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Kerbal Space Progam: Rocket science is harder than it looks!

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  • TheKoolEagleTheKoolEagle Registered User regular
    woooo at least I can play it when I get home in 2 hours :(

    uNMAGLm.png Mon-Fri 8:30 PM CST - 11:30 PM CST
  • SorensonSorenson Registered User regular
    Wait a minute, did they flip Kerbin? I could have sworn KSP faced east into the sea.

  • firewaterwordfirewaterword Satchitananda Pais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered User regular
    Yaaaaaaaaaay! Science!

    Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
  • Nova_CNova_C I have the need The need for speedRegistered User regular
    This has never seemed more appropriate than now:

    stand-back-science.png

  • Nova_CNova_C I have the need The need for speedRegistered User regular
    So much science, motherfuckers!

  • tuggatugga Makin' movies Makin' songsRegistered User regular
    edited October 2013
    I may or may not be sciencing too hard

    Actually going through the early stuff brings back memories of my early, quasi-successful missions in KSP. I think for the new player, this will be something solid you can look at and say "heh, I did all that" which is what KSP excels at, for me

    tugga on
  • Nova_CNova_C I have the need The need for speedRegistered User regular
    edited October 2013
    Oh man. Having to rely on the thrust for power to transmit SCIENCE makes this a shitton of work.

    Which is super cool. You have to really pay attention to what you're doing to maximize how much SCIENCE you bring back without also making your Kerbal unrecoverable.

    It's also really frustrating at times.
    I just did a fly-by of the Mun, which was supposed to be worth 30 science. It was going to get me batteries, but no, when I recovered the command module, it was only 12, so I get nothing. Not enough points to research anything. :( I don't want to just do the exact same fucking mission. There's no point in landing on the Mun because I have no way of generating any power, so I won't be able to transmit anything back. So I guess I do the exact same thing I did for reduced points, which means I'll probably have to do the same thing a third time.

    Giving us the ability to transmit only once without adding a shitton of inertia makes this a lot less fun that I was hoping.

    Like, it's fine when all I'm doing is a quick sub orbit of Kerbin, but hey look, I have a trajectory that takes me past the Mun! Congratulations, you get to do one experiment, or risk killing Jebediah trying to generate any power. Oh, and when you get back? That experiment is still only worth 40% for some reason, even though you recovered your pod!

    Nova_C on
  • TheKoolEagleTheKoolEagle Registered User regular
    edited October 2013
    so, I made a terrible mistake and have left Jeb stranded in a really shitty far out orbit around kerbin. Time to mount a rescue mission with almost no parts.

    edit: the rescue went badly, now bill and jeb are stuck orbiting kerbin haha

    TheKoolEagle on
    uNMAGLm.png Mon-Fri 8:30 PM CST - 11:30 PM CST
  • tuggatugga Makin' movies Makin' songsRegistered User regular
    Dont forget to collect a sample and EVA report from the launch pad. I've done suborbital, orbit-and-deorbit missions, and a high-orbit mission. I just unlocked the science bay and the batteries

  • Nova_CNova_C I have the need The need for speedRegistered User regular
    tugga wrote: »
    Dont forget to collect a sample and EVA report from the launch pad. I've done suborbital, orbit-and-deorbit missions, and a high-orbit mission. I just unlocked the science bay and the batteries

    I didn't do the launch pad, but I just brought home nearly 200 science. :D

    I think that's enough SCIENCE for today, but my next rocket will have solar panels, so I'll be spamming SCIENCE like a mofo.

    PS. The rocket that brought home all that science was supposed to land on the Mun, but as I was coming in on a sub orbital trajectory I had a really critical look at my remaining fuel and instead made it a super close flyby and return. I had batteries all over my rocket and was pulling data from the goo and science pod like mad.

  • TheKoolEagleTheKoolEagle Registered User regular
    yeah I just had a mun flyby that earned me 95 science, that was pretty nice

    uNMAGLm.png Mon-Fri 8:30 PM CST - 11:30 PM CST
  • SceptreSceptre Registered User regular
    I finally unlocked the solar panels. Early on power is your biggest enemy, it really helps to kill your torque and turn off your batteries whenever you can get away with it.

