Am I the only one who doesnt use mechjeb?

[PDCWolf]

Thats because Mechjeb requires you to understand the basic concept of spaceflight. Its not one button to the mun.

Mechjeb requires you to understand mechjeb. Once you know that you have to click ascent guidance, then autostage if you are lazy, and then execute, that's all there's to it. You are now halfway to anywhere.

at least if you designed a half-assed rocket that has enough delta-v. Which can be done watching in-game tutorials or just loading the kerbal x.

I feel like you have never actually used MechJeb. Either that or I've never found the feature that flies my ship for me. I still have to make all the decisions of what to actually do and where to fly. I can't just click a button and watch it take me to Jool.

E: I mean, it would be really nice if I could just push one button and have MechJeb analyze my delta-V, figure out what I'd intended the budget to be and what my corrections will cost, launch the rocket into a transfer-appropriate orbit, find the next launch window within my budget that fits when I'd like to travel, perform the burn, wait until Kerbol SOI, perform any needed correction (there will always be one), wait until target SOI, make another correction to ensure the right orbit that I want with the proper periapsis, circularize, make sure my payload hasn't been mucked with during all the previous stuff, then do whatever the payload is supposed to do.

I like how you edited your post so that it is no longer a pure personal attack.

Anyways, mechjeb provides enough information within its windows and comes with a nice manual. You do not need knowledge on astrodynamics or orbital mechanics to make an interplanetary transfer, you just need to check the manual and go monkey see monkey do.

Obviously there's no "take me to x planet" button, but mechjeb gives enough tools to automate most of the process.

[Meithan]

I use MechJeb (v2.0) for the large pool of (customizable) data metrics it can display while in-flight.

I almost never use the autopilot. Not because I consider it cheating or anything like that, but simply because I like flying things myself. The exception was when I placed a ring of satellites in keosynchronous orbit, which requires very precise orbits. I didn't want to spend fifteen minutes per satellite tweaking the orbits, so I used MechJeb to perform the circularization burns to a high precision. Even then, MechJeb refused to correct the orbital inclination of two of them, so I ended up doing it manually.

I have a general policy when there's an easy, automatic, almost-cheesy way of doing something and a more complicated, "more correct" way: learn first to do it the hard way, for you'll learn the nuts and bolts in the process and develop a profound understanding of how it works. Then, when you've mastered it, you earn the right to use the easy, automated way. And if it ever happens that the automated way doesn't work any more, you can always fall back to the "manual" mode (like I did for my keosynchronous satellites).

[regex]

Anyways, mechjeb provides enough information within its windows and comes with a nice manual. You do not need knowledge on astrodynamics or orbital mechanics to make an interplanetary transfer, you just need to check the manual and go monkey see monkey do.

Obviously there's no "take me to x planet" button, but mechjeb gives enough tools to automate most of the process.

And if you don't know anything about orbital mechanics or transfer windows it's pretty crappy at automating the process. MechJeb isn't a very good tool for the job until you know what you're doing.

[thunderstar]

Thats because Mechjeb requires you to understand the basic concept of spaceflight. Its not one button to the mun.

lol yeah, i think i maybe will be able to use it now, but i used to think it was basically that, and direct fly to the mun :I

[Drunken Hobo]

I like how it takes a lot of the guesswork out of the game. To me, misjudging an aerocapture and ploughing into a planet isn't fun (well ok it is, but it can become irritating if you're trying to do something properly). Similarly, having to guess how much fuel you'll need isn't great.

There's also the little things. If I want to point prograde, it points prograde. No messing about swinging back & forth trying to use a digital input (keyboard) to perform a precise manoeuvre. Useful as my computer predates the invention of fire, and is a little on the choppy side with large craft.

I also don't like to use quicksave & find that MechJeb helps a lot with that, especially the warp helper.

[Alguien]

When I want a realistic gameplay, I use mechjeb . If you didn't know, NASA flys their ships on AUTOPILOT.

NASA makes they autopilot, so if you really want "realistic gameplay" get kOS instead of MJ

[m4v]

NASA doesn't fly omniscient rockets in an universe with simplified physics, perfect spherical planets with static atmospheres and infinite light speed. I really don't care whenever people play with mechjeb or not, but I did like them stop using idiotic IRL arguments for justifying their gaming habits.

