Must have mods?

[boond1982]

Hello everybody. Hope that I am posting in the right Topic.

I've started a few days ago with KSP and I really like it. Also did my 1st orbit. I know for some of you, this is nothing, but I was really happy about it. 

Are there some must have mods for the game? Some mods that could help newbies or some good recommended mods?

Thanks a lot.

Damien

[garwel]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

There are lots of awesome mods out there for any taste, but here is my personal list of mods that I don't even bother playing without.

• Alternative Resource Panel
• Community Tech Tree
• Hide Empty Tech Tree Nodes
• Kerbal Alarm Clock
• KAS+KIS
• Kerbal Construction Time
• Kerbal Engineer Redux
• kOS
• KSP Craft Organizer
• Precise Maneuver
• Probes Before Crew
• SCANsat
• Tracking Station Evolved
• Transfer Window Planner
• Waypoint Manager

These are all feature mods that mostly improve playability and/or add depth to the game. If you are looking for parts mods, you can start by checking out Near Future Technologies, ReStock, and DMagic Orbital Science.

[DeadJohn]

You didn't mention what platform you are using for KSP. If you use Steam, don't play directly from the Steam folder. Copy the KSP folder to a new folder that Steam doesn't know about so you don't risk an autoupdate breaking your mods.

These mods improve general gameplay:

1. Better Time Warp: Allows adjustment of time warp increments. Helpful when flying planes long distances in the atmosphere and on long journeys to other planets.
2. Craft Manager: Improves the interface for loading ships in the VAB. You can search for ships by hashtags, rather than just by name.
3. Hyperedit: A mod that lets you extend the cheats the alt-f12 already provides. You can instantly land a ship anywhere, refuel, synchronize orbits of satellites, and more. I use it get past game glitches, my own stupid mistakes, or just to speed up boring parts of the game. KSP isn't a competitive game so "cheating" is okay, but I suggest you as a new player don't rely on it too much.
4. Kerbal Alarm Clock: An essential mod if you have multiple missions in progress. Sets alarms so you know when to pay attention to a different ship.
5. Kerbal Engineer Redux: Gives more detailed information about ship statistics during construction and flight.
6. Kerbal Joint Reinforcement Continued: KSP docking port joints are often too flexible to construct space stations; large craft can wobble themselves to death. Consider this if you find that your rockets are too bendy.
7. The Janitor's Closet: Only needed if you install many parts mods. It will let you filter parts while building ships.

Visual mods improve the appearance of the game. Scatterer and Environmental Visual Enhancements are the most common, but I don't think they are updated for KSP 1.9 yet. Visual mods can slow game performance, so use them with caution.

Parts mods: there are so many good choices.

1. Nertea's mods: Restock (enhanced artwork for stock parts), Restock Plus (additional parts), the entire Near Future collection (many new parts for building anything from small satellites to huge rockets), and Stockalike Station Parts Redux.
2. Bluedog Design Bureau: Parts for recreating historical United States rockets. Arguably the best artwork in the game, but IMO if you use parts from this only use parts from this; stock parts and BDB parts don't look good in the same rocket body.
3. Tantares : Parts for recreating historical Soviet and Russian rockets.

 

 

[boond1982]

Hey guys. Thanks a lot for your answer. Yeah i forgot to mention, it is the download version, not the steam version.

It looks like ckan only works with steam??

Damien

[Gargamel]

21 minutes ago, boond1982 said:

It looks like ckan only works with steam??

CKAN works with KSP, regardless of where you got it from.  

[boond1982]

It is working. i had to run it as admin

[CobaltWolf]

I think Bluedog Design Bureau is pretty good but I might be biased...

[Cavscout74]

1) Kerbal Alarm Clock is just about a must-have for any large space program to keep you from missing important stuff like upcoming maneuvers and arriving at other planets

2) I love Kerbal Inventory System + Kerbal Attachment System.  Give you more to do on EVA, allows for fuel/resource transfer between undocked ships and lets your engineers bolt on parachutes for those times you only realize after reaching orbit you forgot them.

