Mods You Wish Were Stock

[ImJake]

With the recent mod addition of SP+ (and I like to count internal crew transfer) and future addition of Fine Print as well as a resource system and improved aerodynamics that currently only exist as mods, I figured they could still add more mods. So, what mods, or features similar to those in the mods, would you like to see added to the game before is completed? I’ll start, heres my list.

I realize thats its hard comparing something like KSPInterstellar to Docking Port Alignment Indicator, so I’m dividing the mods into a few categories. The Game Play category would add content, which is one thing Squad said they would be doing in the Beta with all the foundations in place. The Quality of Life category is smallish mods that are nice to have. The DLC category would be for mods that are cool and would be a good addition, but you don’t think really fit in original concept of the game or aren't right for everybody.

Game Play:

Station Science - adds more purpose to stations

KAS - gives more things to do in EVA, and it's useful

SCANsat - it’s cool and adds more purpose to satellites

Quality of Life:

Chatter

Astronomer’s Visual Pack

Kerbal Alarm Clock

DLC:

TAC Life Support

MKS

Remote Tech

-These three all kinda fit in the theme of colonization and add pros and cons to having manned vs unmanned vehicles

(I restricted myself to just three mods per category because I’m sure like most of you, it would be a long list if I put in every mod I wanted. It kinda forces you to prioritize which mods you think really are the best, and it makes a more manageable list for Squad if they actually consider adding any of these.)

Below I just copied what they said what they’re going to do in the beta and what they’ve said about adding mods into stock.

Beta means we’ll be focusing on creating content, on using the tools we’ve built. It means a different approach to selecting which features go in, since we won’t be constrained by the development constraints of one feature requiring another. Priorities should level out, which means the things we consider important should also match what everyone considers important. Beta essentially means we’ll be working a lot more on stability, usability, performance, balance, aesthetics, all the while still throwing in little and some not-so-little things we hope you will enjoy.

Q: I won’t consider KSP complete until Feature X is implemented!

A: That’s not a question. However, if you asked everyone which features they would like to see in KSP, you’d get different answers from just about everybody. We all have our wishlist of ideas and features we’d like to see, us devs included. The fact is, we must be very level-headed here with what we want to do, and what we can in fact achieve in the time we have. That’s not to say of course, we aren’t planning to tackle the biggests requests from our community. Just remember that all features are judged in a big-picture perspective, and how it affects the game experience for everyone, and sometimes even what would seem like fun ideas are going to fall outside the scope of the game, or just be plain too much to take on. Time and Manpower are our main limiting resources now, and those must be spent wisely, pursuing the goals that will add the most enjoyment for everyone.

Q: Are you going to integrate “Mod X†into the game? (a.k.a. Q:How can I get my mod integrated into stock?)

A: This depends on several factors. First of all, we have to ask ourselves: Is this mod doing something we wanted to do ourselves already? Some mods, awesome though they are, aren’t part of what we have planned for KSP, and that’s fine. That’s why we support modding in the first place, but it also means a mod isn’t going to be auto-added just because it’s cool.

Second of all, if we do find a mod that does exactly what we wanted to do ourselves, and it’s done well, follows the style of the game, all that stuff, then we get in touch with the author, and we get the conversation rolling from there. There isn’t a system for adding a mod into the game. That said, we very well might find mods that do stuff we wanted to do, and we wouldn’t want to reinvent the wheel if we can avoid it.

[TMS]

All of TriggerAu's mods.

[Seshins]

Kerbal Alarm Clock

KAS

Distant Object

[cantab]

I think some sort of life support should be added, not just for its own sake but as an enabling feature for career mode aspects that depend on game time. So often ideas like a part that slowly generates science get shot down with the objection that players can just timewarp. With some sort of life support requirements - whether it's "actual" life support like TAC, something not-quite-essential like Snacks, or even kerbals needing a salary - the game can then add things that depend on time without them being so abusable by timewarping.

[SAI Peregrinus]

FAR+DRE, Stage Recovery, Kerbal Alarm Clock, Kerbal Engineer Redux, Science Alert!, the Stock Bug Fix modules, Contract Window +, Precise Node, Docking Port Alignment Indicator, Editor Extensions, Aligned Currency Indicator, Alternate Resource Panel, Select Root, Nav Utilities, Part Angle Display, RCS Build Aid, RKE on-screen joystick and fine keyboard controls, Transfer Window Planner...

So quite a lot of UI changes & additions mostly.

[Sokar408]

Its very hard to fault this list. Personally I'd move RemoteTech to gameplay because without it, I simply can't enjoy the game anymore. But I do realize that is a subjective preference.

[Unheld]

aside from the usual, already mentioned mods,

don't ever forget:

Chatterer

Launch CountDown (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/42859-0-25-Athlonic-Electronics-LCD-Launch-CountDown-v1-7-3-%2811-Oct-2014%29)

[merendel]

Mods I cant really do without would be Kerbal alarm clock, Precise node, and to a lesser extent Kerbal engineer redux. There are several other UI tweeks that would be nice (for all thats holy let us tweek that awful stock toolbar, its always in the way) but none that I truely consider critically important.

I'm not sure I'd want what I generally classify as difficulty/realism enhancing mods integrated into the base game even as a DLC. While I personally run a number of them such as FAR DRE RT and the like I also realize that those are more down to personal preferance. I think they are easy enough to have as mods and should be down to personal choice. FAR I can kinda see to an extent as the aerodynamic model in game is at best a placeholder but a toned down FAR thats a tad more forgiving for general consumption would fit in fine. However there are alot of realism mods out there that while fun for some would compleatly suck the enjoyment out of the game for others.

