Kerbal Space Program

[Ashery]

If you could warp while under acceleration, ion engines could be useful.

You can, but only up to 4x. There can be issues with craft stability, however, and any pitch/etc changes you make are exaggerated.

 

[Burning Bridges]

For small probes ion engines have always been useful.

 

[Hellraiser]

After the buff they've been as useful for smaller craft as LV-Ns for larger ones. LV-N burn times are by no means short. Getting a probe to Jool versus getting a manned LV-N powered mission there, takes roughly the same amount of real world time. The days of 30 minute tedious ion engine burns are over, luckily.

 

[Ashery]

And the beta's officially out.

Now to wait for all the important mods to release updated versions.

 

[Drax]

Lol, I opened Steam to update KSP and suddenly I have like 8 games being updated

Edit:
("I got this, I totally got this... No, I don't have this")

 

[Drax]

Full changelog for 0.9:

Spoiler

ChangeLog:

=================================== v0.90.0 Beta =======================================================

New:

Editor Overhaul (Gizmos):
* Added Offset and Rotation Gizmos to Editor ([2] and [3] keys)
* Added Re-root tool to Editor ([4] key)
* Gizmo coordinate system can be toggled between Absolute and Local with the [F] key.
* Rotation and Offset gizmos can also snap to angles and to a 3D grid.
* Gizmo snap can be toggled to constrain to an absolute grid or a local one depending on coordinate frame.
* Holding shift during placement or while gizmos are up will decrease angle snap interval to 5° (from 15°) and grid snap interval (for offset gizmo)
* WSADQE keys still work to rotate in 90° or 5° (Shift) increments, and are now more consistent with pitch, yaw and roll rotations.

Editor Overhaul (Parts List):
* Fully overhauled Parts List UI.
* Added Filters system to allow new methods to find parts, apart from the existing category tabs.
* Existing categories overhauled into 'By Function' Filter.
* Split Propulsion category into Engines and Fuel Tanks.
* Added 'By Resource' Part Filter: Lists parts based on resources they contain/use
* Added 'By Manufacturer' Filter: Lists parts based on their manufacturers
* Added 'By Module' Filter: Lists parts based on the modules (functionalities) they implement.
* Added 'By Tech Level' Filter: Lists parts based on their corresponding Tier on the Tech Tree.
* Custom Filters (and subcategories) can also be created and edited for user-made collections of parts.
* The Parts list can now be sorted based on several criteria (to organize displayed parts after filtering).
* Added Sorting by Size to parts list
* Added Sorting by Cost to parts list
* Added Sorting by Mass to parts list
* Added Sorting by Name to parts list (default)
* Subassemblies can also be sorted and arranged into custom categories.

Editor Overhaul (General):
* The VAB and SPH are now based on a single scene.
* Editor Logic fully overhauled and rewritten using the very reliable KerbalFSM framework used for character animation and many other systems in the game.
* Most editor Keyboard inputs are now remappable.
* All Craft files can now be cross-loaded in the VAB and SPH.
* Crew assignment is now fully persistent during construction, including detached parts.
* Vastly improved placement logic for angle-snapped parts.
* Symmetry methods can be toggled between Radial (VAB) or Mirror (SPH) using the [R] Key
* Radial Symmetry coordinate frame can also be toggled with [F] key.

Upgradeable Space Center Facilities:
* All KSC Facilities can now be upgraded through levels (currently 3 levels implemented for all facilities).
* Added new models for KSC facilities at each level.
* KSC Facilities now start at level 1 (in Career Mode), and can be upgraded to top level separately.
* Upgrading Facilities costs Funds, lots of Funds.
* Repair Cost of destroyed structures varies depending on facility level. (Higher-Level Facilities are more expensive to repair)

KSC Facility Upgrade Effects:
* Vehicle Assembly Building / Spaceplane Hangar:
- Increase part count limit
- Unlock Basic and Custom Action groups
* Launchpad / Runway:
- Increase Mass Limit for launched vessels
- Increase Size Limit for launched vessels
* Tracking Station:
- Unlock Patched Conics in Map View
- Unlock Unowned Object Tracking
* Astronaut Complex:
- Unlock EVAs off of Kerbin's surface.
- Increase Active Crew Limit
- Unlock Flag-Planting during EVA
* Administration:
- Increase Active Strategy Limit
- Increase Strategy Commitment Limit
* Research And Development:
- Increase Max Science Cost Limit
- Unlock part-to-part Fuel Transfer
- Unlock EVA Surface Sample experiment (requires EVA on Astronaut Complex)
* Mission Control:
- Increase Max Active Contract Limit
- Unlock Flight Planning (Requires Patched Conics in Tracking Station)

