Kerbal Space Program

[Honkytonk]

Moved to own thread to avoid picture spam.

Screengrabs below.

My career 'Ghost' ship, with Mervin Kerman posing for a photo. Note magical lack of engine...



The scope of the problem is realised when a colleague checks on their own craft. (I came in smooth as you like, then for some reason the RCS wigged out and I ended up on my side with one of my four engines knocked off. The engine itself being lost isn't too much of a problem, but the thing being on its side bloody is...)



Over to sandbox, this is what I did on me lonesome hauling stuff up piece by piece. Took me bloody hours (I didn't use mechjeb for anything other than orbiting, just because that's something I know I can do that's a faff), but it's (nearly) fully fuelled and ready to go explore, just needs a lander (I also need to move the little inspection pod/tug to Olympus station)



Compare that to this, that I did in the space of an evening (construction to fully assembled) with QuickEdit...



This is going to be my 'Olympus station', stopping off point for all missions out of Kerbin orbit for refuelling, lander and rover pickup (they'll all be the same rigorously tested models you can see on the right about to dock- they look a bit ungainly in space, but they're robust and have enough fuel and propellant for pretty much any problem. But I'll probably find things I don't like on them and decide otherwise)

[4D]

On a similar note to this game, are there any decent flight simulators out there that anyone recommends?

[Honkytonk]

On a similar note to this game, are there any decent flight simulators out there that anyone recommends?

http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-free-flight-simulators/

I still play MFS 2000. With all the community mods and add-ons it's simply the best. Combat Flight Simulator 2 and 3 were good as well (same basic engine but with guns and WW2 pacific/European theatre instead)

[4D]

Thanks, will give these a go 

[Samdy Gray]

Nice one for starting the thread, Honkytonk.

Here's Bob Kerman, taking a look at Kerbin after my first sucessfull full orbit.


Hold on to that ladder there, Bob... Bob!


Oh shit.


It's getting hot in here.


RIP Bob Kerman.

[4D]

Looks like hello kitty holding onto the top 

[Honkytonk]

MunRescue Part 1

So I had two capsules stuck on the Mun with no hope of return. Three Kerbals (It would have been four, but I'd killed one...) stranded on a desolate lump of orbiting rock for what had already been the christmas period, or whatever they celebrate on Kerbin. Time to mount a daring rescue!

First things first, the tool- started from scratch and built myself a new rocket with some science I'd recently unlocked- nice big Skipper engines!

Mun5 and her vital statistics, courtesy of Kerbal Engineer (I should have added monopropellant tanks and probably another cabin. The first I rectified after launching to orbit and realising, the second I forgot utterly...)



I use relatively similar technology for all my career rockets- solid-only first stage and then liquid once those have burnt off. Keeps the really hard bit (the first 10k) from eating into my liquid fuel too much- I try and have one stage with quarter fuel and one full stage (as well as the pod itself) after making full orbit (so I can alter my orbit and transfer without too much worry). That rarely happens though.

Slightly better view of her sat on the pad awaiting her take-off window.



After she's taken off and got her orbit sorted (I regularly go for about 90-100km, just so I've got a nice jumping off point for the moon), here's what she looks like (I restarted after remembering the monopropellant and QuickEdited her to orbit for ease- probably a 'little' bit more fuel in her than I would normally have, but not much.



So after I'd burnt to the moon and entered orbit, I set up me landing trajectory, aiming for Ghost 1's vicinity.



I got close(ish), and after jettisoning my now defunct transition engine, here's e killing some Delta-v at about 150000m



I'm pretty sure either I am terrible at landing, or my RCS is buggy. Because yet again, when I was about 10m landing, it wigged out and this happened:



Was rather displeased. Not only had I lost a bunch of Monopropellant tanks, but I'd also lost my parachute for return to Earth Kerbin. A bit of Apollo 13-style hard thinking later though, and I worked out a way  to rectify my situation- using some of my remaining Monopropellant in tandem with my engine, I raised my gear and rocked myself upright. Hooray!



I decided that as this mission was not going to be wholly successful anyway, I should try and improve my RCS skills- cue a little relocation job (as I was not willing to watch a Kerbal walk for 6.5km...). I crash-landed about 1.7km away from Ghost 1 when my monopropellant ran out (I stayed upright this time, so small victories and all that)

My first Kerbal went on EVA to try and make contact, and I underestimated his ability to stop. So he died. RIP Marten Kerman.

I switched to one of Mun 4's two remaining Kerbals who was on EV, to find the Mun 4 pod mysteriously alone, without fuel tanks, landing gear or anything, other than the single engine that had fallen off when it landed. Something is definitely happening to these craft when I leave them alone for too long. (Or there's a space ghost. I reckon Space Ghost.)

Anyway, I meandered over to Ghost 1, transmitted the science that had been left behind by its previous occupant, and then planted a flag to make the area easier to avoid in future (WARNING: SPACE GHOST). Then I had a dilemma. Two Kerbals, only one seat in the ship...



By the wholly fair method of picking the nearest one, I made my journey to the Mun5 pod. Kelwin Kerman climbed aboard after one of my most successful Jet-pack-assisted journeys yet, and I blasted off for orbit. Poor old Frank and Hefrid were left behind, for what could be a very long time...





Things I'd learnt:

- If you're going to mount a rescue mission, PUT ENOUGH SPACE IN THE SHIP FOR THEM TO SIT. 
- Something is deeply wrong with that area of the mun as far as the RCS physics go.
- That I can actually use jetpacks properly now without it being a death sentence for the Kerbal involved.

I suppose the only thing left to do for the chaps left behind is explore Ghost 1 and try to work out if there really is a Space Ghost, or if my program's just buggy.



WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Samdy Gray]

I notice when you're attempting a landing you're burning retrograde. This will kill surface speed, but you'll still have some horizontal (orbital) velocity. If you burn slightly below the retrograde indicator, it'll gradually move your retrograde point to the top of the nav ball i.e. no horizontal velocity.

At that point, whack on the SAS and either use main engines or RCS to slow your descent speed.

[jayohaitchenn]

In the Mun tutorial on youtube he always turns off RCS for the last couple of metres

[Honkytonk]

I notice when you're attempting a landing you're burning retrograde. This will kill surface speed, but you'll still have some horizontal (orbital) velocity. If you burn slightly below the retrograde indicator, it'll gradually move your retrograde point to the top of the nav ball i.e. no horizontal velocity.

At that point, whack on the SAS and either use main engines or RCS to slow your descent speed.

I generally kill my horizontal velocity once I'm sure I'm going to make my target, but that's probably a better way of doing it that I'll try. Still getting to grips with the physics of it all in my head.

Knocking off the RCS is not a bad idea for the last few metres as well cheers jayo.

Will attempt a rescue of the remaining stranded kerbals today.

[suttonred]

Do you get a free anorak with this?

[jayohaitchenn]

No but you get a free FUCK OFF with that pointless comment

[Honkytonk]

Do you get a free anorak with this?

Only one you make yourself out of empty crisp packets and stitched together with shame.

[4D]

Sutton has obviously never watched button moon 

[4D]

What's the best download link for this? I tried using one and my antivirus software kicked off.