    I have to say I am loving all of this, it really makes you appreciate stuff like mainsails and orange fuel tanks.

  • tuggatugga Makin' movies Makin' songsRegistered User regular
    I just did a Mun flyby that got me 203 science. Two goo containers, a science jr, a Crew Report, and an EVA report. Plus all my science landed on Kerbin safely, so I was able to recover 100% of my science.

    Now I have a probe for unmanned science, and solar panels for extended science. I need 70 more science to unlock the fuel duct.

    Obligatory:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6OQkj1Tloo

  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    It's kinda ridiculous how much this whole "do science to unlock parts" thing adds to the game. For one, starting from the basics makes you appreciate the ENORMOUS strides the game has made in playability without having to resort to Mechjeb. Second, having some constructive limitations makes achieving goals infinitely more enjoyable; the whole "science" thing is a hilariously powerful motivator in building craft that can be recovered, as well as providing something to do beyond ridiculous, pointless constructions.

    Overall, one helluva a kickass update.

  • tuggatugga Makin' movies Makin' songsRegistered User regular
    Its also reminding me of the scale of the monsters I've build with mod parts. The first solar panels, which are tiny on my huge rover+lander ships, seem enormous on my "lets try to get close to minmus and back" ships

    Another way its taking me back to the early problem solving days and remembering how difficult things were before I got MechJeb and NovaPunch.

  • DacDac Registered User regular
    Okay tried to do a short trip to minmus after doing a moon landing (lol for doing things in reverse) and when jeb touched his foot on the ground the game crashed.

    Decided to reload and do the approach again, and again, touching minmus made the game asplode, the game world going dark while the hud remained, the altimeter going nuts. Maybe a conflict with a mod (dunno what it would be, tho) or just a bug. Fun times, but I have to be up for work in a few hours (curse you KSP).

    Successful update!

    Steam: catseye543
    PSN: ShogunGunshow
    Origin: ShogunGunshow
  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited October 2013
    Made a ship to land on the mun and get back. Can handily land on the mun and collect something like 130+ science.

    First one gets stuck in munar orbit.

    Second one has plenty of delta v to take off.

    EXCEPT FOR THE LAST 11.3 M/S OF DELTA V THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME FROM A PERIAPSIS OF 153 KILOMETERS FOR KERBIN AND DOWN INTO THE ATMOSPHERE FOR BRAKING.

    All that science, lost, like tears in the rain.

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • SorensonSorenson Registered User regular
    EXCEPT FOR THE LAST 11.3 M/S OF DELTA V THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME FROM A PERIAPSIS OF 153 KILOMETERS FOR KERBIN AND DOWN INTO THE ATMOSPHERE FOR BRAKING.

    All that science, lost, like tears in the rain.
    You get out and you push that bitch. You push her, and you push her again, and you keep pushin' her lazy ass until she finally gets in the atmosphere.

  • MvrckMvrck Dwarven MountainhomeRegistered User regular
    I think I've had more fun just trying to get to orbit and recover safely in the hour or so I've played .22 than in a lot of the time I spent playing before. Shit having consequences really makes this much more fun (and it was really fun to begin with!)

  • EvmaAlsarEvmaAlsar Birmingham, EnglandRegistered User regular
    Something awesome always happens when I don't use my computer for a day. Yesterday, 0.22 drops. I think I should just walk away from the computer for a weekend so Firaxis decides to drop XCOM Enemy Within a month early and give everyone free unicorns or something.

    6YAcQE8.png
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  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
    EvmaAlsar wrote: »
    Something awesome always happens when I don't use my computer for a day. Yesterday, 0.22 drops. I think I should just walk away from the computer for a weekend so Firaxis decides to drop XCOM Enemy Within a month early and give everyone free unicorns or something.
    Could you walk away for a month so Half Life 3 comes out, pretty please? :P

  • EvmaAlsarEvmaAlsar Birmingham, EnglandRegistered User regular
    Zilla360 wrote: »
    EvmaAlsar wrote: »
    Something awesome always happens when I don't use my computer for a day. Yesterday, 0.22 drops. I think I should just walk away from the computer for a weekend so Firaxis decides to drop XCOM Enemy Within a month early and give everyone free unicorns or something.
    Could you walk away for a month so Half Life 3 comes out, pretty please? :P

    I said something awesome happens, not something that defies laws of the universe, like Valve making games that end in '3'.

