My opinion (been playing for 3 days)

[Noxx]

Hello,

First off, thanks for this great game, it was very satisfying to play so far.

I know that this is still in sandbox, but here are a few things that I'd like:

-When you press 'm' to get into the orbital map, I find it difficult to fine tune maneuvers. For example, if I want to slingshot on the moon, it's hard to do it with the mouse, especially if you're far from it. It seems that there is some sort of acceleration of the mouse when you get very stretched ellipses. Maybe this can be corrected easily.

-I'd like to see an achievements list. For example: First Kerbal in orbit, first moon landing, first Eve fly-by, etc. This could also work in the sandbox. Fairly easy to implement I think... I have no trouble setting my own objectives, but this would be nice to have a list in-game. Could also include funny and/or difficult achievements.

-Since when you start you barely know how to fly things, the solar system map should have 'greyed-out' planets (or undiscovered), that you can't see for now. You should not be able to see its surface or moons (if any), before you get a satellite in orbit or fly-by, or do some research with telescopes.

-Comets and other weird orbit objects (probably already suggested).

Thank you!

[Supernovy]

It seems that there is some sort of acceleration of the mouse when you get very stretched ellipses.

I think this is due to the Oberth Effect.

I'd like to see an achievements list. For example: First Kerbal in orbit, first moon landing, first Eve fly-by, etc.

AFAIK, this sort of thing is tracked by the game but not shown to the player.

Since when you start you barely know how to fly things, the solar system map should have 'greyed-out' planets (or undiscovered), that you can't see for now.

Last I heard, any future planets will start out undiscovered, but the current ones will be visible from the start.

Comets and other weird orbit objects (probably already suggested).

Indeed it has.

[Kerbart]

I think this is due to the Oberth Effect

No, the effect the OP mentions also exists in circular orbits. The longer you drag at one of the maneuver mode markers, the faster the adjustment goes. Release the marker, start dragging again and adjustments start again at little steps.

[Noxx]

Perhaps my mouse sensitivity is too high

[Noxx]

Thanks.

Also, I'm not sure if it exists in mods, but I would like to see hollow nose cones to put your satellite equipments. Then you could detach in space.

[NoMrBond]

There are a couple of mods for making very precise adjustments to your maneuver nodes;

Maneuver Node Improvement and PreciseNode

Maybe one of those would suit?

[vexx32]

You can just not drag the node adjustment so far. Small adjustments aren't really too hard to do, in my experience.

[Van Disaster]

Thanks.

Also, I'm not sure if it exists in mods, but I would like to see hollow nose cones to put your satellite equipments. Then you could detach in space.

Yes, that would be the Procedural Fairings mod. Rather than that itself becoming stock I want them to make pretty much everything procedural in one go, which means one lot of code instead of one lot of code for each different item.

[UbioZur]

-When you press 'm' to get into the orbital map, I find it difficult to fine tune maneuvers. For example, if I want to slingshot on the moon, it's hard to do it with the mouse, especially if you're far from it. It seems that there is some sort of acceleration of the mouse when you get very stretched ellipses. Maybe this can be corrected easily.

They are a bit tricky, especially if you start going to interplanetary travel, it's all about a finding the good camera angle (to have the now close to the camera, and see all the target and orbits), Also I usually use the maneuver node for a rough idea of direction of burn, and then I do all the tweak by hand. as NoMrBond said, they are some good mod to help with them.

-I'd like to see an achievements list. For example: First Kerbal in orbit, first moon landing, first Eve fly-by, etc. This could also work in the sandbox. Fairly easy to implement I think... I have no trouble setting my own objectives, but this would be nice to have a list in-game. Could also include funny and/or difficult achievements.

I think (don't take my words for granted) that SQUAD said they didn't wanted achievements. It may change since we are still early in the development, but you can still use flags and screenshots to mark your own achievement in game. You even have access to a blog in the forum if you want to record and share your missions with the community.

-Since when you start you barely know how to fly things, the solar system map should have 'greyed-out' planets (or undiscovered), that you can't see for now. You should not be able to see its surface or moons (if any), before you get a satellite in orbit or fly-by, or do some research with telescopes.

I do like that, more like not displaying the info (atmosphere etc...) in game until we bring sensor out there. May be we will see that in the career mode may be not. It's probably something that wont happen in the sandbox game.

-Comets and other weird orbit objects (probably already suggested).

Part of the what not to suggest list. So discussion about it will result in thread being close and message deleted (since you have all the above suggestion too)

Also, I'm not sure if it exists in mods, but I would like to see hollow nose cones to put your satellite equipments. Then you could detach in space.

As Van Disaster said, you can use the great mod Procedural fairing. And same as above it is part of the what not to suggest list.

Edited September 17, 2013 by UbioZur

[allmhuran]

For manoeuver node tuning, the idea of keybinds has been raised multiple times. I really really hope it gets added eventually, because it also solves the problem of trying to keep both the node and your target planet on screen when setting up interplanetary burns (right now this can be a huge pain in the butt)

For achievements, I think there was mention of something like this coming, but think of it more as accomplishments.... IIRC the idea was not to give you a little "bleep bloop" achievement unlocked message, but rather that the game would provide some kind of reward for certain things (your first mun landing, whatever)

It has also been mentioned that "discovery" is something the devs want to add... but that will come as career mode matures.

[lajoswinkler]

I think the precision get higher when you're close to the maneuver node...

[Diazo]

On the maneuver nodes, note that the distance you drag the icon out is the speed at which DeltaV is added, not how much DeltaV to add.

Grabbing the Prograde node and only moving it a pixel or two will only add 1 or 2 m/s per second to your maneuver node for as long as you hold the Prograde marker there.

So yes, DeltaV keeps getting added even though the mouse is not moving for as long as you hold the mouse button down.

Having said that, I do run a maneuver node mod, mostly to keep the maneuver window open so I don't keep accidently clicking the red X and deleting my nodes before I've used them.

D.

[pizzaoverhead]

t seems that there is some sort of acceleration of the mouse when you get very stretched ellipses. Maybe this can be corrected easily.

As Diazo mentioned, the amount of movement you get from pulling a maneuver node by a certain amount is related to fuel burned rather than distance travelled. The speed up is a great demonstration of how burns get much more efficient when modifying the far end of an eliptical orbit from the near one. It does leave the issue of accuracy though.

Something that helps me: Rather than trying to pull slightly on one direction of a maneuver node, push the its opposite direction. It moves much more slowly.