New player, what mods?

[Vaulcan]

So ive got round to buying it and would like to know is there any mods that are "must have" with KSP?

[nicholas.sommer]

I‘m also a new one but I think it’s better to play without mods, at least for the first time.

[Vaulcan]

yea thats the plan I think. just like eg: Arma3 runs things like CBA I just wanted to check if there where any mods that should be there from the get go. looking forward to this :)

[Spectre]

Probably the only game changer I would reccomend to start with is Kerbal Engineer Redux, which add's a lot of flight analytics tools but doesn't really change anything else, it just reduces guess-work. Chatterer is a good one for immersion, it add's radio chatter and sound effects, which are nice since KSP can be kinda quiet.

[Vaulcan]

nice! immersion being the key word im up for that. I also have to lok past the little worker guys lol

[Technicalfool]

Ask ten people and you'll likely get ten different lists, but Kerbal Engineer would probably be one of the mods common to all ten answers.

Just make sure you keep a completely stock copy of KSP around in case you run into horrible bugs and want to see if it's KSP being horrible or someone's mod.

[RoofCat]

KSP is made like a game first grade kids can play. But some people want to see more math in it, so they add that math with KER.

You can play this game simply testing. Like rocket pioneers did. Launch something and see how far does it go. If you need more, improve. Then again. Compare. Simple.

I have spent 1000+ hours in this game, visited all worlds, built hundreds of great rockets without ever using KER. KER may give you answers without making you think about the reasons. Like mass, Isp and kN. You run into risk building great rockets eventually without knowing or really understanding how and why exactly does it work.


Start stock. Start with Training missions.

[Vaulcan]

Originally posted by Technicalfool:

Ask ten people and you'll likely get ten different lists, but Kerbal Engineer would probably be one of the mods common to all ten answers.

Just make sure you keep a completely stock copy of KSP around in case you run into horrible bugs and want to see if it's KSP being horrible or someone's mod.

Thanks man

yea thats the kina mods im after right now, i'll give it a go mate.

[fauxpas]

I personally like MechJeb, the entire Near Future series, and KSS (adds multiple star systems).

Oh, and whatever flavor of FTL you want in order to visit said other stars.

[Semaj]

Near Future is bae, my favourite addition is the rework of electric engines!!

Originally posted by fauxpas:

I personally like MechJeb, the entire Near Future series, and KSS (adds multiple star systems).

Oh, and whatever flavor of FTL you want in order to visit said other stars.

[Astronaut]

Don't try out any mods yet, just see how the game works. But when you are ready for mods here are my favorites:

Kerbal Alarm Clock
Kerbal Engineer Redux
Kerbalism/USI-LS/TAC (one of those three. I really like them all though. A combination of TAC and USI is kerbalism, TAC has resources like food, water, etc and USI introduces Habitation. kerbalism introduces that and a lot more)
USI Constellation (goes well with USI-LS. Personally I don't play with the submarines or warp drives)
OPM
GPP (if you want OPM here, use OPM-Galileo)
Kerbal Inventory System
Strategia
Dmagic Orbital Science
KW Rocketry

[Tiearian]

no mods. I've never played this game with mods. Getting to all planets with stock parts is how you do it.

[Yuki]

The first few hours maybe.

As for mods and ten different answers from ten people- well, here are my suggestions for a beginner:

-Chatterer. Seriously, a MUST HAVE! And doesnt mess up any learning experience or balancing whatsoever. (adds vessel specific sounds. Thats all. but thats a game changer! Hearing your Kerbals!)

-MechJeb. Adds precision tools, information panels and a better maneuver editor. Especially that one tents to teach people a lot about astro physics. I suggest using it once you go start career though. (And lets wait for our anti MJ trolls )

-KER- if you dont use mechjeb for some reason. Gives you the most basic information at least.

-KIS/KAS: Basic toolset for bases. Gives you a fuel hose! And some more.

-MK2 expansion: Expands the MK2 spaceplane parts with new parts that follow the same balancing but give some more diversity. New cockpits, new engines, larger parts, smaller parts, docking nodes not only inline but shielded and full profile (...)
The MK2 space plane parts are among the most versatile, you will see many people using these not only for planes, but especially space stations, bases, rovers (...)

