Kerbal Space Program

[callmedave]

ash73 said:

0.24 is live, now with contracts

Oh my! That's a fresh career start tonight then!

[DIW35]

FunkyNige said:

I'd be very interested in those, despite having played for ages (since before orbit paths and time acceleration...) and having a fairly decent grasp of what I should be doing I'm still completely useless!
I just can't seem to land with enough fuel to take off again, docking is a mystery, etc.
Managed a SSTO taking off from the runway mind, chuffed with that

FunkyNige these scenarios won't instruct you how to fly to complete a particular task, but they provide craft that are capable of performing the tasks they are set up for. The landers in orbit around Minmus and Mun in the basic and inter scenarios respectively, have enough fuel to return to Kerbin from the surface, or should have providing you are not really heavy handed on the throttle during landing.



The scenarios


Flight Practise (BASIC)

Includes :-

1. Simple jet on runway, for anyone wanting to practise flying airplanes
2. Lander orbiting Minmus, because Minmus is the easiest of the two moons to land on, and a good place to practise your first landings
3. Orbiter on launch pad, for anyone struggling to make a simple craft capable of reaching orbit
4. Docker in close proximity to target satellite. Great for practising those final stages of docking with another craft

Flight Practise (INTER)

Includes :-

1. SSTO on Island runway. Slightly more difficult to fly than the simple jet. Not enough fuel in this to try for orbit, but useful for practising switching engine mode whilst in flight
2. Lander orbiting Mun. Having masterd Minmus in the basic scenario, this allows you to take that skill and practise on the slightly more difficult Mun
3. Mun insertion vehicle. Set in Kerbin orbit, allows you to practise flying to Mun, getting captured in orbit, and returning to Kerbin
4. Docker set on intercept course with target vehicle. Comfortable with actual docking, now you can practise the rendezvous part.

Flight Practise (ADVANCED)

Includes :-

1. SSTO in Kerbin orbit. Comfortable flying these, you can now try de-orbiting and getting back to KSC, or maybe try docking with the nearby space station before returning
2. Mun insertion vehicle. This one includes a lander, which allows you to bring together the two skills from the inter scenario to try for a Mun landing, but starting from Kerbin orbit
3. Docker. This one is in a lower orbit than the target vehicle, so you will need to set up your own intercept and rendezvous

Flight Practise (EXPERT)

Just two vehicles in this one, which are designed to pull all the skills together required to fly an SSTO to orbit, or to fly a Mun mission with a CSM and LEM.

Includes :-

1. SSTO on runway. Fuel is tight, so you need to fly a good ascent profile to get this one to orbit. If you are feeling really confident, you could try docking with the Station to refuel before returning
2. Mun mission. Two stages to get to orbit. Extract the LEM from the lift stage, so close docking skills required. Insert to Mun and EVA to transfer crew from CSM to LEM. Land on Mun. Time your launch to intercept and rendezvous with the CSM to get the crew home. Again, fuel is tight in most of the stages, so you can't afford to be wasteful.

Scenario Downloads:

Flight Practise (BASIC)

Flight Practise (INTER)

Flight Practise (ADVANCED)

Flight Practise (EXPERT)


Download them to your Kerbal/KSP_winx/saves/scenarios folder. Being able to restart the scenario to put everything back to it's original starting position is very useful, and allows you to have as many goes as you want for any of the tasks. In fact, I would recommend restarting the scenario before trying the docking, as the craft may have drifted out of position whilst you were flying something else.

Edited by DIW35 on Saturday 19th July 00:11

Edited by DIW35 on Saturday 19th July 00:15

[davepoth]

The new contracts are quite good fun; I think the balance is a bit off at the moment, but it does make you play the game in a different way.

Each part now costs money, so the most efficient way of doing things is with as few flights as possible; so when you can have a contract for "Test part X at 10-12,000m, with velocity between 200-400m/s" and a contract for "Test Part Y at 4-5000m, with velocity between 20-100m/s" it's fun to try and work out a ship and flight plan that will accommodate both.

[DIW35]

Am I the only one who doesn't care for career mode. Launch, do science. EVA, do science. Land, do science. Repeat ad nauseum. bks, still haven't got enough science to unlock the parts I really need. Boring!

