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[Kerbal Space Program] Intercept Games Has Undergone Rapid Unplanned Disassembly
DivideByZero
Social Justice BlackguardRegistered User regular
Social Justice BlackguardRegistered User regular
Current Version: 1.2!
Stock communications networks! Antennas that have a purpose! Wheels no longer broked! Improved fuel flow! Whatever KerbNet is supposed to be!
1.2 Changelog
Do you like rockets? Big rockets? Really big rockets? Smaller rockets? Big rockets with smaller rockets attached at odd angles? Exploding rockets? Crashing rockets? Planes? Rockets that fly like planes? Planes that fly like rockets? Flying through the air? Flying through space? Flying into the sun? Crashing into the ground? Crashing into the ocean? Crashing into the moon? Crashing into other planets? Doing SCIENCE? How about jet packs? Freeze-dried ice cream? Space pens? LEGOs?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, Kerbal Space Program may be the game for YOU.
What is KSP?
KSP is a space program management / rocket construction hangar / astrophysics simulator that lets you design, build, and pilot your own rockets, aircraft, spaceplanes, and [REDACTED]; (try to) fly them into outer space and other planets, and probably crash them there. A lot. It's developed by SQUAD, and runs on the Unity game engine. It came out of early access just over a year ago, and is in an ongoing state of development, with new features and bug-fix patches released every few months.
Your job is twofold: manage the Kerbal Space Center, design and build rockets and assign Kerbal astronauts to them; and launch and fly the actual space ships in the field. The setting may look cartoonish, but the physics are all painfully real. There are a million ways to kill a Kerbal in space, and you'll probably encounter every one of them soon enough.
The base game takes place in the Kerbol system, which is a rough analogue to our own solar system, but about 1/6 the size. The planet Kerbin is a lot like Earth, its Mun is a lot like our Moon, but there's also a second, smaller moon orbiting further out that's your first hint that you ain't in Kansas anymore. There are also six other planets and seven more moons to out there, each of which has between three and a dozen+ biomes to explore. Dare you visit far-off Eeloo? Or the moons of the gas giant Jool?
There are three main game modes: Sandbox, where everything is unlocked and you needn't worry about any currencies; Science, where rocket parts are restricted by advancement along a large Tech Tree, which you unlock by performing various science experiments on the ground, in space, and on other planets/moons; and Career, which is Science mode with the added complexity of Funding and Reputation: rockets now cost money, which you earn by completing Contracts, and the various buildings around your space center start with only basic functionality until they're upgraded.
What systems is KSP available on?
You can commence extreme lithobraking on PC, Xbone, and PS4.
On PC, it's available on Steam, and directly from the KSP Store. Both clients offer automatic patching. Purchases from Squad can be transferred to Steam but not vice-versa.
I heard this game is hard as nuts?
Yeah, kind of. Rocket science is hard, yo. KSP uses real world physics (in a pint-size universe) and not all the mechanics are particularly intuitive (like speeding up to catch up to a rendezvous target involves thrusting backwards and thrusting forwards slows you down). Fortunately! The game has several tutorial scenarios, and there is a wealth of knowledge on the forums, wiki, and youtube. Or ask in this thread for help! We promise not to jeer at your hilariously precarious looking rocket! (Because we built one just like it.)
Yeah, but is it moddable?
Is. It. EVER.
KSP is ridiculously moddable. The amount of content created by the fanbase dwarfs the base game by orders of magnitude, and most can be installed by simply extracting a zip file into the Gamedata subdirectory in KSP. Or, use one-click mod installation in CKAN. (YMMV)
What sorts of mods are there? Well there's rocket parts, informational displays, building tools, rocket parts, eyeball melting visual enhancements, rocket parts, full-fledged autopilots, rocket parts, additional planets, alternate solar systems, rocket parts, spaceplane parts, rocket parts, new SCIENCE! experiments, total conversions, rocket parts, multiplayer, communication networks, life support, rocket parts, space colonies, contract packs, ROBOTICS, oh and did I mention ROCKET PARTS?
