[1.12] Extraplanetary Launchpads v6.99.3

[DStaal]

One of the mods you've added is MKS.  It changes the required resources for building.

[Fireheart318]

So you know, 1.2.1 is out and the mod is incompatible

[goldenpsp]

35 minutes ago, Fireheart318 said:

So you know, 1.2.1 is out and the mod is incompatible

Have you tried it.  The warning that it "may" be incompatible is just that, a warning.  In most cases it works just fine.  And I'm sure when @taniwha wakes up he will know.

[Fireheart318]

1 minute ago, goldenpsp said:

Have you tried it.  The warning that it "may" be incompatible is just that, a warning.  In most cases it works just fine.  And I'm sure when @taniwha wakes up he will know.

 

It was more of a "better safe than sorry" panic post. I'm checking now

[taniwha]

Oh, don't worry, I know. I'm already in the process of getting 5.2.3 out the door.

[taniwha]

I have released v5.5.3 of Extraplanetary Launchpads.

The only change from 5.5.2 is to update the version check for KSP 1.2.1.

[TomTheTragedy]

3 hours ago, taniwha said:

I have released v5.5.3 of Extraplanetary Launchpads.

The only change from 5.5.2 is to update the version check for KSP 1.2.1.

I am still experiencing issues with the construction parts still asking for MaterialKits and SpecialisedParts rather than Rocket parts in version 1.2.1 using 5.5.3 of EL (p.s. do you have a donate link?)

Edited November 3, 2016 by TomTheTragedy
Added Quote

[goldenpsp]

26 minutes ago, TomTheTragedy said:

I am still experiencing issues with the construction parts still asking for MaterialKits and SpecialisedParts rather than Rocket parts in version 1.2.1 using 5.5.3 of EL (p.s. do you have a donate link?)

Did you read the reply @DStaal above?  Are you using USI's MKS?  If so it changes the requirements from rocketparts to material kits and specialized parts.

[TomTheTragedy]

Oh no i didnt, thanks for the referal to this, it just confused me because it never used to as pre 1.2 update it didn't do this, is there any way to fix it do you know?

1 hour ago, goldenpsp said:

Did you read the reply @DStaal above?  Are you using USI's MKS?  If so it changes the requirements from rocketparts to material kits and specialized parts.

Edited November 3, 2016 by TomTheTragedy
wrong quote

[goldenpsp]

1 hour ago, TomTheTragedy said:

Oh no i didnt, thanks for the referal to this, it just confused me because it never used to as pre 1.2 update it didn't do this, is there any way to fix it do you know?

It actually did.  The change to materialkits has been around for quite awhile.  You can remove the EL_USI.cfg in the MKS folder to set it back to rocketparts, but it isn't exactly a "fix" as MKS has a path to create materialkits not rocketparts.

[TomTheTragedy]

24 minutes ago, goldenpsp said:

It actually did.  The change to materialkits has been around for quite awhile.  You can remove the EL_USI.cfg in the MKS folder to set it back to rocketparts, but it isn't exactly a "fix" as MKS has a path to create materialkits not rocketparts.

I actually deleted it and believe it or not EL is still trying to use material kits to try and build a craft ;-; im just going to delete MKS for now until this problem is fixed i think, thank you for all of the guidance help and support though.

Edited November 3, 2016 by TomTheTragedy
Tested it

[DaniDE]

1 hour ago, TomTheTragedy said:

I actually deleted it and believe it or not EL is still trying to use material kits to try and build a craft ;-; im just going to delete MKS for now until this problem is fixed i think, thank you for all of the guidance help and support though.

Make sure you really deleted the correct thing, then go to the gamedata directory and remove all modulemanager cache files (everything starting with modulemanager *except* the ModuleManager.2.7.2.dll itself). Restart the game, and check in sandbox mode what is required to build rockets from an EL workshop.

