Your self-imposed rules for .24

[Kobymaru]

Hi! I just wanted to share with you the rules that I will try to impose on myself when .24 comes out and I wanted to hear if you have similar plans.

Rule #1

- NO BACKSIES! There will be no quicksave/quickload, there will be no Alt-F4 and going back to the last save, there will be no savefile editing. Crashes are permanent. Failures are permanent. Death is permanent. Valar Morghulis.

Rule #2

- No Kerbanaut left behind! Live kerbonauts will not be left behind, and they will not be killed on purpose either. Every Kerbal deserves to get home.

Rule #3

- No MechJeb *at all* until I get a Kerbal to the Mun surface and back safely. After that, only Rule #4 applies.

Rule #4

- No active MechJeb engagement: No Autopilots, No Smart.ASS, no Rendez-Vous, no Docking, no Landing, no Maneuver-Node autopilots. Exception: Rover Autopilots are fair game, because driving Rovers for hours is incredibly tedious.

Rule #5

- All Manned flights are to be flown with sufficient Life Support. Rule #1 applies all the more.

Rule #6

- No non-stock parts, except MechJeb AR202 case and the Life support parts

Rule #7

- No balance-altering mods.

I wanted to add a rule about the deadly reentry mod, but unfortunately the all-too-variable "difficulty" setting makes any achievements mostly incomparable and only relevant to the reentry heat scaling. The same goes for FAR: I would have love to use it, but unfortunately it makes the game easier and any attempt to rebalance it requires arbitrary "difficulty scalings".

What are your thoughts? Do you have rules that you are going to follow, to make the game more "interesting"?

[Bobbydylan]

For me,

1) No Kerbal gets left behind.

2) Keep our airo-space tidy.

3) Try not die.

[Sandworm]

Your rules 5 and 7 are in conflict. Hauling life support resources radically alters the game's balance. I doubt stock manned contracts beyond minmus will be profitable if you have to haul TAC too.

[WWEdeadman]

I'll definitely do the following:

- No quicksave/load unless problems were caused by bugs/glitches. (Also: respawn off)

- The only part-mods I'll do in 0.24 will probably be KAS and Kerbal Engineer (KAS for the EVA-strutting of docked craft, and Engineer for mostly apoapsis/periapsis display outside of map screen and radar altimeter)

- Best efforts should be taken to bring all manned missions back safely.

- Recover as much as possible, leaving a minimum of non-recovered debris flying around.

Once I run out of ideas for that program, 0.25 will probably be on the horizon, so yeah.

[AngusJimiKeith]

1) As per my usual, probes before kerbals. (I keep a module manager file that, among other tweaks, allows this to be practicalin career)

2) No asparagus. It's gotten boring for me. Now it's actually a challenge to design my launch vehicles!

3) Minimal debris: stages need to come back. A rogue decoupler won't bother me.

4) No reverts/quickloads except in case of Kraken or "lemme put this on the pad to see how it works (without actually launching)"

5) No kerbal left behind.

More administrative:

1) Clean out my gamedata folder! So many unused mods....

2) And on that note...update my mods! Some are hilariously out of date...

[Sky_walker]

1) Don't watch spoilers

2) Don't use mods with exception of these improving visuals

3) No Kerbanaut left behind.

[theend3r]

Since 0.24 is finally going to be 64 bit my rules are:

1) Use all the mods!

2) No kerbal left behind

3) Never delete any debris

4) Have fun

[Wallace]

- no auto pilots except for boring things, tho that's how I roll now

- no cheeky quickloads, let them kerbals die and see the reputation go down.

- learn to fly from IVA

Edited July 14, 2014 by Wallace
changed my mind :P

[JimmyAgent007]

No Save loading unless of glitch or kraken attack (or cat jumps on the keyboard and stages something)

No leaving Kerbals in space without a Snack Shack (Hitchhiker not being used as living space) or a ride home.

Separating contract missions and private missions.

Reverts only allowed before I get a stable orbit and only if i messed up big time on the design. (No legs on the lander or something)

No respawning Kerbals

Stock only. Closest thing i ever use to a mod is a custom flag.

Edited July 14, 2014 by JimmyAgent007

[r4pt0r]

as always 100% stock, all planets/moons will receive a probe flyby/probe landing prior to manned operations. i think with budgets i will no longer revert to vab upon launch accident, and all manned craft will have an escape tower.

