[Ongoing Dev] [0.23.5] Modular Kolonization System v0.16 (RELEASE) [05-10-2014]

[mrstoned]

Also, Enriched Soil should be allowed to decay (either reduce quality from 100% to 0% with about 30% required to grow anything) or being depleted in a very low rate, as to allow the biomass and conversions process to att more enriched soil.

The plants consume the richness of the soil and the soil neets fertilizer to maintain growability of new crops.

Allowing the enriched soil to be consumed at a very low rate, i think is the easiest in gamemechanics i think.

/Rikard

[RoverDude]

Dont know if it's been reported before, but the Recycling Plant doesnt Output anything at a Conversion rate:1. It should require punchcards and recycles? to produce something, or like an incinerator to dispose of the waste.

/Rikard

I'll take a look - it should be taking in recycleables and dumping out metal, polymers, and chemicals.

[RoverDude]

Also, Enriched Soil should be allowed to decay (either reduce quality from 100% to 0% with about 30% required to grow anything) or being depleted in a very low rate, as to allow the biomass and conversions process to att more enriched soil.

The plants consume the richness of the soil and the soil neets fertilizer to maintain growability of new crops.

Allowing the enriched soil to be consumed at a very low rate, i think is the easiest in gamemechanics i think.

/Rikard

Renewed via composting which is one of the requirements to keep the greenhouse rolling (and where their nutrients come from). EnrichedSoil is one of the two non-consumed resources (not unlike starting a boxed garden bed - you establish a base then just have to refresh it with other materials over time).

[Vladthemad]

I see you mentioned you are going to bring your on site building in line with ELP's building scheme. Any chance you'll also add a launchpad and refining apparatus to match your sexah habs?

Your habs, TAC, Kethane, and ELP...and complete colonization is possible.

[RoverDude]

I see you mentioned you are going to bring your on site building in line with ELP's building scheme. Any chance you'll also add a launchpad and refining apparatus to match your sexah habs?

Your habs, TAC, Kethane, and ELP...and complete colonization is possible.

I have no idea what their building scheme is But if it's just a matter of a few configs, I have no aversion to adding some more bits in. Currently working on a new PDU (based off of the refinery model) that combines a bunch of batteries and RTG's in a much larger package for power generation (thus saving on parts).

[RoverDude]

Additional PSA/Notes. There is some new experimental code up on GitHub - plugs in the new hub (symmetrical, so you can rotate it like the station hub), fixes some config issues (Required Resources were not working properly), and renames GreenMesaIndustries to UmbraSpaceIndustries so that I'm alphabetically below TAC, which gets rid of my need to inclue the TAC DLL in MKS, and also fixes a reported incompatiblity with Stretchy SRBs.

This is NOT yet in the ZIP yet, I'll be doing that later this week (band rehearsal tonight), and I want to finish off the new PDU model and do a complete shakedown of my test colony before zipping up again.

Note that once this goes to public release, all bets are off with folder structures, etc., I am just maintaining full backwards compatability while in alpha. Public release will be AFTER .24 because I want to work in contracts (and see if I can have it give you $K for sending back stuff made at your Colony, making them an option for generating funds). Also integrating a science-generator in-line with what KSP-I has, so folks without KSP-I can get the benefit of gradual science generation (will be a lower rate for balance issues).

[e-dog]

It looks like Enriched Soil has no effect on greenhouse performance at all. I get the same production with 0 and 750 Enriched Soil. Tested on launchpad with version from zip.

[RoverDude]

It looks like Enriched Soil has no effect on greenhouse performance at all. I get the same production with 0 and 750 Enriched Soil. Tested on launchpad with version from zip.

Yep, I found this bug myself - so right now MKS is in easy mode till the update there's new code in GitHub but not a new ZIP as I am vetting it out this week

[KvickFlygarn87]

This looks great! Two questions though, couldn't you add your own lifesupport? And also, what can you do with chemicals?

[Justy]

I've been having an issue with the four-way hub in the newest zip (but I have not tried the newest experimental code from GitHub). I can't add it to a vehicle in the VAB unless I either start with it as the root part, or I'm connecting it using the forward or backward node. If I attach with the top, bottom, left or right nodes, it snaps into place but remains a ghost. Has anyone else experienced this?

I am using KSP x86_64 0.23.5 under Ubuntu Linux 14.04, but I have seen a similar issue with another mod (Kerbin Shuttle Orbiter System v1.06? I don't have it installed anymore) under KSP 0.23 in Windows 7.

I will try the new GitHub code tonight, since you specifically mention you've made some updates to that part.

Thank you for a SPECTACULAR mod, RoverDude!

[RoverDude]

This looks great! Two questions though, couldn't you add your own lifesupport? And also, what can you do with chemicals?

Sure, but IMO TAC has done a very good job, so might as well take the dependency (same as Kethane has an excellent resource extraction system that I leverage).

Chemicals are used as part of the manufacturing chain, which at the end, makes the consumable Colony Supplies.

[RoverDude]

I've been having an issue with the four-way hub in the newest zip (but I have not tried the newest experimental code from GitHub). I can't add it to a vehicle in the VAB unless I either start with it as the root part, or I'm connecting it using the forward or backward node. If I attach with the top, bottom, left or right nodes, it snaps into place but remains a ghost. Has anyone else experienced this?

