Adventures with WildBlueIndustries - Blueshift and Kerbal Flying Saucers

[Ooglak Kerman]

Bill managed to cobble together parts and bits of extras they had on board and Jeb snuck them into Kerbin orbit and rendezvous with the saucer.  A hard couple hours work EVA and Jebs Orbital Bar and Grill is ready to open - if they can find someone to mind the store.

[Ooglak Kerman]

Kerbin Tour Lines Announces Launch Of First Warp Tourist Ship

Kerbin Tour Lines (KTL) is proud to announce the launch of its warp flagship WTS "Flying Dutchman" under the command of Capt. Vanderdecken Kerman and with first officer Eng-5 "Scotty" Rorick Kerman.

With spacious accommodations for up to 16 Kerbals, WTS "Flying Dutchman" has been designed to offer the finest comfort and safety for the discerning traveler wishing to explore the Kerbol system and possibly beyond.  Powered by the latest warp and gravatic technologies, the furthest reaches of the system are now reachable in less than an hour.

WTS "Flying Dutchman" is shown here on it's maiden launch with 15 Kerbal adventurers aboard en-route to an exciting expedition.

[Ooglak Kerman]

Jeb spent some time thinking on who was gonna run his Orbital Bar and Grill.  "Think I got a couple folks.  There is an Eng-5 I know that would probably jump at this and an old pilot friend of mine - Callahan Kerman - who would be perfect.  Though he is pretty hard on the glassware."

[Ooglak Kerman]

Callahan is onboard Jebs Orbital Bar and Grill now and getting things ready for customers.  There is already a pile of broken glass in what passes for the fireplace.  Valet parking will be available.

[Ooglak Kerman]

After all the excitement in the Eve system with the alien artifacts, Valentine was sent off to the Jool system to bring back another load of graviolium.  After dropping it off at the Kerbin orbital depot, she warped them back out to the 1500 KM parking orbit to check out a target that wasn't there the last time she was in system.

"You gotta be kidding me" she laughed.  "Jebs Orbital Bar and Grill.  Hey Thomus.. whatcha think?  Burger and a beer at Jebs?"

[Ooglak Kerman]

Valentina docked them up and she and Thomus transferred over to the saucer to have a look.

"Callahan you old pirate.  How ya?....  Uhhhh... wuuffff - you got gravity here" she exclaimed

"Hah..  we pushed this and that button and next thing we know... gravity.  Here's to alien tech!" Callahan said with some smugness  "Jeb lets me run this pretty much as I want so long as I turn a profit.  You're our first customers."

Looking over the menu and the prices, Val was a bit dismayed but yeah... they did have to bring it all up from the surface.  Seeing her expression, Callahan chuckled.

"Yeah, a bit costy, but we can barter.  Transfer 100 units of graviolium to my tank and you two are covered for a while.  I know you just got back from the Jool run, so you gotta be flush" Callahan smirked.  "Any spare parts you might have about would be good too.  Space Center isn't too happy about this, but not much they can do but cut us off"

Thinking about how they had managed to keep back a bit from each trip, she agreed to the graviolium..

"Saucer burgers and Orbital Ale coming right up" boomed Callahan.

Spoiler

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Ooglak Kerman

[Ooglak Kerman]

Several Orbital Ales later and Valentina and Thomus were carefully making their way back to the ship.  No piloting tonight for sure.  Once aboard, he disappeared into engineering and Val could hear muted whispering.  She gave a small sigh thinking that it had been a long time in orbit.  She still thought he was quite cute... but.. a Scotty.

Thomus returned from engineering, motioned and said "come on lass, less go blather a bit in one o' th docking modules"

She shrugged and followed and they cycled on through and settled in as best they could in the cramped space.

"Heya lass..  ya know Gus Kerman is an ol mate o mine?" Thomus asked

"Uhh.. no.. how did you wind up...." she replied in confusion

Thomus answered with a raised eyebrow and a "look".

