Kerbal RCS strength

[innovine]

I haven't done any exact measurements, but it sure feels like the RCS used by the Kerbals when on an EVA is the most powerful engine in the game... one short press of a button and my Kerbal is zooming away from the ship at a small percent of lightspeed.

Would it be possible to reduce the power of their RCS, maybe by a factor of TEN? Real astronauts maneuver around slowly. Whether the Kerbals EVA RCS is realistic or not, it certainly feels very overpowered to me...

[Tw1]

I'm pretty sure it's that powerful for gameplay reasons. If it was weaker, there'd be less planets you could use it on, and their range would be a lot more limited.

[Synapse]

I agree with OP.

[woppeldopple]

I agree with OP.

+1

I mean, you can reach orbit of Minmus easily! Does anybody know how much fuel do they store in numbers?

And why are they refuled in spacecrafts not containing any RCS fuel?

This is too simple for such a complex game!

Edited July 31, 2013 by woppeldopple

[Themohawkninja]

When you want to get around on places like the Mun, you do still have to really pay attention to your fuel reserves. While they are probably the most overpowered thing (relative to reality that is), they aren't all that overpowered (relative to gameplay).

[woppeldopple]

When you want to get around on places like the Mun, you do still have to really pay attention to your fuel reserves. While they are probably the most overpowered thing (relative to reality that is), they aren't all that overpowered (relative to gameplay).

Yup, unfinished gameplay of an alpha version.

[chaos_forge]

When you want to get around on places like the Mun, you do still have to really pay attention to your fuel reserves. While they are probably the most overpowered thing (relative to reality that is), they aren't all that overpowered (relative to gameplay).

I agree. Even if they are unrealistic, they make traveling around on the ground a LOT more fun. I'd say it's a good tradeoff.

Plus, it makes for a good story to realize that your Minmus lander ran out of fuel and have to land with the EVApack

[innovine]

I agree. Even if they are unrealistic, they make traveling around on the ground a LOT more fun. I'd say it's a good tradeoff.

Unfortunately, what is fun on the ground makes moving in zero g really annoying. I'd like to go on EVA from my space station and float around it, and do transfers between vehicles and modules. It's far too overpowered for this kind of thing. Please give us an option to throttle it down a lot. Couldn't caps-lock introduce a low-power precision mode?

[Driachan]

I love the caps lock precision mode idea, but bringing the power down overall would inhibit a lot. Plus, keep in mind they are pretty much the same rcs boosters used on your 50t ship... Kerbals weigh a LOT less, and F=MA and all... I've never felt they were unrealistically powered.

That being said, I want to again reiterate that a caps lock precision mode wound be awesome

[Synapse]

keep in mind they are pretty much the same rcs boosters used on your 50t ship

No they're not. They weight nothing, for a start.

Kerbals shouldn't have RCS strapped to them, anyway. It should be a weaker version for navigating around a ship in space, nothing else.

[Themohawkninja]

I agree that the pack should have precision thrust enabled.

They should also display the fuel in unit numbers (not percentages), and be able to monitor it from the resources tab.

[woppeldopple]

No they're not. They weight nothing, for a start.

Kerbals shouldn't have RCS strapped to them, anyway. It should be a weaker version for navigating around a ship in space, nothing else.

+1

For crazy fun travelling on mun there should be much more creative ways available. Like RCS command seat with RCS fuel tank as landing leg

[Tw1]

I'd like to go on EVA from my space station and float around it, and do transfers between vehicles and modules. It's far too overpowered for this kind of thing. Please give us an option to throttle it down a lot. ?

Tip: only tap slightly, that's usually enough to send a kerbal on its way. The capslock idea is good though, that'd be handy.

I'd miss being able to do things like catch up with a spaceship 2km away, after diving low over the surface of the Mun.

EVA is fun.

They only have about 520m/s Delta V, which is not much unless you do some very clever maneuvers,* and pushing a ship with the kerbal is hard. So I don't believe it's a game breaking issue.

*If life support is added someday, kerbals may not be able to spend more than a few days away from the ship anyway.

+1

For crazy fun travelling on mun there should be much more creative ways available.

On Mun, he effective range of a Kerbal's jetpack is something like 8 Km, depending on terrain, in my experience. (One way.)

Creative? Like this

*support vessels not shown.

Edited July 31, 2013 by Tw1

[chaos_forge]

Yeah Caps Lock is a good idea, but I don't think they should have less power or delta-v

[Anton P. Nym]

Having clonked Bob's head pretty hard against my space station last night, I'll add my vote for adding "fine mode" for EVA packs. I'm not entirely sold on nerfing the thrust entirely, though. These are "real" jetbacks, not MMUs, and (I gather) are intended for low-gravity movement assist as well as free-fall.

-- Steve

[woppeldopple]

Creative? Like this

Haha, nice! Exactly. This is KSP. Not rediculous overpowered, but plausible and full of possibilities!

[Apollo13]

When on a spacewalk, the EVA thrusters need to have a fine control option via CAPSLOCK the same way that RCS has that option. I should be easy to implement. As is (as mentioned by OP), one slight touch of the key and off my poor Kerbal goes.

[Dart980]

Why not to put two keys like H and N to increase/reduce EVA thursters power and fuel consumption. Also when you right click a kerbal it shows the power of thursters. For example normal EVA power 1 is shown then you press H/N and it changes to 1.1/0.9.

[Blaster]

I agree. Even if they are unrealistic, they make traveling around on the ground a LOT more fun. I'd say it's a good tradeoff.

Plus, it makes for a good story to realize that your Minmus lander ran out of fuel and have to land with the EVApack

...or get out and push

[Harguinxx]

When on a spacewalk, the EVA thrusters need to have a fine control option via CAPSLOCK the same way that RCS has that option. I should be easy to implement. As is (as mentioned by OP), one slight touch of the key and off my poor Kerbal goes.

it seems to be a nice, useful and easy improvement. I like that, +1.

[futrtrubl]

Absolutely need a precision mode for EVA. Trying to navigate around a moderately laggy station is..... painful, to me and to my Kerbal.

Edward

[John FX]

If I need really fine control on EVA I just use my EVA mini corvette.

I like the power of the jetpack as it is but I also would like finer controls available. I think *just* being able to use it on Duna is about right although as OP said, this makes it too powerful during EVA.

[Rufus Callahan]

Unfortunately, what is fun on the ground makes moving in zero g really annoying. I'd like to go on EVA from my space station and float around it, and do transfers between vehicles and modules. It's far too overpowered for this kind of thing. Please give us an option to throttle it down a lot. Couldn't caps-lock introduce a low-power precision mode?

I think this is user error or a glitch in your game. This has never been a problem for me. (this post is not intended to be degrading in any way... just that I've never seen this happen aside from a random glitch here and there)

[Captain Sierra]

The power is fine. Extreme EVAing off of Minmus to the return stage (which I gave a lander can for some odd reason) is thrilling. What it needs is the ability to have fine controls. Cut the power down to about 60% and enable fine controls with caps lock and everyone is happy. We can still land and return from Gilly on EVA and we can not go flying off into space. I've done both.

[ngianoplus]

I rather just see a power percentage.

Perhaps set the max power with the shift and control keys? Just like a regular engine, and move accordingly.

I love the high powered jetpack but for microgravity EVA, less power is optimal.