[WIP] I Just Want Colonies (and the rest too)

[DarlesChickens]

[WIP] I Just Want Colonies (and the rest too)

 

Overview
So, ever since KSP2 got cancelled, I wanted to make a mod pack (using existing mods by other people, not sure about licensing) to re-create the feel of what it could have been in KSP1. In essence, this boils down to a desire for a well-documented, easily

deployable set of existing mods that provide a strong and well-crafted gameplay experience whilst maintaining the stock feel, with the flexibility to serve as the basis of further customisation. To keep it stock, I believe that realism mods such as life

support should be kept out, with the potential ability to add them. I also think that the mod should focus on high-quality parts and visuals with good support for each other to an extent, meaning that mods with incomplete IVAs without support for

FreeIVA/ASET/RPM or poor-quality texturing will not be included by default. I am very open to additions to the list. 

Execution

Currently, the list includes graphics overhaul and QoL mods, (maybe with support for non-volumetric clouds later,) "colony" building through KK (and not a system like USI,) interstellar, and multiplayer is omitted because it is unstable and incompatible with

planet mods. The aim is to make a .ckan pack to make it easy to import (perhaps like RP-1) and a written set of instructions to apply patches and mods not from CKAN, such as TrueVolumetricClouds. This will hopefully aid anyone trying to make a fresh install, 

or be an accessible place to point newer players to. 

Latest prototype version of the list: https://pastebin.com/He7Pbkzn

 

Licenses?

I am very new to the KSP modding scene, and this is my first attempt of any kind to contribute to it. I am unsure if mod licenses allow a modpacks like this to be done, please do tell me if this would be completely impossible. However, I think that as we are simply

offering instructions with extra steps, we should not be violating any of them. If we want to make custom interfaces in the future to make the mods feel less disjointed, perhaps this needs to change later. 

 

More Screenshots

These are screenshots from my current install, which I hope will be the basis of this modpack. The mod list is currently the same as the one linked above. 

Spoiler

Because head canon realism is always the best realism mod.

[KspNoobUsernameTaken]

Nice list so far! As far as I know, modders who support CKAN should be fine with .ckan files as modpacks. A .ckan file in this context is just a list of mods for CKAN to install. 

If you end up making an integration mod/.cfg pack, you can bundle it by adding the mod to CKAN and then just adding it to the list.

For colony mods, (the central feature), look at this thread: 

For FTL mods, try either: Blueshift, KSP interstellar extended, or Alcubierre Warp Drive (Stand-alone). All available on CKAN. 

For rovers, I personally like 

But there are lots of options available.

Edited June 6 by KspNoobUsernameTaken

[DarlesChickens]

Thanks! I'll take a look at the colony mods thread now.

[mococo]

How to build KSC on the moon?

[KspNoobUsernameTaken]

29 minutes ago, mococo said:

How to build KSC on the moon?

Use the mod Kerbal Konstructs + this: https://spacedock.info/mod/2061/Omega's Stockalike Structures: No Textures Required

Press Ctrl-K while on the moon to add buildings

Use this mod to build ships on the Mun: 

Enjoy.

 

 

Also, this question would be better asked as its own thread, not a reply on some random persons post.

Oh, by the way: 

@DarlesChickens

Take a look at Keridian Dynamics (better looking parts for EPL), PhysicsHold (not installable by CKAN, but worth it for ridiculous lag savings), and AutoPruner by Felger (reduce part count by pruning specific files from some mods, saving RAM).

Lastly: Procedural Parts. Absolute must have, basically renders 80% of fuel tanks obsolete, can't recommend enough. It's in my own personal "Basic Mods".ckan that I install on every single non-dev environment install. 

 

KSP mod lists eventually run into the same issue: Performance. KSP just uses insane amounts of RAM at 100+ mods.  

[KspNoobUsernameTaken]

Wait, why do you have WildBlueIndustries in there? Do you have any Angel-125 mods installed?

[DarlesChickens]

On 6/9/2024 at 12:10 PM, KspNoobUsernameTaken said:

Wait, why do you have WildBlueIndustries in there? Do you have any Angel-125 mods installed?

