general noob help with KSP

[ngforever1989]

Alright, been browsing the site for a while, playing KSP mostly for kicks. So far i've fallen in love, but omg im lost. I downloaded KSP Intersteller (gotta get the update as well) and im rather lost as to what I can and should do. I've tried building things to help me mine, but it all just seems to be crap. Im terrible at this. My biggest problem is, while playing this game, im actually lost as to what im going to need. I seem to overpack my ships with a lot of junk of which im not even sure what they do. Like the mining station hub thing, no idea how to use it, how I am supposed to build it into a structure, and what it would need to function properly. Im looking for KSP ship and station builds, and also pointers on how to make my ugly mess of ships and crappy stations more efficient and some major help with the parts.

A good skype session I feel is needed, because this game is complex. I'm asking for help here folks, I work full time and on my off time i tend to lose a day or two to this game, but it always turns out to be a day of playing and failing. Most of the time I get frustrated because I can't build anything functional and just restart fresh. Im also at a loss as to how to get science in the career mode without taking months of real time. Oh, and im totally looking for star trek ships. Just for phone tho, i'd like to build things inside these great ships and wonder the solar system lol.

[SRV Ron]

You should start out with simple designs as you build up your experience.

Example first couple of missions in Career;

In Career Mode, your objective is to build rockets with the limited resources you have available and conduct missions to earn Science Points. With those Science Points, you can then spend them to unlock better parts which will allow you to build better rockets for earning more Science Points. Those Science Points are used to unlock your Tech Tree which will allow you some flexibility of where to spend your Science Points to further your space program.

Tier Zero starts you out with some very basic parts. Because the decoupler has not been invented yet, you will be very limited on what you can build to land safely. Therefore, I recommend the following mission, Place a MK-1 Command Pod on the launch pad.

With only the command pod on the launch pad, do the following;

1. Conduct a Crew Report.

2. EVA Jeb and do an EVA report.

3. Take a soil sample on the launch pad.

4. Return to the capsule and enter it.

5. Recover the capsule.

This simple mission should net you some 12 Science Points which will enable you to unlock Tier 1 Parts so you can build a proper suborbital rocket for your next mission.

Now, go to the Research Lab and spend some Science Points to unlock Tier one parts. This will give you a decoupler to separate the capsule from the spent rocket, Goo canasters for some simple research, and a bigger fuel tank.

Your second mission; build a suborbital rocket;

Using the MK-1 capsule, add the following;

1. Place a parachute on the top

2. Using symmetry mode, place 2 Goo canisters on the side of the capsule. Be sure that the crew hatch is clear or Jeb won't be able to exit to do an EVA.

3. Place a decoupler under the capsule.

4. Place a stack of three FL-T400 fuel cans under the decoupler

5. place the LV-30 engine under that.

Do the mission as follows;

1. Press T to activate automatic stabilization for launch.

2. Hold the shift key down until the throttle indicator reads full.

3. When ready, press the Space key to launch.

4. Start a sub orbital turn at about 10,000 meters by pressing the D key and releasing it several times. It may help to press the F key to temporary turn off stabilization while making the turn. Practice will prefect what would be called a Gravity Turn.

5. If you find that the G meter is getting out of the green throttle back with the Ctrl key until it comes back. Too much acceleration in the lower atmosphere causes excessive drag and waste fuel.

6. Stage the rocket when it runs out of fuel and shuts down.

7. Now, activate one of the Goo canisters and save the report.

8. When you are in space, you will hear the music playing, do a Crew Report, activate and save the data on the second Goo canister, do an EVA but don't let go, do an EVA report, and return to the capsule.

9. Turn off the stabilization by pressing the T key before reentering the atmosphere. The capsule will stabilize bottom down for reentry.

10. When reentry heating and shock wave effect has completed and your speed has dropped below 500m/sec, hit the spacebar to deploy the parachute. It will deploy into drogue mode, then at 500 meters from the surface, deploy fully.

11. When you land, either in the water or on land, do an EVA, take a soil sample, and return to the capsule. If you are unable to reenter, don't worry.

12. Recover the capsule or Jeb.

13. If the capsule couldn't be recovered because Jeb was outside, go to the Flight Center and recover the capsule from there.

Go to the Research center with the 50 Science Points you have just earned and unlock all the Tier 2 parts. You can now build a multistage rocket to place you into orbit, go to Mun or Minmus, return, and get enough Science Points to start unlocking Tier 3 Parts. Do multiple missions in different biomes of those three places to unlock a ton of Science Points. Enjoy.

A sample suborbital from tier one parts.

