Stock Bases Guidelines

[LittleItaly]

So if one was to build a 100% stock moon base (I'm leaning towards Minmas due to the salt flats being easier to build and land on) would you recommend building a cluster of cores and structures near each other, or physically docking everything together? I don't have Keythane, so the only real purpose is to say that I did it so I don't know anything about function or cores or anything, but I would like to have a rover garage or something.

Any tips?

[Richy teh space man]

If your doing it all stock, I'd recommend a cluster of bases near each other as docking things on the surface can be a bit tricky.

[mellojoe]

If your doing it all stock, I'd recommend a cluster of bases near each other as docking things on the surface can be a bit tricky.

I agree with this.

Gravity and suspension can play weird tricks on the height of docking ports. While things on Kerbin might be lined up, once you expend a bunch of fuel and park this thing on different celestial bodies, things shift and move. It can be frustrating to get the whole thing lined up, only to find out that one end is dipping slightly lower than the other and now they can't dock.

A Minmus base will be fun. The really low gravity there does mean you will have to be careful not to bump into anything, otherwise you could send it spinning out of control. We've all been there before.

[blizzy78]

While things on Kerbin might be lined up, once you expend a bunch of fuel and park this thing on different celestial bodies, things shift and move. It can be frustrating to get the whole thing lined up, only to find out that one end is dipping slightly lower than the other and now they can't dock.

A common trick seems to be building base modules on rover bases (like I did here). With those rovers, it's actually pretty easy to overcome slight height differences. Just accelerate the rover so much that the wheels go up, taking the whole module (and the docking port) with it. Just be careful not to overdo it and flip the whole thing on its back

[EmanonP]

I came up with a "forklift" that uses lander legs and different positioned wheels that lets me slightly adjust the overall height of the docking port to over come those small shifts and sags....

If you keep enough fuel in the rear tanks, it can lift and move some pretty hefty parts, and help you put it all together....

[annallia]

If you are intending to land it on minmus you can put it together in space and land it. I had a fairly large base out in one of the salt flats there that I did that with.

Tried repeating it on the Mun but couldn't find a suitable area.