DontCamp.com

Dynamite Dan · Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 12:31 pm Post subject: Kerbal Space Program.

Just Planted a flag on a Planet in your Honour !!

The game is Kerbal Space program, if you have not got it you NEED it.

Especially you Wabbit!!

sorry that you have to click the link to view, its only a picture.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151972633965031&l=a70f36bfc4

Super Wabbit · Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:09 pm Post subject: Re: Dontcamp goes Interplanetry

Dynamite Dan · Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:35 am Post subject:

Its on Steam. I Highly recommend it.

Basicly, you have to design and build a space craft that can reach orbit or other Moons, planets. If you want, you can land and send a rover out on them. You can also design, build and fly your own planes, and try to get them into space if you wish (and are skillful enough)

Its a Sandbox at the moment but its still in a development stage.
It can get very frustrating if you dont design and build your craft correct, for example, you may get to the moon, but not have enough fuel left to do a de-orbit burn or landing.

Its on Steam, just search for Kerbal Space Program, id post links but im at work. I think you can download a Demo aswel.

Careful though, its VERY addictive with a steep learning curve.

Grunt · Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 12:23 pm Post subject:

Super addictive, almost as big of a time suck as reddit, and will have you cursing profusely when your ship blows up.

But a ton of fun.
_________________

"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."
-Ernest Hemingway

Dynamite Dan · Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 1:12 pm Post subject:

Did you have a look Wabbit?

JoeSwindell · Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:37 pm Post subject:

It's currently 15% off.

Super Wabbit · Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 2:38 pm Post subject:

Okay, this is by far one of the most addictive games for me in the past 6 months. Very cool.

Dynamite Dan · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 9:36 am Post subject:

Good to hear you're on board.

If your just starting out, id recommend some youtubers search "Scott Manley" and "Kurtjmac" for tutorial videos on getting started and the basics of the game physics.

JoeSwindell · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 11:46 am Post subject:

Yeah right Dan, It's more fun to spend hours on a ship and watch it explode on the launch pad...lol

Dynamite Dan · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 12:16 pm Post subject:

When that happens i follow 2 sound Rocket Engineering principles.

1: MOAR STRUTS
2: MOAR BOOSTERS

Dynamite Dan · Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 6:45 am Post subject:

So, Wabbit, Grunt and Joe

What have you managed to achieve yet?
My milestones in date order were

1: Reached orbit (With satalite)
2: Reached orbit around the Mun
3: Reached orbit around Minmus
4: Landed on the Mun & Minmus
5: Returned safley back to Kerbin from the Mun & Minmus Landings
6: Reached and landed on Duna

Im workinig on getting home from Duna now, but because my lander hit the ground a bit hard one of the landing legs was broken on impact, tipping my lander over. So now Im trying to build a craft that can get me to Duna and Back, but also has room to rescue 3 Kerbals, not to mention I have to try and land near enough to be able to get to them without a Rover.
I could try and attach a Rover onto the rescue craft to go and pick them up, But the Delta V required for the extra weight will be hard to achieve, (Unless i build it in orbit around kerbin in a few stages... hmmmm )

So yeah, im interested in knowing your progress and achievments so far.

P.S. If you join the Kerbal Space Program Forums, my Username is Epic Davinci

Super Wabbit · Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:23 pm Post subject:

I've made several rockets that easily get me to orbit. I even took the Saturn V design on their wiki to orbit and did my first orbital docking maneuver.

My space program is very iterative with very specific goals that I want to meet before moving out past kerbin.

This is so cool!

Dynamite Dan · Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 2:55 pm Post subject:

Glad to see your enjoying it, I'd like to see some shots of your craft if you get time. I'll post some of my station that i'm assembling in a 100km Orbit at the moment.

Dynamite Dan · Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 7:46 am Post subject:

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197975125268/screenshots/?appid=220200

Click the link to go to my Steam Screenshot gallery, you can see my current Space station, and Moon Base

There is also a shot of the new Docking accessory Ive just added to my station to allow room for more expansion.
the station is made up of a Power generation module, living quarters, and now docking and fuel capability's.

The Moon base is just power generation and living quarters and a rover to have a drive around on, It also has lots of flood lights to allow other landers to find it in the dark.

Super Wabbit · Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 2:15 pm Post subject:

Dan, are you using some modules that are not in the stock game?

Dynamite Dan · Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 3:50 pm Post subject:

Yes, there are thousands of free mods available on the spaceport on the website. I'm just using the B9 Aerospace pack and Mechjeb

JoeSwindell · Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 7:37 pm Post subject:

Is it hooked into the steam workshop?

Dynamite Dan · Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 3:45 am Post subject:

Not as far as im aware.
All mods are downloaded through the Spaceport on the Kerbal website.

I use Mechjeb which is an autopilot for the ships you build as it take the monotany out of the long tedious manuvers such as launching to orbit, changing inclination etc etc...
Its very versatile and allows me to concentrate on design and efficiancy improvements rather than actual flying.
There are thousands of new parts to download, such as Jet engines, aircraft parts, new rocket sections and command pods, tons of rocket engines aswel.

If your into exploration, you can get a mod called Mapsat it is a scanning dish that you attach and it builds up a topographical map of the body you are orbiting, it then shows up any surface anomolies for you to have a look at should you desire.

Super Wabbit · Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 10:28 am Post subject:

I'm hooked - this is the devil. I'm no where near your level of sophistication Dan. As I try to build heavier and heavier vehicles I'm have a hard difficult time with structural stability between the Rokomax decouplers and the other stages. Even with a lot of the strut braces things are still wobbly and/or break. I'll post some screen shots when I get home of what I've got but I feel that the weakest parts in my rockets are those decouplers. Do the different versions of the decouplers offer better stability?

Dynamite Dan · Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 11:00 am Post subject:

Usually decouplers are ok under load. Are you trying to push the stack too hard and putting too much force through the joints?
Have you heard about asparagus staging? if not you need to start using it to get some heavier payloads into orbit.
The basic premise of it is as follows

> = Fuel line flow direction.
A,B,C = Tank & Engine stages

Your lifter rocket makup should be as follows

C > B > A < B < C

When you fire all 5 engines, fuel is only taken from C tanks at first, which are feeding all A,B & C stages.
Once the C stage tanks are depleted, you drop that stage and then carry on using the B tanks to feed B & A engines,
Repeat this process again untill your down to your last A Stage which should be the one used to get you into the final stages of orbit (it may not be enough to circularise though)

This method is known as the most efficient way to have a lifter stage as each time you drop a stage, the next one is left with a full fuel load, but you are open to experiment.

When you post some pictures of the rockets you are struggling with i may be able to advise you on where you are going wrong.
But I am far from an authority on this, I suggest you sign up to the forums, the members are pleasent and very helpful when it comes to giving advice to people in need of help.