As you gain experience, you can go for bigger and more complex missions.

If you just want to play with flying, there are mods where you can fly the Star trek Enterprise or Dr Who's Tardis. Really, just take your time and learn what works and what doesn't.

[ngforever1989]

I thank u for the response, but it's entirely unhelpful. I'm already of the basics, I'm talking advanced building and how to utilize wat the KSP interstellar mod offers. I've played career mode plenty but it seems you misunderstood my question. In the new limited science model where u can reuse modules without the science pod. Additionally u pointed out the textbook info the game gives, which wasn't helpful at all for anything advanced. I can't learn to use KSP components without knowing how they work. I literally am asking someone who's kind enough to have a chat. A.... hmmm... let's call it a tutoring if u will. I've read plenty, but I'm the kind of guy who learns better by demonstrations and direct Q&A. In the least I'm asking for KSP interstellar compatible ship files. Maybe something rigs, launchers, warp ships, long range ships, ect. It's so bad I don't even know how to properly utilize the science module that comes in the interstellar mod( not the new vanilla one). I do thank you for taking the time to answer, but it didn't rly address my issues. It is helpful to grind out what I'm seeking into some more words. I've been playing for months btw, I can fly, build ships for the kerban system, anything advanced like plasma thrusters, when, where, and how do I use reactors and generators, and some is the examples I've stated before. I apologize for any typos, on mobile.

[capi3101]

The Historical Missions tutorials on the wiki are a bit dated now, but still valid teaching tools. Rocket and Probe Design is slightly less useful, but the Cheat Sheet, Basic Rocket Design and Intermediate Rocket Design tutorials are useful (if, once again, somewhat dated).

And if you still have problems, there's always The Drawing Board, which is probably somewhat more up to date and covers a broader range of topics.

Note that my suggestions assume you're playing Sandbox. I'm not sure which mode is more useful for learning the game, Career or Sandbox. I'd guess Career, as it forces you to learn how to do things with less useful equipment. On the other hand, most tutorials I've come across assume Sandbox (seeing as how Career has only been around for all of two versions now).

[Taki117]

I think Career is much more useful as far as learning what things do. It presents a very small number of parts and doesn't expect you to get very far very fast. As you do SCIENCE! and gain experience you unlock bigger and better parts to make your rockets really fly. If you want to skype me feel free, I'm on most of the time, though I'm not always available to talk.

[Monger]

I downloaded KSP Intersteller (gotta get the update as well) and im rather lost as to what I can and should do.

Yeah, well, maybe jumping immediately to mods is a bit heavy. Only use them once you feel comfortable with the main game. If you already feel lost there, you shouldn't add content.

Also, mods usually are not that well documented and balanced. They are meant for players who want to achieve something they weren't able to do with the main game, and need extensions for that. If you need support for a specific mod, you should try to contact the creator of this mod.

Most of the time I get frustrated because I can't build anything functional and just restart fresh

You need not only to fail, but actually learn from failure. This can easily get out of hand in KSP, because if every ship design is completely different, you have no point of reference, and every launch is like the first one.

Career mode is great for this, because it limits the part catalogue, so you have a little time to get accustomed to each of them.

Make small variations of the same vessel, and try to test each of them for multiple criterias. For example: when I first landed on the Mun, my lander often jumped from the surface and landed on its side. Or the main throttle got damaged, or I either got too much thrust or too little etc. .

So I started creating a lander for Kerbin: just lift from the launch pad a few metres, and try to land again. Make small changes to your craft, and see if your rate of failure drops.

From these tests I learned that it is safer if my lander is more wide than high, i.e. I need to spread the landing legs further apart. Also, it helped me to understand how much lift I need (if it suffices on Kerbin, it will suffice on any moon), how important symmetry is, and that some thrusters are better for gimballing than others.

If you are satisfied with your design, try to rebuild it so it works as modular assembly. Do this for each stage separately, and compose them later.

Smaller is usually better. You can actually reach space with ten parts or less within one stage, and you can achieve orbit quite comfortably with 40 parts. Despite popular belief: just adding "moar boosters" won't create good spaceships.

[DrMonte]

Play career mode and don't forget to go to Minmus not the Mun as your first landing spot! It's literally x10 times easier.

