Do you use Mechjeb?

[Moon Goddess]

Basically I play games to have fun and relax. I've gotten to the point I have no desire to 'be challenged' while playing a game, that's my leisure time.

So for me, MechJeb makes the game more fun.

[Guest]

Does engineer do aerobraking and re-entry simulation too? I've never heard of a mod other tham Mechjeb that does that, and it's a REALLY handy feature, even when flying manually, since it predicts atmospheric effects on your flight path. If it does, I'd love to have something else to recommend for that, so I'd really like to know.

It doesn't.

[-RanZ-]

One of the best mods there are for the game. I mainly use it for deltaV info but when I am feeling lazy I sometimes utilize the autopilot features.

[BahamutoD]

My crafts are usually too sketchy to trust to the Mechanical Jebediah, but it is suuper useful for dV information, radar altitude, suicide burn countdowns etc. Other than dV which can be calculated, alot of difficult maneuvers and calculations that you wouldn't have time to plug into a calculator (who would wanna do that for a game anyway) are filled with guess work and reloading quicksaves. As for autopilot, it makes bathroom breaks more productive.

[Maxmaps]

I don't, I like the feel of handling my own ships, and actually spend a lot of time tweaking things here and there to improve maneuverability and the like. That's how my learning curve with the game went, by overtaking challenges on my own and failing spectacularly until I learn how to do it. My first Mun landing involved rolling down a hill for a solid 30 seconds before stopping, sure it was ugly as can be and I'm flat out lucky that it my lander stayed in one piece after it, but when I got out and planted that flag I could say it was 100% mine. End of the day, everyone can and should play the game as they find it most fun, single player and all.

[Sof]

I dont need to cheat and watch the game play itself.

[Tiron]

I dont need to cheat and watch the game play itself.

So Don't use the Autopilots. Nobody's forcing you to. And no offense mate (despite your own offensive tone), but Mechjeb's actually LESS advanced than the Autopilot on the Apollo missions, which automatically modified its ascent profile for optimum efficiency based on observed atmospheric conditions.

The default game is roughly equivalent to real-world 1940s guidance tech.

Edited July 26, 2013 by Tiron

[Uncle Mort]

I dont need to cheat and watch the game play itself.

There's always one.

[Dusty926]

I dont need to cheat and watch the game play itself.

People like you make my blood boil. Mechjeb is far from cheating. It's a single player only game, there is no cheating other than flat-out cheats. (By that, I mean the cheat menu.) If mechjeb is cheating then NASA should be hanged. Also, some people enjoy watching the game, "play itself." So if people enjoy something and you don't, don't give them crap for it.

EDIT: Back on topic, I do use mechjeb. I get tired of babysitting long burns so I usually use mechjeb for that. Precision landing is another, but I dock manually as it is quite fun to smash a few solar panels on your 415 part space station.

[Guest]

So Don't use the Autopilots. Nobody's forcing you to. And no offense mate (despite your own offensive tone), but Mechjeb's actually LESS advanced than the Autopilot on the Apollo missions, which automatically modified its ascent profile for optimum efficiency based on observed atmospheric conditions.

Easy there, chief. I certainly don't have any issues with MechJeb or people who use it. I use Engineer because it calculates delta-V for me in the VAB (and alt-tabbing to spreadsheets is tedious) and I like flying with the default controls; I don't need the additional functionality or information of MechJeb at this time so I don't use it. Whatever offense you're seeing is entirely in your own mind.

[Galileo Kerbonaut]

I dont need to cheat and watch the game play itself.

Some people just like to build and calculate the most ideal numbers. It's not cheating... I just focus on the aspect of the game that attracts me most; it IS a sandbox after all.

[Richy teh space man]

It's a very useful mod, one that makes flights a bit less tedious.

[Rastaman]

Mechjeb saves a lot of time. It's a must have. It makes it all more efficient as a whole.

[Scotius]

Yeah, i have MechJeb and i use it on every craft. Usually it's only for data and SmartASS functionality. But when i refuel my interplanetary mothership in Mun orbit i will not manually land my kethane hauler six times in a row - it's boring, tedious and i landed on the Mun so many times it's no longer a challenge or skill test.