"But... Scottys..  they...." she began

"Ahh... not aboard with our warpie lassies.... lass" he replied.  "Sweetie... she thinks well o ye tho.  An.. weeel.. we're not aboard"

"Mmmmm" agreed Val

Back aboard the saucer, Callahan and Wenlong were cleaning up from the little opening party

"Haha.  They were so cute.  I think they will make a good pair" observed Wenlong

"Yeah.  I expect we'll see more of that.  Jebs talking to Kerbin Tour Lines so we may be busy pretty soon" replied Callahan.

Edited April 14, 2022 by Ooglak Kerman

[Ooglak Kerman]

Val and Thomus were having coffee together in the saucer when Val's comm went off.

"Huh..  they just put up another orbital depot and need it filled up" she groused "Back to the Minmus run"

"Aye, but it'll be good me lassie.  We'll make a couple runs to Jool too and up our private graviolium stock a lil" Thomus replied.

"Off to it" she agreed.  "Hey Callahan you old pirate.  We have orders.  See you and Wenlong in a while"

"Fly safe you two" boomed Callahan

[Ooglak Kerman]

Aboard WS-8675309 "Hold Mah Beer" Jeb was watching the reports of findings from WRS-42 "Life, The Universe, And Everything" with great interest as it performed its science mission at the outer planets.

"Hot dog" he exclaimed.  "They found another saucer out at Plock.  And a couple more of them triangle thingies.  Lets go get 'em.  Bill, we're gonna need more docking ports"

"Uhhh... Ermmmm" replied both Bob and Bill

"Salvage!  They're abandoned.  We grab them, they're ours.  I got an idea for a theme park!" said Jeb

Bob and Bill both shared a "look" and shrugged.  Missions with Jeb were always interesting.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Ooglak Kerman

[Ooglak Kerman]

"Hahahaha!!" laughed Jeb "We're not thieving pirates.  We hang pirates.  We are interplanetary property transfer engineers.  It was abandoned.  We salvaged it.  Now where to stash it."

"I suggest the Dres system.  There are many asteroids amongst which to hide this artifact" said Bob

"There it is.  Back into the warp!"

[Ooglak Kerman]

"Oh yeah, this'll work just fine" exclaimed Jeb as they came out of warp just inside the asteroid belt at Dres.  "Nobody bothers with this place.  We'll stash the saucer here till we're ready for it"

"Jeb laddie.. we need to replenish some stocks if we're to fuel yon saucer" replied Bill

"No prob me hardies.  Lets find a likely asteroid and grind it up"

 

Edited April 20, 2022 by Ooglak Kerman

[Ooglak Kerman]

Valentina dreams

VALL

Warp flame-out! Warp flame-out.  We warped in too close
Plot our trajectory.. NOW!!
Impact... in... 18 minutes.  We're past AP.  PE is minus 1075  meters
dV?
Not enough and not enough time
Options?
We can abandon and use the EVA fuel cylinders.  There will be enough if we can stick together
All hands abandon ship stations in pairs.  Abandon ship in 1 minute.  Mark.  Burn retrograde to clear the ship and rendezvous in orbit for EVA maneuvers
~~DISCONTINUITY~~
As she was about to abandon, she thought she heard a voice....  GOOOOO....  REMEMBER...
~~DISCONTINUITY~~
they had all rendezvous and managed a PE of 1KM over landscape.  They were able to watch the ship crash into a small valley and heard a wailing cry over the comms which  was suddenly cut off

Valentina woke with a start and crying - yet again - and noticed Thomas sitting there with a coffee bulb.
"Ahhh lass...  the ship again?" he said with compassion in his eyes
"Mmm hmmmm..  I lost my ship" she wailed
"Ye saved yer crew though"

Edited April 21, 2022 by Ooglak Kerman

[Ooglak Kerman]

Once Val had fully woken up and cried herself out - again - Thomus headed back to the engineering spaces
"She cry again for the lossst one" stated Sweetie
"Aye me warpie lassie.  Its a darkness on her soul" replied Thomus
"The onnne at Jooool cannn ssstill hear the lossst one and they ssing but the lossst one fadessss.  We will hearr the end.  Scottyss will hear - and ssome otherss"

