From before Hiatus

Some leftover screenshots from before my hiatus, Kerbal Space Program.

Tinkering with a Mk-3 sized cargo-or-fuel spaceplane.

It is big enoug to bring a whole Münbus-class spacecraft into orbit. Or alternatively, a big fuel tank. Untested yet.

My biggest spacecraft design so far. Behold the "Candlekeep", a modular designed interplanetary spacecraft. Top level, here, an evolution of the old Scientia-class ship design. Used for orbital explorations and low-gravity landings. Untested yet.

Bottom level of the Candlekeep. Quadruple Poodle engines, lots of fuel tanks and an ISRU-unit to mine fuel out there for independent and indefinite operation. Used for interplanetary transfer and as a fueling station in orbit.

The middle level, visible on both last screenshots, is the habitat and docking ring, with luxury apartments for 8 tourists, or cram in 36 kerbonauts!

Trying to capture the Candlekeep as a whole is difficult; it really is big.

Another project, a maximum deltaV vessel for this stupid tourist contract to enter a low orbit on the sun. Untested yet.

After these rather construction focused screenshots, back to some action. My Moon-Buggy design was not tested yet, so I gave it a spin.

Descending near the north pole of Mün.

Almost down... it IS steep slopes there!

Very disappointing to realize that the rover wheels don´t give more push for this lighter design, compared to the Yawl, which I had quite extensively tested before this Mun Buggy.

My planned itinerary led me from the Mün polar highlands to the polar crater. Catching some biomes also in between, I realize later that most of them were already recorded from previous landings. It might have been the steep slopes, but I found it hellish difficult to keep the Buggy from not sommersaulting. High speeds, like with the Yawl, were simply not possible. This was probably due to the higher center of mass, making the thing less table on a bump. On top, the wheels blew up rather quickly, even though I tried to use the indestructible landing gear as often as possible.

Test unsuccesful. Product line discontinued.

This all was done during two or three rather short and unispired game sessions. It is interesting for me to note; when I am not sure how to continue the "big picture" ventures, I become rather unfocused on the smaller ventures in between.

The big question, which I am still pondering even during/after my hiatus, is, whether the new Candlekeep design should travel to Duna in place of my existing Omniscient-class vessels. And, which dinghy´s/landers should I bring along. The Yawl was a success on Mün, but will it be on Duna, too?

I really hope this blockade of what to do how does not keep me from just going on. After all, the Kerbal way is "just do it, goddamnit!"

Since three monthes have passed already since my last blog entry, some interesting game opportunities and unfinished "want to plays" await:

- The upcoming Star Wars movie and the seeming excellent new expansion for the online-game Star Wars: The Old Republic make me want to fire up the latter again, after three years not touching it anymore.

- A game of the year edition of Dragon Age: Inquisition includes all expansions which I haven´t played yet. A good time to do a second playthrough, again an elf mage, or trying a different character? Same problem as with Kerbal Space Programme: Blocked by not being able to decide which way to go. I am weird sometimes.

- I never finished Pillars of Eternity, which is a shame. There is also an expansion in the meanwhile, tempting me.

- There is this nice retro-style Shadowrun: Hongkong. I had played the precedessors and liked them a lot. I really should keep up here, too!

- Coming out in January 2016 is Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. A must to play!

- And last, but not least: Elite: Horizons is very near. Landing on planets in my favourite galaxy simulation! It might be tempting to leave it be until the Oculus Rift VR goggles are finally out in Q1 2016. Frankly, ever since I played that game at the Premiere Event back in October 2014 with those VR goggles on, I am so spoiled and don´t want to play it anymore any other way!

Sigh. And there is this "little issue" of my wife having jumped the ship. Would be nice to find somebody new to continue my now shattered little family, maybe even being able to understand and share this weird passion my blog here is about. However, life is probably too fast and too short in order to have everything, right?