KSS2: Colonization

[Ooglak Kerman]

Welcome.  I'll be documentation the colonization of the soon to be released KSS2 interstellar mod for KSP1.  This system contains a number of unique and interesting features.  Get yourself a nice beverage that tastes almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea and follow along.

I will be primarily focusing on the needful for FTL trips out to the Aethera system.  Unless you are doing this in sandbox mode, there will be considerable buildup of infrastructure and resources (particularly graviolium and fusion pellets) to support the 4-9 day trip.

Note:  My primary mods
Blueshift FTL drive
KFS gravatic drive
Buffalo2 for rovers
Pathfinder for habitat
DSEV for various ships

Other mods:

Custom Barnkit:  This provides for a Level 4 Tracking Station.  You will need this for communication across interstellar distances
GU Parts (legacy):  In particular, this provides the antennas with the necessary range to talk back to the KSC.  This is desired if you are going to do anything with probes.  I'm not sure where this can be obtained now.  DM me if you need it.
Kerbal Attachment System / Kerbal Inventory System : In particular, KAS in conjunction with DSEV has parts that make the construction of a shuttle craft able to carry all the needful to a planet

A note for STL cats:  Do not think that you can use stock engines for Aethera.  If you are new to Interstellar travel, get yourself acquainted with the numerous mods available to provide blowtorches with the required ISP to get you there - and more importantly - settled into an orbit.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Ooglak Kerman

[Kerbalsaurus]

This looks cool!

[Ooglak Kerman]

KSS2 Colonization: Resources Needed

In general, the 3 resources you will need to get to Aethera (with the WildBlue mods listed above) are Graviolium, Fusion Pellets, and Equipment.

Fusion Pellets / Graviolium:  These power the warp engine and the gravatic drive.  Fusion Pellets provide the power to compress Graviolium which in turn generates Gravity Waves that make the warp coils/rings take the ship FTL.  In particular, you will need lots of Graviolium.  It is found in lodes on every planet (more later), in orbit of Jool (in substantial quanties), and on Dres and Eve.  In all cases, it's pretty rare and your resource chain to acquire this will be important.

Equipment:  This is needed to erect and reconfigure the Pathfinder structures that will define your colony (as long as you choose to require resources to reconfigure) .  You will need to take along anywhere from 3000-5000 equipment to kickstart your colony depending on how clever you are with the loadout.  Wherever you land, you will need the availablity of resources to make equipment on site (Precious Metals, Minerite, Ore).

Disclosure: I have tweaked the configuration of the converters (fusion pellets in particular) to fit my play style and will provide those on request.

A note on facilities:  Various WildBlue mods provide bunks for crew.  Not just seats.  My personal play style is to provide a bunk per crew member for colonies.  This doesn't really apply for ISV since the transit times are pretty short.  In the short term, I'll have crew hot bunk - that is, one bunk for 2 crew where they swap out.  I feel it adds a realistic dynamic without lifesupport mods.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Ooglak Kerman

[Ooglak Kerman]

KSS2 Colonization: Rovers

WRT rovers, I am speaking to Buffalo2 rovers.  A few things I've learned from hard experience:

- Try to keep part count low.  This will help on many fronts.  The Buffalo chassis has numerous options for length.  Use that.
- Make sure advance tweakables is enabled.  If you don't know - then look it up
- Enable rigid attachment for all parts on your rover.  This will help with the tendency to "wander" at interstellar distances

Here is a very vital rover you will need.  L-R the primary modules are:

- Command Module
- Habitat Module (gotta have bunks - 2)
- Geology Module.  This can detect lodes of valuable and vital resources.

Starting off, you will want to drive this thing around and find Graviolium lodes on Kerbin.  Those lodes will kick start your FTL program.  Once you build this guy, you should start to get an idea of how to make a rover to extract said Graviolium.

A note on rovers:  If you are not familiar with various wheel settings, review and try out the recommendations here
It will save much pain.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Ooglak Kerman

[Ooglak Kerman]

Once you have built your Geology rover, go drive around and look for Graviolium lodes.  Start at the runway, check - click the geology module and click "Prospect for Resources'.  If you come up empty, you will need to travel 2KM to check again.  Set up a search pattern until you find one or more lodes.  This will be very important for jump starting your gravatic and FTL program.  You can just use the graviolium cheat and fill in the SPH or VAB, but it costs - a lot - and... well... it's cheating.

Spoiler

 

Once you have found graviolium lodes, you then need to go extract it.  Here's my Buffalo lode driller.  Command module, habitat module, 2 B2 fuel tank modules (configurable), Gold Digger Portable mini-drills and plenty of power.  Normal drills will NOT collect a goldstrike lode.  You need the Gold Digger available with the Pathfinder mod.

Spoiler

 

[Ooglak Kerman]

By now, you should be getting the idea for building up Buffalo2 rovers.  You will need a rover to go and collect the graviolium that is harvested - and very importantly - you will need a place to store it until you load out a ship with graviolium and fusion pellets.

This is my solution

Spoiler

These are DSEV tanks that have configurable omnistorage.  Configure for fusion pellets and graviolium.  Don't forget to add a way to get the resources into and out of the tanks.  The FLP-1 Deluge fuel pump provided by WildBlueCore (required) is your friend.  It's got a 100m range.

Also, the KAS bits for moving resources is very useful.  The FLP-1 has some quirks.

Edited December 13, 2023 by Ooglak Kerman