[ngforever1989]

I added interstellar mostly for the possibilities. Such as mining and such. And after my failed attempt to manually o to another planet. ( orbited the sun for ages waiting for a chance to transfer).I actually never thought of just going to minimus first. It makes sense, I've been there and it's super easy to and take off. I'm a mod guy, I mod just about every pc game and have, so it's a habit lol. Jumping into that in such a complicated game does seem to have complicated things more. My mistake usually is like I said, overclocking. I never know how many batteries I should bring, how many panels, and of course fuel. Mechjeb has been my savior so far. I can actually transfer without wasting fuel on a failed attempt. I've seen the enterprise on here( and used it) but i can't attach anything to it. Not even he nodes or attachment points will build on it. What's a good method of getting science now that u need a science module to repeat experiments?

[Kerba Fett]

For info on using a specific mod I've always had better luck going to that mods topic on the addon release forum. Half of the people on this forum have probably never heard of that mod.

I've looked at it, and it seems interesting, but haven't tried it yet myself so I can't be much help to you.

[ngforever1989]

I could go to there forums, if they have one. But I'm sure more ppl have heard of it than u think since (I forget his name) did a bunch of highly rated YouTube videos on YouTube with it and garnered a lot of attention to the game.I came here mostly for a broader base of ppl

[Gunso]

i have some free time, just dont asks me the math behind it tho

just give me your skype name, i'll try to help as much as i can based on what i know

[Gunso]

You are talking about this mod right? http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/43839-0-23-KSP-Interstellar-%28Thermal-Helper-Solar-Sail-Impactors-Fusion%29-Version-0-10-3

i havent tried it yet, but from the few pages that i read. You use the warp engine to travel to other planet, but to circularize and land you will use normal fuel that use DV all the way to landing.

I can assist you through skype but i havent tried this mod yet, just give me ur skype name if you are still interested

[KerikBalm]

I wonder if KSP is the game for this guy.... Maybe I'm going to be too harsh and some of this is due to language problems (asssuming English is not his first language)

He complains "Im also at a loss as to how to get science in the career mode without taking months of real time", then when someone starts to explain, he says "I've played career mode plenty but it seems you misunderstood my question. In the new limited science model where u can reuse modules without the science pod." - uhhh, sentence fragment much?

but mainly, this statements seem to jump out at me:

"im totally looking for star trek ships" - star trek ships are incredibly unrealistic, and this mod you've installed is definitely going OPd with this warp drive KSP is a realistic spaceflight simulator.

"I can't learn to use KSP components without knowing how they work."

You're really saying you cant learn to use Interstellar mod components... they aren't KSP stock components.

"I added interstellar mostly for the possibilities. Such as mining and such"

Maybe you should consider the Kethane mod instead.

"after my failed attempt to manually o to another planet. ( orbited the sun for ages waiting for a chance to transfer).I actually never thought of just going to minimus first."

Maybe you should learn how to do an interplanetary mission in stock KSP before trying to get there with a ship made of parts that you don't know what they do.

It should have been pretty obvious to go to minmus to collect science before going to say... duna or wherever you were going.

It sounds like you don't think things through much, and then you're frustrated when they fail.

KSP requires forethought.

[m4rt14n]

Or a lot of free time...

Actually his title is kind of misleading in itself by asking for general help; instead he's asking about interstellar mods.

[Claw]

Also, this thread is nearly three weeks old. It isn't nice to necro a thread then make a poke at the OP.

[m4rt14n]

Well the OP posted as early as yesterday. Would love to help anyways, but sadly have no idea about interstellar mod.

Edited February 21, 2014 by m4rt14n

[rkman]

1. Conduct a Crew Report.

2. EVA Jeb and do an EVA report while staying on the ladder (counts as "flying over Kerbin").

2b. Enter the capsule, transmit the EVA report.

2c. EVA Jeb, step off the ladder and do an EVA report.

3. Take a soil sample on the launch pad.

4. Return to the capsule and enter it.

5. Recover the capsule.

[Wooks]

I concur with the general advice: uninstall mods and give the game a spin for a couple weeks just vanilla, set yourself basic goals and then progress to more complicated stuff. Don´t try to go to Jool before going to the Mun

Try to send a craft to orbit the Mun and back, then another mission landing and back, then another parking a station there with docking ports and go crazy trying to perform rendezvous maneuvers to and from Mun. Build a couple planes or fly some stock ones. Build a rover, give it a spin around the Space Center and then try to land it in one piece on the Mun. Once you are familiar with all this then is time to go interplanetary and maybe, MAYBE try some mods.

[Vanamonde]

I wonder if KSP is the game for this guy....

This isn't for you or anyone else to determine. If you can offer help, please do so without passing judgement on other players.

