What are the most important things you've learned about playing KSP to pass on?

[RealKerbal3x]

On 7/17/2018 at 8:27 PM, Just Jim said:

Something I don't think I've seen mentioned:

It's just a game!!!

Seriously, I've seen people on here get so worked up when something goes ka-boom you'd think they were about to have a stroke...

KSP is mind-blowing fun, and arguably the best game ever created... but again, remember to have fun... because it's just a game!

That’s actually one of the best bits of advice on this thread. You don’t need to get worked up over a video game.

Edited July 22, 2018 by RealKerbal3x

[sturmhauke]

On 7/22/2018 at 8:25 AM, RealKerbal3x said:

That’s actually one of the best bits of advice on this thread. You don’t need to get worked up over a video game.

[Tricky14]

"Why not?"

[tsmx]

1. Research MPL as soon as possible if you don't want your research process to become a huge PITA after you get close to more expensive technologies.
2. You can use physical time warp in space too.

[NorthernDevo]

I can offer one I just discovered. Aligning for re-entry with arrival at KSC can be a pain; it's lovely to come in on a perfectly equatorial orbit and drop (ideally) right on top of the Space Center. Up until now, I've used debris or rescue ships in orbit to target and match planes with; more recently I've been launching an "Orbital Alignment Probe" to use as a target.

All unnecessary. In yet another facepalm moment, I realized there's already the perfect target in an equatorial orbit: The Mun.

For cheap, easy alignment with KSC try this: While returning from the Mun or Minmus, or if just in a non-equatorial orbit, target the Mun, and match planes with it. You can do it FAR outside the Mun's orbit (if coming in from Minmus) for a low-cost (in fuel terms) plane change. One of those things I catch myself saying "Doh! Why didn't I think of that before!"

My recipe for aerobraking: 

Aerobraking is critical for a safe, economical return to Kerbin. Assuming a basic vessel using a command pod, I find these numbers to work well: Following plane change, burn retrograde until your Kerbin Pe is 37.4k. The engine - either a poodle, a terrier or any of the smaller engines - can handle that much heating with ease and if returning from the Mun, you'll top out with an Ap of about 150k. When you reach Ap, raise your Pe to 100, then circularize at Pe. You ought to be in a perfect alignment for a very accurate landing at KSC. 

At the East coast the second continent West of KSC (Picture provided - about 90 degrees West) burn until a Pe of -145.4 then detach your engine while Retrograde. You'll plop right down on top of the center.

Right here - if you're using KER, burn the moment the 'biome' heading changes from 'Deserts' to 'Shores'.

Obviously,  these numbers work for my design; yours (speaking specifically to new players here) will behave slightly differently depending on weight and drag - but you'll be very close.  With subsequent flights, fine-tune your own numbers until you can step out onto the KSC grounds every time.

Hope this helps!

 

[MSA]

REMEMBER PARACHUTES!

[donpaul0110]

• Shift-clicking any part of the ship will select the entire ship. No more hunting for the root part!

• Alt-clicking copies that particular part and everything attached to it

• In the VAB, holding Shift while scrolling the mouse wheel zooms your view in and out, rather than moving up and down. Holding middle mouse also does this.

[Reinhart Mk.1]

Getting an encounter>focus planet>edit the flight path so it's already pretty much circularized

saved me so much dV, before i'd literally get an encounter, skip to encounter, then burn retro for like idk 13 minutes depending on the planet

[Ratwerke_Actual]

Tylo is a very big hammer to have in your Jool toolkit.

Once you are en route to Jool, a small mid course burn to encounter Tylo at the right point can reduce your Jool capture Δv requirements immensely.

A couple of times, when I wasn't paying attention to conic markers direction, I got retrograde Jool orbits with no capture burn at all.

 

[sturmhauke]

1 hour ago, Ratwerke_Actual said:

Tylo is a very big hammer to have in your Jool toolkit.

Once you are en route to Jool, a small mid course burn to encounter Tylo at the right point can reduce your Jool capture Δv requirements immensely.

A couple of times, when I wasn't paying attention to conic markers direction, I got retrograde Jool orbits with no capture burn at all.

 

True story. One time I even got a nice capture in Laythe orbit for free after braking at Tylo.

[Mikenike]

On 1/27/2014 at 1:12 PM, capi3101 said:

When you can think of a better way, screw the rules.

 

[Lein Armweek]

If you are on console Ps4. If u press and hold r1, you can press L2 and L3 to translate without needing to change to docking mode. If you also install side thrusters u can move upwarth /downwarth with out changing pitch. Makes docking easy. 

Also if on console and u really hardcore into math. U should check Mike Aben YouTube. He show how to do all calculation  by hand. Or you can hook me up and I have a spreadsheet that does it for u. 

[Jarmo]

Planes

• Making aeroplanes  that fly well and you can land with to make those “gather data” missions is hard.  Slapping a bunch of parachutes to make the plane vertical landing capable is easy.  Then just taxi around to collect the science. EVA to repack chutes if you need to repeat.
• When you EVA off the plane, retract landing gear first. Makes it much easier to climb back. They are good gear, they re-extend and lift the whole plane easy.
• Making planes that land well is actually not hard. Just make sure the mass, lift and  thrust are in line, mass slightly ahead of centre of lift.  And have airbrakes and better landing gear.