[adge]

My career mode will follow a logical path. No more "been in orbit twice, now let's send a manned mission to the moon". Prior to any manned mission (where possible), probes will be sent ahead several times, including a full mapping of the surface.

Probes to be returned (where feasible) for monies.

[Red Iron Crown]

No harsh criticism of the economic engine, remember it's a first draft. (My educational background is business/economics.)

Recover or reuse as much as is practical. (I'm a one ship/one mission type mostly, this should change my playstyle a fair bit.)

Try to avoid the inevitable economic exploits that are discovered.

Give career mode a fair shake. (In the past I've tired of the science grind.)

[Frank_G]

May rule for playing .24:

- Having a whole lot of fun...

[Seret]

Same as always:

1) No reverting after a fatal crash.

2) Jeb stays in space all the time.

3) Stations have to have escape pods for everybody on board.

4) Try to have fun.

[Liowen]

Mine have changed a bit just due to what I want to do, but the short list is:

1: A dead Kerbal stays dead!- That's right permadeath will be enforced this time around.

2: Deadly Reentry is a thing- No more 3000+ m/s safe landings on Kerbin. I might tone it back a touch, but there will be a real sense of danger in the mission

3: Life Support/snacks!- Yes Kerbals will need to breath and drink filtered "water" to live, or they become floating pale blobs in spaces.

4: Science Restrictions- This one is big as Mat bays and goo cans will only give science if the sample is returned to Kerbin, no transmission worth. Other science that is a readout will be worth full science on transmission though as it is raw data. This goes into rule 5....

5: No manned missions before probes- That is right all missions that are manned will only happen if there has been a sent to said area. Also all probes will be sent with some intent of some day setting up a colon of some sort.

6: The Great Expansion- I will using the Kerbal colonizer mod to setup outposts on other planets, or at least trying really hard to do this. This part is for the near end of the space program, though I might make missions to scout out areas to start building bases.

7: Limited Restoring- While some like to claim that "they will never restore ever" I realize things happen that are beyond my control and should happen, but there are times where the game freaks out and those times should be forgiven (like randomly exploding on timewarp or the planet decides to eat your ship using a black hole).

8: No Mech Jeb or Kerbal Enginner- Missions are tested and throughly planned ahead of time, and as such if a mistake happens a rescue mission will be dispatched....if possible.

9: No Kerbal Left Behind....sort of- While trying to rescue stranded Kerbals is a noble thing to try and do, it is foolish if it is at the risk of even more lives. Rescue ships will most likely be "robotically" controlled to ensure full life support/snacks are there upon arrival it may not be enough, as time might be what dooms those stranded Kerbals if their initial life support runs out. Even the Apollo 11 mission had a prepared speech in the event of mission failure, and I am sure the astronauts knew the likelihood of the mission failing before leaving (now I am rambling LOL).

10: I reserve the right change rules- In the end this rule is the most important as if any of the other rules make my gameplay less enjoyable it will be removed. This also brings me to rule 11 and why 11, because it is one better than 10

11: Have Fun!- This rule is the only rule that cannot be change, because once it stops being fun for me I take a break. In the end it is a game, and as such enjoyment is the only thing that matters!

[sewerbird]

Gonna up the difficulty on myself this next save for .24:

1) No fuel lines across decouplers/ports

2) No quick-loading after the first 10s of elapsed mission time (exceptions made for game crashes/bugs)

3) No use of any discovered economic exploits/glitches

4) Rush to landing gear technology

5) Once landing gear obtained, all LKO lifting vehicles must be SSTO planes.

6) All crew must safely return to KSC or the Island runway before they may be recovered: further afield, a rescue mission (such as a rescue boat even) is required and must be executed promptly.

7) Dead crew must be commemorated by a flag on top of the astronaut complex within 24 hours.

Breaking any of these rules means a career save reset

Even for a new update, I can't live without these mods

-Procedural Fairings

-VOID

-A few non-part Aesthetic Mods

[KerbMav]

First run will be 100% stock to test the update.

But next and serious run may be with minimal non-cosmetic mod parts, those from ProcFairings (because of FAR) and DRE (because of DRE), SCANsat (to have something to do) and hopefully Remote Tech will be fit for duty!

