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

[helaeon]

All you need to do to fix the techtree issue for CTT is go into the CTT.cfg in your WarpDrive folder. Remove "Techmanager" from the NEEDS block.

Will look like this

@PART[USI_WarpDrive]:NEEDS[CommunityTechTree]
{
	@TechRequired = ultraHighEnergyPhysics
}

@PART[USI_WarpDrive_625]:NEEDS[CommunityTechTree]
{
	@TechRequired = ultraHighEnergyPhysics
}

[andrestirabo]

All you need to do to fix the techtree issue for CTT is go into the CTT.cfg in your WarpDrive folder. Remove "Techmanager" from the NEEDS block.

Will look like this

@PART[USI_WarpDrive]:NEEDS[CommunityTechTree]
{
	@TechRequired = ultraHighEnergyPhysics
}

@PART[USI_WarpDrive_625]:NEEDS[CommunityTechTree]
{
	@TechRequired = ultraHighEnergyPhysics
}

Thanks!!!

That solved it

[SpacePi]

I have never used a Warp Drive in KSP (even though I have Interstellar) so how does it work? Do I just point at my target and activate? Or something else?

[goldenpsp]

I have never used a Warp Drive in KSP (even though I have Interstellar) so how does it work? Do I just point at my target and activate? Or something else?

There is always the "How does it work?" section of the OP.

[Booots]

If what I've read on Alcubierre drives is correct (or rather, my understanding of it) two things about this mod make me curious. The first is that gravity gradients should still have an effect on whatever is inside the bubble. Is this why there was talk of an alternate physics model in the works? Can anyone explain a bit more about how that model works?

Secondly, in order to create the warp bubble, the exotic matter should have negative mass. Is my KSP likely to crash in the nastiest ways if I MM my way into setting the density of exoticMatter to a small but noticeable negative value?

On another subject, does the converter throttle to excess power or does anyone have any experience using it with TAC-LS? I ask because Kerbals need ElectricCharge to survive with that mod and this one consumes a ton.

Great concept, and I look forward to unlocking it and playing with it soon!

[helaeon]

Serino is working on a model that more precisely conserves all of your energy. It's not as simple as momentum conservation.

The closest one to your gravity gradients having an effect is the "Angular Momentum" model. That's the one Serino and I wrote that was the original "alternate physics" you see being spoke of. Basically the idea is that in order to not get massive amounts of free potential energy, your velocity must reduce. We have the game constantly recalculate and re-set your velocity so that your angular momentum magnitude remains intact. It behaves a lot different than the linear momentum preservation model. You can set that in the VAB.

The properties of exotic matter are a bit hand-wavey (as is everything with warp drive). Partly because it has never been observed in nature and as far as Alcubierre's drive goes its a result of the thing you'd need to get it to work (negative energy), not really something described by the standard model. So for the game it has zero mass. Maybe think of it as exotic matter potential rather than a physical exotic matter reserve.

Last I checked, though I haven't worked on the WarpDrive much in 1.0 as I'm waiting for an official NFT Electrical release, there's a reserve when you turn the warp drive on so you have 5 or so EC when generating exotic matter.

[Life on Europa]

never used this mod or interstellar mod,how is this mod different than the interstellar mod?

and can someone give me a short straight forward answer,does this mod works fine in the new 1.xx and not bugy?

[eliminate1337]

I'm having issues with 1.0.2. The game seems to think that the warp bubble counts as some sort of fairing or service bay, and doesn't let me activate engines within the bubble, even when the drive is deactivated. The error message is "cannot activate engine while stowed". It can be fixed by undocking then re-docking whatever part has the engine on it but I'd like to know if there's a fix.

I have a ton of mods installed but all through CKAN so there shouldn't be any incompatibilities. Maybe it's procedural fairings breaking it?

[Serino]

There is a lot of speculation on how Alcubierre drive would work. Mostly what is currently being tested in reality is more of a booster version similar to the original way this drive works but instead of just jumping you up to 15c it would instead multiply your true velocity to create an apparent velocity. Simple answer is that if we can make it then more than likely it will be a drive that makes it so you appear to move 100x faster than what you actually are. What I am currently working on is one proposed outcome that just makes you go X speed but conserves all your energy so when you exit the bubble then the universe punches you in the gut with a reality check. This is a less common idea of how it would work since we aren't sure how things would behave. As for my model of this idea as I said it will be Soon since KSP doesn't like complex math, nor some of it's own variable strangely, and krakensbane makes using vectors a pain in the ass, especially with how many I would need to use.

[futrtrubl]

I have a ton of mods installed but all through CKAN so there shouldn't be any incompatibilities.

I'm sorry I have nothing to add to help your issue, though I know it has been brought up before.

But that sentence of yours that I quoted.... that gave me a good laugh. Incompatibilities abound and CKAN really can't do anything about it, except sometimes keeping things up to date. Quite often a bug is reported and it's because CKAN didn't.

[Sophia]

Who, aside from RoverDude of course, are the authors of this mod? I have a derivative version and I'd like (as well as being obligated to by the license) to properly credit all authors, but there doesn't seem to be an actual list anywhere I've found.

