What stock crafts should come prepackaged with KSP as examples?

[Burninate]

There is an effort underway to re-do the stock example crafts without so many obvious poor choices, but it begs the question of titling vs intent, and overall scope.

What 10-30 different stock example crafts would you like to see the game ship with?

Format:

Name

Rough size (tons)

1-sentence description

No images or .crafts required, just concepts.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Burninate

[Spartwo]

I think the current ones.The point should be to give you a good starting point to learn from and improve on.The number of ravenspear SSTOs is evidence of that.

[SpaceHole]

To be honest - none.

Or just a very few to demonstrate basics.

I think its way more fun to be able to come up with designs yourself and learn with trial and error. Also there is no reason for stock-crafts in the game in the first place since it just takes a way a rather big part of the gameplay. If one still needs some special ship no one is hindering people from downloading them from spaceport.

I havent used any stock-craft yet - not even watched them since i want to explore things myself. Not to mention that it will probably influence design decisions.

[alacrity]

stock crafts for the final build ...hmmmmmmmmm

20-70 tonnes single stage unmanned

basicaly a single tank with an engine with a probe on top that is non orbital launch vehikle. Used to teach about launch procedure and gravity turn basics.

120-170 tonne manned 3 stage

Basic orbit capable craft for teaching stage releasing gravity turns to orbit, and reentry

120-170 tonne unmanned two stage lifter

Able to get a user created third stage of <10 tonnes to LKO, for teaching mission package design and weight limits with given delta.

space plane (don't make so no idea on the weight)

single seat space plane, small in size with about 250 km range for teaching basic flight controls

Any other premade craft should be in scenario/training bundles for teaching docking basics, landing without atmo, and orbital transfers. These would be mission specific and basically useless outside of their native scenario.

Alacrity

[Bothersome]

I'd say one 2 stage rocket and 1 plane.

[The Destroyer]

Honestly I love the current ones- they are exelent baselines, then you just have your owns.

[segaprophet]

I personally have no need for any if the stock craft, even as examples. All they do is clutter up my craft loading window.

I also think it's better for new KSP players to start with a completely blank slate. It will make what they do come up with eventually more original and gratifying. If they do happen to need some good starter designs, the forums remain an excellent resource for that.

For those reasons, I always go into the Squad folder and remove the stock .craft files from any new KSP install I use.

[Dave Kerbin]

I think the purpose of the stock craft is to give new players an example of what they can build and the rough shape a craft might be expected to take - this means showing things like how staging is setup or that aircraft probably need an air intake in addition to a jet engine. Just enough of the basics so that a player isn't frustrated and unable to even get something off the pad because they don't know the basics.

With that in mind I don't think there should be 20-30 stock craft. In fact I think there may already be too many stock craft in the SPH (I think Spartwo might be in agreement with me on that).

VAB should probably have a stock rocket that shows off a basic 2 stage launch to send a sputnik satellite into orbit, and another stock craft showing off a manned lander design but without the rocket to launch it (You don't want to complete the players first few accomplishments for them, just get them enough to start).

[HeadHunter67]

Scott Manley's basic Münar rocket is an example of the sort of design that should be provided to teach players. It's simple and effective and doesn't require advanced understanding of the game to build or pilot.

Pebblegarden's orbiter and lander designs are good recommendations, too.

[Beeman]

I always delete the stock craft to clear out my load list but I can certainly appreciate them as a guide for building a successful rocket.

Besides, maybe some people aren't really all that creative and get really frustrated with trial and error. I know at least one person who'd probably fail a couple times 'cause he doesn't quite comprehend the physics, orbital mechanics, flight/building dynamics or whatever and he'd wind up just getting frustrated and never play the game again. So the stock craft are an interesting and hands-on kind of way to show you some basic successful rocket design.

I don't think there should be stock craft with payloads, though, like the satellite one we have now. The most we should get is an orbiter or two. Maybe an orbiter that can also get to munar orbit and back, but no farther than that. I'd also appreciate it if there were only a couple stock rockets. Maybe a small probe orbiter like Sputnik that doesn't really do anything, a one or three-manned kerbin orbiter and perhaps a one-man mun orbiter. Maybe even reverse those two(solo for kerbin, trio for mun).

Then there could be a simple spaceplane to show the very basics of how to make a balance and flyable craft...with maybe a bigger, heavier variant and just one SSTO that has enough fuel to get to orbit and back with a little extra to show you more or less how it's done and how to even fly a spaceplane to orbit(via scenario tutorial or just figuring it out on your own). That'd be more than sufficient, I think.