[Jouni]

FAR and DRE are essential. When I started playing KSP a year ago, I expected that the game already had similar functionality, as aerodynamics and reentry hazards are about as basic elements of rocketry as gravity.

6.4x Kerbol System is fun, as everything requires much more delta-v than in the stock game, and rockets start feeling more like real rockets. Spaceplane people might disagree.

Docking Port Alignment Indicator and some components of MechJeb improve the UI significantly. MechJeb can probably be replaced by a bunch of other mods (KER, KAC, and Precise Node?), but I just happened to install MechJeb first.

When we have better aerodynamics in the game, we're going to need fairings. I'm currently using Procedural Fairings, but I don't really like the idea of always having just the right size available. Fixed-size fairings would match the rest of the parts better, especially now that we have fixed-size cargo bays.

[Franklin]

FAR, Deadly Reentry, Deployable Airbags, Astronomer's Pack and all that's required for it, some life support element but the mods have never really done it all that well, some equivalent to Infernal Robotics but better thought out because robotic parts are great but the mod can be tedious.

The list goes on forever, really.

[WWEdeadman]

-Kerbal Alarm Clock

-Kerbal Engineer

-(Athmospheric) Trajectories

-Kerbal Attachment System

-Precise Node

-Distant Object Enhancment

[O-Doc]

FAR, DRE, Procedural Dynamics, Procedural Tanks, Procedural Fairings, Tweakscale, Raster Prop Monitor, Hull Camera, Remote Tech. These all absolutely should be stock. Without these mods KSP is a tiny fraction of the game experience.

[Frank_G]

RasterPropMonitors and Kerbal Engineer Redux would be nice. And something like Kerbal Attachment System and some robotic manipulators.

[WooDzor]

Alarmclock, EVE, Planet shine, chatterer, remote tech (made it stock), ambient light shifter, trajectories, RCS sounds, select root, something like engineering redux without the 3 extra parts and maybe some simple life support like Snacks! That's how I am playing at the moment. Trying to keep it as stock as possible.

Does anybody know of a mod that can give me all the construction and flight information without these 3 extra parts?

[Wanderfound]

FAR, DRE, RPM, Chatterer, Kerbpaint. Plus EE, PAD, RCS Build Aid, Kerbal Flight Data and Kerbal Flight Indicators.

[Wanderfound]

Alarmclock, EVE, Planet shine, chatterer, remote tech (made it stock), ambient light shifter, trajectories, RCS sounds, select root, something like engineering redux without the 3 extra parts and maybe some simple life support like Snacks! That's how I am playing at the moment. Trying to keep it as stock as possible.

Does anybody know of a mod that can give me all the construction and flight information without these 3 extra parts?

Flight info: Kerbal Flight Data (works best with FAR/DRE).

For building, I use Mechjeb.

[merendel]

Does anybody know of a mod that can give me all the construction and flight information without these 3 extra parts?

KER without needing the parts is rather easy. Just make a Modual Manager config like so.

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand]]
{
	MODULE
	{
		name = BuildEngineer
	}
	MODULE
	{
		name = FlightEngineer
	}
}

You now have KER functionality on any ship you could actually fly (all probe cores and command pods) and could delete the KER parts files to save space if you want. You still need KER installed though.

[WooDzor]

KER without needing the parts is rather easy. Just make a Modual Manager config like so.

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand]]
{
	MODULE
	{
		name = BuildEngineer
	}
	MODULE
	{
		name = FlightEngineer
	}
}

You now have KER functionality on any ship you could actually fly (all probe cores and command pods) and could delete the KER parts files to save space if you want. You still need KER installed though.

I don't mind having KER installed, I just don't want non-stock parts, I have module manager already, but I am not quite sure where to put the CFG (?) and is it a CFG? Please enlighten me

[Padishar]

I don't mind having KER installed, I just don't want non-stock parts, I have module manager already, but I am not quite sure where to put the CFG (?) and is it a CFG? Please enlighten me

Or just use KER 1.0 instead of 0.6. That can run completely partless...

[madbadger2742]

Need to be stock:

KAC

KER

Precise Node

I'd like to see integrated:

Chatterer

Contracts Window +

Editor Extensions

SCANsat

Transfer Window Planner

Should not be stock:

DRE

FAR

RT

(While I enjoy the added "realism" these mods supply, I think they might discourage casual players.)

Edited October 28, 2014 by madbadger2742

[cantab]

Does anybody know of a mod that can give me all the construction and flight information without these 3 extra parts?

VOID is great for in-flight info, giving a HUD with two panels of orbital and surface info and two more of craft and manouvre info (not seen here), all can be put where you want on screen, as well as windows a la KER for more in-depth stuff. The HUD's more compact than the info windows of KER and Mechjeb so it doesn't get in the way.

[TMS]

KER now has HUDs

[Secuas]

I'd love to see Pteron's escape shuttle in KSP

[tater]

Some life support mod. I actually think that a simplification is fine---like Snacks, but with death, not rep loss as the penalty. Real life support has consumables, and elements that can recycle. All that matters is the end mass of non-recovered stuff (and power) per day used. You can abstract by having a constant drain rate, and more LS units in more advanced habitats/pods, or you can have the drain rate based on the habitat/pod, and a more fixed number of LS units for a given hab/pod. No need to micromanage CO2 removal vs water vs whatever. LS units per man-day used.