[0.25]KSP Interstellar (Magnetic Nozzles, ISRU Revamp) Version 0.13

[Puppier]

How will the newest version work with save files of previous versions?

[Krevsin]

I think I'm an idiot.

Try adding:

isDeployable = false

To each MODULE in that .cfg.

If it works, it's a hack at best. The radiators should work as KSPI radiators, whether they are deployed or not. Let me know if it works, I'll update the .cfg upload.

Yeah, it works now but like you said, it works regardless of whether the radiators are deployed or not. Anyway, I shall now fiddle with the numbers for balancing so the radiators suit my tastes.

Thanks for your help.

[OmegaCenti]

I have been trying to start my reactor for a while now, and it will not start. Checking the Debug window, I see this:

Thanks in advance

P.S. this is after attempting to spam click activate reactor.

KSPi version .10.3

Edited March 16, 2014 by OmegaCenti

[Lewar]

Hi everyone,

I've tried to build Antimatter Initiated Reactor-based ship using DT Vista engine and encountered this problem. After obtaining some antimatter to run reactor and turning engine on, everything works fine just for minute or two, but then reactor drops it's activity to near zero and it's still working, but doesn't supply enough power to run engine. Turning it off and on doesn't help at all - once reactor decides to go low-power, there is nothing I can do. No matter if I fly the ship or just burn engine on launch pad, same thing is happening although I still have resources to run reactor. Nothing gets broken or disconnected. What am I doing wrong?

I've checked and the same thing is happening if I just connect DT Vista engine, 3,75 generator and antimatter reactor with some antimatter supply. I'm able to run reactor and burn engine for a while but all ships end the same way, crashed on surface due to no trust.

Here is a screenshot just after reactor decided to stop working; previously it was saying "Active (19,884%)", then it's just dropping to 0,004%.

Edited March 16, 2014 by Lewar

[WaveFunctionP]

I have been trying to start my reactor for a while now, and it will not start. Checking the Debug window, I see this:

http://i.imgur.com/ssmuBdA.png

Thanks in advance

P.S. this is after attempting to spam click activate reactor.

KSPi version .10.3

You have no tritium in the reactor. Transfer some from the vista to the reactor, as it has a small supply. Enable tritium breeding, this will consume lithium and create tritium slightly faster than the reactor consumes it. When traveling with a vista engine, always keep a look out on your tritium supply. As it can consume tritium (and deuterium) quite fast and steal it from the reactor's supply at a rate faster than breeding creates it.

[Guiltyspark]

Hi, I have a few suggestions:

Regarding mid-game science: When looking at the interstellar tech tree, it's easy to notice that some things cost a lot. It is *easier* to unlock high efficiency reaction engines and employ those than to stack up ~5000 science for KSPI (~800 to just get reactors, thermal nozzles, and generators unlocked, then a giant 3k science leap to fusion power and upgraded fission) Maybe rebalancing science (i.e. lower fusion to 1k or 1.5k science) or adding lower efficiency low tech rockets?

An example of a low tech high thrust engine: A reaction engine that uses electricity to heat exhaust even more should give high thrust but still have the downsides of using conventional fuel.

While the LV-N feels a bit cheaty, the high I_sp makes usage of KSPI seldom until very late game. Maybe nerf the LV-N to be heavier and also require nuclear fuel?

The plasma engines currently can only run off of KSPI's megajoules. Allowing them to run off of solar power at extremely low thrust might make them more attractive before fusion or antimatter reactors. Also, some even larger solar panels might be nice to complement this. Of course, these panels will gather only fractions of the amount of energy reactors can produce.

Lastly, perhaps some larger coolant containers for the telescope? It's pointless to bring more than one of the containers currently since all coolant containers lose coolant at the same rate.

Ok enough of my weird ideas. How long does it takes for a reactor to fully cool down and restart and any advice on not running out of nuclear fuel during interplanetary travel?

[WaveFunctionP]

Hi everyone,

I've tried to build Antimatter Initiated Reactor-based ship using DT Vista engine and encountered this problem. After obtaining some antimatter to run reactor and turning engine on, everything works fine just for minute or two, but then reactor drops it's activity to near zero and it's still working, but doesn't supply enough power to run engine. Turning it off and on doesn't help at all - once reactor decides to go low-power, there is nothing I can do. No matter if I fly the ship or just burn engine on launch pad, same thing is happening although I still have resources to run reactor. Nothing gets broken or disconnected. What am I doing wrong?

I've checked and the same thing is happening if I just connect DT Vista engine, 3,75 generator and antimatter reactor with some antimatter supply. I'm able to run reactor and burn engine for a while but all ships end the same way, crashed on surface due to no trust.

Here is a screenshot just after reactor decided to stop working; previously it was saying "Active (19,884%)", then it's just dropping to 0,004%.

http://i.imgur.com/I4PWABD.png

Assuming that you aren't overheating, you may not be generating enough power. You are using a direct drive generator? Looks like you are exceeding it's power generation capabilities. Your charged particles are at 0. You can combine another generator in ktec mode to provide more power. The vista is not a thermal engine, it does not need to be connected directly to a reactor.