[TomTheTragedy]

1 hour ago, DaniDE said:

Make sure you really deleted the correct thing, then go to the gamedata directory and remove all modulemanager cache files (everything starting with modulemanager *except* the ModuleManager.2.7.2.dll itself). Restart the game, and check in sandbox mode what is required to build rockets from an EL workshop.

Okay i will do, thank you so much for the help with this i would have had no idea at all about that if it werent for you DaniDE so thank you a lot  

[Nori]

8 hours ago, taniwha said:

I have released v5.5.3 of Extraplanetary Launchpads.

The only change from 5.5.2 is to update the version check for KSP 1.2.1.

Thanks!

[TheGroovyMule]

Quick question, is there somewhere I could download the last good version for 1.1.3? I think it was 5.4.0, but when I try to download that release via GitHub, I seem to be missing the plugin file.

[Warezcrawler]

1 hour ago, TheGroovyMule said:

Quick question, is there somewhere I could download the last good version for 1.1.3? I think it was 5.4.0, but when I try to download that release via GitHub, I seem to be missing the plugin file.

I have uploaded it for you here.

[ss8913]

On 11/2/2016 at 5:30 AM, Shadriss said:

Appreciate the explanation as it pertains to your build. I note that you list KIS/KAS as required for how you do things, and I can understand why you did. I've tried that mod in the past, and was never able to figure it out either. Maybe I'm dense. Maybe I've never gotten to a stage in the game where I would be able to make use of it. But no matter the cause, I wasn't able to make much use of it.

All that notwithstanding, I think I got what I needed there. Mostly, anyhow. The specific situation I was looking to address is a situation where I want to have a 'shipyard' in orbit, and build and launch larger craft from there as opposed to somehow building them in orbit on site. How would the process you outlined above differ to accomplish this kind of tasking, as opposed to a surface base?

This is very basic, very scaled down, and only addresses one of the EPL use cases, but here we go...

1. install EPL
2. install MKS (you can use EPL without it, but I don't, and I'm writing the post here... main diff is that MKS overrides some of the resources used for building)
3. install KAS and KIS.  This step is 100% required

ok, now that you've got that done; go into VAB and design a sweet base using all the kolonization tools that MKS gives you.  Whole base.  No piece by piece, no skycranes, don't put any engines or RCS on any of it, you don't need it.  Put some KAS CC connector ports on it for pumping stuff into it later.  The EPL build utility window will show you how many MaterialKits and SpecializedParts you need to build this thing.  Write those numbers down.

now build a ship that has Kontainers sufficient to hold the required numbers of each resource from the previous step.  Make sure it also has an EL Survey Station.  Put your two best PILOTS in the survey station and maybe 4-5 well-trained engineers somewhere else in the craft.  Make sure that at least one of the engineer-occupied seats has a seat inventory including a mallet and about 4 survey stakes.

Fly this thing somewhere.  Minmus is easiest since the flats are... flat.

Take your engineer out with the mallet and drive the 4 stakes into the ground in a roughly square pattern.  For best results, set the stake modes to "Y-" (right-click menu) if the ground isn't completely flat.  If you're on minmus you can skip this.  He can now get back into the nice warm ship.

Push the EPL button on the toolbar.  Pick VAB, pick your sweet base, and click Build.  When it's done, click Finalize.  Out pops a fully finished base in the area denoted by the stakes.

Great, right?  Almost; there's no EC or food or water or anything in the base, it is cold, dark, and empty (always is when you build with survey stakes).  This is why I said put some CC connector ports on the thing.  You may need to send a second ship here to pump all the stuff in, charge the batteries, and staff it.  Unless your construction craft is capable of carrying all of that stuff and has some CC connector ports on it as well so that you can hook it up post-build and transfer it all.

 

This is what I primarily use EPL for, and have done so successfully through many versions of this mod.  Building a complex base with a single launch and no skycranes and frustrating ground-docking maneuvers is exactly what I always wanted, and EPL delivers.