There's Blueshift (and FFT, I don't like KSPIE because low quality) for interstellar and a few others by WildBlue I think

On 6/9/2024 at 11:59 AM, KspNoobUsernameTaken said:

Use the mod Kerbal Konstructs + this: https://spacedock.info/mod/2061/Omega's Stockalike Structures: No Textures Required

I also like Paraterraforming for the life support and domes

On 6/9/2024 at 11:59 AM, KspNoobUsernameTaken said:

Take a look at Keridian Dynamics (better looking parts for EPL), PhysicsHold (not installable by CKAN, but worth it for ridiculous lag savings), and AutoPruner by Felger (reduce part count by pruning specific files from some mods, saving RAM).

Lastly: Procedural Parts. Absolute must have, basically renders 80% of fuel tanks obsolete, can't recommend enough. It's in my own personal "Basic Mods".ckan that I install on every single non-dev environment install. 

 

KSP mod lists eventually run into the same issue: Performance. KSP just uses insane amounts of RAM at 100+ mods.  

Thanks for the suggestion! Keridian Dynamics still looks pretty outdated texture quality wise if the screenshots are anything to go by...  I'll look into PhysicsHold for large colonies/stations/ships. I don't like procedural parts that much unless I'm playing RP1 (it ruins the stock feeling for me), but I'll consider.

As for performance, I'm aiming for this to be playable on 32GB because anything less is just way too small to cram mods into.

Also, I wonder if it's possible to use KK to build colonies while AirParked into gas giants, if so, jool balloon colony time.

Edited June 15 by DarlesChickens

[KspNoobUsernameTaken]

If you have all these mods installed via CKAN, why not use File ->  Save installed modlist to copy the modlist rather than what seems to be a list of folder names in your GameData? That will get around things like USI & WBI mods being packed into one folder. 

See example here:

https://pastebin.com/J8KZsf9Z (note that blueshift & pathfinder appear as seperate mods, not one big WildBlueIndustries folder)

 

8 hours ago, DarlesChickens said:

Thanks for the suggestion! Keridian Dynamics still looks pretty outdated texture quality wise if the screenshots are anything to go by... 

Yeah, sadly there aren't too many high quality parts for EPL (that I know of). It really is a utility mod. Angel-125's MOLE mod has some nice spacedocks/workshops, and so does SpaceDocks redeployed. 

Edited June 16 by KspNoobUsernameTaken

[theonegalen]

I wish there was a more gamified UI for Kerbal Konstructs which allowed for the placement/construction of colonies in save-specific ways. I love the potential of KK, but it is a real pain to spend hours on making sure all the roads (for example) are at the same height. If they clicked together like parts in the VAB but then were permanently affixed to the surface through PQS, they would be perfect.

Edited June 19 by theonegalen

[Angelo Kerman]

On 6/19/2024 at 8:20 AM, theonegalen said:

I wish there was a more gamified UI for Kerbal Konstructs which allowed for the placement/construction of colonies in save-specific ways. I love the potential of KK, but it is a real pain to spend hours on making sure all the roads (for example) are at the same height. If they clicked together like parts in the VAB but then were permanently affixed to the surface through PQS, they would be perfect.

What an interesting coincidence! I too wish there was a more user friendly UI for Kerbal Konstructs, And I'm quietly working on it...

Once I have a new editor that works similarly to the VAB/SPH, I have a new colony mod that I keep thinking about...

[KspNoobUsernameTaken]

9 hours ago, Angelo Kerman said:

Once I have a new editor that works similarly to the VAB/SPH, I have a new colony mod that I keep thinking about...

The thing I was looking forward to most in KSP2 was the orbital VAB. As it is, with EPL etc, we need to design things in the normal VAB and then build it in-situ. 

This sounds really cool, would download if it existed.

On 6/19/2024 at 8:50 PM, theonegalen said:

I wish there was a more gamified UI for Kerbal Konstructs which allowed for the placement/construction of colonies in save-specific ways. I love the potential of KK, but it is a real pain to spend hours on making sure all the roads (for example) are at the same height. If they clicked together like parts in the VAB but then were permanently affixed to the surface through PQS, they would be perfect.

