N00bHelper

[Whirligig Girl]

There seems to be a trend that I notice about beginners to this game. They almost always, without fail, pick one of the airplane cockpits, usually the Mk3 cockpit first. I think their descriptions should say explicitly (Bold is new, Italics are changed, linethrough is erased):

"The Mk 3 Cockpit is the pinnacle of airframe cockpit technology. In the rare event of a Kerbin-penetrating anomaly, this cockpit will ensure your Kerbals are interred according to health and sanitation guidelines. This cockpit is designed for spaceplanes, NOT for rockets."

"C7 Aerospace is proud to present our second generation cockpit. This unit is equipped to ensure survival in some of the worst conditions possible. The extra re-enforcement has slightly increased the weight. This cockpit is designed for spaceplanes, NOT rockets."

"A next generation inline cockpit. Designed for sleek high speed aircraft, NOT rockets."

Well, really it's only a problem on the Mk3 cockpit, but I think new players miss the point of having separate types of control pods.

Another thing is that the information on how to use fuel tanks is on the FL-T400's description, but the first fuel tank you get in career mode is the FL-T200. The Descriptions should be changed to fix this.

Another thing to add could be R&D tips.

These appear during loading screens and in the VAB and SPH. Here's a few examples:

Struts can help to stabilize wobbly craft.

The aircraft cockpits are designed for spaceplanes, not rockets.

Press [angle snap button] to turn on angle snap for more precise placement of radial parts.

Press [symmetry button] to turn on symmetry. Symmetry is important for rockets. You can have 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 6x, and 8x symmetry.

No part is better than another. They all have their own purposes.

You can see more information about a part if you right click on it in the pallet.

You can tweak parts in the VAB or SPH by right-clicking on it in the editor.

If you are confused, play the tutorials or read the KSP Forums.

If you're flying a crewed vehicle, don't forget the parachute!

Parachutes don't work on The Mun and Minmus. You'll need to slow down using rockets.

Right click on parts during flight to get science.

Kerbals have jetpacks to maneuver around with.

Edited January 30, 2014 by GregroxMun

[Kasuha]

What's the problem with using "plane" cockpits on rockets? It's not like they're not airtight or that they miss any functionality. The only thing that might be a problem is that you can't use axial chute on Mk1 cockpit but that's all.

[Whirligig Girl]

Well, really it's only a problem on the Mk3 cockpit, but I think new players miss the point of having separate types of control pods.

[Canopus]

Well, really it's only a problem on the Mk3 cockpit, but I think new players miss the point of having separate types of control pods.

Gameplay wise there is no point as they all do the same.

And don't call beginners Noobs please.

[Whirligig Girl]

I called them N00bs once as a joke in the title of the page. I thought it sounded catchy. The Mk3 cockpit is off balance and has a totally different base shape. Even so that's only one of three parts of my suggestion.

[regex]

While I agree that the part descriptions could use some work, there is nothing at all wrong with using any cockpit for any job, especially since there is no functional difference between them. New players will eventually figure out the benefits of using one cockpit over another, that's part of both the learning and creative process.

[Superfluous J]

I like the idea of tooltips but not of loading screens. The only purpose of a loading screen is to show you something while the scene loads. Ideally, the scene will load so quickly that you can't read the screen.

Much better would be some sort of in-game help. You hit Alt-F1 and a Kerbal version of Clippy comes up. "I see you're tying to to get to Mun with mainsails and T200 tanks. Can I help you with that?"

[frizzank]

Why not use the Mk 3? The whole point to the game is build what the player wants, sometimes in a crazy and absurd way....

Also there will be a tutorial to take care of most of what you suggest. There is no point cluttering up the descriptions with tutorials.