It had come as a shock to the Kerbin Admiralty and a delight for Eng-5 Scotties when it was discovered that the warp engines had sentience and sang to one another.  As new warp ships came on-line, the engines reported to their Scotties that they could hear and sing with the warp engine from KWS-1 "Oh Please Don't Explode" but that it was growing weaker and was asking for companionship.  Faced with a revolt by every Scotty in the fleet, the Admiralty was forced to station a warp ship in the Jool system to keep the "Lost One" company to the end.

"Ah me warpie lassie..  Ye favor Valentina?"
"Yesss. She pilot but ssoul of Scotty.  Hear her grieff for losst one"

That's that then.  He and all the Scottys were dreading the ending of the "Lost One" and it appeared Val would hear it too.  What to do.....

[Ooglak Kerman]

I'm going to step out of the story line and answer a few questions that I've gotten regarding use, care and feeding of Blueshift and related mods.

First off.  The supporting mods you will want to have:

• Outer Planets Mod - you're going to want this since the stock Kerbal system is just too small when you have the warp drive.  Plus the view of Sarnus from Eeloo is stunning.
• Custom Barn Kit - you will need this to support the upgrade of the Tracking Center to level 4 that the following mod will give.  The distances involved with OPM are just crazy
• GU_Parts - download gu_parts.zip and install as stand-alone.  This will work with Custom Barn Kit to upgrade your Tracking Center and give you an antenna that has RANGE
• Parallax - a terrain shader that a lot of mods need
• Waterfall - gives you gorgeous engine effects.  Angel-125 did a lot of work on the warp effects and they're stunning.  I don't use it because you will spend pretty much all your time in the map view.  Admiring the effects will splash you across a planet/moon since things happen fast.  Still - it's worth looking at.

The WildBlue mods:

• Blueshift - This works just fine without any of the other WildBlue mods and gives you the warp drives (did you know they have sentience?)
• Kerbal Flying Saucers - Gives you flying saucers and the very cool gravatic engines

Some things to know about Blueshift and KFS:

• Blueshift alone will let you use your stock ISRU to make fusion pellets that you will need for the warp drive (propellium is a substitute).  Graviolium is a must and is problematic.  With Blueshift and no other WildBlue mods (or Far Future Tech), you will have to go out and mine asteroids for this vital resource.  Dres and Eve have it but not much.  There is a graviolium cheat you can use but where's the fun there?
• Blueshift and KFS together will give you a graviolium scoop and you can collect graviolium from Kerbin orbit and from Jool orbit (rich rich rich).  But... you lose the ability to make those fusion pellets with your stock ISRU.  You do gain a cool programmable miniISRU but the resource requirement for those pellets (ore, water, minerite, hexagen) are - in my personal opinion - pretty unbalanced.  In particular, you will need amazing amounts of ore for very small fusion pellet returns.  You will have to go out to asteroids for hexagen - lots of it.