Space Center (General):
* All KSC Facilities in all levels are destructible (except level 1 runway and level 1 launchpad, which are indestructible).
* Hold Ctrl while Right-Clicking over KSC Facilities to display 'extra' options concerning upgrade levels.
* Expanded Context Menu for KSC Facilities, to allow upgrading and viewing the current (and next) level stats.
* Hovering over the Upgrade button on the Facility Context Menu will display stats for the next level.
* Space Center ground sections and Crawlerway change levels based on level of neighboring facilities.
* The Flag Pole in front of the Astronaut Complex will change levels based on the average level of all KSC Structures.

Facility Interiors:
* Editor scenery now loads independently of the editor scene.
* Exterior Scenery (out-the-door view) loads based on current editor Facility (VAB or SPH)
* The KSC as seen from the editor facilities will change to reflect current level and destruction state of visible facilities outside.
* Interior Scenery loads based on current editor Facility and Facility Level.
* Added new 3D interior scenery for Level 1 and 2 VAB
* Added new 3D interior scenery for Level 1 and 2 SPH
* Added new 2D interior backdrops for Level 1 and 2 Astronaut Complex UI
* Added new 2D interior backdrops for Level 1 and 2 R&D UI (Archives Tab)
* Added new 2D interior backdrops for Level 1 and 2 Mission Control UI
* Added new 2D interior backdrops for Level 1 and 2 Administration UI


Parts (Mk3 Spaceplane Set):
* Added 15 new 'Mk3' parts:
- Mk3 Cockpit (IVA is blank atm)
- 3 Mk3 Rocket Fuel Tanks (2.5m, 5m, 10m versions)
- 3 Mk3 Liquid Fuel Tanks (2.5m, 5m, 10m versions)
- Mk3 MonoProp Tank
- Mk3 Crew Tank (holds 16 Kerbals, IVA is blank)
- Mk3 - Mk2 Adapter
- Mk3 - 1.25m Adapter
- Mk3 - 2.5m Adapter (slanted)
- 1.25m to Mk2 Adapter
- 1.25m to 2.5m Adapter
- 1.25m to 2.5m Adapter (slanted)
- 3.75m to Mk3 Adapter
- Mk3 Cargo Bay Long
- Mk3 Cargo Bay Medium
- Mk3 Cargo Bay Short
* Old Mk3 cockpit, fuselage and adapter removed.

Parts (General):
* Struts and Fuel Lines now use a common base system called CompoundPart.
* New CompoundPartModule base class added to provide functionality for parts based on CompoundPart.
* Added CModuleLinkedMesh CompoundPartModule, handles the mesh objects connecting between both ends of a CompoundPart.
* Added CModuleStrut, creates a physical Joint between both ends of a CompoundPart
* Added CModuleFuelLine, creates a fuel re-routing between both ends of a CompoundPart.
* LandingGear and Rover Wheels 'Invert Steering' option now changes to 'Uninvert Steering' when inverted.
* Part-to-Part Resource Transfer now possible between more than 2 parts. (In/Out options will push/pull from all other selected parts evenly)

Kerbals:
* Kerbals now have Skills they can develop.
* Kerbals now gain experience after returning from missions.
* Kerbal Experience is needed to level up crew skills.
* Added Scientist Skill. Scientists increase recovery value of collected data, transmission value of uploaded data and the lab boost factor (when manning a lab).
* Added Engineer Skill. Engineers are able to repair broken parts like Rover Wheels and repack parachutes.
* Added Pilot Skill. Pilots provide SAS features at various levels. Basic SAS is available as long as at least one pilot is aboard.
* Crews in the Astronaut Complex can now be Sacked (if available) or given up for dead (if missing).

