1st Day In KSP - What Am I Doing Wrong

[Taki117]

Start simple. Here's a pic of my first rocket ever.

Also, deploy your chute super early!

This was taken about 15km:

And finally, don't time warp when your chute opens!

Taken at about 500m:

When your rocket hits the water you will lose it, but that's no big deal, point your hatch up, do an EVA, take a sample, do a report, and recover.

[Guest LTrotsky]

what are your settings, most importantly your MaxPhysics Delta-time.

Thanks.

Physics Delta-Time per frame 0.05 (I am a physics nut - thinking my quad 4 1900 Mhz processors can handle it)

Graphics are somewhat tweaked down

terrain detail : default

sm3 : off

terrain scatters : off

render quality : fast

texture quality : 1/4

fallback shaders : off

aerodynamic quality : low

anti-aliasing : off

VSync : every second vblank

frame limit : 60fps (yeah, I'm not close)

pixel/shadow : 2nd lowest settings.

So I really can't understand the low fps when over a planet. The fps in other areas is okay, but not great. The GPU is AMD Radeon HD 7640G (about a year ago that was market average).

[Depth]

Taken at about 500m:

Very cool eclipse in the background. Did it go dark?

[Taki117]

not that I noticed, but my ship in orbit couldn't use solar panels. Thank god for lots of batteries.

[SRV Ron]

Good stuff that has gone into my library Unfortunately I don't have the translation thrusters or the solar panels. I did send an unmanned probe to the Mun, without translation landing was difficult. For me, impossible.

Getting those is the next step.

For the first Mun mission, just get into orbit and return. Only when you unlock additional tech should you build a lander with the full intent of returning Jeb back to Kerbal alive.

Question : If a strut connects one stage to another, which one of your vessels does, the decoupling force will blow it off?

Decouplers sever all strut connections automatically. So having struts between stages can greatly affect stability with no ill effects to separation.

Comment : I've had difficulty with the asparagus clusters and using radial decouplers, in symmetry mode. I seem to not be able to build a sub-assembly consisting of one part of a larger stage, and then use those sub-assemblies to build out the whole stage. Your "Lander Probe 3" seems to have accomplished what I yet can't - did you build out that radially clustered stage manually or use subassys?

You have to build the asparagus in pairs. Just use the Alt left click to select a sub assembly from a section of the ship and set it aside. In my design, it was the core first stage. Next, place a pair of radical decouplers using symmetry mode for two parts. Then, select the set aside core stage and place on the decoupler. Replace the existing LV-45 engine with LV-30 since the center engine is all that is needed for steering. Now place a fuel line and braces while still using 2X symmetry. Add launch stablizers. Check the staging at this time and arrange in order.

Next, select a radical decoupler with Alt left click. That will make a copy of everything attached to it. Place it next to the existing radical decoupler, then move the fuel line to go into the first pair of radical mounted boosters. Arrange staging to the proper order. Do the selection again a third and fourth time if desired. Just make sure staging is in the correct order.

Refer to the posted screenshot to the order of this three asparagus pair staged probe rocket. Note, the same design will work as well for the manned capsule as well

Edited October 25, 2013 by SRV Ron

[SRV Ron]

Until you get solar panels, don't do any transmissions. Turn off SAS when not needed for stability. Your Manned capsule will have ample power left for return flight when needed.

For probes, you will need solar panels and extra batteries for transmitting data.

[Person012345]

Nah, the career mode is the tutorial. Stick with it! Can you post a picture of this rocket you've got that loses its chute every time? Are you speeding up time during the fall down when the chute rips off? Let's see the picture, we can advise you from there.

Also, welcome aboard!

This is false. The career mode would make an awful tutorial in it's current state. Play sandbox first.

[Guest LTrotsky]

This is false. The career mode would make an awful tutorial in it's current state. Play sandbox first.

True. However, some like the challenge of discovering tech, not knowing what's coming down the road, and building the best you can with what you've got as a result of your research. That style of play is of particular interest to some, and there should be a tutorial for it in KSP - as the career mode now makes this style viable.