Gameplay with Blueshift

• Funds!  You will need lots and lots.  10s of millions and 100s of millions.  Tourist contracts are your friend and a warp ship or two dedicated to this is useful
• Timescale is suddenly reduced - but only for transit to other places.  Unless you are just doing cheats, you will need to provide all the resources to support your ships and you can easily overrun your available resources (graviolium, fusion pellets, xenon gas).  Thing is that you need these resources now.  Not in a chem rocket round trip to Jool.  Faster is not easier.
• Mechjeb.  I'm an unabashed Mechjeb fan.  ("Screw the Force, Luke.  Use the expensive and highly accurate targeting computer")  I've found Mechjeb to be not so useful with warp/gravatic ships now except for the docking autopilot.  The problem is you don't have dV to calculate.  You can take off and land with the gravatic engine, but you will have to do it by hand.  I envy these folks like Carnasa and Vaos who can do it so well by hand.
• OP-ness.  It is easy to build a warp ship that will get to Jool or Sarnus in less than a minute.  It will be useless.  You will not be able to slow it down enough to do anything but mash into a planet or moon or go mobbing on past your target - lots.  Capability of more than 3-5 C in interplanetary space is to be avoided unless you love reverting quicksaves.
• Ye olde chem rockets.  You're gonna need these to do the drudge work of crew shuttles, ferrying fuel and stuff from Minmus on up to orbital depots and such.  Once you launch your warp ships, they'll probably never touch ground again - on purpose. (KWS-1 "Oh Please Don't Explode")
• Kerbals.  Engineers are suddenly really important.  An Eng-5 (Scotty) gives your warp drive a considerable performance boost.  Pilot-5 gives you all the talent to do the navigating needful at the extreme extended ranges without the upgraded Tracking Center.  Don't even consider Plock without a Pilot unless you have a very very well developed comms relay network and the upgraded tracking center.  It's as far from Jool to Sarnus as it is from Kerbin to Jool.  And it just gets further.

The WildBlue mods are not as rough as Interstellar Extended, but you're gonna have to commit yourself to the demons of critical path analysis.  Every unit of fun warp game play is accompanied by a few units of drudgery moving resources and Kerbals around if you want to do it without the cheats.

Next:  Building a starter warp ship

Edited April 23, 2022 by Ooglak Kerman

[Ooglak Kerman]

Building a Basic Warp Ship (A Warpie Lassie)

This tutorial assumes that you have a functioning KSP 1.12.2 or higher with Blueshift installed and working.  My recommendation is that you do this in sandbox mode initially.  Go into the VAB and start a new ship.

• In Engines - select the S2 "Planets Edge" Warp Core and put it down.  Right click for the options dialog and click the "Graviolium Cheat" and fill the Graviolium tank and make sure Fusion Pellets are full.
• In Engines - select the S2 Warp Coil and attach it under the Warp Core.  All things should be autostrutted (I use grandfather)

Spoiler

• Go into Command and Control, select the "Advanced Reaction Wheel Module, Large" and attach that above the Warp Core.
  - This will help with the maneuvering in a big way
• Go into Fuel Tanks, select "PB-X50R Xenon Container" and place 4 of them radially somewhere.  Make sure they are full of Xenon gas.
• Go into Utility and select "Plasma Contactor" and place 4 of them radially somewhere on the ship
  - Xenon Gas and Plasma Contactors bleed off the static charge that will build up quickly when the warp drive is running.  Too much static charge will stop the engine.
• Go into Fuel Tanks, select "Rockomax X200-16" and attach below the warp coil
  - Mostly to add some mass to make this easier to drive
• Add some fuel cells for initial power (turn them on so you don't need to futz with it) and some landing gear.
• Go to Pods, select the "Mk1-3 Command Pod" and attach above the reaction wheel
• Add a docking port and antenna of choice if you wish

Spoiler

While you are at this, build some sort of satellite - anything - and use the orbit editor to put it into a 1,850 KM orbit at Kerbin.  This will be very useful in the next phase.

There we are.  A functional Warp Ship.  Be sure to add a pilot and an engineer (Scotty) before launch.  Hear it sing.  This ship will do 0.36C in interplanetary space - which is very good for getting the fundamentals of navigation sorted.

Next:  A few things to know and remember about using the warp drive

[Catto]

I actually have a kerbal named Chad, too.

He was named that Naturally.

[Ooglak Kerman]

2 minutes ago, Catto said:

I actually have a kerbal named Chad, too.

He was named that Naturally.

This can only lead to considerable confusion.

Chad:  Chad...
Chad: Chad.

[Catto]

21 minutes ago, Ooglak Kerman said:

This can only lead to considerable confusion.

Chad:  Chad...
Chad: Chad.

I'm not also sure if i can check his courageousness or stupidity either.

We don't know if he lives up to his name.