[WaveFunctionP]

Hi, I have a few suggestions:

Regarding mid-game science: When looking at the interstellar tech tree, it's easy to notice that some things cost a lot. It is *easier* to unlock high efficiency reaction engines and employ those than to stack up ~5000 science for KSPI (~800 to just get reactors, thermal nozzles, and generators unlocked, then a giant 3k science leap to fusion power and upgraded fission) Maybe rebalancing science (i.e. lower fusion to 1k or 1.5k science) or adding lower efficiency low tech rockets?

An example of a low tech high thrust engine: A reaction engine that uses electricity to heat exhaust even more should give high thrust but still have the downsides of using conventional fuel.

While the LV-N feels a bit cheaty, the high I_sp makes usage of KSPI seldom until very late game. Maybe nerf the LV-N to be heavier and also require nuclear fuel?

The plasma engines currently can only run off of KSPI's megajoules. Allowing them to run off of solar power at extremely low thrust might make them more attractive before fusion or antimatter reactors. Also, some even larger solar panels might be nice to complement this. Of course, these panels will gather only fractions of the amount of energy reactors can produce.

Lastly, perhaps some larger coolant containers for the telescope? It's pointless to bring more than one of the containers currently since all coolant containers lose coolant at the same rate.

Ok enough of my weird ideas. How long does it takes for a reactor to fully cool down and restart and any advice on not running out of nuclear fuel during interplanetary travel?

You can unlock the whole tree inside of kerbin's soi, I believe. And Duna is a short hop away if you need a bit more. All of that can be accomplished fairly easily with the stock game. KSPI is more about making those longer interplanetary missions easier. Indeed, I was able to do single stage interplanetary missions before I completed the tree. Once you unlock fusion and the vista engine, you pretty much forget about the LV engines, or really any standard rockets.

You can shutdown your reactor before transfers( its like 3 days? I don't use fission much), and/or bring along extra fuel or an isru to to refill your resources as you need them.

Edited March 16, 2014 by WaveFunctionP

[Lewar]

Assuming that you aren't overheating, you may not be generating enough power. You are using a direct drive generator? Looks like you are exceeding it's power generation capabilities. Your charged particles are at 0. You can combine another generator in ktec mode to provide more power. The vista is not a thermal engine, it does not need to be connected directly to a reactor.

Direct Drive generator is in use. Charget particles bar was full until reactor dropped it's activity, then they got consumed by Vista engine - same thing was happening to megajoules (as can be seen on screenshot). Theoretical power supply states that I should be able to generate about 10GW of power, and that isn't changing during reactor's activity drop. It just looks like it's decides not going to give supply anymore.

[WaveFunctionP]

Try using a thermal generator, and see if it still quits. There's a known bug with direct drive generators, but it was concerning transmitters. This may be a similar issue. Let us know if it works or not.

I've had a similar setup running on the launch pad for a while now with no problems, but I'd have to edit a save to try and duplicate your setup.

[Makeone]

He has no Helium-3 on the reactor so it won't run. After all, its an Deuterium/Helium-3 fusion reactor...

[WaveFunctionP]

He has no Helium-3 on the reactor so it won't run. After all, its an Deuterium/Helium-3 fusion reactor...

Ofcourse it would be the obvious. Doh!

Didn't realize that it used he-3. I've never bothered with that particular reactor because of the antimatter requirement. By the time I could get antimatter, fusion reactors were upgraded enough to do everything that needed doing.

[Lewar]

Yeah, apparently it was all about He-3. I added 0.02 helium in cfg file of that engine and it works well so far. I thought that it's alternative propellant, just like ThF4 in fission reactors, and also consume of that resorce was confusing - there was no "resource deprived" info cause my small lithium backup was constantly making some of it. Looks like it's time for some He-3 Kerbal Facility!

Thanks for help, everyone!

[phas]

Playing the mod for a while, really nice work.

I've got a problem now. The Deinonychus engine is really powerful, but there seems to be a bug in the trust vectoring or balancing or something like. Both via mechjeb or manually the rocket doesn't respond precisely and often get off course.

[WaveFunctionP]

Yeah, apparently it was all about He-3. I added 0.02 helium in cfg file of that engine and it works well so far. I thought that it's alternative propellant, just like ThF4 in fission reactors, and also consume of that resorce was confusing - there was no "resource deprived" info cause my small lithium backup was constantly making some of it. Looks like it's time for some He-3 Kerbal Facility!

Thanks for help, everyone!

The problem with he-3 is that it doesn't generate in the background and the halflife of tritium is 12 years. Getting a sizable supply would mean a large amount of tritium, and a lot of time warping.

[Rabada]

First of all, Thankyou Kerendel for answering my questions a couple of pages back!

Hi, I have a few suggestions:

snip

I like your suggestions, and I agree that right now it is too easy to unlock the tech tree. I would prefer it if there were a lot more techs added to the end of the tree and the current interstellar parts moved much father back in the tech tree. Keep in mind that I am still in the midst of my first career mode game with Insterstellar and I am just about to finish the stock tech tree.