You can upgrade the space center buildings!

Noticed it about a month into the game. Made everything a whole lot easier. I assumed the improved capabilities are hidden somewhere in the vast and imposing tech tree.

Kerbals have Jetpacks!

• You just need to R to use them. Noticed this many days after witnessing my first space EVA kerbal slowly drifting away from the rocket. Again, thought they’d come up in tech tree somewhere after ladders and tether coils.
• Jetpacks have up/down thrust too!
• Noticed this well after my first successful space rescue mission. That was a hard one to pull through and took many attempts, about 1km float without vertical control.

There are maneuver nodes.  

Having known that earlier would have made my first mun trip a lot easier.
 

Airstream Protective shells are awesome.

But the attached payload, is actually attached. Should remember to add separators in there.

[Flying dutchman]

Don't try to use parachutes on the mun.

But on a serious note. Don't compare your own achievements to those who have played this game for a long time (scott manley bradley whistance etc)

[Dr. Omicron]

Install MechJeb2

[Ron Devu]

Docking tips

 

If you have a three star pilot, docking is much easier. You can turn on SAS, and tell the pilot to point at the target, turn on the RCS, and use the capslock key to enter fine control mode. Normally this would be disastrous, because your RCS thrusters are usually not perfectly aligned with your center of mass, and when you use RCS it tends to add rotation which the RCS system detects and corrects with large burns that wreck your approach.

But if you are in fine control mode, these troubles can all be avoided by using short taps on the controls. You still get rotations, but they are so small that the reaction wheels correct them before the RCS system triggers. That makes it really easy to line up all three markers on the navball. When that happens, you know you are on target approaching in a straight line. The only other requirement is that you start from roughly the correct position so that as you travel in the ports will meet more or less squarely. which is a pretty loose requirement.

If you blow a docking attempt, go to 5x warp and back to normal speed. This will kill rotation on both you and your target. It only takes a moment, and avoids that awful scenario where you are trying to dock and the target is rotating slowly enough that you can't see it.

Some odd things can happen while docking. Check to be sure you and your target have the same size of docking port. You might even want to check the both you and your target do have docking ports installed!  Retract solar panels and radiators and antennas before docking, because they can easily get sheared off if the approach goes wrong. Lastly, beware parts that are installed close to either docking port. They can prevent the ports from meeting at all.

[pakuras]

Even if your pilot isn't very experienced you can make your life easier by designing the docking vehicle carefully. if RCS boosters are placed in equal distance from COM, it should keep the direction when using i,j,k,l. But fuel COM should also be on dry mass COM for this to work (which is a must on spaceplanes and shuttles anyway)

Most important thing i learned plaing KSP was "never underestimate those small engines". During my first walkthrough i focused only on big engines and NERV, and unlocked precision propulsion as the last node in my tech tree After learning how useful ants, spiders and sparks are, I started whole new career and begun to send bazyllion 6k$ probes everywhere. Also solid boosters are extremaly viable for light payload. Just sent 2 tourists to Minmus surface and back using those 3 biggest solid boosters in my ascent stage and then stage with one rellant to catch orbit. Rest was done with terrier

[Jexpler]

Practice is really important. The first time you orbit Kerbin it's gonna be really inefficient. But after doing it enough, you'll eventually know when to do your orbital turns, etc.

[GDJ]

1 hour ago, Jexpler said:

Practice is really important. The first time you orbit Kerbin it's gonna be really inefficient. But after doing it enough, you'll eventually know when to do your orbital turns, etc.

THIS. 

[frizzank]

[Vakarian]

The biggest lesson KSP has taught me is that I need to rethink everything I do. My vision isnt always the best way. Adapt and improve. Keep trying and eventually Ill succeed.

 

I started my second playthrough a few weeks ago and remembering the intens struggle I had half a year ago I now coast through the first part of the game quite nicely. This means I actually learned stuff. Thank you KSP.

[kithylin]

I just recently a few days ago (Even after about 900 hours playing the game) suddenly learned from a friend that "Combinable" on antennas means you can combine multiple antennas on the same craft/ship and it will improve your reception and range when flying and also works for deploying relays. I thought all this time that "Combinable" just meant you can "chain together" multiple different relays/ships. 

[RoninFrog]

Learn how to use RCS.  It is very useful when navigating past LKO.  I did land on the Mun with 3 kerbals back when I didn't even know what it was, but it used too much fuel and R.I.P. kerbals on re-entry.  It saves fuel, makes navigating easier, and makes maneuver nodes a whole lot more accurate.  Also, it saves time making really slow turns with throttle at almost 0.

[Reinhart Mk.1]

With SSTO's it's much better to fly flat and let your speed build to let the drag naturally push you upwards and then about halfway just keep it locked on prograde. This really might just be advice for craft that have a low thrust to weight ration but I thought I'd add this because it seems counterintuitive but it actually makes sense when you go this route

[Vakarian]

On 7/28/2019 at 10:45 PM, kithylin said:

I just recently a few days ago (Even after about 900 hours playing the game) suddenly learned from a friend that "Combinable" on antennas means you can combine multiple antennas on the same craft/ship and it will improve your reception and range when flying and also works for deploying relays. I thought all this time that "Combinable" just meant you can "chain together" multiple different relays/ships. 

wait, what?