SAS Overhaul:
* SAS is no longer available in any vessel for free. A pilot or an operational SAS-cabable probe core are needed for SAS to be available.
* Level 0 pilots and basic probes provide basic SAS functionality (kill rotation)
* Higher level pilots and more advanced probes provide new Autopilot Functions.
* Added new Autopilot System featuring 8 modes:
- Stability Assist (Basic SAS)
- Prograde/Retrograde Hold (Level 1 Required: Automatically orient and maintain attitude towards prograde or retrograde vectors.
- Radial In/Out, Normal/Antinormal Hold (Level 2 Required): Automatically orient and maintain attitude towards R+, R-, N and AN vectors.
- Target/Anti-Target Hold (Level 3 Required): Automatically orient and maintain attitude towards the selected target.
- Maneuver Hold (Level 3 Required): Automatically orient and maintain attitude towards the first upcoming maneuver's burn vector.
* AP modes respect the current reference frame on the navball (surface, orbit or target).
* Overhauled the existing ModuleSAS part module so it acts as a SAS provider in any level.
* Removed ModuleSAS from all parts except probe cores.
* Tweaked the R&D tech tree progression for all probe cores.
* Tweaked costs and descriptions for all probe cores.
* Probe cores set up with progressing levels of SAS service.

New Contracts (Fine Print Mod by Arsonide):
* Added asteroid redirection contracts.
* Added surface outpost construction contracts.
* Added orbital station construction contracts.
* Added satellite deployment contracts.
* Added survey contracts at specified locations on the map.
* Fine Print contracts revised and overhauled with new graphics and to follow Career progression.
* Fine Print contracts unlock based on KSC Facility level when applicable.
* Existing contracts also revised to better follow progression of KSC facilities.
* Existing and new contracts revised to be configurable.

New Biomes:
* Added new Biome Maps to all celestial bodies.
* Over a hundred new biomes available in total.
* Added cheat menu option to visualize biomes in map view.

Misc:
* Added a one-page 'Welcome Intro' tutorial module to all newly-started games.
* Added new Edge Highlight visual effect when hovering over part icons on the staging UI, or when selecting a new root part or choosing a part to transfer crew to.
* Added new Tooltips for several UI controls in the Editor, R&D, Flight and many other areas.
* Added new ESA flags.
* Improved some of the Loading Screen images.
* Added new Craft Stats app to Editor toolbar, to display ship information like part count, total mass and size.
* Craft Stats app icon will turn orange if any limit is exceeded for the current editor facility level.
* Added new sound fx for gizmos and re-root in editors.
* Added new destruction FX for all new facility models.
* Added EditorBounds system to define part spawn point, construction boundaries, camera starting position and bounds for each editor interior.

Bug Fixes and Tweaks:
* KSPScenario 'Remove' creation options now work.
* Added new PreSAS and PostSAS callbacks to vessel API.
* Revised VAB and SPH camera behaviour so they stay within scenery bounds as best they can.
* Overhauled time-of-day system for KSC emissive textures. All facilities light up at night. (except ones without lights, like lvl1 runway)
* Fixed several issues with destructible building persistence.
* KSC grounds grass shader now uses worldspace UV coords for consistent tiling.
* KSC grounds grass shader now enforces vertex normals to smooth out the transition between PQS and KSC terrain.
* Linux version now forces thread locale to 'en'. Solves most issues with installs in foreign locales.
* Fixed several issues with Undo/Redo (ctrl+Z, ctrl+Y) in the editors.
* Tweaked sideslip factor in landing gear (was much too strong).
* Increased Mk55 Engine's ISP and gimbal range.
* Fixed an issue with part rotation and placement using Mirror symmetry.
* Fixed issues with symmetrical 'subgroups' after attaching a parent part using symmetry.
* Re-saved all stock craft so they are fully compatible with this version.
* Existing craft files from previous versions will require re-saving in the editor before they are allowed to launch in Career Mode, to calculate size data.
* Crew auto-hire will respect Astronaut Complex crew limit.

 

[Hellraiser]

In surprise move, Squad and the European Space Agency (ESA) have banded together to provide a special treat for players. They have granted Squad use of their logo and imagery in Kerbal Space Program. Fresh off the unprecedented success of their Rosetta mission, their cooperation adds even more detail to players who’d like to recreate their own ESA missions in the game.

This one is pretty cool. Though ESA has debated honoring the landing site of Philae by naming it after KSP. You can bet that one day there will be at least one feature on another celestial body, or a celestial body itself, with a name referring to KSP.

 

[Drax]

Kermann Mare

 

[jcd]

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[Ulminati]

Haven't used mechjeb since .16 or so :3

As long as you have kOS you're good to go.

 

[Hellraiser]

Haven't used mechjeb since .16 or so :3

As long as you have kOS you're good to go.

You only bought it after seeing my LP of 0.18 IIRC.