[Serino]

RoverDude is the main author and I do believe Helaeon is credited as co-author. I helped Helaeon with creating the secondary mode on the drive but as far as licencing is concerned I believe you only need to credit RoverDude and Helaeon since they are the official authors.

[Sophia]

Ok, thank you.

[RoverDude]

FYI if this is in relation to the IXS enterprise mod, I whole heartedly approve - let me know if you need any assistance.

[helaeon]

@Sophia. I think... you should take RoverDude up on his offer for assistance and add what you need to this WarpDrive so long as it doesn't cause problems, then we all benefit from it. Also then don't have to worry about mod fragmentation.

I can probably help with some play testing on those parts as well just let me know what problems you're having. I'd suggest having the IXS Enterprise parts being a plug-in for the USI Alcubierre Drive. Then the core coding part of the mod you'll have all of us fiddling with the USI parts helping with bug squishing and improvements and such on the main DLL. Then you provide the parts expansion (Kind of like how K+ works with Karbonite!).

[Sophia]

I think... you should take RoverDude up on his offer for assistance and add what you need to this WarpDrive so long as it doesn't cause problems, then we all benefit from it. Also then don't have to worry about mod fragmentation.

Trying to avoid causing problems is why I forked my own version, actually. I don't want to impose my own vision on any of you, nor do I want to compromise my ideas when our opinions differ.

I made a few minor bug fixes and improvements that I believe could be passed upstream without much difficulty (and I'll certainly do so when my code is a little more stable) and I've made some cosmetic changes that can be hacked in as options without much trouble, but some of the other changes I've made are rather major and significantly change the structure of the mod, perhaps more than you guys would like. For example, my module does not need or use an underlying ModuleEngines, which also means that I've come up with my own formulas for how much ElectricCharge and WarpPlasma to use. It also includes the ability to expand the warp bubble via another part, which is something RoverDude has said he's against, I believe. Then there are just all the little details like how I changed the failsafe altitudes and how the drive reacts when it flames out and stuff like that, which admittedly could be all put into if statements, but it makes the code longer and uglier.

So, basically, avoiding mod fragmentation and working for mutual benefit are definitely worthwhile goals and I support them, but I have some pretty strong opinions about how I want my idea of a warp drive to work and I don't want to clash with anyone.

[SimBobHorner]

Apsolutely brilliant mod!!!

The asthetics are just amazing!

One thing though, ive tries launching it from the launchpad and it doesnt seem to work. The engines are activated and it says i have full Exotic matter but it doesnt take me any where.

Do i have to set somthing as a target or do i have to launch it into space firse?

[ArchGaden]

One thing though, ive tries launching it from the launchpad and it doesnt seem to work. The engines are activated and it says i have full Exotic matter but it doesnt take me any where.

Do i have to set somthing as a target or do i have to launch it into space firse?

You have to be a good distance away from planets and moons to activate. For Kerbin, this is 900km I think. When the drive is actually active, you'll see a big warp bubble. It is a bit of a beast to launch and you'll want to bring other propulsion with you to move around once you get roughly where you're going. Make sure you disable other engines when using the warp drive. Make sure you disable the warp drive when using other engines. If you don't, you'll mostly just waste fuel, but it could get violent as well.

[SimBobHorner]

Thanks ArchGarden that helps a lot!!!

I can now get any where!

[Yokito Zumi]

Ever thought of a 1.25m or mk2 Alcubierre Drive?

Also managed to Finish my first Warp Capable Mecha, She is an absolute beast. and is very maneuverable, She has a whole bunch of cool features Including antigrav, fully working limbs, grabby arms, gatling guns galore, 2 Giant Cannons, and a hidden Blade. on normal thrust options she can go about 400m/s in atmosphere and 1km/s in vacuum, but thanks to this amazing mod, she can now fulfill her true purpose. and a cheap and safe way to send kerbals to other planets when i don't have to time to endure a full Travel procedure.

[helaeon]

A few pages back I posted some alternate models for the warp drive 1.25m-3.75m. They also fold up so are probably exactly what you're looking for.

Click here for that post

[Yokito Zumi]

Thank you so much . i cant believe i overlooked that.

[The Destroyer]

What exactly do the two modes of the warp drive do?

[helaeon]

"Velocity" mode maintains your linear momentum direction and magnitude. So if you leave Kerbin you'll have an orbital velocity around Kerbol of ~8 km/s, if you warp out to Jool, you'll still be going 8 km/s so will be going 4 km/s too fast and probably be on an escape trajectory out of the solar system. That's your best case scenario if Kerbin and Jool are aligned on the same side of Kerbol.

"Angular Momentum" mode maintains the magnitude of orbital angular momentum (orbit.h) and your direction of travel. Your orbital velocity adjusts down as you climb out of a gravity well, and adjusts up as you warp towards the parent body. Same scenario: This time you will have too little velocity when you get to Jool. It actually ends up being like a Hohmann transfer where you pay for it all at the end. This mode you get no free potential energy like you do in the linear momentum mode.

In a way the drives are opposites. You can see if you take the exact same warp ship on the same trip but set in the other mode.

[Yokito Zumi]

Since you recommended those parts i have integrated them into the mecha.