What to do while waiting for phase angles?

[Sundancer]

Hello.

I'm in career mode and I've done pretty much all I can in Kerbin's SOI. To that end I've got two ships in a 100km parking orbit, one destined for Eve and one for Duna. However, having looked up the optimal phase angles it's clear that I'm not in luck. Eve is around 30degrees ahead of Kerbin, and Duna is around 100degrees ahead. I think waiting for them to align correctly is my best course of action since there is every chance my ships won't make it, even in a best case scenario.

IIRC they've got around 5/6000dV as they sit now. According to what I've read, that should be enough. But I'm terrible at this game so it probably won't be

What would you recommend doing while I wait for them to line up?

I'm going to be sending more missions to the Mun (maybe use a rover to cut down on how many) to pick up the science I've missed there, as well as refining both my Mun and Minmus rockets (read: practicing how to get there and back reliably).

I'll also try and learn how to rendezvous and dock now that I have the parts. But all of this will only be ~7 in-game days.

It would be nice to avoid time-warping too much, but it looks like that's what I'll have to do.

As a sidenote, does anyone know if Kerbal Alarm Clock works in career mode?

[allmhuran]

I just put another craft on the launchpad (anything will do) and switch to it via map view so I can go to maximum warp, then switch back.

[lajoswinkler]

You can get some candy and eat it.

[MrPopcup]

If I was you I would do this ( though I did it back in .21 )!:

Make a new, smaller launch system capable of lifting the same craft that you want to send.

Make a cool rovers.

Have fun in planes.

Killing kerbals ?

[Sundancer]

So it looks like I'm going to buy to some sweets and screw around Kerbin! Excellent.

MrPopcup, your first suggestion is one that strikes a chord with me. I've been trying to make my craft smaller and more efficient, but I always seem to run into trouble. My new method is doing "simulated" (revert to launch/assembly) launches a few times to test new designs. I'd never have tried this if I hadn't been interrupted mid launch for my Eve craft.

The original launch went horribly. On releasing the first stage the ship lost around 25m/s in vertical velocity, which clearly means the design isn't utilising the first stage to it's full advantage since the second stage then has to build that speed back up again (burning more fuel). After I got back to try again, it made orbit flawlessly.

There's so much to bear in mind whilst playing this game... It's awesome.

Having fun in planes is a favourite of mine already It's just a shame how the aerodynamics model is compared to FAR. In stock (my career install) I have to be really careful how I fly my aerobatics plane to avoid random flailing and then crashing. Yet with FAR I can consistently push that same design to the very limits of what it can do, and quite often beyond with no real issues. Heck, I can do a pseudo-Mig style maneuver with it and come out fine. But if I install FAR for launching rockets, they invariably end up burning six high powered rocket motors directly towards Kerbin once I begin the grav turn (and I do them smoothly as a matter of course, trying to stay within the pro-grade marker). I'll stick with my stock install until I can achieve circular orbits and/or Mun and Minmus flights with my eyes closed. Once that's done then it's time to ramp up the difficulty and try career again.

You make a valid point with the rovers though. I ought to build one so I can start building a lifter around it. The issue I face with this though is the fact that building them in the VAB is a pain. I've built multiple in the SPH for messing around on Kerbin, but to attach them to a rocket they need to be in the VAB, which requires raging at the symmetry system for a few hours.

Edit: Although, do the subassemblies carry over from one building to the other? If they do then I'm a happy camper.

[Panzerbeard]

Edit: Although, do the subassemblies carry over from one building to the other? If they do then I'm a happy camper.

They do, I think that was one of the advertised features of the subassemblies, the fact that you can attach rovers or spaceplanes to rockets without the usual hassle.

Edited October 19, 2013 by Panzerbeard