I've been recommending this mod a lot, but once more couldn't hurt. Search for Physics hold, its basically suspending physics for vessels. So build and land a vessel, then use it to freeze the vessel in place

 

[Angelo Kerman]

@theonegalen@KspNoobUsernameTaken Making statics click together like parts is exactly what I'm aiming for with a remade Kerbal Konstructs UI. This will take time; I'm taking baby steps right now as I learn the code base (I'm a professional software engineer, learning new code bases is part of the job). But in regards to the OP, the kind of colony mod I want:

• Be a “Forward Operating Base” from where the player can build and launch rockets.
• Provide new kerbals from off-world locations so they don’t have to be shipped from Kerbin. Or at least ship new kerbals in “off camera.”
• Contribute to the research of new tech nodes to unlock new parts.
• Colonies should count as space centers for the purposes of receiving science transmissions regardless of distance from the homeworld.
• Extend the CommNet range by offering ground station support.
• Interface with traditional vessels’ resource systems to resupply them.
• Breaking Ground Science-alike resource management to significantly reduce CPU performance.

There are other things I'd want, but that's the gist of what I'd like to see in my next colony mod. I recall the KSP 2 devs mentioning something like having inflatable modules to bootstrap a colony- Pathfinder already does that. My ideal statics-based colony mod would be agnostic, meaning that you could, if desired, just place the buildings and use another colony system than the one that I have in mind. It would just take some ModuleManager patches to get there, but you wouldn't have to clean out the configs dedicated to one system. A good example of this approach is my Buffalo 2 mod.

[Grenartia]

3 hours ago, Angelo Kerman said:

@theonegalen@KspNoobUsernameTaken Making statics click together like parts is exactly what I'm aiming for with a remade Kerbal Konstructs UI. This will take time; I'm taking baby steps right now as I learn the code base (I'm a professional software engineer, learning new code bases is part of the job). But in regards to the OP, the kind of colony mod I want:

• Be a “Forward Operating Base” from where the player can build and launch rockets.
• Provide new kerbals from off-world locations so they don’t have to be shipped from Kerbin. Or at least ship new kerbals in “off camera.”
• Contribute to the research of new tech nodes to unlock new parts.
• Colonies should count as space centers for the purposes of receiving science transmissions regardless of distance from the homeworld.
• Extend the CommNet range by offering ground station support.
• Interface with traditional vessels’ resource systems to resupply them.
• Breaking Ground Science-alike resource management to significantly reduce CPU performance.

There are other things I'd want, but that's the gist of what I'd like to see in my next colony mod. I recall the KSP 2 devs mentioning something like having inflatable modules to bootstrap a colony- Pathfinder already does that. My ideal statics-based colony mod would be agnostic, meaning that you could, if desired, just place the buildings and use another colony system than the one that I have in mind. It would just take some ModuleManager patches to get there, but you wouldn't have to clean out the configs dedicated to one system. A good example of this approach is my Buffalo 2 mod.

You're doing Jeb's work. 

[Angelo Kerman]

For those interested:

 

[KspNoobUsernameTaken]

On 6/22/2024 at 11:25 PM, Angelo Kerman said:

Interface with traditional vessels’ resource systems to resupply them.

This sounds like it might need you to add partmodules to statics/make a whole new implementation to achieve this. Does KK even have such a feature?

[Angelo Kerman]

14 hours ago, KspNoobUsernameTaken said:

This sounds like it might need you to add partmodules to statics/make a whole new implementation to achieve this. Does KK even have such a feature?

It does, in fact. Fuel tanks can be set up to sell resources to your ship. But it's an infinite supply kind of thing; I am thinking of something a bit more limited- at the very least restricted to what the colony can produce or have brought in.

[Manul]

On 6/24/2024 at 7:50 PM, Angelo Kerman said:

I am thinking of something a bit more limited

There are not only merchant facilities that sell unlimited resources, there is a storage facility as well, it's just holding what you've filled it with.