 

UPDATE: KIS/KAS is required for the stake-driving functionalilty.  If you want to build in orbit, just use the appropriate parts (the space dock part, or the one from MKS if you're using that).  make sure that the required amt of materialkits and specializedparts are in the station that you're building with; same crew restrictions apply, although in this case you don't need the EL survey station; you'd want like an MKS pioneer module instead.  Push the EL button, push build.  You'll have the ability to transfer resources and crew into the ship before un-docking it, unlike when building with stakes, so you don't need the CC connector ports to fuel/supply it in this case.

Personally however I find it easier and cheaper to launch most things from the ground; then again I'm using KSPIE and a 3.75m or 5.0m antimatter reactor and a thermal engine can lift several thousand tons SSTO, so... if you're not using KSPIE you may be better off building in orbit; or if you ARE using KSPIE but haven't unlocked the end-tech node yet that makes the reactors this powerful.

 

[taniwha]

Turns out I forgot to tweak the KSP version in the thread title (oops).

As for older versions, I believe everything back to 3.5 is available on my server. I have kept the file name convention consistent for every release, so it's easy enough to just grab the current dl url and edit the version number appropriately.

@ss8913: nice writeup, but a couple of points: one pilot in the survey station is enough (the station uses the best pilot available), and any kerbal can plant stakes.

[Shadriss]

10 hours ago, ss8913 said:

-SNIP-

So... you just re-posted exactly the same thing as last time. Minus the Update on the end. OK - given your last paragraph about launching everything from the surface SSTO because of your mod lineup, I understand your perspective. Again, I THINK there's enough there for me to work it out the rest of the way, so thanks. I do have one other question, though, since you mentioned it again.

I get the lack of EC on a newly built ship/facility. You also mention food/water - I assume this only applies if you use a LS mod of some variety?

[taniwha]

16 minutes ago, Shadriss said:

I get the lack of EC on a newly built ship/facility. You also mention food/water - I assume this only applies if you use a LS mod of some variety?

Correct, that applies only if you have an LS mod installed. However, LiquidFuel and Oxidizer (and other resources) won't be loaded, either. SolidFuel and Ablator, on the other hand, will be loaded as they are counted against the actual build cost. That is, all tanks holding transferable resources will be empty.

[ss8913]

4 hours ago, Shadriss said:

So... you just re-posted exactly the same thing as last time. Minus the Update on the end. OK - given your last paragraph about launching everything from the surface SSTO because of your mod lineup, I understand your perspective. Again, I THINK there's enough there for me to work it out the rest of the way, so thanks. I do have one other question, though, since you mentioned it again.

I get the lack of EC on a newly built ship/facility. You also mention food/water - I assume this only applies if you use a LS mod of some variety?

the seeming-repost is due to how these forums work; I pushed REPLY on your reply to my original, and it loaded my original post and let me add to it and then moved the post to the end of the thread.  Seems like that's just something these forums do; I didn't see any option to change the behavior.  Sorry for the confusion!

[taniwha]

You can delete unwanted text from the post. I sometimes get some weird stuff I typed ages ago showing up.

[Agnemon]

Houstan we have a(nother) problem

The space dock is not transfering LF or Oxidiser on release, in fact it drains all the tanks on the host. mono, metal and rocket parts all transfer correctly (this problem also manifests "Ashphalt Tiles landing pads that have been configured as construction pads)

Haven't trie'd the EL Landing pad.

No logs atm sry, will get one tomorrow night if needed (and mod list)

 

Agnemon

[nascarlaser1]

I wonder if @Kottabos has done a review of this mode yet.... (if so, I can't find it lol.)

[taniwha]

23 minutes ago, nascarlaser1 said:

I wonder if @Kottabos has done a review of this mode yet.... (if so, I can't find it lol.)

Some time ago, yes.

49 minutes ago, Agnemon said:

The space dock is not transfering LF or Oxidiser on release, in fact it drains all the tanks on the host. mono, metal and rocket parts all transfer correctly

Did you maybe set the LF and O sliders to 0 by mistake? Or maybe not have any on your station? Logs and maybe even screenshots (or even vid) showing what you're doing might help.