stations. 

RCS at the end of I-Beams!! why did I never think of that??  *idea stolen*

[Lapis]

Welcome to the forums!

4 hours ago, BadRocket said:

*idea stolen* 

same

[Kerbinchaser]

Help?
We'll make it worse!

Welcome to the Forums. I hope you enjoy your stay.