(As usual loads of cosmetic mods as well as useful plugins as KER, KAC, EditorExtension, KIDS (again because of FAR) etc.)

KAS and QuantumStruts might be added as well, I would miss the opportunity of orbital construction/maintenance.

Other mods are to be expected to find their way in as I proceed, because the first rule is:

1. Have fun.

The other rules will be practically the same as always:

2. Care for your kerbonauts.

3. Try and keep it realistic.

[Karriz]

-Deadly re-entry is a must

-FAR, but with KIDS mod (balances rocket difficulty back to stock level)

-Use only stock engines (maybe KSPX too)

-Kerbal Engineer Redux only, no Mechjeb

-Interplanetary manned missions must have a hitchhiker pod or lab for extra living space

I'm not sure what I'll do about reverting and quicksaves. Also, I'm considering to use TAC and Remotetech 2, but not sure if it makes the game too tedious.

[zarakon]

Rule #1

- Gratuitous use of quicksave/quickload required. Failure will never be permanent. Videos will be edited for the illusion of perfection.

Rule #2

- No return trips. Kerbals leave their planet for good. Sacrifices will often be mandatory just for the hell of it.

Rule #3

- Use MechJeb from the start

Rule #4

- If something can be automated by MechJeb, flying manually is not permitted.

Rule #5

- Kerbals will only be supplied with as much food, water, and oxygen as they can cram into their suits.

Rule #6

- No stock parts

Rule #7

- Must use mods to alter every possible aspect of the game physics and balance

[Red Iron Crown]

Rule #1

- Gratuitous use of quicksave/quickload required. Failure will never be permanent. Videos will be edited for the illusion of perfection.

Rule #2

- No return trips. Kerbals leave their planet for good. Sacrifices will often be mandatory just for the hell of it.

Rule #3

- Use MechJeb from the start

Rule #4

- If something can be automated by MechJeb, flying manually is not permitted.

Rule #5

- Kerbals will only be supplied with as much food, water, and oxygen as they can cram into their suits.

Rule #6

- No stock parts

Rule #7

- Must use mods to alter every possible aspect of the game physics and balance

I like where you're going with this.

[Klingon Admiral]

My rules:

1. Revert to launch only in my parallel sandbox save for vessel testing.

2. No Kerbal gets left behind.

3. All maned payloads and all payloads with at least one radiactive component (LV-N, RTG, all those Interstellar things) must be equipped with a launch escape system and parachutes to ensure a safe landing.

4. Nuclear components may, once in orbit, not re-enter Kerbin's atmosphere. This of course includes interplanetary vessels who are re-entering Kerbin's SOI.

5. Keep Kerbins SOI as clean as possible. Debris may only be allowed in orbits past the Mun's trajectory, and in very high orbits around the Mun and Minmus. Interplanetary space and the SOI of other bodies are fair game, though.

Other challenges will come from the mods I'll use.

[cantab]

My plan for something interesting is "KSP Superleggera":

No engines larger than 1.25m.

No more than two 1.25 m boosters or one "layer" of smaller boosters.

All payloads to fit in a 2.5 m fairing. (Maybe a shade bigger, I want Sr docking ports to fit).

One program at a time. (A reaction to my current save where I have too many missions and seem to never finish them.)

Probably FAR and DRE. Maybe Isp scaler too.

Basically the idea is to focus more on small, light, elegant craft.

PS: And no going overboard with jets either!

Edited July 14, 2014 by cantab

[kujuman]

7) Dead crew must be commemorated by a flag on top of the astronaut complex within 24 hours.

I really like this idea. I'd like to be able to fly the main KSC flags at half-mast too.

[Jouni]

1. No mods that affect game balance, until I've completed the career mode or grown bored with it. That means I'll uninstall FAR.

2. I don't tell that to the kerbals. My rocket designs should still work with FAR.

3. Everything should be reasonable in the career mode. Silly things, such as jet engines, interstage fuel lines, and rockets with many boosters, belong to the sandbox.

[SebFierce]

I have a lot of house-rules and most of them have been mentioned here already. One however hasn't:

Materials Lab and the Goo Container can only be used on a manned craft.

Makes it more valuable to send low tech probes with only little instrumentation to the inner Kerbol system (outer system needs RTGs because solar panels don't work there).