[Ooglak Kerman]

A Few Things To Know And Remember About Warp Ships

• When you enter warp, the velocity vectors you have stay with you.  If you are going from Kerbin to Minmus and start out in Kerbin orbit moving directly at Minmus and then warp there, when you come out of warp in the Minmus SOI, you will still be moving toward Minmus.  This is an important thing to keep in mind and can work in your favor if your vector will move you away when out of warp.
• Warp drives will not work within 1 planetary radius of a planet/moon.  If you are under warp power and come within that 1 planetary radius, the engine will flame out and you cannot restart it until you are beyond that limit.  See the above note.  Make a cheat sheet of minimum warp altitudes above planets and moons.
• While the warp core main power and warp engine are powered up, you will use graviolium and fusion pellets regardless of if you are in warp.  Turn the engine on only when you are ready to use it and ALWAYS turn it off when you come out of warp.  It's a massive bummer to leave the ship, do something else and come back a while later and you gots no graviolium left.  With a chem rocket, inadvertently hitting the shift key for the throttle is an annoyance.  With a warp drive...  you are suddenly way away with possible really bad consequences.
• You will have a slower speed in planetary space.  Faster in interplanetary.  Super fast in interstellar space.  You get multipliers also if you have an Eng-5 (Scotty) on board.  Bonus is that the warp drive won't eat the Eng-5.  An important thing though is with SOI.  While in Jool SOI, you'll move along at a sedate pace.  But then you enter... say..  the Vall SOI.  All of a sudden you are moving way way fast - relatively.  Flame-out.  Splat. 

Next: Take our shiny new warp ship for a drive

[Ooglak Kerman]

Taking Our Shiny New Warp Ship For A Drive

If you have not done so, then put something in orbit at 1850 KM.  This is just a convenient altitude I've chosen and has no significance.

Send your warp ship on out to the launch pad with a pilot and an Eng-5 on board and then use your orbital editor of choice (I use Hyperedit) to put it into a 2000KM orbit at 0 inclination.

Spoiler

Once in orbit, turn on SAS and turn to the prograde marker.  Note that you will be at the 90 degree marker.  Do Not set SAS for prograde.
Right click the warp core to get the dialog box.  I find this particular orientation of the navball to be easiest for this maneuver

• Dial back the thrust limiter to 15
• Click "Activate Main Power" and "Activate Engine"

Spoiler

• Switch to map view.  This is where you will spend most of your time while in warp.  Take note of the vessel you put into the 1850KM orbit.  We'll be using it for reference for the maneuver.  Also take note of your orbital speed.
• Run your throttle up just a little and try to keep the navball centered on the 90 degree line and the equator line (between blue and brown) using the "A" and "D" keys and drive around the planet while using your reference satellite orbit as a marker.  Try going closer or further from it.  Be gentle.
• Take note of what your orbit arc is doing.  Remember that your velocity and your vector does not change (much) so the physics engine is going by your current position and calculating what your orbit would look like.

Spoiler

• Drive around the orbit like this until you are comfortable.  If you're feeling spunky, switch to retrograde and go the other way.  Same thing.  You will use this maneuver all the time.  You will never seem to be in a good place to get to another place.  There will be this or that planet or sun in the way.
• Once you have gotten comfortable with this core maneuver, shut the throttle down to zero.
• Toggle out of map view, click "Auto-Circularize Orbit" then "Shutdown Engine" and then "Deactivate Main Power"
• Click back to map view and note that you now are in a circular orbit.

Spoiler

Now lets do a rendezvous.  This is a very much by feel rather than the numbers thing.

• Activate main power and the engine and go to map view.
• Set the thing you put at 1850 KM as your target and right click it so you can see your distance from it.
• Ease the throttle up just a little and work around in orbit till you are behind the target and slowly closing on it.  If you're moving too quickly, dial back the thrust limiter some more.
•  Work your way closer to the targets orbit and close to within 100KM of the target.  Try for 50KM.  Don't forget your starting velocity and vector.  It could be problematic.
• Throttle to zero, switch out of map view and click "Auto-Circularize".  If you've done this correctly then there will be a message saying "Rendezvous Complete" and you will be within 50M of the target.  Dock up if you thought to add RCS.