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  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    Hohohohohoho....once again, another update sneaks up on me!

    I'm downloading now, of course (with an installer no less, there's a first), but I probably won't be committing in full until KOSMOS, KW, MechJeb and AIES get integrated into the tech tree. Gots to have my beautiful parts.

  • VedicIntentVedicIntent Registered User regular
    It's kinda ridiculous how much this whole "do science to unlock parts" thing adds to the game. For one, starting from the basics makes you appreciate the ENORMOUS strides the game has made in playability without having to resort to Mechjeb. Second, having some constructive limitations makes achieving goals infinitely more enjoyable; the whole "science" thing is a hilariously powerful motivator in building craft that can be recovered, as well as providing something to do beyond ridiculous, pointless constructions.

    Overall, one helluva a kickass update.

    The biggest thing for me is how it's suddenly worthwhile to do the intermediate steps in space exploration. Before, it was crashcrashcrashcrash -> orbit -> Munar impact -> Munar landing, but now I'm doing multiple flybys and experimenting.

    I was a bit disappointed that Goo/crew don't seem to care about high Gs, but then again I haven't gotten all the science bits yet.

    VT09mOz.png
  • VedicIntentVedicIntent Registered User regular
    Two things I couldn't figure out yesterday:

    1. WTF does staging the command pod do?

    2. What are the benefits of the larger antenna? It transmits faster, but power usage is higher, and it doesn't seem to help your science loss percentage for transmitting. Useful if you have lots of power and need to spam reports as you pass through a given altitude on descent? I don't get it.

    VT09mOz.png
  • CapsaicinCapsaicin I asked my 2 y/o son to draw a pic of my German mom, and thats what we got. Registered User regular
    Is there a way to check and see what missions or sciencey things you can do? Because when I fired up .22, it was basically the same old stuff, minus a bunch of components, and with no direction as to where to start. I did get some science by doing some low altitude rocket launches, but it was random, not directed.

    capsaicin_zps254b275f.png
  • VedicIntentVedicIntent Registered User regular
    Capsaicin wrote: »
    Is there a way to check and see what missions or sciencey things you can do? Because when I fired up .22, it was basically the same old stuff, minus a bunch of components, and with no direction as to where to start. I did get some science by doing some low altitude rocket launches, but it was random, not directed.

    You start out only being able to do Crew Reports from the command pod, and EVA Reports from an EVAing Kerbal. There are different "environments" where different results/experiments take place, per planetary body - surface, low altitude, low orbit, high orbit. Kerbin and the Mun (I think) also have biomes that act as sub-environments. A third variable is the experiment type (Crew Report vs. Goo tank, for instance)

    How much science you get is determined by novelty, mainly, so do each experiment type in every environment for maximum science. You get diminishing returns for repeats, but it can be worthwhile to hoover up as much of that "pool" of science as possible per environment.

    Transmitting results only give a percentage of their value, compared to keeping the data and returning the craft to Kerbin for retrieval.

    VT09mOz.png
  • ShogunShogun Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get along Registered User regular
    You can also take surface samples. A surface sample right at the launch pad should be worth like 9 science and if you land in kerbin's water a sample of the water is worth 12.

  • TheKoolEagleTheKoolEagle Registered User regular
    edited October 2013
    right now transmitting data just seems like a waste, like the science jr. only can transmit 20% of its science worth, and if you keep hoovering up the same test 5 times, you start to see it diminish.

    I'd rather launch 5 ships and bring them down to get the full bonus, because I feel like I am wasting potential science by just sending reports right now

    I guess what I want to see if the potential to bring in X amount of science from each area before seeing diminishing returns, so you are guaranteed 50 science to be transmitted/landed before you see diminishing returns, just so you have a reason to leave a ship in orbit and transmit data

    TheKoolEagle on
    uNMAGLm.png Mon-Fri 8:30 PM CST - 11:30 PM CST
  • CapsaicinCapsaicin I asked my 2 y/o son to draw a pic of my German mom, and thats what we got. Registered User regular
    I guess I should probably figure out how to EVA. Lol.

    capsaicin_zps254b275f.png
  • EvmaAlsarEvmaAlsar Birmingham, EnglandRegistered User regular
    I didn't seem to get much science from bringing a craft back (well, the pod parachuted with green goo attached to the side of it) and I didn't seem to get science from the goo at all.