[Specialist290]

Every time this discussion comes up and someone gets really irate about it and insistent that whoever doesn't play by their personal play style is wrong, my mind goes back to the bowling alley scene of The Big Lebowski.

The fact that this topic starts with the phrase "Am I the only one who...?" is just icing on the case.

Edited October 1, 2013 by Specialist290

[AlamoVampire]

Am I the only one who doesnt use mechjeb?

I constantly see posts here talking about achievements and then say they are using mechjeb. I personally have never used it and dont want to use it because it takes a challenge from the game. Im proud to say Ive landed on Duna, eve, laythe, mun, minmus, and assembled a huge station in orbit all without mechjeb.

I have nothing against people who use mechjeb. Its just gotten to the point that SO many people are using it, that someone has actually told me I am cheating if I was able to do anything without it...

Your thoughts?

Okay, I am going to be totally honest with you. Using Mechjeb is NOT cheating at all. It is a very useful tool in game, it really really is. It can tell you things that you will not know w/out it. No one ever said you have to use Mechjeb, even I am saying you do not have to. I am saying you should consider it. You paid your 22 bucks or so to play, and play how you feel is right for you. But, I would suggest you get it, just to see what it can offer up. You can fly any mission you wish with the unit on the rocket and use it for data like vessel mass, your vessel's dV, or, your orbital information, especially useful if you want to put something into orbit around Kerbin and have it have exactly a 6h00m00s orbit.

You should be proud of what you have done, as it is not easy, even WITH mechjeb. I have found, and others may back me up on this, that Mechjeb can serve to make things HARDER. I was testing a rocket, a huge 500+ ton Saturn V Apollo style rocket, that even with Mechjeb caused a near Apollo 13 style issue for me, which, turned out to be a blast to try to solve XD

Look, just get MJ, give it a whirl, see what it can actually offer up. BUT, the thing of it is, in YOUR save file, is YOUR game, do as you feel is fit for you, and let no one here say any one way is the proper way.

btw, this is the rocket I mentioned

3 mods on that rocket:

Mechjeb 2.0.9, Novapunch and Procedural Fairings <i forget the versions of those last 2 lol>

[Massive Effect]

Nope, I do not use it also.

[Canopus]

NASA makes they autopilot, so if you really want "realistic gameplay" get kOS instead of MJ

Nasa doesn't make anything. They just fund stuff.

[Monkeh]

I do not use it and won't until I get bored of launching. I do use the engineer redux for building and handy 'how much delta v do I have left' moments in flight, but the 'trying to hit an anomaly on the Mun' side of things, I'm going to work out for myself, all part of the challenge and fun for me.

But seriously, WHO THE HELL CARES!

[AlamoVampire]

I do not use it and won't until I get bored of launching. I do use the engineer redux for building and handy 'how much delta v do I have left' moments in flight, but the 'trying to hit an anomaly on the Mun' side of things, I'm going to work out for myself, all part of the challenge and fun for me.

But seriously, WHO THE HELL CARES!

Mj is for more than launches, it's able to put you right at targeted landing spots like the face on Duna or the Armstrong memorial on the mun.

[Guest]

The skill of a man is not determined by his tools, nor how many he has, but what he does with them.

[John FX]

It amazes me how bothered some people can get over some other people playing a single player currently sandbox only game differently from them.

And since others are talking about it, I mainly use mechjeb for delta-v/TWR calculations and for doing some of the more tedious parts of launches. Launching your first relay satellite by hand is fun, but by the time one reaches launch #30 it starts getting a bit boring.

This seems to be the camp I am in. I have landed on every body in the system by hand and planted a flag. When you have done that, launches get a bit boring and I tend to browse the forum inbetween launch and orbit. My focus these days is craft design and trying to get a stable comms network to Jool. I don`t let MJ dock, I do it much better and only use about 3-10 Mono. I mostly treat it as my mission command and I am the guy with the crew cut. I say, when is our transfer window and `missions command` (mechjeb) says 105 days.