[Murmur]

Sometimes I fly the missions, and sometimes I just feel like giving the orders. That's when Mechjeb comes in. I probably use it about half of the time.

[Mercy]

Mechjeb's actually LESS advanced than the Autopilot on the Apollo missions, which automatically modified its ascent profile for optimum efficiency based on observed atmospheric conditions..

Wow, a real life pioneering computer designed to pull off humanity's greatest feat thus far with the lives of real people relying on it, is more advanced than a mod in a video game?

I never would have guessed.

Drawing comparisons between RL computers and Mechjeb is foolish anyway, they are 2 completely different things. If you want people to let you use MJ in peace, don't make stupid points when arguing against their negative view on it.

[Tiron]

Easy there, chief. I certainly don't have any issues with MechJeb or people who use it. I use Engineer because it calculates delta-V for me in the VAB (and alt-tabbing to spreadsheets is tedious) and I like flying with the default controls; I don't need the additional functionality or information of MechJeb at this time so I don't use it. Whatever offense you're seeing is entirely in your own mind.

Yeah, your post got re-multiquoted by accident and I didn't notice. I was actually just talking to the 'don't cheat watching it play itself guy'. Sorry.

Edit:

Mechjeb also shows Delta-V per-stage in the hangar, so

[JackGruff]

That's how my learning curve with the game went, by overtaking challenges on my own and failing spectacularly until I learn how to do it. My first Mun landing involved rolling down a hill for a solid 30 seconds before stopping, sure it was ugly as can be and I'm flat out lucky that it my lander stayed in one piece after it, but when I got out and planted that flag I could say it was 100% mine.

I don't think some realise how much potential video games have for learning.

In real life, you make a mistake and you are suppose to learn from it; but you also pay something back one way or another. With a game, there is only potential for learning (and anguish ); you're not expect to lose anything for it. It's what makes the failure fun.

[macegee]

Stock game doesn't give you much useful VAB/flight data. Actually, game is terrible at telling you things. I used to calculate stuff like mass, TWR and delta-V myself, but it's quite tedious task to do manually every time. So I switched to MJ.

I hate using mods, but I'd rather use them instead of guessing/calculating things by myself all the time/use old and informationless flight UI. And I don't understand why devs still haven't implemented any of these info windows for VAB/flight, while saying that the game is "top-heavy" and needs more basic stuff.

[Eric S]

I use it some of the time, but not always, depends on what I'm doing and my mood.

[Uncle Mort]

Stock game doesn't give you much useful VAB/flight data. Actually, game is terrible at telling you things.

I totally agree, that is the one aspect of the game that should be addressed.

[Tiron]

Stock game doesn't give you much useful VAB/flight data. Actually, game is terrible at telling you things. I used to calculate stuff like mass, TWR and delta-V myself, but it's quite tedious task to do manually every time. So I switched to MJ.

I hate using mods, but I'd rather use them instead of guessing/calculating things by myself all the time/use old and informationless flight UI. And I don't understand why devs still haven't implemented any of these info windows for VAB/flight, while saying that the game is "top-heavy" and needs more basic stuff.

Because in Game Terms, KSP is more or less equivalent to 'Lego Orbiter'. It's supposed to be relatively simple and easy to just jump into, while still allowing for a surprising degree of sophistication.

[fatfluffycat]

I like using it for perfect orbits and maneuvers.

[espm400]

I use it for the wealth of information it provides. I used the docking autopilot once back in .19(?), but found it used a prohibitive amount of RCS compared to what I use. Other than that, I've never used the APs though.

[IllicitMedic]

Yup

I also firmly fully believe there are people who do and say they don't lol.

Edit: Its an amazing teaching tool, I used it exclusively for much of the first month I played and just from watching it have learned much of what I know.

It can't teach EVERYTHING you need to know to be a great pilot but man oh man does it help!

Edited July 26, 2013 by IllicitMedic