    Can you only store one crew/goo report per flight and bring them back? I'm loathe to transmit data but don't mind flying several missions for each piece of data.

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  • ShogunShogun Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get along Registered User regular
    EvmaAlsar wrote: »
    I didn't seem to get much science from bringing a craft back (well, the pod parachuted with green goo attached to the side of it) and I didn't seem to get science from the goo at all.

    Can you only store one crew/goo report per flight and bring them back? I'm loathe to transmit data but don't mind flying several missions for each piece of data.

    You can add more Goo containers. 4 containers I think ends up with the mass of the command pod. Where did you observe your goo?

  • DesyDesy She/Her YeenRegistered User regular
    Shogun wrote: »
    Where did you observe your goo?

    This question is glorious with all context removed. :)

    That is all.

    PS. Gonna play around with the new campaign mode this weekend.

    camo_sig2.png
  • aiouaaioua Ora Occidens Ora OptimaRegistered User regular
    right now transmitting data just seems like a waste, like the science jr. only can transmit 20% of its science worth, and if you keep hoovering up the same test 5 times, you start to see it diminish.

    I'd rather launch 5 ships and bring them down to get the full bonus, because I feel like I am wasting potential science by just sending reports right now

    I guess what I want to see if the potential to bring in X amount of science from each area before seeing diminishing returns, so you are guaranteed 50 science to be transmitted/landed before you see diminishing returns, just so you have a reason to leave a ship in orbit and transmit data

    Some people on the KSP subreddit were saying that it doesn't really matter, you'll eventually get all the science points for any given experiment, you just have to repeat more for transmitting. I haven't had a chance to test the numbers myself. I'll do some experiments when I get home.

    @VedicIntent: Supposedly the stage with the command pod will automatically pull a crew report if you haven't done one already. The larger antennas use more electricity per tick, but also send proportionally even more data per tick. So you use less electricity overall.

    life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
    fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
    that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
    bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
  • EvmaAlsarEvmaAlsar Birmingham, EnglandRegistered User regular
    Shogun wrote: »
    EvmaAlsar wrote: »
    I didn't seem to get much science from bringing a craft back (well, the pod parachuted with green goo attached to the side of it) and I didn't seem to get science from the goo at all.

    Can you only store one crew/goo report per flight and bring them back? I'm loathe to transmit data but don't mind flying several missions for each piece of data.

    You can add more Goo containers. 4 containers I think ends up with the mass of the command pod. Where did you observe your goo?

    As I suspected, I screwed it up when I reset the container to gather more data. I left them as is after observing on the last flight and I got the science for it. I observed one tank in atmosphere while launching and the other while in orbit around Kerbin.

    Also, EVA report while on a ladder on your ship in the kerbin highlands:

    "This is a rather precarious position."

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  • VedicIntentVedicIntent Registered User regular
    I guess what I want to see if the potential to bring in X amount of science from each area before seeing diminishing returns, so you are guaranteed 50 science to be transmitted/landed before you see diminishing returns, just so you have a reason to leave a ship in orbit and transmit data

    I want to figure this out too, but I'm starting to think that spamming transmissions could net you more science on a given mission. Say you have 100 possible science in a given situation for returning a sample. Transmitting might get you 20%, but running the experiment again will give you a possible 80 science - transmit again, and repeat. It would take a while, but you could get nearly all the science eventually, and then even move on to another area.

    A solar panel + antenna is way cheaper and easier to send to another planet than the gear you'd need to make a return trip. I'm hoping this isn't how the math works out.

    VT09mOz.png
  • tuggatugga Makin' movies Makin' songsRegistered User regular
    right now transmitting data just seems like a waste, like the science jr. only can transmit 20% of its science worth, and if you keep hoovering up the same test 5 times, you start to see it diminish.