I think that there should be a lot more techs added to Interstellar, and that the Interstellar parts should be unlocked MUCH later in the tech tree. For example, it only cost me 300 science to research orbital nuclear reactors while RTGs are in the next level up in the tech tree and cost 550 science to research. Also, the "Sethlans" series of reactors are in the same tech as the other fission reactors. Isn't the Sethlans reactors supposed to be an upgrade on the other reactor?

Edit: I should also point out that it really don't make much sense to spend much effort balancing out Science right now, so I completely understand why it may seem very unbalanced. Im starting to really like this mod, and I'm excited to start diving in the deep end of Interstellar.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Rabada

[merendel]

First of all, Thankyou Kerendel for answering my questions a couple of pages back!

Lol I think my name just got kerbalified by way of typo your welcome though.

[agentexeider]

Yes, now we arrive back at my original question, how do you do this in sandbox mode now. How do you collect science, how do you do a manual upgrade.

I'm wondering if there is a bug, because the warp drive says: Advanced Geometry, but the higher warp values are NOT accessible.

I hate to reply to my own post, but after playing around with it, yes I am still having the issue, the Warp drive is saying it's the Advanced Geometry version, yet the higher warp levels are still not accessible, and the Exotic matter level is the pre upgraded version of it self, it seems to me that ALL the parts are the pre existing version of themselves and except the text which reports them as the upgraded names.

[TheTom]

The problem with this is IIRC that the tree number od nodes is limited. It makes sense - but it really requires access to a larger number of nodes.

[pasty2k2]

It only takes a long time to get there if you Hohmann transfer to get there but there is no need to get there that way, it's possible to use some of the later tech engines to simply burn away from the sun until you build up some significant speed then burn in the opposite direction to kill that velocity and subsequently circularise. If you can get 200k delta-v you should be able to complete the mission in 5 years.

It's not easy but that's the point, if you can do it without the alcubierre drive it gives you a huge boost towards actually getting those late techs.

Thanks for the reply - NOW I see what this mod is all about! Took me a while to get this far, but I've done it with your advice - thanks!

Out of curiosity, now that I have the Alcubierre Drive, did you have any other plans for devices at greater tech levels? 10000 science is too easy now!

Lastly, not sure if this has already been discussed, but the Advanced Field Geometry upgrade for the Alcubierre Drive is only 100 science... Only 100? At that level of tech (and ability to get to new places for more science) shouldn't it be higher, at least more like the cost of the other up-gradable part, the Computer Core - which also seems a little OP in places, 12 science a day on Moho surface? You only need 2 there and you'd have enough for the Alcubierre Drive tech in a little over a year...

Don't get me wrong - I love the system, but I don't think it fits as nicely as it probably used to, when the top tech *only* costs 10,000 science and you can generate a lot, in not a long time. It is rewarding though, so I'd rather have more things put in to use it/make the system fit, than have those elements nerfed - if you follow.

[Evilchicken]

I've seen many people say that the current science is to easy. Which is true, but only because we have infinite budget to spent. 0.24 will come with that extra limiting factor, as you can no longer just build huge and/or expensive rockets ,the default cost of the stock nuke engine is 8000 as compared to the mainsail 850, and interstellar part will definitely need to cost a lot more (currently some interstellar part have yet to get cost values but will need to for 0.24). You will have to earn money to run your space program or you'll find that that Moho mission running sort on fuel.

For my current save I'm not using the interstellar science lab to get science as it becomes too easy, just get some smart kerbals on Moho, timewarp and your done.

[Shad0wCatcher]

With regards to science before 0.24 releases you can try out the realistic progression lite which expands the tech tree and still has KSPI support.

[mdapol]

First of all, Thankyou Kerendel for answering my questions a couple of pages back!

I like your suggestions, and I agree that right now it is too easy to unlock the tech tree. I would prefer it if there were a lot more techs added to the end of the tree and the current interstellar parts moved much father back in the tech tree. Keep in mind that I am still in the midst of my first career mode game with Insterstellar and I am just about to finish the stock tech tree.

Edit: I should also point out that it really don't make much sense to spend much effort balancing out Science right now, so I completely understand why it may seem very unbalanced. Im starting to really like this mod, and I'm excited to start diving in the deep end of Interstellar.

I took out the Impactor experiment for that very reason. Even so, I've completed the stock tech tree and have one Interstellar node and I've completely sciences-out the Kerbal system. I have several probes and missions in progress to a few outer and inner planets but the pace has been good for me so far. However I've also picked up several additional science experiment mods, so when I restart Career mode I may have to increase the cost of some of the lower level nodes.

However, as has been mentioned, when 0.24 hits I think people will find Career mode slows down quite a bit when you have to play for these rockets.

[Eeke]

I had this question answered in part a few pages back.

What ways are there to increase the power % on nuclear reactors? Apparently this is done automatically as power needs increase, but what if you want to throttle the reactor up in order to burn a thermal rocket? I don't see any increase when I simply turn the engine on, it stays at it's default % and never increases.

[BigD145]

Having a "MAX POWER" button would be useful in testing dV and such. It would also play nicer with the various autopilots and programmed burns.