Kerbal Space Program
- Thread starter Greg0986
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Hi Kerbalnaughts.
I appreciate that news from the Developers has been few a far between. But to summarize whats been happening from xmas + what to expect in the future.
1. The Developers have moved too GIT version control system.
This should make development easier for larger groups, but took about a week to implement.
@ http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/entry.php/480-KSP-meets-Git!
2. The Developers have invested further in the unity engine an moved too unity4. This now includes Windows + Mac + Linux native support.
3. The Developers have been working on an updated Demo.
Build 0.18.3 (Demo) which has almost every thing the Paid version does with some restrictions.
4. The Developers intend to release Paid Build 0.18.4 This will be compiled with unity4.
Sadly at this time I have no idea when these will be release. But I'd expect soon.
As for version 0.19 NO Official information has been released.
You can play it and have fun...but you wont know jack all and it has a fairly big learning curve imo.
Soldato
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There's some tutorials built into the game and some on the wiki for more advanced stuff.
You can just make mental rockets and blast them into space though. It's completely sandbox.
Hi robz.
Its a fun space simulator. So its a realistic an fun, but not mind numbing unforgiving realistic; If you follow my meaning.
The main emphasis is on the player designing an piloting there own rockets, your literally limited by your imagination + Solar System (Massive) an your CPU power.
This includes Manned/Un-Manned:
Airplanes
Rockets
Satelites
Planet Colonies
Space Stations
Rovers
A massive solar system to explore (Roughly 50% Smaller than our Real Sol System.)
But lets face it. Space is massive...
Roughly 20+ Bodies of interest from:
Kerbol = Sun
Kerbin = Earth
Jool = Jupiter
Murs = Mars
Eeloo = Pluto
To name some.
As players we regularly post pictures of craft an failed missions.
There is an ever growing community support Squad (Development Company) with new releases ever 1-2 months.
There is a learning curve, a step one. But either here or on the official Forum or even the IRC channel you can always say Hi an ask away...
Happy Launching. Seanoog.
Soldato
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Got back into this again and there's so much new stuff.
Had a crack at rendevous/docking a few days ago, and got my first probe up yesterday.
I'm planning on adding some big fuel tanks to the four docks on the sides and using it as a big old petrol station in space. Hopefully I can then have lighter ships on launch, that can fuel up once they're in orbit and end up with a much bigger range.
On a somewhat related note.. can you mark a fuel tank as empty before launch, or empty it on the pad quickly?
Had a crack at rendevous/docking a few days ago, and got my first probe up yesterday.
I'm planning on adding some big fuel tanks to the four docks on the sides and using it as a big old petrol station in space. Hopefully I can then have lighter ships on launch, that can fuel up once they're in orbit and end up with a much bigger range.
On a somewhat related note.. can you mark a fuel tank as empty before launch, or empty it on the pad quickly?
A nice return.
Especially your Space Station. Hopefully it'll be the start of many more voyages.
To anwser your question: No.
The Tank cant be pre-emptied before flight.
It might be worth memtioning as a feature request.
You could always put a mainsail on the bottom, and use those tower things to pin it to the launch pad. That should empty it pretty quickly, assuming the whole thing doesn't rip itself apart. Use a decoupler to cut it off afterwards.
But why would you want to do this? If you're building a petrol station in orbit, what use are empty tanks? It's very possible to get a full one up there.
But why would you want to do this? If you're building a petrol station in orbit, what use are empty tanks? It's very possible to get a full one up there.
Soldato
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I did think about this again after I wrote that. My plan was to take a load of empty ones up their on one trip, dock them all up, then full them with another mission. I.e build the station then fill it.
The thought did occur that I may as well just take big tanks.
The next part of the plan was it might be more efficient to launch a less powerful ship with a big empty tank, then fuel up in orbit. Rather than have lots of weight in stages just to get a heavy craft full of fuel up? I've got no experience/testing with it so far it was just an idea.
In the end I always seem to end up with huge lumbering ships in order to get the fuel I need up into orbit for the trips I want. Maybe put the fuel needed up separately from the ship might be easier? It's just something different to try as well.
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I did think about this again after I write that. My plan was to take a load of empty ones up their on one trip, dock them all up, then full them with another mission. I.e build the station then fill it.
The thought did occur that I may as well just take big tanks.
The next part of the plan was it might be more efficient to launch a less powerful ship with a big empty tank, then fuel up in orbit. Rather than have lots of weight in stages just to get a heavy craft full of fuel up? I've got no experience/testing with it so far it was just an idea.
In the end I always seem to end up with huge lumbering ships in order to get the fuel I need up into orbit for the trips I want. Maybe put the fuel needed up separately from the ship might be easier? It's just something different to try as well.
I know where your idea is coming from.
But IF you build your station with that method, you'll definitively be the odd Kerbalnaught doing so...
Most people build there station, with the tanks they want, an use some of that fuel to achieve stable orbit.
Then send resupply missions.
An then add supplementary tanks by docking more, to the original station.
Then send long range missions to the station, fill up there rocket, an then head too Jool or Eeloo.
Now I did say your the odd one out. Doesn't mean your wrong.
Definitively one of the fun area's with KSP. You can manage your space program however you see fit. But that's bravo talk from a man, who has managed to kill about 5 bravo Kerbals with poor rover driving skills today.
Soldato
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Yep, I'm definitely not going to launch empty tanks for the purpose of connecting to the station for storage. That would be daft now I think about it. Docking practice is a lot of the reason it didn't go up with tanks, I've got the station up, now I want to stock it.
