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

[Hotel26]

There are two things I don't like.

1. The first thing I don't like is clutter.  For a long time, I cursed KSP because occasionally when I returned to the Tracking View, it would light up ALL the various craft types by default and show LOTS of clutter, especially relays buzzing everywhere.

I would turn them all off except the type I was particularly looking for.  Occasionally, when exiting the Tracking View (via the exit door) rather than e.g. switching to a ship, I would turn off that last type selection I had lit, so that everything was clean & tidy for the next use.

Well, that was the problem: KSP figures it is useless (and perhaps confusing) to have no types lit, so it helpfully? then lights them all for you.  Curses, KSP!! 

So now I just leave something like EVAs lit, because there are very few of those in progress.

2. The second thing I don't like is programs that make "useful assumptions and then (silently) take unilateral actions" -- such as the above.  Double curses, KSP!! 

I was indeed very happy when I solved this mystery, though.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Hotel26

[Jacob Kerman]

IF IT LOOKS STUPID, DO IT

 

[Kimera Industries]

My basic advice?

1. Enable "advanced tweakables." Autostrut will save your life. (Stick with 'heaviest part')
2. It also lets you split maneuver burn times 50-50 on either side of the maneuver, making them more accurate.
3. Speaking of maneuvers, the green double arrow on the left of the maneuver dv indicator lets you warp to just 1 minute before burn time. Works great for me so far, saves time trying to warp to it manually.
4. Don't overcomplicate things. Set a goal for your design, and meet that goal. Don't try to upgrade and go bigger and farther. You will end up biting more than you can chew and the project will fail. If you want more capability, start fresh. 
5. SSTOs- it takes a long time to get them to work. You will not get them right away. It will take you a long time. A very long time. Just because Matt Lowne threw together something in 3 minutes does not mean you can too.
6. Practice! Don't be afraid of failure. Use quicksaves, specifically Alt+f5 and Alt+f9. These let you use named quicksaves that you can load at will.
7. Revert the flight if you can't fix it. This can avoid kerbal deaths or fatal mistakes.

If I had known these things when I started playing KSP, I would have started a lot better. I hope these help someone else too!

[nrum7366]

I use Kerbalism (Kerbals need oxygen, food, heat and room with malfunctions and failures) KCT and lots of mods like that. I always play with the rule - No quicksaves and loads. If a Kerbal dies - it's due to my poor planning. 

1. Plan ahead - Send fuel dumps ahead of yourself. If you do use a bit too much fuel and don't have enough to get back. Go to a fuel dump and refuel or resupply.......(Just an idea for movie 'The Martian', Matt Damon would have walked a few miles away to the backup pods and grabbed more food) - if planned the thing. 

2. Size up - Don't build a big probe if you don't need to, you waste fuel and money, stop bolting on extra parts for sake of it, want to do a scan of a planet? do just that, don't bolt on a mystery goo when you have already done the experiment. 

3. Relays - Nothing worse than losing control of your probe or satellite, build a relay system. 

4. Backup plan - Have a rescue vehicle built ready to go (I use KCT). especially if you have part failures with Kerbalism If there was a backup ship in orbit of the moon then Apollo 13 would have been a lot less eventful. 

5. TEST TEST TEST, if you are flying a new manned vehicle - test it first unmanned, have a abort plan. Don't know how a part works or might work in space or on a planet, test it before you commit kerbals. 

 

 

Edited June 10 by nrum7366

[nrum7366]

56 minutes ago, nrum7366 said:

I use Kerbalism (Kerbals need oxygen, food, heat and room with malfunctions and failures) KCT and lots of mods like that. I always play with the rule - No quicksaves and loads. If a Kerbal dies - it's due to my poor planning. 

1. Plan ahead - Send fuel dumps ahead of yourself. If you do use a bit too much fuel and don't have enough to get back. Go to a fuel dump and refuel or resupply.......(Just an idea for movie 'The Martian', Matt Damon would have walked a few miles away to the backup pods and grabbed more food) - if planned the thing. 

2. Size up - Don't build a big probe if you don't need to, you waste fuel and money, stop bolting on extra parts for sake of it, want to do a scan of a planet? do just that, don't bolt on a mystery goo when you have already done the experiment. 

3. Relays - Nothing worse than losing control of your probe or satellite, build a relay system. 

4. Backup plan - Have a rescue vehicle built ready to go (I use KCT). especially if you have part failures with Kerbalism If there was a backup ship in orbit of the moon then Apollo 13 would have been a lot less eventful. 

5. TEST TEST TEST, if you are flying a new manned vehicle - test it first unmanned, have a abort plan. Don't know how a part works or might work in space or on a planet, test it before you commit kerbals. 

 

 

Also DO NOT jump or fly into the side of your rocket in a low g environment ie on the mun and tip over side rocket

[Kimera Industries]

Probes use electricity. Either pack a lot of batteries or solar panels, but I've spent a lot of time wondering why I can't control my probe when it has full comnet because the battery died. Also, don't forget to deploy your solar panels in the first place.

[nrum7366]

7 hours ago, Kimera Industries said:

Probes use electricity. Either pack a lot of batteries or solar panels, but I've spent a lot of time wondering why I can't control my probe when it has full comnet because the battery died. Also, don't forget to deploy your solar panels in the first place.

Agree with that, I now setup all my deployables with a button, I use 1. I have all my solar panels, antennas, science etc after orbit. (depending on the design) and use 2 and 3 if there are more stages. 

[GluttonyReaper]

On a related note, probes also need a Comnet connection to have full throttle control. This is especially true when trying to land for the first time on the Mun - as tempting as it is to get try and hit that sweet spot where Kerbin is right above the horizon as you touch down on the Munar surface, your probe is almost definitely going to plough into the ground at full speed if your overshoot slightly and the planet drops out of sight. Unless you're smart enough to set up a relay first, I guess...

[nrum7366]

On 6/13/2024 at 11:21 AM, GluttonyReaper said:

On a related note, probes also need a Comnet connection to have full throttle control. This is especially true when trying to land for the first time on the Mun - as tempting as it is to get try and hit that sweet spot where Kerbin is right above the horizon as you touch down on the Munar surface, your probe is almost definitely going to plough into the ground at full speed if your overshoot slightly and the planet drops out of sight. Unless you're smart enough to set up a relay first, I guess...

Yeh but if you do it apollo style then the craft that is still in orbit is your relay. 

[umbra humanus]

Rendevous and docking are easier then they seem.