3) Kerbal Engineer Redux or Mechjeb for additional information.  Mechjeb also adds assorted autopilot functions, but both give significantly more (and IMO more readable) information for building & flying your designs

4) I used to get by with autostruts - and they are usually good enough - but Kerbal Joint Reinforcement accomplishes the same thing without the occasional glitches from the autostruts

5) Better Burn Time - mostly replaced by the improved stock burn time counter, but it still adds a very nice suicide burn counter which is very helpful for safely getting your landers on the ground.

Those are most of my "must haves."  EVE and the various visual packs greatly improve the looks of the game, plus Scatterer.  The various planet packs expand on or replace the stock system for more places to explore.  For parts mods, they range from good to amazing so its really a matter of what you are looking for rather than whats good.  They're all at least good, so try to limit yourself to avoid running out of memory.  You can also have multiple KSP folders, so you can use one set of mods in one install and a completely different set in another install.  For example, my main 1.8.1 install, I use primarily the Wild Blue series of mods with a few others to fill in (my main career save), then I have another 1.8.1 install with the JNSQ planet pack and I'm primarily using Nertea's Near Future series of part mods.  I also have a test install (with a few must have mods) to tinker with new mods to see if I want to include them in one of my main installs

[luizsilveira]

It's an old and possibly useless debate, but I - myself - would refrain from adding too many mods that change gameplay too much at first. I wouldn't even add too many mods from the get go at all; I'd consider probably best to add them "as the need arises", so one would even enjoy, not only the base game, but the mod itself best (as it will solve a true need, or one might not even notice what it's actually doing or solving). You can't know if you like the base game if you never try it.

For me, a true "must have" for from somewhat early on (i.e. as soon as one starts to dock stuff) is the docking port alignment indicator. 

If one's not playing sandbox, I'd also recommend [x]Science  pretty much from the get-go. And, soon enough, automated science sampler - because science can be fun but can turn into such a chore so quickly.

Then the already mentioned KIS+KAS, KER, KAC...  

[Brian W.]

I wanted to tag this with asking about what are good mods to extend the galaxy/universe of KSP?

So far I have figured that some of the consistent "Must Have Mods" are:

1. MechJeb
2. Kerbal Engineering Redux
3. KAS + KIS
4. Kerbal Alarm Clock

If you have any more to add to that list please post.

[GK7]

I would say SVE, EVE, and scatterer are one of the best things for ksp, it makes it look really cool and more natural

[Buzzkill27]

OMG - Just discovered the intent and purpose of CKAN based on this thread ( saw in others but... meh and then... "why?"   Dooodes... makes your life easy and CKAN it! (throw em some bucks for their effort too!)   Any gamer knows the hell of fetching down EVERY FRIGGIN link after an update.  these guys do it for you PLUS library of some you may not of even known. 
****EDIT as note to moderator on Necro thread - found this based on a google search.  please approve base on those that also search on Google as a new player like me

Edited January 24, 2021 by Buzzkill27

[Clamp-o-Tron]

2 hours ago, Buzzkill27 said:

OMG - Just discovered the intent and purpose of CKAN based on this thread ( saw in others but... meh and then... "why?"   Dooodes... makes your life easy and CKAN it! (throw em some bucks for their effort too!)   Any gamer knows the hell of fetching down EVERY FRIGGIN link after an update.  these guys do it for you PLUS library of some you may not of even known. 
****EDIT as note to moderator on Necro thread - found this based on a google search.  please approve base on those that also search on Google as a new player like me

I think that’s a great idea. I might actually make a separate thread for aggregating the best mods for new players.

[Buzzkill27]

5 hours ago, Clamp-o-Tron said:

I think that’s a great idea. I might actually make a separate thread for aggregating the best mods for new players.

tag me on it if you do - happy to up it and promote it as wise

Edited January 24, 2021 by Buzzkill27