Diagnosing Problems with your Rocket:
Rule #1: Moar Boosters
Rule #2: Moar Struts
Rule #3: Refer to Rules 1 & 2
KSP Vocabulary:
TWR: How stronk is rocket
Delta-V: How far rocket go
RCS: Docking fuel
Struts: Not optional
Met the Kraken: Rocket glitched catastrophically
Lithobraking: Rocket crashed
Rapid Unplanned Disassembly: Rocket blowed up
Asparagus Staging: The Way And The Light
Scott Manley: Scottish Rocket Jesus
Gallery
Here are some totally rad screenshots courtesy of the totally rad PAers from the last thread:
Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONP9jS14toE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrjpELy1xzc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3RLl9bBMco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8OmxNoQ3ls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX3PX0MkN8MTutorials:
Scott Manley's 1.0 Tutorial series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d74m3qThOoU&index=1&list=PLYu7z3I8tdEkUeJRCh083UT-Lq5ZIKI75(Note that slight changes to aerodynamics since 1.0 mean certain techniques here may be hazardous to Kerbal health)
NathanKell's Realism Overhaul Tutorial/Livestream series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGqPWHCbvdY&list=PLI_cTKGllaWhVsKMRM_3axuFPcR6HYluLGo forth, brave Kerbals! Conquer space! Build amazing things! And crash them!
Forum
Wiki
Delta-V Map
Spacedock Mod Emporium
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
DivideByZero on
+4
Posts
What this means for the future of KSP is uncertain. The game came out of early access a year and a half ago, but was in no sense feature-complete. 1.1 was a step further, with the Unity 5 upgrade and native 64-bit support removing the memory limit that kep the game shackled in terms of modded content, BUT introduced a bunch of new bugs like horrendously broken wheels and landing gear physics. 1.2 apparently fixes all that, adds in the long-awaited comm relay system to compete with RemoteTech/AntennaRange, so I would say that the game as a whole is fairly close to feature-complete, if not there already. It could definitely stand a graphical overhaul, but actual content can largely be added by modders now that we have access to ALL TEH RAMS.
I'm under the impression the exodus last week was more of a "My work here is done, time to move on" event. Is that an accurate reading of the situation?
Basically started over, so no idea if having a Kerbal pilot kept inside or probe to keep the SAS going would keep that from happening, but in what's probably your typical starting orbiter (pod, engine, couple small fuels and not much else), it's pretty damn disorienting.
"These are great, man. We'll get them added to the stock game right away."
"Yeah, about that. I was kind of wondering - I've been doing a lot of work for you guys, you think maybe you could... pay me more?"
"Hm, well, let's see... nope."
And perhaps the attempted negotiations went around a few more times, but the upshot being, SQUAD couldn't/wouldn't make it worth PJ's while, and his contract allowed him to say "then you don't get to make these parts stock", and releasing them as unofficial content for modders was the compromise third option.
Also I think I need mechjeb, I forgot how to land things.
Oh and some old Eve and Duna shots, really need to download the graphic and parts updates again when they get out.
I really like the new stock experiment holder. Who needs a comm system when you can manually deliver science packages home?
I made it for some observation missions that were really spread out. Once it got to a good cruising altitude it could stay at supersonic speeds with almost no fuel use by dipping up and down constantly.
Really balanced too, easy to fly even when the fuel was low. Once I was done the choices were fly back to the landing pad or go to the south pole.
In truth the most recent mech jeb has not been able to land anything on Kerbin for me. As soon as it gets below 1000 meters all the atmos drag calculations go haywire and it points directly down or up at full throttle.
I had a massive single stage to orbit rocket I could manually land but the autopilot just would not land the thing.
I am hoping to rebuild this guy for some heavy duty exploration:
Okay so these new relay vrs direct comms I finally figured out, now the satellite contracts are not just about getting cash.
Here is the Communico series of Kerbal comm sats, with variants like the Munico and Minico, guess where those go?