 

[Ulminati]

YDRC

 

[Drax]

I'll be testing my mod list tonight, will post any game-breaking bug/conflict I find.

 

[Hellraiser]

Holy shit, hard is hard. Those KSC upgrade costs are pretty steep. Even getting a level 2 launchpad for a mere 100k is a challenge. And there's some upgrade that requires a solid million or two. Good luck flying to the Mun manned under 20 tons, even manned orbit is quite difficult with a level 1 launchpad. You can't EVA in spess, get surface samples without upgrades, makes getting science quite hard, luckily the Research Outsourcing strategy is pretty good and available nearly from the go. Lets you get probe parts fast so that you can make cheap crafts and better profit margins from contracts. Flying stayputniks strapped to SRBs with no SAS is hilarious*.

Aerial Survey contracts are a solid source of early game Kash if you can fly like a pro (360 degree orbits, no mechjeb). I'm actually having fun doing those on a budget, makes you consider getting winglets and wings early. Or just aiming for suborbital hops over the target if the contract requires you to be above a certain altitude. Definitely a challenge.

LP spoiler

I failed to do a test decoupler on suborbital trajectory contract on my third try, because the medium+small SRB combo took my Andhaira-1 test rocket onto an escape from kerbin trajectory.

Also in disappointing news Kerbal classes seem to be based on Kerbal names and hardcoded into the game. That is there is some kind of algoritm deciding the class based on the name text string. I renamed Bill to one of the codexers and he changed classes from engineer to scientist. The fact there is no mention of classes/roles anywhere in the save files seem to confirm this as nobody has yet figured out how to change a Kerbal's class.

 

[Ashery]

...even manned orbit is quite difficult with a level 1 launchpad.

I found using the 909 and taking an extra 0.75 tons of fuel to be enough to reliably get into an orbit with a solid 70+ units of fuel left over. Burn the 909 and three radially attached and heavily thrust limited SRBs from the get-go and you should be in a good position.

I found the winglets too expensive to use for the early game survey contracts. Despite the fact that two winglets increased the cost of my suborbital craft by a solid 25-33%, I decided to try using'em on the final, small stage, but the craft ended up flipping out early on due to the positioning of the winglets. I could've added another pair on my solid stage, but by that point the damn things would've made up the majority of my craft's cost.

Now it's time to rescue a Kerbal from orbit with a level one tracking center. Woo.

Also, don't be a masochist and play on hard with science returns further reduced to 40%. This game's become...painful.

 

[Ulminati]

So how gud is it Hellraiser? Have the changes made it challenging and interesting or just grinding and boring? I haven't really kept up with the changes for the latest version since I've been shooting the most Dangerous of Elites instead.

 

[Ashery]

So how gud is it Hellraiser? Have the changes made it challenging and interesting or just grinding and boring? I haven't really kept up with the changes for the latest version since I've been shooting the most Dangerous of Elites instead.

It depends on your setup.

"Harder" mode (Science dropped to 40%, everything else hard default) feels like a pretty nasty grind as your profit margins are so small and 40%'s such a small amount that actual science collection feels useless. Hell, after two evenings of playing, I had barely acquired 150 science points. That all went to shit, though, once I enacted the unpaid intern thingy @ 25% (Reputation for science); suddenly I could get 100+ science off of just a basic launch if the right contracts popped up.

When I redo my game for mods, I'll likely run 50% science, 80% funds, and 30-40% reputation. Direct science collection just didn't feel worthwhile at 40%; I could micromanage a polar orbit to get a whopping 28 science or launch one shitty contract and get 40+.

Gameplay wise, a lot of the early game changes are fantastic. No maneuver nodes until get you get both the tracking center and mission control to level two. You don't even have your damn orbital period until you get your tracking center to level two, so have fun doing kerbal recovery missions (Definitely possible provided you've got solar panels, or, at least, a whole bunch of batteries, and aren't using life support, though that last one depends on when the stranded kerbal starts consuming life support) before dropping the 240k (280k?) for the upgrade there. The 18 ton limit on the initial launch pad is a bitch to work around, but it's still a comfortable margin to get into orbit and even possibly a Mun/Minmus probe. Just don't expect to do a manned mission, even a one-way mission, before upgrading the pad.

