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Since my game is repeatedly crashing...where should I send the reports to?
I'd suggest the great, big contact link, on the KSP website.
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The promised screenshots:
First, the hub and habitation modules. I sent them up pre-assembled because I had a big f'n lift vehicle, so why not? On the top docking port, I've got a cap structure attached, because I didn't want to run the risk of the port being damaged on the way out through the atmosphere, during launch.
Now, the hub and habitation module assembly looks heavy and awkward to launch, but it's heavy and awkward in a very intuitive way, so this was actually a one-and-done launch.
By contrast, the fuel depot looks compact and simple, and even though you
know it's heavy, you don't fully grasp how heavy it is, until you try to launch it. Just to illustrate the point:
This was the cage of struts that I had to build around the control probe to keep the sheer weight of the depot from crushing the rocket on the launch pad and then keep the rocket from blasting through the depot upon launch. Even with that, I could not raise the throttle above about 80% at any time, until the lift stage was completely jettisoned, or else it was an unstoppable force fighting against an immovable object, with the control probe caught between. I did
finally, after I don't even remember how many attempts, get the fuel depot into orbit, though.
While chasing the station hub, I had plenty of time to think. It occurred to me that faffing around, trying to turn that stupid lift rocket, dangling off my back end was pretty stupid, but I was hesitant to eject it, because I had only used about two-thirds of one of those Rockomax 64 tanks. That's a lot of fuel to just drop. It hit me then that I had a
lot of empty capacity on the other end of the ship.
Fuel transfer complete, it was time to part ways with the now-empty lift vehicle and return to the chase (which still had about another thirty-six hours to go).
I intercepted the station at night, which was a little unfortunate. I had forgotten to turn the station lights on, prior to undocking the control probe that had put it in orbit, so the station was dark. I did have the foresight to mount spotlights to the front of the fuel depot, but four proved to be too many, and my docking maneuver had to wait for daylight. Fortunately, at this altitude, it only takes about an hour to orbit Kerbin, so by the time I was in a rough position to begin the docking maneuver, the sun was shining brightly.
The downside to the rapid orbit is that, by the time the docking ports finally mated, the sun was beginning to set again.
Its job nearly done (I remembered to turn on the lights, but forgot to rename the damn station this time), I undocked the control probe and sent him on his way home. Splashdown was about 10km east of Kerbal Space Center. I'm sure those sensitive electronics will be just fine, out in the salt water.
(For the record, no, I did not kick the station out of orbit with the probe's engine. I just did a final visual inspection, with the probe's rear-facing lights, before turning the exhaust well away from the station and doing a short burn to get away. I
am going to duplicate the save file at some point, though, so that I can build something to properly blow the station up.)
Next time, a supply ship, with fuel and
slaves political dissidents persons of interest Kerbonauts!