USI Konstruction:
Helps with constructing things out of more things. Like space stations, larger mother ships and so on. It especially adds some new docking ports that can then be wielded. The parts at the nodes then act as if they where attached to each other from the very beginning. Saves on part count, enhances aesthetics and stability.

-Visuals. I keep it less specific because which ones would be heavily dependent on your system. KS3P for post processing effects would be a quite secure bet as long as you aint running on integrated graphics for a nice buff without much "cost". Other than that search for EVE, enhanced visual effects. its kind of the base mod whith others building upon it, and those others then being optimized for different PC's from budget to beast.



My 2 cents on other things:

KW Rocketry: It was one of my all time favorites and i used it in most games so far. However- its very heavy resource wise and no longer necessary, its niches are filled by other mods that additionally provide even greater variety for the same or less "cost". I did and would suggest to ditch KW in favor of Space-Y. Huge engines, tanks and even larger SRB's.

Life support and USI has been mentioned, and while i generally suggest especially USI MKS and possibly USI LS, i would NOT recommend any life support for a beginner.

USI MKS alone kind of changes the game experience a lot by putting a huge emphasis on base building. If you like such- must have. But thats later on when you figured out you want such. If you are just playing "lets get a minimal mission, possibly unmanned, to each planet"- better dont.

Dmagic Orbital Science: One of my standard all time installed mods. However: I also run at less than 100% science. It adds new experiments. Which means- there is no longer any reason to even visit minmus after Mün because of all those science points you get. I would recommend using it at a later point and then with a game setting with considerably less than 100% science. More like...50...or less.

Originally posted by RoofCat:

You can play this game simply testing. Like rocket pioneers did. Launch something and see how far does it go. If you need more, improve. Then again. Compare. Simple.
(...)
Start stock. Start with Training missions.

Let me be #2 to say so ;)

With one exception though:

Originally posted by RoofCat:

KER may give you answers without making you think about the reasons. Like mass, Isp and kN. You run into risk building great rockets eventually without knowing or really understanding how and why exactly does it work.

I heavily doubt.
For one because there is a lot more than just the DV overview you seem to refer to. Like seeing your AP and PE without going into map mode. But even the DV overview:
You either know what it means and it simply spares you to do the calculations yourself- or you dont and it does not help anyways.
The contrary, doing such calculations especially stage-wise is something no beginner would ever even come to think of. KER or MJ's DV overviews now help a LOT in understanding whats happening, like the TWR changes during a stage and such.
Maybe using KER early on means you wont know what the shortage ISP stands for, but chances are you understand what it means and how different design concepts like asparagus staging and drop tanks influence it even better.
Without having a space engineering book at your left and calculator at your right and notepads all over the place.

[Astronaut]

Originally posted by Yuki:

The first few hours maybe.

As for mods and ten different answers from ten people- well, here are my suggestions for a beginner:

-Chatterer. Seriously, a MUST HAVE! And doesnt mess up any learning experience or balancing whatsoever. (adds vessel specific sounds. Thats all. but thats a game changer! Hearing your Kerbals!)

-MechJeb. Adds precision tools, information panels and a better maneuver editor. Especially that one tents to teach people a lot about astro physics. I suggest using it once you go start career though. (And lets wait for our anti MJ trolls )

-KER- if you dont use mechjeb for some reason. Gives you the most basic information at least.

-KIS/KAS: Basic toolset for bases. Gives you a fuel hose! And some more.

-MK2 expansion: Expands the MK2 spaceplane parts with new parts that follow the same balancing but give some more diversity. New cockpits, new engines, larger parts, smaller parts, docking nodes not only inline but shielded and full profile (...)
The MK2 space plane parts are among the most versatile, you will see many people using these not only for planes, but especially space stations, bases, rovers (...)

USI Konstruction:
Helps with constructing things out of more things. Like space stations, larger mother ships and so on. It especially adds some new docking ports that can then be wielded. The parts at the nodes then act as if they where attached to each other from the very beginning. Saves on part count, enhances aesthetics and stability.

