KSP 1.0 Quick Start Essentials

Just the minimum advice for playing KSP, without getting overwhelmed by the universe of information available. By someone over 40.

The Best Place to Start

I am sure there is plenty of similar advice out there, but if you find this first I hope it will be helpful.

1. Buy and download KSP (from Steam).
2. Go watch Scott Manley’s Youtube channel. If he is not being paid by the developers, he should be.
3. Play the Career mode without mods until you want to go to other planets.
4. Install the minimum mods listed below to keep from getting frustrated.

Minimum Mods:
• MechJeb2
• Kerbal_Alarm_Clock
• Navball_Docking_Alignment_Indicator
• HyperEdit

That is really it. Google for the mods. Copy their uncompressed folder into the GameData directory. Even with all the embedded features in version 1.0+ of KSP, an experienced person can get tired of circularization burns, rendezvous and docking. Scheduling the best intercept for other planets can be done manually, but once you know you can do it. Move on. MechJeb unlocks incrementally in the tech tree, so I don’t consider it cheating. HyperEdit allows you to teleport a ship into orbit around another planet or moon so you can test your landers. Call it simulation.

Common Observations

The following are my observations after doing the above process after 1.0 was released. Having been a disciple of Scott Manley through the Betas, I realize there is always something more to learn.

• Slower machines can lead to bad behavior. Turn down graphics or get stronger system. It is not always your ship design. When in doubt, save and reboot.

• Disabled engines calculate into burn time. This results in late starts for long burns. Maneuver Planner (and execute next node) is great, but fallible.

• The Nuke engine no longer uses Oxidizer, just liquid fuel like jet engines.

• Too many solar panels break up while adjusting to sun. Returning to a ship or station with a lot of solar panels causes them to break apart while all trying to adjust. This is one Kracken to watch out for. Read the KSP Kracken Wiki before building large ships or tightly packing parts into small areas.

• Warp in atmosphere does not automatically switch modes once you are above it. Restarting warp will allow it to change modes.

Recommendations

If you don't have patience to watch Scott Manley's tutorial videos,

• Learn F5 – quick saves. Use the saves at the KSP Space Center to safeguard yourself against The Kracken.

• Learn the ball –
Even after years playing, I still have trouble keeping this straight..

• North on the ball compass is north relative to a influencing body – this includes the sun. So North is UP when flying between planets.
  
• +90 degrees is away from the body.
  
• The ball indicators - Normal, Anti-Normal, Radial, and Anti-Radial - is in reference to your direction of flight.

Fine tuning your flight plan is manually done by clicking on and changing focus to the target planet and zooming in. Playing with the maneuver node is a pain compared to flying the ball.

• If running mods, make a backup copy of the whole KSP directory and play out of there. Steam can auto-update before mods are ready.

• Have a clock next to your computer. Time will disappear.

[CMDR Quillon]

@Braveheart
Is Kerbal Clock compatible?
Usually you can find compatibility on the mod page

[MikeFulton]

This would be more helpful if it didn't involve downloading and installing mods.

[Kordeth Invictus]

i once downloaded the kerbal clock, followed the instrustions, put it where i was supposed to, but it never showed?

[Cheerios]

Add, he has a few newer videos that are still fairly relevant. The "Kerbal Space Program 1.0 - Launching Rockets To Orbit" from April is pretty nice.

[IQuick]

and its cool to see youre not only who likes scott manley good luck with rockets

[IQuick]

lol this is awesome

[sisyphus]

Scott Manley's videos of KSP tutorials are outdated, which sucks because I can't make anything work.