[1.0.2] NovaPunch 2.09. - May 6th - 1.0 Compatibility Update

[T-Pilot395]

Oh my...

I can't believe I wasn't interested in this earlier.

ITS FRIGGIN AWESOME!

[Tiberion]

Thanks T Pilot, appreciate it.

Nateman: I try not to add things that require plugins directly to the pack, the pack is so big that adding on code modules to install gets a little crazy.

Now I would love it if other modders made things meant for use with NovaPunch. So stuff like batteries, resources, ion engines etc. Also, a couple of people are working on converting some of those 'dead' parts like the solar panel and satellites and make them compatible with the bigger plugins like EE.

Anything like that will get a top billing in here as a "recommended mod" to go with Novapunch. And a rover would be awesome.

[UBERDOMINATOR]

I love this pack! I especially dig having the fairings for those "secret" projects! The issue that I have run into is that when accelerating, the half fairings have a tendency to drag and therefore have a bit of wobble that exposes the insides. I fixed this by strutting the nosehalfs together. I dont know if there is a way to have them snap together when building, or what .cfg option could correct this. The alternative is to use a full nosecone, but then you don't get the split action when decoupling! Aside from that, really digging it!!! Keep up the fantastic work!

[Sabactus]

Can someone host the pack on Dropbox or something. My university's filter is flagging it as malware.

[Spaced_Out]

I don't know if it's been noticed already, but the long 2m tank has more fuel but less mass than the stock one.

[Deel]

I'm downloading this for sure, can't wait to try this out

[Ekku Zakku]

The Bootleg Command Module, Small keeps exploding whenever it touches the ground, even lightly. Launching it without anything below it, it explodes. Launching, then parachuting to the ground, it explodes =P

Don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but it's a pretty big flaw. Not worth Kerbal lives to return from a mission and just explode lol

Edit: Sorry, went back 2 pages and saw the same problem. It's not a matter of velocity I don't think, but possibly with collision. Launching the pod by itself shouldn't just blow up on the launchpad XD it seems like it's falling just a tiny short distance and then exploding, like it's going through the ground just a little bit and then detecting that it's not where it should be, then blowing up? Idk.

Edited September 16, 2012 by Ekku Zakku

[erkha343]

I don't know if it's been noticed already, but the long 2m tank has more fuel but less mass than the stock one.

If it would be the same as the stock one, why even have it in the mod?

[bimbo0099]

If it would be the same as the stock one, why even have it in the mod?

For the sake of completeness. I personally like my rockets to have a consistent look, so mixing stock with mod parts is usually no option for me (not to mention balancing issues).

@Tiberion: I was really glad when I read that the pack is being continued after the licensing issues. Thank you for your work!

One thing keeps bugging me though. I find this mod to be very untidy in the parts list, which usually means that I know exactly what part I need but I have to look for it quite some time until I find it. This is of course also due to the mods sheer size but I would suggest some kind of logical sort, i.e. engines to engines, adapters to adapters, and so forth.

Moreover, also contributing to its untidiness, some of the part descriptions are inaccurate, diameter information missing for instance. This always makes me have to guess the diameter by quickly placing and removing said parts.

I did these adjustments myself but now that your are updating again, I dont feel like renaming dozens of folders with every update. ;-)

Nonetheless great mod, great modder!

[Spaced_Out]

If it would be the same as the stock one, why even have it in the mod?

I didn't say anything about making it the same as the stock one, I pointed out that it weighs less than it should.

[Ekku Zakku]

I made some slight modifications to the launch escape system, so that:

1. it doesn't just flip your pod over either end of your rocket

2. it's more like a real launch escape system (moves MUCH faster, and burns a bit longer)

3. I made it so the 2 towers don't have a gap in between them.

Overall, it's the best launch escape system I've seen in the game so far after the changes I've made =3

[Tiberion]

Ekku: sweet, I'd implement the fixes if you send them to me.

The 2 meter tanks: Neither one of the NP tanks are the same size as the stock tanks, they're like 20% longer, so they will hold more fuel. I also tend to tune Novapunch slightly easier than stock just due to the nature of the larger, heavier parts, and wanting the parts to be usable. I would like to offer a hardcore config set, but maintaining 2 sets of configs is challenging when the game (and thus the mod) change with each patch)

Parts sorting: Its overdue, for sure. I keep hoping we'll see better part categories/menus, but its down on the list. I'll redo the folder names (which is how they are sorted) and description texts, and that should help (but everyone will NEED to completely uninstall and reinstall, and that is always a nightmare.)

I did test the smallCapsule, and it didn't explode here the first time. But I just checked again and it will randomly explode on the ground, so I'll look at that, probably messed something up when I added the EVA Hatch.

I'll look into a mirror for the mod; but the malware was probably being detected in one of those flash ads on Mediafire, since they rotate often. Try refreshing to get new ads.

UBERDOMINATOR: You are using them correctly, there is no way to make the nose pieces snap together. One of these days I need to see about upgrading them with some sort of plugin to make them fully functional.