    I'd rather launch 5 ships and bring them down to get the full bonus, because I feel like I am wasting potential science by just sending reports right now

    I guess what I want to see if the potential to bring in X amount of science from each area before seeing diminishing returns, so you are guaranteed 50 science to be transmitted/landed before you see diminishing returns, just so you have a reason to leave a ship in orbit and transmit data

    I thought this at first, but then I realized its incentive for bringing the ship back. Also anytime you run an experiment, the next time you run it whether its from another craft or the same one, it'll have less total science.

    If I can get a craft to Laythe, land it, obtain samples, take back off and get back home, yes I would want that mission to be worth a whole lot more

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    It's kinda ridiculous how much this whole "do science to unlock parts" thing adds to the game. For one, starting from the basics makes you appreciate the ENORMOUS strides the game has made in playability without having to resort to Mechjeb. Second, having some constructive limitations makes achieving goals infinitely more enjoyable; the whole "science" thing is a hilariously powerful motivator in building craft that can be recovered, as well as providing something to do beyond ridiculous, pointless constructions.

    Overall, one helluva a kickass update.

    The biggest thing for me is how it's suddenly worthwhile to do the intermediate steps in space exploration. Before, it was crashcrashcrashcrash -> orbit -> Munar impact -> Munar landing, but now I'm doing multiple flybys and experimenting.

    I was a bit disappointed that Goo/crew don't seem to care about high Gs, but then again I haven't gotten all the science bits yet.

    I'm a little disappointed in their decision to make Kerbal space exploration start manned, rather than unmanned, but hey, I can live with that.

  • DesyDesy She/Her YeenRegistered User regular
    Synthesis wrote: »
    It's kinda ridiculous how much this whole "do science to unlock parts" thing adds to the game. For one, starting from the basics makes you appreciate the ENORMOUS strides the game has made in playability without having to resort to Mechjeb. Second, having some constructive limitations makes achieving goals infinitely more enjoyable; the whole "science" thing is a hilariously powerful motivator in building craft that can be recovered, as well as providing something to do beyond ridiculous, pointless constructions.

    Overall, one helluva a kickass update.

    The biggest thing for me is how it's suddenly worthwhile to do the intermediate steps in space exploration. Before, it was crashcrashcrashcrash -> orbit -> Munar impact -> Munar landing, but now I'm doing multiple flybys and experimenting.

    I was a bit disappointed that Goo/crew don't seem to care about high Gs, but then again I haven't gotten all the science bits yet.

    I'm a little disappointed in their decision to make Kerbal space exploration start manned, rather than unmanned, but hey, I can live with that.

    You could just pretend that they already did the easy unmanned stuff to get the KSP to where it is at the start.

    And the parts aren't there because the rocket builders aren't allowed to use those baby parts anymore.

    It's time to go where no Kerbal has gone before. Enough of this beeping probe crap.

    camo_sig2.png
  • TheKoolEagleTheKoolEagle Registered User regular
    Synthesis wrote: »
    It's kinda ridiculous how much this whole "do science to unlock parts" thing adds to the game. For one, starting from the basics makes you appreciate the ENORMOUS strides the game has made in playability without having to resort to Mechjeb. Second, having some constructive limitations makes achieving goals infinitely more enjoyable; the whole "science" thing is a hilariously powerful motivator in building craft that can be recovered, as well as providing something to do beyond ridiculous, pointless constructions.

    Overall, one helluva a kickass update.

    The biggest thing for me is how it's suddenly worthwhile to do the intermediate steps in space exploration. Before, it was crashcrashcrashcrash -> orbit -> Munar impact -> Munar landing, but now I'm doing multiple flybys and experimenting.

    I was a bit disappointed that Goo/crew don't seem to care about high Gs, but then again I haven't gotten all the science bits yet.

    I'm a little disappointed in their decision to make Kerbal space exploration start manned, rather than unmanned, but hey, I can live with that.

    thus is my current problem of bill and jebediah stuck in orbit around kerbin. Working on sending rescue drones to pick them up, but the last one which had a ton of potential ran out of energy and is facing in a way that its not powering up.

    uNMAGLm.png Mon-Fri 8:30 PM CST - 11:30 PM CST
This discussion has been closed.