I even got one in a keosynchronous orbit. Okay a retrograde keosynchronous(?) orbit which does not really count.
Pretty though.
But alas that era has come to an end and we need more high grade satellites, like this Polar Relay. It goes up to 9Mm to provide Minimus and such a good relay.
I have the final stage rocket on the nose, so it flips once it is in orbit, neat!
I even got it in the right plane as the...
Why does the ascending node say 180 degrees.
Okay glad I put enough extra fuel on here to get to Duna and back for no reason. Lets just turn this around, only an extra 1000 dv at 9Mm.
Why isn't the contract...
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Man, if I had a dollar ...
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
... to buy that thermometer
MWO: Adamski
Alt-F12.
Isn't there a specific building upgrade you have to unlock in order to do transfers? Or maybe that's a modded KSP thing. Maybe check that?
Sometimes the docking bits will break, and it wont read the ships as fully/properly docked.
MWO: Adamski
How does the mod scene look in regards to 1.2? Have mods generally caught up?
EDIT: Wow, apparently MechJeb's update still hasn't been formally released yet. There must've been some substantial changes with 1.2 and 1.2.1--usually Anatid's the first thing updated, or close to it.
Well, guess I'll wait more. I really like the UI changes I've seen so far though.
EDIT EDIT: Okay, MJ is up, but not Deadly Reentry. Guess I get to wait a bit longer.
You can also have Kerbals go unconscious if they sustain too much G-forces, and parts explode under too much G-force and pressure, as if there was not enough to worry about.
Lots of great new options.
Edit: You can also up reentry heating to 120% and see if that is close enough for deadly reentry.
http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/152136-121-galileos-planet-pack-official-release-v101/
It's a bit more challenging than stock because the sun is weaker and the space center isn't on the equator. It's fun to explore new places for a change.
Elite: Dangerous's system charts make anything look good, haha. Though if I were going to do non-stock, that looks gorgeous.
For the time being I'm more worried about getting all my mods updated, my career imported into 1.2.1 with everything working, and KSPRC working.
Weirdly enough, some preliminary imports of my career have dockingport2 (the standard-sized Squad docking port) showing up as missing, even though it's there--presumably one of my mods fucking with it. Anyone else encounter that?
(apologies for the creator's humor)
Then it loses signal when I ditch the orbital stage + medium antennas
Edit: ...Apparently the HG-55 isn't a relay antenna at all. I deflect all blame onto the Communotron sales rep!
I managed to get a rocket to leave the atmosphere yesterday.
Did it then immediately return to the atmosphere, light on fire upon reentry, slam into the ground at mach 2, and explode amazingly violently?
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
The first time I pressed space there was a small noise but nothing else; perplexed, I hit it again, causing the rocket to fly up and promptly rip itself and the parachute apart.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
If you're looking to capture the cosmetic style of the early American program, Bluedog Design Bureau is right up your alley. I've started using it for my cheap early rockets.
These are the first probes in the Zeus and Cronus programs, en route to Jupiter and Saturn. I think when I last left off, Zeus-1 was a few months out from Jupiter SOI after a 4-5 year transit.
If Realism Overhaul is good for one thing, it's making vanilla KSP feel like total EZMode. Like whoa. Like I have seen some shit. Fuck you Mun, I've landed probes on the Real Moon without bothering to get into orbit first, come at me bro.
Steam ID: Obos Vent: Obos
I dressed up as him in elementary school.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
What you're looking for is stage recovery. You could, feasibly, attach enough parachutes to everything launched and actually recover them in the tracking center, piece by piece, but some landed debris objects still vanish after a certain distance. Additionally parachutes set with decoupling don't always work for various reasons (power requirements, glitching, etc.). Stage recovery basically tracks every piece of debris on a reentry path, checks for parachutes (as well as control systems, fuel, and working engines if you have them) and if they within a certain velocity on landing with the parachute deployed, calculates their value with distance and condition matched in. Does all recovery automatically too.
It is a nonstandard modification of course, but it's the best way to go about doing it.