Now, I actually like the contract idea, introduced in this latest release, as I like the challenge of building rockets to meet a specific requirement, but the fact it is tied in to career mode kind of kills it for me. I'd be a lot happier if you could do contracts in sandbox mode.

Edited by DIW35 on Monday 21st July 17:08

[Derek Withers]

I like the old career mode, I think part of the fun is working out how to go to places with only limited parts. It certainly taught me how to play the game.

I don't like the new career mode though, a lot of the contracts are stupid and want you to use parts in unsuitable places. Who is going to fire a solid rocket booster above 12000 metres for instance? Building retarded rockets just to use parts in certain ways is not my idea of fun.

[DIW35]

The problem I have is that I have been playing this game since long before the career mode was introduced, and have visited all the planets and their moons with some weird and wacky ship designs. I find it frustrating trying to perform meaningful flights when the parts I can use are restricted, and to unlock the parts I need require mind numbing repetitious gathering of science.

[CrutyRammers]

I kinda know what you mean about the repetition, but I quite enjoyed having to make do without certain bits, and working out how to get stuff back home. But it did pale after a while I have to admit, once you get enough stuff to go out to Duna then it seems a bit like doing it for the sake of it.
Looking forwards to the contracts though, I've not played for a bit so will be nice to get into it again.

[callmedave]

DIW35 said:

The problem I have is that I have been playing this game since long before the career mode was introduced, and have visited all the planets and their moons with some weird and wacky ship designs. I find it frustrating trying to perform meaningful flights when the parts I can use are restricted, and to unlock the parts I need require mind numbing repetitious gathering of science.

Have you installed any mods? some of these can really change the mission structure, there is one that adds 'life support' you pack x amount of food etc for the kerbals, not so bad for a short trip to the mun, but its makes interplanetary exploration more interesting.

Have you messed around with space planes too? they are a completely different concept to rockets, and require a different approach.

Theres no harm in taking a break from KSP for a month or two and coming back to it

[DIW35]

The only mods I use are ones that provide data rather than actually change the gameplay in anyway - things like Engineer, alarm clock etc. As for space planes, I have several designs, from one man, lets go to orbit and back, to 5 man crew changeover transport for visiting orbiting stations. I've even designed hybrid craft, that uses a standard staged rocket for getting close to orbit, but with a space plane design at the top in place of the more usual capsule, so that there is at least a small element of reusability in the design.

Most of my designs at the moment seem to be how many variations of craft and landers can I make that will fly a similar mission profile to those flown by the Apollo moon landings.

[marctwo]

Currently on sale again for £11.99.

[callmedave]

DIW35 said:

The only mods I use are ones that provide data rather than actually change the gameplay in anyway - things like Engineer, alarm clock etc. As for space planes, I have several designs, from one man, lets go to orbit and back, to 5 man crew changeover transport for visiting orbiting stations. I've even designed hybrid craft, that uses a standard staged rocket for getting close to orbit, but with a space plane design at the top in place of the more usual capsule, so that there is at least a small element of reusability in the design.

Most of my designs at the moment seem to be how many variations of craft and landers can I make that will fly a similar mission profile to those flown by the Apollo moon landings.

Agree about the Mods, I use KW rocketry, Engineer and Alarm clock. Engineer is such a usefull tool!

I cant think of what else you can do to increase your gamepley, Im not as far into it as you are, I have been to Mun, minmus and Duna (and its moons) i was working on a visit to jool with independent, one way probes for each moon. But since 0.24 came out i have started a new career mode.

[Foliage]

DIW35 said:

The problem I have is that I have been playing this game since long before the career mode was introduced, and have visited all the planets and their moons with some weird and wacky ship designs. I find it frustrating trying to perform meaningful flights when the parts I can use are restricted, and to unlock the parts I need require mind numbing repetitious gathering of science.

Im not a big fan of career mode either, it brings a nice concept but the mechanics of it are too clunky.

Try doing SSTO to mun and back if your after something challenging to do I managed it after a lots of tries, had to carry a ton of RCS fuel. Had to refuel in orbit, which meant I had to learn docking and built an awesome space station.

