[1.12.x] Alcubierre Warp Drive (Stand-alone)

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

Hey RoverDude, just some feedback. I really like the concept of a throttle-controlled Alcubierre Drive. I also love the stock-a-like balance. But I feel that the direction of the craft should be controllable while it's warping. I also feel the top warp factor should be about 20x the speed of light (which I did using config file editing)

[helaeon]

Hey RoverDude, just some feedback. I really like the concept of a throttle-controlled Alcubierre Drive. I also love the stock-a-like balance. But I feel that the direction of the craft should be controllable while it's warping. I also feel the top warp factor should be about 20x the speed of light (which I did using config file editing)

Are you using the lastest released version with my fix so the ships no longer shake apart? A side effect of that was the ship should be steerable during warp. But, so you don't spin wildly out of control the drive adds a lot of torque of its own, so you'll need to add some extra SAS of your own to over-come it. It doesn't work like a regular engine in-game where you can gimbal the thrust.

On my current warp ship I have : 78 Tons with the 2.5m drive. Four advanced inline stablilizers (15 torque units), and a command pod with 40 units of torque in each axis. For a total of 100 units of torque authority. The pod is at the front end of the ship, and the 4 stabilizers are near the drive part.

This ship turns in flight quite nicely... keep in mind though the faster you go the harder it is to turn. There are also occasions that it seems like the controls lock out, stop warping and start again, and you'll be good.

On the top speed... with .90 there are some issues with SOI switches and some goofiness with your orbit on the handoff (it's the same as when you time warp through an SOI change). I read in the dev notes I think this Tuesday they are doing something different for 1.0 as far as that goes. That might allow the top speed to be cranked up. For in system warping this drive is pretty excellent. For other star systems at realistic distances it's way too slow. Even then 20 is too slow, you'd almost have to go to some sort of logarithmic scale and have a different throttle scale when you are inside a star system.

Edited March 30, 2015 by helaeon

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

Are you using the lastest released version with my fix so the ships no longer shake apart? A side effect of that was the ship should be steerable during warp. But, so you don't spin wildly out of control the drive adds a lot of torque of its own, so you'll need to add some extra SAS of your own to over-come it. It doesn't work like a regular engine in-game where you can gimbal the thrust.

On my current warp ship I have : 78 Tons with the 2.5m drive. Four advanced inline stablilizers (15 torque units), and a command pod with 40 units of torque in each axis. For a total of 100 units of torque authority. The pod is at the front end of the ship, and the 4 stabilizers are near the drive part.

This ship turns in flight quite nicely... keep in mind though the faster you go the harder it is to turn. There are also occasions that it seems like the controls lock out, stop warping and start again, and you'll be good.

On the top speed... with .90 there are some issues with SOI switches and some goofiness with your orbit on the handoff (it's the same as when you time warp through an SOI change). I read in the dev notes I think this Tuesday they are doing something different for 1.0 as far as that goes. That might allow the top speed to be cranked up. For in system warping this drive is pretty excellent. For other star systems at realistic distances it's way too slow. Even then 20 is too slow, you'd almost have to go to some sort of logarithmic scale and have a different throttle scale when you are inside a star system.

I cranked up the top speed to 200, and that seems like a pretty reasonable speed for interstellar travel. Definitely not for in-system travel. I haven't looked, but if there isn't already, there should be a warp factor limiter.

[helaeon]

You can do that by limiting the thrust by right-clicking on the part. But, the throttle isn't linear so lot of trial and error there too.

[Serino]

Everyone keeps wanting higher and higher warp limits but people don't realize that realistically the faster you go with a warp drive the faster you would use your EM, and it doesn't scale linearly. Realistically speaking 10-15c is pretty damn good and will get you to most possible habitable planets nearby well within a human lifespan. now with Kerbal distances are 1/10th what they are in reality and most extra star systems aren't even a kerbal lightyear. The burn time for the warp drive to the far systems is equal to or less than the average burn times you have to do to get to Jool before you get the warp drive, which isn't too unreasonable since you are flying to another star.

[RoverDude]

Given I can get to Jool in a matter of seconds... I think the speed is just fine as is

[Ricardo79]

Given I can get to Jool in a matter of seconds... I think the speed is just fine as is

Agreed.

I didn't tried another solar systems mods jet. But for an inKerbol travels it is a bit fast. So I usually thrust it only a bit (2-3 quick press of the shift button not more. It is maybe 1/10 of the full speed).

In this way those green monkeys can be landed in any moon of Jool within max 10 minute from liftoff that should be enought fast.

Therefore if another solar system would present just go there with full speed won't cost too much time even if they are far-far away.

[Serino]

I have another solar system and when it was 1.5c it was like an hour and a half of warping to get there. now with 15c it only takes me about 10-15 minutes which is pretty quick since most burns to do that without a warp drive are in the hours long range, at least without karborundum fusion drives.

Also people you gotta understand that kerbal speed of light is 1/10th c where as Rover's warp drive pulls 15c so you are technically pulling 150 kerbal c.