[ngforever1989]

It seems most are misunderstanding. For starters, I'm aware of how to get science. But beef recently it was not made aware to me that different parts of a planet give different science. I ran out of science and thought, well all that work getting here and there isn't much science to gain. Secondly, I work full time, and when I'm not working, I'm sleeping. It's not a dead post, I just don't have all the free time in the world. Additionally, General help was all I could think to use, I wanted a convo that could just help me out some without getting too griddy on one topic. It might help to know that sometimes my Grammer gets messed up because of Swype. I'm on a phone and at work typing most of this so I don't always have the time to proofread my post.

Most of all, I'm new her, so do t make judgements based on me needing a hand. I've always learned better from directness. Someone's post about my confusion with parts was a bit arrogant. No, I'm not as confused with mod parts as I am with the vanilla parts. After scouring I was only able to find one piece of material explaining reaction wheels. And it turns out I May have been placing them wrong. This is what I came here for, confusion on a multitude of things.

I'll take the criticisms, but I came here because I'm not a pro kerbal player. And if you can't bear with someone who is trying to learn I'm sorry for you. And yes, I'm fully American, again, my phone is stupid and capitalized things for no reason and such.. I'll pm those you offered to speak to me, and I thank you for the offer. I'm sure I can better explain myself in voice since I've never been particularly good at explaining my mind to others in a few paragraphs.

Oh and I mod every pc game I have, I enjoy the customizeability( if that's a word) of pc games. And yes, I'd love to fly fictional ships, sry if u don't agree. I get off early tonight so I can probably get those pms out after nine or ten pm eastern

[Wooks]

Watching others tackling the same problems and how they solved them opened a huge ammount of gameplay to me without the need to wait for an answer or frustrating unexplainable fails, and oh boy how complex a simple problem in KSP can be to explain to others. I´m not suggesting in any way that your knowledge or problem solving skills are inadequate in any way or that you need to start from scratch, I know how you feel, been there and I can relate.

Have you considered watching youtube tutorials? The youtube crowd made my experience with the game 100% better, saved me frustrating hours of fiddling around.

Start with a simple series, for example Scott Manley is running a series for beginners (I know you are not a beginner, bare with me) on how to take the best advantage of career mode 0.23; of course he start with the very bare bone basics, you can think to yourself "I know this" and "I know that" and "what´s the point", but soon enough things begin to kick in and you might find yourself learning things you never saw or even thought about. Scott is a very articulate teacher who knows every single stock part to heart, and he will explain all of them in fine detail without being boring or dull. Also, scottish accent.

If you watch this series and still have more profound questions just search his channel for more advanced tutorials or examples, like his first attempt to take all the science he could from career mode using only tier 0 tech in 0.22, is a little bit dated but just a tad. Is an eye opener.

Be aware that Scott Manley uses a truckload of mods in the rest of his videos, and I believe you will find that fine and dandy, he not only knows his mods but he even tweaks them by hand when needed. He´s kind of a pro.

Then you can watch some other channels like Thor Lp "Insane Rockets Division" (stock) or HOCgaming "Space Tourism" (stock) series. They are very thorough and full of information, you will not waste your time there.

Hope it helps, it helped me a lot.

Edited February 22, 2014 by Wooks

[eurybaric]

Also, as someone who'd been playing KSP since version 0.13 (a year and a half ago? more?), I've checked out the interstellar mod and it seemed reaaally complicated. I mean, I could get into it, and it's quite interesting, but it's probably the most complicated mod I've ever seen! So... you might want to try other mods if you really want to go the modding way.

For mining and resources for example, you can check out the Kethane mod. link. Also, it's documented much better than Interstellar.

If you want more suggestions on mods, feel free to ask. But as I said, my opinion is that you drop the Interstellar for now until you're definitely sure of what you're doing.

Cheers!

[Wooks]

Also, as someone who'd been playing KSP since version 0.13 (a year and a half ago? more?), I've checked out the interstellar mod and it seemed reaaally complicated....

...If you want more suggestions on mods, feel free to ask. But as I said, my opinion is that you drop the Interstellar for now until you're definitely sure of what you're doing.

Cheers!

This is pretty much my experience, I´ve been playing since 0.20 and I´m still learning to do stuff in vanilla, this is not a casual game.

[dreamsofspace]

I recently got Interstellar at first, and it is a little overwhelming, but there are some helpful Youtube videos. I particularly recommend Scott Manley's interstellar quest.

[Gunso]

After scouring I was only able to find one piece of material explaining reaction wheels. And it turns out I May have been placing them wrong. This is what I came here for, confusion on a multitude of things.

you could try the wiki for example for reaction wheel is here http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Inline_Reaction_Wheel

the rest of it is here http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Parts

just for vanilla parts tho