I'm still thinking about the idea of a lightweight ship with an already empty but big tank that I can fill when I'm up there from the station. Getting all that weight off the ground is the worst bit I guess. That's why the first stage of the Saturn V was so big. Lighter launch vehicle in terms of all that heavy fuel could be interesting I think. Also maybe a re-usable rocket, park it at the station and re-enter with just the command module.
Got to finish the station first though.
I'm still thinking about the idea of a lightweight ship with an already empty but big tank that I can fill when I'm up there from the station. Getting all that weight off the ground is the worst bit I guess. That's why the first stage of the Saturn V was so big. Lighter launch vehicle in terms of all that heavy fuel could be interesting I think. Also maybe a re-usable rocket, park it at the station and re-enter with just the command module.
Got to finish the station first though.
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Yep, I'm definitely not going to launch empty tanks for the purpose of connecting to the station for storage. That would be daft now I think about it. Docking practice is a lot of the reason it didn't go up with tanks, I've got the station up, now I want to stock it.
I'm still thinking about the idea of a lightweight ship with an already empty but big tank that I can fill when I'm up there from the station. Getting all that weight off the ground is the worst bit I guess. That's why the first stage of the Saturn V was so big. Lighter launch vehicle in terms of all that heavy fuel could be interesting I think. Also maybe a re-usable rocket, park it at the station and re-enter with just the command module.
Got to finish the station first though.
The way I get a full orange tank into orbit is via a 6-sided asparagus configuration.
Like this:
Notice the tanks around the outside are stacked 2 high to lift a single orange tank in the middle. That thing will get into a 100km orbit with fuel to spare in the final 2 side tanks, and the central tank completely full. I've been using it as an interplanetary tug to fly a small lander module around the kerbol system.
Soldato
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Cheers.
I was trying with four double tanks earlier and it didn't quite have enough umpf. I'll give it a go with that configuration next time I get a chance to play.
Dont forget to utilise the asparagus system.
Without it your craft will consume fuel in the lifter stage quicker.
To explain, there Parralel or Asparagus:
Parralel: is 4-6 Double Tanks with Mainsails.
The Mainsails consume there own fuel + feed the Central Mainsale (Payload)
All Six Lifter Mainsales are jetissoned at 30-40km roughly.
Asparagus: is 4-6 Double Tanks with Mainsails.
The Mainsails consume there own fuel + feed the Central Mainsail (Payload). But there staged in Pairs of 2.
Pair A,B,C for 6 Lifter MainSails (Illustraited by SlyReapers picture.)
Pair A is connected to the Payload stage.
But recieves Fuel exclusively from Pair B.
Pair B Also recieves Fuel from Pair C.
This results in Pair C, draining very rapidly an jetissing at 5km.
Pair B then feeds the remaining engines, an usually drains st 15km.
Pair A then feeds the remaining engines, an lasts to 50-70km.
All the while you jettision spent tanks an surplus engines.
Soldato
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That makes a lot of sense. I'll definitely be doing that from now on.
The Latest Demo (Build 0.18.3) has just been announced by Harvester.
Compiled with the latest unity4 engine, for the improved graphics + performance optimizations.
For all you's gamers out there, this is the perfect time to try KSP for free.
http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/entry.php/521-A-New-Demo!/page1#comments
On another note:
Harvester has announced the immenent arrival of the Latest Paid (Build 0.18.4).
Compiled with unity4.
ETA: Coming Soon.
Compiled with the latest unity4 engine, for the improved graphics + performance optimizations.
For all you's gamers out there, this is the perfect time to try KSP for free.
http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/entry.php/521-A-New-Demo!/page1#comments
On another note:
Harvester has announced the immenent arrival of the Latest Paid (Build 0.18.4).
Compiled with unity4.
ETA: Coming Soon.
Dont forget to utilise the asparagus system.
Without it your craft will consume fuel in the lifter stage quicker.
To explain, there Parralel or Asparagus:
Parralel: is 4-6 Double Tanks with Mainsails.
The Mainsails consume there own fuel + feed the Central Mainsale (Payload)
All Six Lifter Mainsales are jetissoned at 30-40km roughly.
Asparagus: is 4-6 Double Tanks with Mainsails.
The Mainsails consume there own fuel + feed the Central Mainsail (Payload). But there staged in Pairs of 2.
Pair A,B,C for 6 Lifter MainSails (Illustraited by SlyReapers picture.)
Pair A is connected to the Payload stage.
But recieves Fuel exclusively from Pair B.
Pair B Also recieves Fuel from Pair C.
This results in Pair C, draining very rapidly an jetissing at 5km.
Pair B then feeds the remaining engines, an usually drains st 15km.
Pair A then feeds the remaining engines, an lasts to 50-70km.
All the while you jettision spent tanks an surplus engines.
Or download a pre-existing one: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?f4ytizfmrl7u8j7.
That's the one I pictured above, but with some modifications. I think this one has three nuclear engines on the bottom instead of just one. Slightly less efficient as an interplanetary tug, but not as maddeningly slow.
Edit: don't use mechjeb to get that thing into orbit. It goes badly every time.
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Is there anyway to get pre-existing spacecraft? I find the whole building bit a bit of an effort when really what I'd rather do is practice orbiting, travelling to other world, landing, docking etc.
Also, how do I get the extra tutorials, did To the Mum pt 1 but I haven't got any others?
Also, how do I get the extra tutorials, did To the Mum pt 1 but I haven't got any others?
Are you playing the Demo or Paid build.
Demo has limited tutorial access, while Paid has all presently released tutorials.
As for craft it is possible to load Stock craft in Demo or Paid builds. An there is the Stock Repository on the forums with Hundreds of Non-official craft to test.
Google is your friend.