It`s just a tool. It`s also handy for long ion burns just to keep a heading while I go and have coffee.

[John FX]

NASA makes they autopilot, so if you really want "realistic gameplay" get kOS instead of MJ

This I may do. Do you know if it plays well with remotetech?

[wasmic]

I use MechJeb, but mostly for data, delta-V and TWR. I've also used it a bit for precision landings at Kerbin, but I do all my launches and dockings myself. I might use it for ion burns, though. I try to use the autopilot+maneuver planner as little as possible, though. I also fly MechJeb-less missions - it makes the achievement feel bigger.

[Panzerbeard]

I don't use it personally; I enjoy manually performing all the manoeuvres, efficiency be damned. I also try to avoid any mod that changes the way a ship works in such a way that it couldn't operate without it; no modded engines, fuel tanks, etc; the only mods I'm using right now are Kerbal Engineer and Subassembly Manager. I'd use ISA MapSat too, if it actually worked properly.

That being said, I don't get the hate towards MechJeb. Using it kind of eliminates the fun of the game, for me, but I know a lot of people are big into building and find the actual operation of the craft tedious. Which is entirely fine, it's a single-player, non-competitive game, do whatever you like with it.

[AlamoVampire]

I just want to point this fact out again, which you can see for yourselves on the planned features wiki. Squad has stated they are NOT giving us an autopilot feature like mechjeb for the foreseeable future, as in up to and including version one of this game once it has reached it's full retail non alpha or beta version. So anyone who wants autopilot either must get Mechjeb or the kOS, as those will be your only 2 options for a rather long time. That being said, it's your sand box and you can use or not use what you want.

[Hodo]

I still don't see why all the hate towards someone who wants to use "X" mod or "Y" mod. This is like arguing over who is the better kerbanaught Jeb, Bob, or Bill? Who cares, we all play the game, I don't use Mechjeb but I don't use a lot of things, doesn't mean I am right, and everyone else is wrong.

But I also don't use my cruise control in my car for the same reasons. I prefer to do things myself.

[Monkeh]

Mj is for more than launches, it's able to put you right at targeted landing spots like the face on Duna or the Armstrong memorial on the mun.

Yeah, I know, but the challenge of trying to land near enough for a rover to get there is a really nice challenge that I'm trying to beat right now. My MapSat has gotten me a nice plot so now I'll be off to the 7 Mun anomalies it has found.

It will be hard, but we do not do it because it is easy etc.

No doubt after I fail miserably for the 89th time I'll be MJ'ing with my tail between my legs and a tear in my eye. We shall see. I think for me I don't want to make it easy and do 'it all' within a few days. I want this game to last and for that it needs to be a real challenge. But that's just me.

[regex]

Yeah, I know, but the challenge of trying to land near enough for a rover to get there is a really nice challenge that I'm trying to beat right now. My MapSat has gotten me a nice plot so now I'll be off to the 7 Mun anomalies it has found.

It will be hard, but we do not do it because it is easy etc.

No doubt after I fail miserably for the 89th time I'll be MJ'ing with my tail between my legs and a tear in my eye. We shall see. I think for me I don't want to make it easy and do 'it all' within a few days. I want this game to last and for that it needs to be a real challenge. But that's just me.

It's not that hard to land within 2km of your objective piloting manually (and that's a pretty short rover trip, all things considered). I do all of my Duna landing manually (because MechJeb wants 4km/s of delta-V to do it) and I can generally get within that margin even using a craft with parachutes. I don't even bother with braking predictions from MechJeb.

[leax256]

I never said people who use it cant play the game, I personally just dont want to use any mods or mechjeb because it takes a challenge from the game. It just seems the majority of people DO use it.

If the game is for the challenge and mechjeb takes that away, you implied it, even if it was an accident.

Then 0.21 came along, the SAS got messed up, and my ships couldn't hold a heading worth a damn.

Works fine to me

anyway, as of .21 I stopped using mechjeb since the sas works better than before

[regex]

Works fine to me

Cool story.

[Wiracho]

i used mechjeb for a month, but then i started to docking and landing by myself so i stop using it, and the game became a challenge and more interesting (sorry for my english)