Now go to the Mun

• Set the Mun as your target and set SAS to target.  Make sure that Kerbin is not between you and the Mun.  If it is, then set SAS to stability assist and use the maneuver to drive around the orbit till you can drive straight to the Mun and click SAS  to target.
• Take it slow initially.  Stay in map view and watch your progress.  When you enter the Mun SOI you will suddenly seem to go faster and you will no longer be on target.  Throttle down to get oriented and auto-circularize your orbit and decide what to do next. 
• To head back to Kerbin, you just need to get out of the Mun SOI and then drive at the 0 marker in the brown on the navball.  Take a moment to get your navball all oriented for what works best for you.
• Watch your altitude over Kerbin and auto-circularize at a good altitude.  I like 750KM or higher as it gives wiggle room.

That's it really.  It's the same for the other planets.  Have fun.

NB:  Here is a really good tutorial on the use of the Alcubierre Drive - which this technically is - that explains the velocity vectors.

Edited April 23, 2022 by Ooglak Kerman

[Ooglak Kerman]

We now return you to your regularly scheduled story line

[Ooglak Kerman]

"Hey Wenlong" boomed Callahan "warp tour ship coming back from a Mun 'expedition' just docked.  Fire up the grill"
"Great!  Looks like it's Kerbin Tour Lines new 12 passenger short range ship.  We'll have to take them in shifts" replied Wenlong
"Doubt that thing will make light speed.  No matter.  Lets make us some funds!"

Spoiler

 

[Ooglak Kerman]

It didn't take a batch of drunken tourists very long to wear out their welcome to Jebs Orbital Bar and Grill.  After just a bit too much breakage, Wenlong finally had to bring out her "muckle hammer" out and show some tourists the error of their ways.  She and Callahan hustled them to the lock and back to the tour ship and secured the locks.

A very shouty "conversation" with Kerbin Tour Lines later, Callahan had agreed to a 50 unit of graviolium compensation and a ban of just the 12-Kerbal tour ship and that ship was forceably undocked from the B&G.

[Ooglak Kerman]

A Day in the Life of a Pilot

Pilot-0 Sigman was very happy to get a mission, but this one?  Bring back a bunch of likely disgruntled tourists who had their visit to Jebs Orbital Bar & Grill cut short?  Still, he knew he was a very junior pilot and was glad for the experience and who knew.. perhaps there would be a warp ship in his future.  Maybe he would get to fly with Captain Chad or perhaps the legendary Jeb some day.

So far, the profile was going according to plan and if all went well, he would be home for dinner.

Spoiler

Per the rendezvous plan he was to establish a 1100KM orbit and wait for the warp ship to perform the initial rendezvous.  He was very happy to have it all go according to plan and then watched in awe as the warp ship popped into existence 50m away.  Then the alignment maneuvers prior to docking.

Spoiler

Docking was his responsibility.  Holding his breath, he initiated the docking sequence he had programmed and was rewarded with a 1st time successful docking.

Spoiler

A quick transfer of the tourists - who were indeed disgruntled and vocal about it - and it was time to undock and set up for deorbiting to the KSC. 

As briefed, he informed them that he would need to concentrate without interruption - the other option be exploding on re-entry.  He was gratified by their quietness.  But then saw on the orbital projection that he would be performing a night landing.  "Is what it is" he thought.  If I pull this off, maybe I'll get my first star.

A little over an hour later, they were landing in the ocean a mere 4KM from the KSC.  And after recovery and check-in at the Astronaut Complex, he was delighted to indeed be awarded his 1st star as a pilot.  Well now.  He had a date with his girlfriend tonight.  This star should look right nice.

Spoiler

 

[Ooglak Kerman]

As the time of ending for the "Lost One" draws nearer, WRS-42 "Life, The Universe, And Everything" is dispatched to Vall to provide companionship and to act as traffic control for the upcoming gathering of the fleet for this event.

Spoiler