Kerbal Space Program

[Jimor]

Just picked this up, and after a few days and a good video tutorial on docking, I have the beginnings of my Kerbin orbit space station. I think I'll try to create a series of stations around the moons and planets to help with exploration.

[AzureAngel17]

Sadface. I'm only running the demo right now, just trying to get a decent Mun-lander, but alas I have lost my first Kerbonaut in space. (Had a few launch pad accidents, but I don't count those.) The MkVI version of my rocket made orbit with fuel to spare, so I pushed it and tried a free-return Mun orbit. Accidentally fast-forwarded through a maneuver and two unintended gravity boosts later he's now the newest satellite of the Kerbin sun. Would have been a pretty nifty maneuver if leaving the Kerbin-Mun system had actually been my plan.

My goal now is to just orbit Mun tomorrow, maybe land, but I doubt it. I wish the demo had unmanned capsules, I'd feel way better about taking risks that way!

[Master Gunner]

You could always attempt a rescue mission in time. Or try to use your Kerbal's jetpack to push the capsule back to Kerbin.

Or end the flight, he'll show up in the roster again eventually.

[AzureAngel17]

Sadly, the demo doesn't have docking or multi-Kerbal capsules.

(Unless I'm missing something, anyway.)

[DmitriW]

Your Kerbal can actually leave the pod unattended to get out and push. It doesn't need to have a Kerbal in it at all times.

One thing I've noticed when using my RCS backpack to try and push spacecraft off/on course is that Kerbals have a tendency to flip the fuck out and go randomly careening off into space. Plenty of RCS fuel to get back to their ship with, but it's legitimately terrified me more than once. XD

[Dutch guy]

The view mode setting (Chase, auto, orbit, etc) has a lot to do with that. I usually have it at auto before activating the RCS backpack.

[DmitriW]

Letting my noob show, here--how do I change the camera mode? Manley keeps raving about how good chase mode is for docking, but I didn't see anything in the controls menu for it.

[AzureAngel17]

Your Kerbal can actually leave the pod unattended to get out and push. It doesn't need to have a Kerbal in it at all times.

Can the basic 1-man pod hold a passenger? That's the only capsule available in the demo, so I just assumed a rescue was out of the question.

[Master Gunner]

You can add a second 1-man pod to your ship, and it won't be populated with a kerbal at launch.

[Can't Wear Hats]

Letting my noob show, here--how do I change the camera mode? Manley keeps raving about how good chase mode is for docking, but I didn't see anything in the controls menu for it.

You change camera modes with V. In addition C switches to cockpit view and back again, and if you're in a 3-kerbal pod V will change between kerbals in cockpit view.

[AzureAngel17]

Welp, my rockets are capable. The MkXII did a munar orbit and returned successfully, and the MkXIII attempted a landing but broke a strut and crashed. The XIV was launched for rescue, since Bob survived the crash landing, but I messed up the burn and didn't have enough fuel to land, so I parked XIV in Munar orbit as a backup return vehicle and landed XV for the rescue. It should have worked. I landed 15km from the crash site and had more than enough fuel to make the return trip with both XV and XIV, but I was impatient and tried to move the XV closer to the crash site so Bob wouldn't have to walk the whole way.

Long story short, the XV exploded, Bob was blown up in the crash, and Bill (XV pilot) was launched into the opposite side of the Mun so hard he disintegrated. Jedediah on the orbiting XIV safely returned home with the bad news.

Bright side: tons of Munar maneuvering practice and manual orbit tweaks. I have high hopes for the XVI and XVII tomorrow.

I love this game.

[Jimor]

So far, I have a station in orbit around Kerbin, Mun, and Minmus, and have developed a lifter to get a full orange tank of fuel into orbit, and can fairly reliably dock, though not very efficiently. Next up, design some landing missions for the moons before moving onto the planets.

[Smeghead]

Wow...just...wow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkDOOsGg-9I

[My pseudonym is Ix]

Wow...just...wow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkDOOsGg-9I

...welp, that's another evening spend surfing KSP videos coming up

[My pseudonym is Ix]

Have spent all evening watching Macey Dean videos on YouTube. I have an exam tomorrow. I have no regrets

[Jimor]

I've finally built a ship capable of getting a FULL tank of the largest orange ones to my 300k orbit space station (18 available docks on that frame!). Also here's a train to Jool to get another space station frame into high orbit there (I figure I'll get one in orbit above all the moons, and one below to accommodate future missions. And just by saying train I just realized that I should put a puller nuclear tug at the front of this monstrosity to help avoid oscillation damage in transit.

[Smeghead]

Ok that looks very cool and is way bigger then anything I've ever built in orbit. But I am a bit worried that that ship might shake it self apart when throttled up (assuming you clan to move that whole thing towards Jool)

[Jimor]

That's exactly why I want to try to build a tug that pulls it instead of pushing it. I have a nuclear pusher tug on one end, and a standard engine tug on the other, but with the flexibility of the docking connections, even the low thrust engine will probably flex that thing to pieces.

This game sure makes you appreciate the difficulty of getting enough fuel into orbit and then moving it around to where it's needed. I imagine when they add the strategy elements to the game that includes building and fuel costs, that this will be one of the trickier balancing acts to accomplish. I'll edit in some pictures of my launchers here when I get to the computer with the game on it.

Edit:
Station Frame Launcher

Fuel Launcher

[Master Gunner]

Two solutions (though they would require you to start over) to your issue. You could look into the Quantum Struts mod, which use electrical power to generate struts stretching between docked ships. Or if you wish to stay stock, use bi- or tri-couplers where your current docking ports are, and then put two or three docking ports on those. When lined up correctly, they will all connect together for a stronger hold.

[Jimor]

Yeah, I've seen a couple of videos about multi-porting the dock for strength, but I'll need to get WAY better at the final docking maneuvers for that. And I generally play games vanilla, though there are some amazing mods available and potential for this game!

I managed to get the nuclear puller tug into orbit and dock it with the station, but I was down to just over 1 unit of RCS at the end (speaking of getting better at docking). But here it is.

[DmitriW]

I've had better results from using the Clamp-o-Tron Senior and a Rockomax Adapter, as opposed to trying to three-port dock my ships. I used them for the orbital assembly of my first Laytheshot base to fairly awesome effect--despite a LOT of wobble from the rearmost drive engine pushing the ship, it didn't snap.

[My pseudonym is Ix]

To return this thread to KSP newbie-ism, Hermes IV has just crashed into the Mun. Again. This makes seven failed attempts at a Mun shot, with two successful landings, although this one was about the worst of the lot (had to make a last minute save to jump a lip and landed with a ton of lateral velocity, broke everything).

Ah well, best foot forward; once I've mastered this I might even get around to buying the full version...

[Ptangmatik]

See, that's why I call my rocket prototypes 'MunPuncher' instead of 'Apollo'

In other news, my inter-solar mission is progressing. This is the sky crane section, I just need the rover, fuel tank and interplanetary engine to attach onto the end

[Smeghead]

If you only have the demo; This video might be very useful for you

[AzureAngel17]

If you only have the demo; This video might be very useful for you

Manley almost single handedly sold me the full version. I'm going to be spending the whole day tomorrow taking my Kerbals to the Mun and setting up a Kethane mine.