I am using KSP x86_64 0.23.5 under Ubuntu Linux 14.04, but I have seen a similar issue with another mod (Kerbin Shuttle Orbiter System v1.06? I don't have it installed anymore) under KSP 0.23 in Windows 7.

I will try the new GitHub code tonight, since you specifically mention you've made some updates to that part.

Thank you for a SPECTACULAR mod, RoverDude!

Yeah I had that same problem, so I just replaced it (this is now on Github not in the ZIP yet) with a fully symmetrical part kinda like the stock station hub, that way you can rotate it however and get it to fit the way you want (with the same peculiarities you see in the station hub). You can grab just this part if you'd like from Github.

And glad folks are enjoying it, makes it worth all of the long nights

[RoverDude]

To add onto the previous question about Chemicals... one of the deeper ideas is that for a settlement to truly be self sufficient they need a lot more than food - you need replacement parts for broken equipment, and for this you need manufacturing, components, and raw materials. This is why the path to construction is easy, even life support is relatively simple, but to finally break all ties from Kerbin and be 100% self sufficient, Kerbals will have to build a manufacturing base from scratch.

Raw materials are refined (minerals to chemicals for example).

Refined materials become components (like electronic or mechanical parts)

Components are assembled into consumables (robotics, computers, or modular parts for patching up things)

All of these components combined are packaged as Colony Supplies which represent the stuff you need for daily wear and tear on a settlement.

It's still twice as efficient to haul in colony supplies vs. hauling in food, but the intent is for there to be a long, hard path towards actual self sufficiency. Also, you could easily set up a full settlement on, say, Laythe and have ColonySupplies to spare to feed your resource gathering satellite bases elsewhere in the Jool system.

The VERY long term vision is to have MKS as a whole be the 'pioneer' part of the system, then have the capability to build truly huge and expansive structures that can only realistically be built from scratch in-situ, consisting of hundreds of tons of resources. But that's a future phase once I get the first batch out the door

[zephrylia]

The VERY long term vision is to have MKS as a whole be the 'pioneer' part of the system, then have the capability to build truly huge and expansive structures that can only realistically be built from scratch in-situ, consisting of hundreds of tons of resources.

I am in love with this idea. The idea of building permanent colonies is how I first got into KSP (right after finishing the Mars Trilogy), so this mod is basically the most exciting thing I've discovered since I started playing. Thank you!

[e-dog]

Another bug report:

It looks like setting the colony modules to "debris" by default is not a good idea. I lost two kerbals before I figured it out. It looks like when you leave a ship marked as debris around KSC (to test colony there) and switch to space center, the ship is removed silently and all kerbals aboard are lost.

I wish KSP had "unimportant" category for ships that is off by default like debris.

[RoverDude]

Another bug report:

It looks like setting the colony modules to "debris" by default is not a good idea. I lost two kerbals before I figured it out. It looks like when you leave a ship marked as debris around KSC (to test colony there) and switch to space center, the ship is removed silently and all kerbals aboard are lost.

I wish KSP had "unimportant" category for ships that is off by default like debris.

Sorry about that - was a case sensitivity thing in the config, all MKS parts should now properly be set to show up as bases (this is fixed in GitHub but not in the ZIP yet).

[TechnicalK3rbal]

You improved all the textures/models again.

[I.O.M.]

Hey Roverdude, I just wanted to say how cool this project is. I've always wanted to see a proper colonization mod for KSP. Keep up the great work!

In regards to you plans for more permanent colonies, would static buildings be a possibility?

[RoverDude]

Hey Roverdude, I just wanted to say how cool this project is. I've always wanted to see a proper colonization mod for KSP. Keep up the great work!

In regards to you plans for more permanent colonies, would static buildings be a possibility?

Thanks - and sorry for the lack of super recent updates, been heads down testing the new version.

I have a few ideas for large structures, will post details once I get some POCs done. But yeah, I did give thought to doing procedural statiuc structures

[I.O.M.]

I have a few ideas for large structures, will post details once I get some POCs done. But yeah, I did give thought to doing procedural statiuc structures

Nice! My dreams of creating a kerbalized version of Underhill from Red Mars may become a reality.

[RoverDude]

Another screenie - the module at the bottom left is a power distribution unit. 60K of batteries, and kicks out as much juice as 15-30 RTG's based on how you crew it. Basically built as a parts saver

[theSpeare]

Hi! Sorry if this has been mentioned before but will you consider adding in integrated landing legs? That would certainly save with the part count issue.

[RoverDude]

Hi! Sorry if this has been mentioned before but will you consider adding in integrated landing legs? That would certainly save with the part count issue.

Yep, I will, already on the list. Although you still have all of the colliders, so not sure what the benetit will be from a perf standpoint, but will test.

[CaptainKipard]

Wow these are really good. How come I haven't seen this before? You say in the OP that everything is still subject to change. Do you have a rough roadmap?

[RoverDude]

Wow these are really good. How come I haven't seen this before? You say in the OP that everything is still subject to change. Do you have a rough roadmap?

Yep, right now I'm trying to get everything tested for the first release. Basically, all of the core models are done and their sizes will not change (textures will though, but that' not save breaking). So right now it's all balance, final model tweaks, etc. for the first release. The code is in good shape, but also requires more testing.

I have several ideas for version 2, but want to get the core mod out there so I can spend some time on hollow asteroids (which I'll integrate with MKS once complete - I'd love to have an asteroid colony that's all hollowed out like an ant farm). That and looking into procedural construction.