Patched Conics

[Mister Kerman]

I don't grasp explanations of what they are, so instead can someone explain why it's useful to unlock them?

Edited January 15, 2015 by Mister Kerman

[NASAHireMe]

If you're asking about the actual concept of 'patched conics', view the Wikipedia page and this thread. If you're looking for an explanation of the various conics draw modes and limits as they apply to Kerbal Space Program gameplay, check this Youtube video

Edit: After some thought, I think the Youtube video and this thread is more applicable to your question. Basically, the different draw modes are ways to visualize on the Map Screen your spacecraft's trajectory. All of them say the same thing, fundamentally, but represent your trajectory in different ways on the Map. Each one has its uses (esp. mode 0, which allows you to plan gravity assists and close-approaches within your target SOI), although some people may prefer one over another.

Unlocking so that you can use Mode 0 is pretty much essential if you want to do any interplanetary travel. That way you can Focus View on your target body, see where you trajectory is in relation to the body, and fine-tune your trajectory from very far away, minimizing dV needed.

Edited January 14, 2015 by NASAHireMe

[Anquietas314]

I don't grasp explanations of what they are, so instead can someone explain why it's useful to unlock them?

In gameplay terms, patched conics is what lets you see your trajectory after SoI changes - for example when you encounter Mun - as well as telling you when that will happen . For some reason they're also necessary for unlocking maneuver nodes.

[DBT85]

With no patched conics, when you burn toward where Mun is going to be, the map won't show you anything other than your orbit around Kerbin. You could actually be on a trajectory to slam right into Mun.

With patched conics, when you burn to where the moon is going to be, the map shows you your encounter and how the Mun is going to change your flight path, you can then adjust accordingly.

Getting to Mun without it is doable but not unless you know when to burn and how long for (as Mun rises over the Kerbin horizon, burn prograde for about 860m/s) getting anywhere else without them is a pain in the butt.

[StrandedonEarth]

I remember when I first started playing I'd just crank my orbit out until it crossed the Mun's orbit, then warped until the Mun caught me, often for several orbits. Good thing there's no life support requirement.

[Mister Kerman]

With no patched conics, when you burn toward where Mun is going to be, the map won't show you anything other than your orbit around Kerbin. You could actually be on a trajectory to slam right into Mun.

With patched conics, when you burn to where the moon is going to be, the map shows you your encounter and how the Mun is going to change your flight path, you can then adjust accordingly.

Getting to Mun without it is doable but not unless you know when to burn and how long for (as Mun rises over the Kerbin horizon, burn prograde for about 860m/s) getting anywhere else without them is a pain in the butt.

Ah perfect. I haven't gone to the Mun yet this save. I want to unlock everything first so I'm free to do whatever I like with simply managing funds as my only limitation. Definitely going to need to know when I'm maneuvering to an encounter!

[Wanderfound]

Ah perfect. I haven't gone to the Mun yet this save. I want to unlock everything first so I'm free to do whatever I like with simply managing funds as my only limitation. Definitely going to need to know when I'm maneuvering to an encounter!

That...is unlikely to be fun. The higher levels of the building upgrades cost millions of √ each; it will take quite a lot of grinding about in LKO to get them all unlocked before going further afield.

The first Tracking Station upgrade to get the conics isn't too expensive, but as mentioned above it isn't too tricky to get to the Mun without it. Get into LKO, burn prograde at Munrise, cut the engines as soon as your apoapsis reaches the height of the Mun's orbit, and do a small correction burn as soon as you enter the Mun's SOI in order to set up your Munar orbit. Getting back is similar, but do your burn when you're pointed retrograde along the Mun's orbit (i.e. when Kerbin is directly overhead, if you're in a west-to-east Munar orbit) and cut thrust as soon as you hit Munar escape velocity.

[Norpo]

In short: using patched conics is REALLY GOOD. Otherwise, you're just making educated guesses, and unless you're doing advanced math to figure everything out, you're not gonna get exact results. Whether that's alright or not, depends on your play-style. I imagine it'd be nigh-impossible, or at least frustrating to go interplanetary without patched-conics, simply due to the sheer accuracy needed, though knowing this game, i'd bet people have done it.

edit: There's no way in heck i'd consider going to high-accuracy areas, like Eeloo, Dres, and Moho, without patched conics. Duna, Jool and Eve? Maybe. If you're completely crazy. (cue nicely formatted imgur albums on people doing just that)

[Mister Kerman]

That...is unlikely to be fun. The higher levels of the building upgrades cost millions of √ each; it will take quite a lot of grinding about in LKO to get them all unlocked before going further afield.

The first Tracking Station upgrade to get the conics isn't too expensive, but as mentioned above it isn't too tricky to get to the Mun without it. Get into LKO, burn prograde at Munrise, cut the engines as soon as your apoapsis reaches the height of the Mun's orbit, and do a small correction burn as soon as you enter the Mun's SOI in order to set up your Munar orbit. Getting back is similar, but do your burn when you're pointed retrograde along the Mun's orbit (i.e. when Kerbin is directly overhead, if you're in a west-to-east Munar orbit) and cut thrust as soon as you hit Munar escape velocity.

I mean just unlock vital things/the full tech tree. I already have the science. I just need 3 mil + whatever it costs to get patched conics and I'm set!

[Anquietas314]

I mean just unlock vital things/the full tech tree. I already have the science. I just need 3 mil + whatever it costs to get patched conics and I'm set!

R&D is hands down the most expensive building to upgrade. Don't bother with tier 3 until you have patched conics and have been to the Mun and Minmus. You really don't need it.

[Mister Kerman]

R&D is hands down the most expensive building to upgrade. Don't bother with tier 3 until you have patched conics and have been to the Mun and Minmus. You really don't need it.

I've got an idea of how I'd like to do things. Money is my only worry right now. I basically want all the parts unlocked and all the tracking station upgrades and I'm good. Everything else worth having I've already upgraded! I just want freedom to build and explore. I already have rep and science covered so I'm going to get some strategies going to get some extra cash flow.

[Wanderfound]

I've got an idea of how I'd like to do things. Money is my only worry right now. I basically want all the parts unlocked and all the tracking station upgrades and I'm good. Everything else worth having I've already upgraded! I just want freedom to build and explore. I already have rep and science covered so I'm going to get some strategies going to get some extra cash flow.

Unfortunately, the Admin strategies are still poorly balanced; Fundraising Campaigns and Patent Licensing return very little money. But this is how I raised the cash for my Tier 3 R&D:

http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/craigmotbey/Kerbal/Spaceplane%20economics/story

&

http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/craigmotbey/Kerbal/Beta/Kerbodyne%20Showroom/Satshot/story