-Visuals. I keep it less specific because which ones would be heavily dependent on your system. KS3P for post processing effects would be a quite secure bet as long as you aint running on integrated graphics for a nice buff without much "cost". Other than that search for EVE, enhanced visual effects. its kind of the base mod whith others building upon it, and those others then being optimized for different PC's from budget to beast.



My 2 cents on other things:

KW Rocketry: It was one of my all time favorites and i used it in most games so far. However- its very heavy resource wise and no longer necessary, its niches are filled by other mods that additionally provide even greater variety for the same or less "cost". I did and would suggest to ditch KW in favor of Space-Y. Huge engines, tanks and even larger SRB's.

Life support and USI has been mentioned, and while i generally suggest especially USI MKS and possibly USI LS, i would NOT recommend any life support for a beginner.

USI MKS alone kind of changes the game experience a lot by putting a huge emphasis on base building. If you like such- must have. But thats later on when you figured out you want such. If you are just playing "lets get a minimal mission, possibly unmanned, to each planet"- better dont.

Dmagic Orbital Science: One of my standard all time installed mods. However: I also run at less than 100% science. It adds new experiments. Which means- there is no longer any reason to even visit minmus after Mün because of all those science points you get. I would recommend using it at a later point and then with a game setting with considerably less than 100% science. More like...50...or less.

Originally posted by RoofCat:

You can play this game simply testing. Like rocket pioneers did. Launch something and see how far does it go. If you need more, improve. Then again. Compare. Simple.
(...)
Start stock. Start with Training missions.

Let me be #2 to say so ;)

With one exception though:

Originally posted by RoofCat:

KER may give you answers without making you think about the reasons. Like mass, Isp and kN. You run into risk building great rockets eventually without knowing or really understanding how and why exactly does it work.

I heavily doubt.
For one because there is a lot more than just the DV overview you seem to refer to. Like seeing your AP and PE without going into map mode. But even the DV overview:
You either know what it means and it simply spares you to do the calculations yourself- or you dont and it does not help anyways.
The contrary, doing such calculations especially stage-wise is something no beginner would ever even come to think of. KER or MJ's DV overviews now help a LOT in understanding whats happening, like the TWR changes during a stage and such.
Maybe using KER early on means you wont know what the shortage ISP stands for, but chances are you understand what it means and how different design concepts like asparagus staging and drop tanks influence it even better.
Without having a space engineering book at your left and calculator at your right and notepads all over the place.

And MechJeb can fly your crafts as well until you see what it's doing. That's how I learned to dock. MechJeb would be better than KER, since it's an autopilot and provides flight information. Don't start with the anti-mechjeb- because real rockets, both manned and unmanned, are mostly AI-flown. The first person in space was only onboard his craft as an observer.

[Chibbity]

Originally posted by Astronaut:

And MechJeb can fly your crafts as well until you see what it's doing. That's how I learned to dock. MechJeb would be better than KER, since it's an autopilot and provides flight information. Don't start with the anti-mechjeb- because real rockets, both manned and unmanned, are mostly AI-flown. The first person in space was only onboard his craft as an observer.

Lol!

You're right, the first astronauts were there only to observe the computers, right up until the computers stopped working and a man had to take over manual control. After that they totally re-evaluated their position on human astronauts and their role in the ship. You kind of disproved your own point.

Also, you're a filthy cheater. D: You can make all the excuses you want about it but at the end of the day, if you let the machine do the work, the machine gets the credit.

[Astronaut]

Originally posted by Chibbity:

Originally posted by Astronaut:

And MechJeb can fly your crafts as well until you see what it's doing. That's how I learned to dock. MechJeb would be better than KER, since it's an autopilot and provides flight information. Don't start with the anti-mechjeb- because real rockets, both manned and unmanned, are mostly AI-flown. The first person in space was only onboard his craft as an observer.

Lol!

You're right, the first astronauts were there only to observe the computers, right up until the computers stopped working and a man had to take over manual control. After that they totally re-evaluated their position on human astronauts and their role in the ship. You kind of disproved your own point.

Also, you're a filthy cheater. D: You can make all the excuses you want about it but at the end of the day, if you let the machine do the work, the machine gets the credit.

I don't use MechJeb to fly ships.