Edited March 31, 2015 by Serino

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

Hey again, sorry to bother you, but after playing with the mod some more, I have some more feedback. I can't repeat enough how I love the mod. The 6.25m drive and 2.5m drive are great. I feel that they should act more like the KSPI one, though, in that it would propel you in a straight line, rather than act like an engine. I don't know if it's like that for you; at least it acts like that in my KSP. I'm also having a problem. I use the drive with the reactors from NearFutureElectrical and a couple seconds after I begin warp, the radiators (which do not exceed the warp bubble) explode.

[helaeon]

Thing is it really shouldn't move you in a straight line. Gravity affects light as well, such it affects your ship.

Also, that orbit you're seeing in the map screen is your orbit if you shut off the drive right now, not your travel path. As far as the code goes, you do move straight forward based on the forward direction of the orientation of your ship (or the warp part, not sure. But it does move you forward based on the orientation not the thrust. The xenon system is there to make the throttle work. The thrust it produces as far as making the ship move is negligible.)

This is all based on how we move the krakensbane frame with your ship in it. So, really KSP's simulation engine is acting similarly to how an actual alcubierre drive might in how it is translating you through space!

[RoverDude]

Helaeon nailed it

[Serino]

Helaeon nailed the first point, thought he forgot to mention that depending on how the drive would work in reality gravity may or may not actually have any effect on your travel. As for your second point. Are you warping with your radiators extended? If so then try retracting them since it is a bad idea to try and charge EM while warping. Also you have to take into account that NFE is not updated for .90 so it has some wonkyness sometimes.

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

Thanks for all your help. That was great. I do feel that there should be some visual conformation of your translation direction on the NavBall, as I now realize that it shows your orbit if you were to shut off the Alcubierre drive at that moment.

Thanks again,

SLS

Edited April 1, 2015 by SpaceLaunchSystem

[RoverDude]

tbh at this point I just set target, point, and go for it. With a minor course correction or two along the way.

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

tbh at this point I just set target, point, and go for it. With a minor course correction or two along the way.

You know, I think your right. I'm just used to the KSP-I one after having it for a while. To be honest, yours is better. I think that I can get used to it eventually. Sorry for wasting your time.

Thanks for giving the KSP community this great mod.

I'll stay tuned for updates.

Edited April 1, 2015 by SpaceLaunchSystem

[Whirligig Girl]

Is there a way to disable the warp bubble?

[RoverDude]

Is there a way to disable the warp bubble?

I need more context. Because the short answer is... turn the engine off

[Sufficient Anonymity]

I need more context. Because the short answer is... turn the engine off

I wonder if Gregrox means the size constraints (in which case, you can change the scale factor on the bubble model and increase the diameter in the .cfg easily enough - it's basically how I got the IXS Enterprise working again).

[Arron Rift]

I stumbled on this craft, and I was wondering: Could this warp drive me made to work just like yours does? I like your way of doing this more than interstellar, but that is a sweet model!
I believe the model can be found here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/43839-0-25-KSP-Interstellar-(Magnetic-Nozzles-ISRU-Revamp)-Version-0-13/page144?p=685428#post685428 (scroll down)

P.S. sorry if this has been asked before

[RoverDude]

Sure, could be done with some creative part welding and such

[McNavish]

I don't have the option to charge, just activate and produce. Sorry I haven't gone through all the pages of this thread. Have I built the ship wrong?

[Arron Rift]

Sure, could be done with some creative part welding and such

Sorry I think I worded that confusing. I mean is there a way to make the single-part transforming warp drive at this link function like the warp drive from your mod? I think it was originally made for Interstellar ages ago, but I don't like all the crazy fuels that mod adds. I like the way you warp drive functions better.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/43839-0-25-KSP-Interstellar-(Magnetic-Nozzles-ISRU-Revamp)-Version-0-13/page144?p=685428#post685428

Part download here:

http://www./download/ewkw5zkzuss6s2h/WarpDrive2.7z

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

I stumbled on this craft, and I was wondering: Could this warp drive me made to work just like yours does? I like your way of doing this more than interstellar, but that is a sweet model!

I believe the model can be found here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/43839-0-25-KSP-Interstellar-(Magnetic-Nozzles-ISRU-Revamp)-Version-0-13/page144?p=685428#post685428 (scroll down)

P.S. sorry if this has been asked before

Sure! Just use module() to add RoverDude's alcubierre drive to the alternate Interstellar one.

[helaeon]

You know... I've always liked that model I'm assuming that zzz doesn't mind or we can get permission.

Maybe I'll tinker with it and see what I can make happen and how it behaves.

[Arron Rift]

You know... I've always liked that model I'm assuming that zzz doesn't mind or we can get permission.

Maybe I'll tinker with it and see what I can make happen and how it behaves.

To my understanding, I think you can do anything to anyone's model as long as it is only for your personal use. I don't think you need to worry about permissions unless you plan to distribute your modifications. Even then I think you can even tell people the steps to then modify their own copies, as long as you don't give it to them directly. For example, I never really liked the octopuses on the Hooligan Labs blimps, so I went in and managed to photoshop them all out without issues.

Tell me how it goes, I may like some help modifying mine if it works, I don't have much experience with config files