It's no longer a game where you can have everything researched after three or four launches. While it's a positive thing from some standpoints, it makes the early/mid game transition a massive grind on hard mode. Fortunately, it looks like I'm getting some satellite contracts that could net a neat 50-70k profit, but even then it'd take nearly twenty of those to afford the second tier research lab, which you need for any node costing more than 100 science. I'll probably have enough science stockpiled from my unpaid interns to unlock every node I need the moment after I upgrade the lab.

 

[Hellraiser]

Probably needs some rebalancing on the upgrades or another tier on some buildings. Say a 40k fund upgrade to get the launchpad to get double tonnage between the current starting one and the 100ton one for 100k.

New contracts however seem to be a solid source of cash.

I have no issues with science so far due to going with R&D outsourcing. 5% cash is not a whole lot considering how much science contracts and early game experiments on/in orbit of kerbin get you, when you can't yet do surface samples.

 

[Hellraiser]

Survey contracts make jet engines very fucking useful. Cheap 9k Kash jet can easily cash-in a 3 waypoint contract worth 40k Kash. As long as you don't fly into a mountain or otherwise crash. Main problem is getting the 90 science node and designing one that's fairly stable and cheap. Still, this is quite possibly the best source of cheap cash early to mid game. I figure rovers will be as good later in the game, if the rewards scale appropriately. Fine print integration the way they did it was a good idea.

Surface survey areas are really fucking small. Barely flew into one and I was already nearly outside of it. We could use a distance to waypoint meter.

 

[Drax]

Didn't had much time to play, but from what I played/browsed, most mods are quickly updating.
Active Texture Manager works fine.
Mechjeb, ModuleManager, DMagic's mods are updated.

 

[jcd]

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[Drax]

Good for you.

 

[Hellraiser]

Oh man, satellite contracts, now that's some good shit. 120k+20k advance for a satelite orbiting the Mun. The requirements seem tough but luckily the game shows the target orbit in the tracking station. Slightly inclined high orbit. Man, I am loving the integration of fine print.

EDIT: Bloody hell, I just noticed they added the vessel information button in the VAB/SPH. No more counting tonnage by hand in stock!

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

Hellraiser, get Engineer Redux. Completely beyond me why this mod is not part of the core game.

 

[Hellraiser]

I have to say, I am really enjoying this update. The fine print contracts and KSC upgrades make for a whole different career experience. The amount of stuff both the new contracts and the new limitations forced me to do that I never considered in 0.24 is astonishing. Also makes you do some risky stuff. I am just going to say the next 0.90 LP update will be named "RPGCodex Space Agency - the X-Com of Space Agencies" for a reason. And kerbonaut classes are most certainly based on the name of the Kerbal, a pity they hardcoded that.

Combined with the default hard difficulty options, career finally has proper challenge and risk of failure. Not really grindy, I think. So far failures thwarted my progress more so than having to grind cash. I make more than enough money to maximize what my VAB and launchpad can handle, and save up for upgrades. Not sure when I get 1 million for the R&D upgrade but it is definitely in the realm of possibility Ashery

Some observations:

Satellite contracts are actually pretty easy without maneuver nodes now that radial-in and radial-out as well as normal anti-normal vectors are shown on the Navball. The game even shows you AN and DN nodes on the target orbit so you know when to burn to match inclination. No reason not to do them if you can scrounge up the delta-v and get to the target body. You need the mission control upgrade to get these though.

Best way to do Kerbin EVA report objectives, since the target areas are so small, is probably to wait for the waypoint to get close to 90 degrees below you on the navball. Dive towards the waypoint indicator on the navball, fire parachutes if you have a VTOL plane. Either that or if you have landing gear dive earlier and glide low above the ground. Biggest gripe is no navball in EVA, I went around it by switching to the landed empty plane and seeing on its navball where relative to it the waypoint is. You can physics warp while EVA running to cut down on watching the dolts run to the waypoint. Physics warping while plane flying also makes those contracts less tedious, although 70% of time I spent on those seems to be making the plane turn towards the next objective.

Rushing jet engines is a good idea, a simple plane makes survey contracts nearly free money, as you recover at least 90% of its value as long as you don't stray beyond KSC continent. And a simple plane costs only about 10k anyway while those contracts start from 20-30ish thousand reward plus rewards from compelting individual objectives. Also if you get a 90 science node it unlocks more rewarding part testing contracts.

R&D outsourcing is ridiculously good if you want to tech early in the game. A pity the patent licensing strategy science to funds ratio isn't as good. So far I have yet to see a contract to give me more than 500 funds from 20% science conversion.