Anyway: next release will be shortly after KSP 0.17 is released to deal with any issues with it. (And no, I don't know when that will be, sorry.) Right now I am still working on Tiberdyne getting it ready for release

[Ekku Zakku]

I'll post the changed launch escape tower tomorrow, since I still want to tweak it a little bit more (and I'm tired as hell lol). Right now, if you decide to activate the towers as well as decouple them while doing your orbit burn (so you won't run into them if you're still accelerating), it'll reach Kerbin escape velocity! XD I'll see if I can keep that from happening, or the escape tower decoupler will just have to do (would be better if it could do the FX as if it were burning away, but idk if that'd be possible =P)

Edit: It looks like it's just about where I would like it after my last test; I had it increase in mass a bit as it runs empty, to simulate the Orion launch escape system videos where it seemed like it lost some thrust near the end but was still burning (I liked that effect so I thought it would be nice to replicate). It also didn't reach escape velocity this time! But that might have been the altitude I jettisoned it being lower lol. I'll upload it tomorrow morning for sure XD

Edited September 17, 2012 by Ekku Zakku

[Ekku Zakku]

Here's the modified launch escape towers: https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B29zPJqIXumrdE0wVmNHOXRxV3c

I also edited it to make a lite version for use with the smaller pods as well, though I couldn't seem to make the tower halves from separating a bit while firing =P

Also sorry it took me a while to get it done, I ended up being busy all day and I was also fighting with the config file settings for a good few hours =/ but in terms of a launch escape system, it replicates a real life one better than anything else I've seen so far. The only way it could get better is to make one with the jettison rockets*, as well as the main escape system rockets, the whole shebang. I'm not one to mod though, so I'll just wait for something better to come along XD

*as to not send the whole escape tower into Kerbol orbit if jettisoned by just firing it off lol

[Samo]

So when you say engine and tank re-balance, what did you actually do? My heavy launch vehicle is completely nerfed...

[malcheus]

Anyone know if it is compatible with .17? Did the update break all mods again?

[Secular_Response]

I haven't found a mod that has been broken by the update yet. Even MechJeb works fine.

[SyrusDrake]

This might just be me or my ships, but it seems the stackable parachute doesn't work. It doesn't open anymore.

I found this out about 1000m above solid ground...

[Ekku Zakku]

Yeah, it seems like mod parachutes might be broken. The Probodobodyne drogue chute didn't open at all and destroyed, thankfully, my unmanned rocket.

[Tiberion]

Ruh Roh.

I'll look into it.

[phoenix_ca]

Uhhhhhh...okay, this is already a long thread so forgive me if this has been asked (yes I searched; no, I was not successful...now that I've placated ze internets, moving on).

How does one use the RCS tanks? Because any time I stick RCS tanks on lower stages, the tanks from upper stages are drained first. This...isn't helpful. If I want to launch a satellite, if it has RCS tanks on it, they get drained by lower stages, so that when I separate the final stage, the tanks are empty. (Meanwhile, I left behind a bunch of untouched RCS propellant in the larger tanks from the lower stages.) My solution has been to limit usage of RCS thrusters to my final stages, period, but that's going to get awfully annoying, fast, as I try to do more complex things.

So...is there a way to reverse this behavior, so that the bottom RCS tanks get drained first?

[Tiberion]

Its a bug with KSP. radial RCS tanks get drained 1st sometimes, if they are placed early in the build.

To fix it, try loading the rocket in the VAB and removing and re-attaching the radial RCS tanks last, then resaving, it SHOULD work correctly then.

People having parachute issues: I just tested all 4 NP parachutes on Kerbin, they're working fine. Can I assume you were using them on other planets?

If not, try reinstalling the mod parts, because they should be A-OK in .17 on Kerbin. I'll have to investigate exo-planetary issues.

[rditto48801]

Its a bug with KSP. radial RCS tanks get drained 1st sometimes, if they are placed early in the build.

To fix it, try loading the rocket in the VAB and removing and re-attaching the radial RCS tanks last, then resaving, it SHOULD work correctly then.

People having parachute issues: I just tested all 4 NP parachutes on Kerbin, they're working fine. Can I assume you were using them on other planets?

If not, try reinstalling the mod parts, because they should be A-OK in .17 on Kerbin. I'll have to investigate exo-planetary issues.

I had the same issue with the radial RCS tanks being drained early on, so it is nice to know the bug exists and how to prevent it from happening again.

I always wondered why it stopped happening to one of my rocket designs after I revised the lander section of said rocket design.

For the parachute issue, I have an idea what the problem might be.

I have some basic modding experience so I took a curious peak at the parachute config files, and I noticed the stock parachutes have a line apparently not listed in the the NovaPunch parachutes config files I looked at.

Under "// --- parachute parameters ---"

minAirPressureToOpen = 0.01

I am guessing this is the problem with the NP parachutes, and I can only assume the 'default' is 1 (Kerbin's air atmosphere), which would likely cause problems with parachutes opening in thinner atmospheres.

I can't really test it myself, as I am fairly new to KSP and have not yet made it to Minmus, so stuff like Duna and the new planets is a bit out of my league still.

[EvilotionCR2]

Will you make IVA compatibillity?

[Tiberion]

rditto: Aha, that could be it.

Martin: Already done, I was able to test it out in the experimentals. Its mostly automatic by including one of the default crewspaces.

Of course they're re-using the IVA scenes from the stock pods. Creating new flight cabins would be a time-consuming undertaking, especially since its wholly undocumented.

I can't say that I will be tackling that any time soon, but if someone else wanted to do it, I would certainly use them, and you'd get credit as a NovaPunch author