Hello all! Experienced Simmer / New to KSP

[SpaceDan67]

Hello everyone in Kerbalverse!

I am a long time astronomy/ aeronautics/ flight simulation enthusiast...Have been enjoying Elite Dangerous for galactic exploration for past year or so....Had seen KSP on my Steam feed and put it on my wishlist....After multiple recommendations- and KSP going on sale - time to take the plunge....

I have just completed the first “Visit the Mun” mission (did an orbit or two - not just a flyby) - so flush with funds - I have upgraded SPH (255), VAB (255), R&D (500) and MC (7)...I have ‘stable’ jet plane, jet/rocket plane, orbital and now Mun capable ships....

So far I’m KSP Vanilla 1.8....my head is spinning from the number of mods available- and acronyms abound...That’s the steepest learning curve right now...

Doing a few atmospheric observation missions to restock my science points....It would be nice to get some of those Supersonic aircraft bits to fly halfway around Kerbin to record a pressure /temp (attempting to stack as many missions at once)...but a such long flight (I assume there is an “autopilot” mod so I can use time acceleration?).....but oooooh!  I want some 2.5m heavy rocketry...

Anyway - look forward to chatting and learning about KSP...Wonderfully engaging so far!

Cheers,

Dan

[James Kerman]

Welcome to the forum and the game @SpaceDan67.

If you need any help or advice, ask away. You will find a community of friendly and helpful members here. As for an autopilot I can recommend Mechjeb:

:

[Starhawk]

Hello @SpaceDan67 and welcome to the KSP Forums.

The acronyms abound indeed, and the forum can help.  Most of the more common ones have info tags added.  They show up with a sort of dotted underline in posts and give a pop-up when moused over.

SOI, dV, TWR, CoM, CoL, and many, many more.

In any case you are in good company.  Glad to have you aboard.

Happy landings!

[SpaceDan67]

@James Kerman Thanks for the link..I was hoping to get father along in mastering KSP "Vanilla" - but the MechJeb mod definitely is great for long distance flights (had to tweak VertSpeed PID to reduce pitch oscillations for ALtHold - but otherwise great "out of the box" (need to contact MechJeb Devs / see if on issue list - but I get a course hold error (drifts left at @ 1 degree / min) when I accelerate time...Perhaps a "compass precession" error?)

@Starhawk  I am sure that I'll get up to speed with the acronyms / lingo...I did see there is some in the KSP manual - but it is a shame you cannot print / bookmark individual pages?  And no offline PDF version either (I know:  version control would be a PITA)...

Cheers,

Dan

[guesswho2778]

@SpaceDan67 will this help?

https://www.kerbalspaceprogram.com/files/KSPedia-XB1.pdf

and yeah ksp has a habit of "accidently" teaching you rocket science, you will get the hang of the acronyms eventually and even find yourself using them in no time at all!

[SpaceDan67]

11 hours ago, guesswho2778 said:

@SpaceDan67 will this help?

https://www.kerbalspaceprogram.com/files/KSPedia-XB1.pdf

and yeah ksp has a habit of "accidently" teaching you rocket science, you will get the hang of the acronyms eventually and even find yourself using them in no time at all!

That is a great reference!  Thank you!!   I was familiar with most of the construction concepts (and a decent, stable jet plane plaform for atmospheric observations)..Really good into on Communications / Telemetry - and especially the heat management concepts....The later pages have me drooling about unlocking future science lab :-)

One more quick question - anyone have a good link for explaining the basics of orbit transfer?  I had earlier successfully completed a Mun flyby / orbit myself - but when I tried to repeat with a tourist - by the end of the return I run out of fuel / can't deorbit...(make a couple passes down to @ 55,000 m....but too much speed can't aerobrake until I run out of battery charge...(and I have 8x mounted..haven't unlocked solar yet)

(I have several of the KSP intro vids by Scott Hanley & Quill18 -so that's how I managed to get out there & back the first time....but I don't remember the Mun escape manuever being so difficult??)

Edited October 31, 2019 by SpaceDan67
added last line of references that I have already used

[Retro Starship]

Welcome to the forum @SpaceDan67. I am new as well and just got 1.81 a couple days ago. KSP rocks!

[SpaceDan67]

Thanks SaturnTony - and enjoy it yourself!

I found a very helpful video by Quill18 - that clearly describes the Ascending/Descending Nodes - as well as the Closest Approach markers on various maneuver trajectory lines...

Quill18 - KSP For Beginners - Part 8

[Retro Starship]

20 hours ago, SpaceDan67 said:

I found a very helpful video by Quill18

Oh thank you @SpaceDan67, I have seen a couple of Quill18's stuff but I watch most always now Scott Manley and Mike Aben's youtubes. They seem to be a bit more scientific based as well as into the game (not just a gamer) and I know Scott is a big supporter of KSP and is a Physicist as well. I think Mike is too. Sometimes though both of these guys can get into it so much you can loose them!! haha. Thank god for the pause key (k) and repeat! By the original post you did above (especially being into aeronautics and such), I know you will like them! I think there cool.

 

Edited November 2, 2019 by Saturn5tony

[SpaceDan67]

FWIW - I watched Scott Hanleys’ video #s 12 & 13 (13 being the key for getting safely back to Kerbin...I was trying to escape Mun from the “opposite side” - similar to the Kerbin to Mun escape point)....Scott is a bit more focused that Quill too...

I’ll check out Mike’s videos too...now off to orbital rendezvous & rescues!!

[Retro Starship]

On 11/3/2019 at 12:34 PM, SpaceDan67 said:

off to orbital rendezvous & rescues

I am very new as well @SpaceDan67with only at best a month on KSP. Keep in touch, maybe post some things as well. Use the "@" sign and the name and it will beep that person also.

[SpaceDan67]

Hello all -

I thought I would give a short update - thanks for everyone’s help first off!

Have no problems with spacecraft rendezvous/ rescue in “Munar orbit”- still hit or miss around Kerbin....I have been trying to get Pe exactly overlayed with target ship - then only have to modify Pa to play with rendezvous markers...”Pushing Retrograde” / “Pulling Prograde” onto target make sense....I can get relative speeds fairly close to 0 and < 200 m - so I just get stranded Kerbin to bail out and EVA / RCS to rescue ship....

While the standard ship axis controls are fine - the RCS one are bothersome - I am looking to find a keymapper so I can use the numeric keypad...

I placed a couple satellites into precisely required / bizarre orbits - actually found that rather easy?

Doing my 2nd Munar surface landing / rescue (thank goodness for the huge number of game saves allowed!!!).....Important tip:  add downward facing lighting for night landing “attempts”....

2nd Munar rescue also was at a very low latitude:  1st attempt wasted so much fuel making pretty orbits blah blah blah....Reloaded from mid-Kerbin / amun transfer point - just went for straight polar orbit insertion:  did most of the orbital insertion with my 2nd ascent / transfer stage....

Still have had to be inventive (ie even using RCS for returns) in fuel management:  I think I still burn too much on descent...Landers are also pretty tippy (because I have a 4-passenger module - plus the storage bay (stocked full of goo for reaping science when landed on Mun....

Finally - as far as Mods go...RUN!  Do not walk!  and install ForScience:   From my latest Mun landing trip (hauling 3 tourists and rescuing one stranded) - storage bay besides battery and reaction wheel - had experimental storage unit and 12(!) goo containers....This ONE(1) trip netted me almost 600 science!!