[DIW35]

Foliage said:

Im not a big fan of career mode either, it brings a nice concept but the mechanics of it are too clunky.

Try doing SSTO to mun and back if your after something challenging to do I managed it after a lots of tries, had to carry a ton of RCS fuel. Had to refuel in orbit, which meant I had to learn docking and built an awesome space station.

Did that a while ago. Built a spaceplane SSTO that had vertical take off and landing ability. Made it interesting when landing due to the navball being oriented to the cockpit.

[Rob P]

I'm new to this, what is the best way to learn?

I looked at a few youtube vids and built something basic and launched OK, but then what?

The training looks pretty basic, is career a good way to build up an understanding of how it all works?

[Foliage]

Rob P said:

I'm new to this, what is the best way to learn?

I looked at a few youtube vids and built something basic and launched OK, but then what?

The training looks pretty basic, is career a good way to build up an understanding of how it all works?

I prefer to play it as a sand box set my own goals and try to do it, take small steps to start with so - out of the atmosphere, orbit, de-orbit, adjusting orbits and manoeuvre nodes, head for minmus or the mun or build a space station/rendezvousing. Lots to do.

Scott Manley is the main youtube guy I watched.

[callmedave]

Rob P said:

I'm new to this, what is the best way to learn?

I looked at a few youtube vids and built something basic and launched OK, but then what?

The training looks pretty basic, is career a good way to build up an understanding of how it all works?

Try to get a Kerbal (spaceman) to get around the mun (moon) and return to kerbin (Earth) This may sound easy enough, but you will learn a lot attempting this mission. When completed, do it again but with less parts/fuel.

once you have mastered that, aim for the next moon (minmus) or try to land on one of the moons.

The next step would either be Docking, or building a space plane.

and again, Scott Manley on youtube is one to watch, HOCgaming is good too.

Post up some pics of your acheivments, (F2 to hide HUD, F1 to take screenshot) and dont be ashamed, even getting an orbit is a great acheivment!

[DIW35]

Taking small steps similar to what America did with their space program is as good a way as any to learn this game, First step would be a sub orbital hop. Next step, achieve orbit. Once you can do this comfortably, your next goal could be getting in to orbit around one of the moons. Mun is easiest, as Minmus is in an inclined orbit relative to Kerbin, which adds another dimension to worry about. The next obvious step is a moon landing. If you don't want to kill your Kerbals, you can always make these first attempts with unmanned, probe controlled craft. If you go that way, make sure to include batteries, as once the electric runs out, a probe controlled ship just dies.

Once you can land on Mun and Minmus comfortably, going anywhere else in the system is just an extension of these skills. One skill that is useful, and one that a lot of people initially struggle with, is rendezvousing one craft with another in orbit, and then docking them both. To build large space station, being able to dock is almost compulsory, as it's almost impossible to launch a big station in one lump.

Have fun.

[Derek Withers]

Rob P said:

I'm new to this, what is the best way to learn?

I looked at a few youtube vids and built something basic and launched OK, but then what?

The training looks pretty basic, is career a good way to build up an understanding of how it all works?

The older science only career mode is a good way to learn the game. You get easy but lower value science around Kerbin to start with. Once you have exhausted this you are forced out to try flybys and landings on mun and minmuss and so on.

[folos]

Performed my hardest ever maneuver today, with the new contracts system parts are pretty valuable. So when my Eeloo manned mission became stranded due to fuel starvation I launched a probe in a rescue mission.

Matching the orbits was the hardest part, docking wasn't so bad once i'd managed to match their speeds and go in for the kill - the maneuver node was no help at all with getting it back to Kerbin due to the craft's shape (bug?) so it was alot of guessing.

Now to try and separate and land the both of them!

[FunkyNige]

Messing around with the RAPIER engines today to see how they work (if you do try them, set the air breathing on/off switch to manual and assign all engines to one button) and made a bit of a beast of a plane.
Once it was in the air it was fine, but to get there it needed a rather violent take-off method...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmwdCa3JSN8&fe...

Ignore the lights, that was just me trying something out.