Also, maybe only have the stock craft show up in sandbox mode 'cause career mode should just kind of teach you successful rocket design through limited available parts and starting missions that aren't too monotonous, hopefully...for those of us who have a habit of starting new saves for whatever reason sometimes >_>

Edited August 24, 2013 by Beeman

[Spyritdragon]

I think the craft here or something similar would be nice. Something that can launch into LKO, then get you to the Mun and back.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/25029-A-moon-rocket-and-moon-trip-walkthrough-for-newbies-%2821-1%29

[HeadHunter67]

That's way too much rocket for that job - the only reason it needs to be so big is to carry fuel for its unnecessary size. Look at the rocket I linked - it gets you to the Mün for a lot less mass.

[CosmicScientist]

To be honest I don't believe stock craft files coming with the game are absolutely necessary.

I never used any of the ones already there except the spaceplanes, mainly just the silly one with the wings that flap when they catch drag.

I got the demo, did the tutorial and got to space without even learning how to pilot except just how the staging worked, saw the stars through Jeb's eyes through the little window in the command pod hearing the music start that I didn't know was in the game and filled with happiness that something I made off the bat got up there, even if it wasn't an orbit, without knowing what I needed to do, got up there then wound up with a very Kerbal ending to my first venture into the game, exploding on the ground, the tutorial in the demo didn't like me adding a parachute. "Ooo a parachute I'll need this to get back down safely..." "NO, add the engine, I'm not letting you do anything else, you can drag and dry to plonk on that parachute all you want, I won't let it attach".

If any of the stock craft can be either a SSTO or have the capacity to even get into Münar orbit, I think some of the magic will be lost, whilst I'd also complain that the player should get to orbit under their own steam, one of my friends can barely manage it - if lucky, let alone dream of reaching the Mün a second time so I don't know what to do with that.

All I think is that if you give someone a rocket and tell them "This will get to orbit", they'll probably pilot it fine and do what it can do or possibly learn how to pilot a rocket the best way up and out into an orbit around Kerbin, but it won't be theirs and they won't learn how to make their own. So probably imperfect craft that can get to space is all I can say might be good but none cross my mind that I would have batted an eyelid at when I was too excited to make my first satellite to go around Kerbin as and when I bought the game after I played the demo, finding it had more than enough fuel to get to the Mün and go in a 45 degree orbit and I didn't even know the magic of struts at that point.

[Rainbow-Dashie]

I didn't look at any of the stock craft until after I had landed on the Mun, I had much more fun spending a week launching terrible rockets that could'nt even make it out of the atmosphere

[SkyRender]

One thing we don't have yet (but really should) is a stock Kerbal-driveable rover. Designing a stock rover is still a bit of a challenge for newcomers due to some of the peculiarities in how the system works, so it would likely help if an example rover that's both stable and reliable could be offered up.

[Commander Wilmot]

A small number of stock craft would be fine, but they need to have a subfolder in the selection screens, I personally find I have enough of my own craft to clutter up the load save windows in SPH and VAB and the selection screen for the launch pad without having stock craft mixed in.

[The Jedi Master]

I say we're good with what we have now. The Kerbal X can get you to the Mun if you're careful with the fuel.

[MrPopcup]

PARTS FOR BASES, PLEASE!

Just like H.O.M.E! we want parts for bases, like a science module, habitat, rover hangar.. etc!

[Beeman]

PARTS FOR BASES, PLEASE!

Just like H.O.M.E! we want parts for bases, like a science module, habitat, rover hangar.. etc!

This thread isn't talking about parts, it's talking about the default craft files that come with the game and carry the stock label. They were put in the game to serve as examples for designing your own rockets if you don't have the patience or mental capacity for figuring it out the hard way. They're actually quite useful.

[Burninate]

A small number of stock craft would be fine, but they need to have a subfolder in the selection screens, I personally find I have enough of my own craft to clutter up the load save windows in SPH and VAB and the selection screen for the launch pad without having stock craft mixed in.

User-settable subfolders period is a pretty good idea.

[MrPopcup]

This thread isn't talking about parts, it's talking about the default craft files that come with the game and carry the stock label. They were put in the game to serve as examples for designing your own rockets if you don't have the patience or mental capacity for figuring it out the hard way. They're actually quite useful.

Ops ! I'm dumb! excuse me! I didn't pay attention to CRAFTS in the tittle !