Build number 12 is out - and it's a doozy - we have a go on launch to the Moon! 

First off - a few interesting additions to the program OTHER than the moon. 

First - Kearth now rotates and has a day-night cycle. 

A new feature you can add to craft is RCS Thrusters. It adds another option to piloting your craft other than just relying on the gyros and SAS inherent in the capsule. 

You can zoom out to an "Orbital View" that shows your spacecraft as just an icon and has the orbital vector drawn in as ray trace lines. Updated in real time as you boost. Which is an AMAZING addition - no more guesswork or using third-party calculators to figure out your orbital path. You can actually SEE it. 

And that's incredibly important too. Can you imagine trying for a lunar orbital insertation using nothing but a calculator and having to eyeball it? Well, maybe you can if you were trained as one of the orbital mechanics guys in "The Trench" at Apollo Mission Control. But for those of us a little weak on the math, this is a godsend.

Another godsend is the "Time Warp" feature. You can speed up time up to a factor of x10,000. This makes what would otherwise be an ultra long wait overnight into something that can be done in a few minutes to an hour. An entire mission to the Mun and back can be accomplished in 30 minutes to 2 hrs (depending on how much time compression you use and what for.)

So - the Moon (Mun). How easy is it to land on it? Oooogh... Not very. I've had live Kerbals make it down to the surface in one piece. But something on the craft always seems to fail and they get stuck there on the Mun. A lot of it has to do with the fact that given the weight requirements, it's almost impossible to bring along an extra SAS unit to help stabilize you. You have to use RCS thrusters and fly it yourself for the most part. You'll still have a weak SAS in the capsule itself. But that's not much. Still - better than nothing. 

So - some pics. And cue the Space 1999 theme music! 

So first, before trying to actually LAND on the Mun, I decided to take a page and some advice from the pros - the Apollo Program to be precise. Send something up to orbit the Mun first to see if you can do -that-. 

I used the now-venerable Falcon Mk VIII to test this the first time. Surprisingly I made it to Munar Orbit without a hitch. 











It's at the above point where in retrospect I made a serious error. Look at that green line back around the backside of the Mun. That's a damn near perfect "free return" trajectory! I didn't have to do ANYTHING and I could've simply looped the moon and come back, easy as you please. 

But no... I decided to "do it right" by establishing a parking orbit and THEN trying to boost home. Trouble is - the Falcon 8 wasn't really designed with this sort of thing in mind, as you will see. 





So I've got an orbit established, but I spent some more fuel to make it more circular, as I suspected the gravity of Kearth might yank me back on the high side of that. 



Ahhh! Is that the nuclear dump blowing up?! Is the Mun being blasted out of Kearth's orbit? ... No, it's just the sunrise. 



So after another boost to get out of parking orbit...


Trajectory looks good. 





I'm trying to bend that vector to intersect Kearth, but I don't have much fuel... I was hoping to establish an elliptical orbit and then tweak it on the Apogee end...



... but this is when I ran out of fuel... CRAP.

Oh it gets worse...



That extremely elliptical orbit took me far enough out of the Kearth/Mun system...



That it became a SOLAR orbit. Mark well, this is not what you want to see! 

On to the next set... 

Dude, would good food intrude?

Word nerd heard, inferred, bestirred.

"Bwah? Aha! Saw a law!"

Lie, decry, sigh... Reply!
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

I'm sure that some of you already know, but for those of the herd that don't sign onto steam every day:

steam is doing a promotion until the 27th.
Lots of big package deals, lots of daily deals.

Things that I would recommend (daily deals good for another 20 hours):
sanctum @ $2.50 (75% off), lots of tower defense fun.
Deus Ex: human Revolution @ $25 (50% off)
-Terry
-----
"so listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing to happen to you today"
TF2: Spy

Standing in the late fall rain, looking at the hole in front of him, Marcus Cole wondered if anyone had ever realized how difficult it could be to just hold still.

The entire situation was sketchy to begin with. Blitz was a madman who’d held most of the world hostage to prop up his dwindling little dictatorship for years. To think that someone who’d essentially declared himself dictator of his supposed “country” by nuclear extortion would agree to give up the sole thing keeping him in power was all but impossible. But there were always alternatives. Justin thought that potentially Arachnos had found a way to shield themselves from Blitz’s nuclear missiles If so, the “peace conference” was just a play to get the rest of the world to protect Warburg and Blitz from Arachnos when Recluse inevitably decided to punish his traitorous ex-Marshall. From that viewpoint, Blitz’s demand for Alexis as the opposing negotiator also made sense. It was a hostage situation to ensure that the heroes were not just trusted, but forced to negotiate in good faith, as neither Marcus nor his granddaughter Megan could risk the ambassador’s life by attempting to stage attacks on Blitz’s missiles while Alexis was under Blitz’s guns.

However, no one anticipated Malaise’s involvement, and the illusionist's powers had rendered Alexis’ protective detail completely useless while Blitz’s men kidnapped her. While a rescue attempt had been launched immediately, led by a still injured Manticore, they had been too late. Marcus wondered if he could have changed things by acting personally. Certainly, he could have saved the rescue team time by intercepting Blitz’s nuclear launch himself. But Blitz could just as easily have reacted to Statesman bearing down on him by launching all his missiles at once, killing millions. It was almost ironic. Blitz’s launch codes and the threat they posed to the world if he was displeased had made Marcus more powerless than anything that Recluse had ever achieved with the WEB. While Recluse had never ceased his attempts to harm Marcus and those close to him, Blitz had done more damage in a day than the master of Arachnos had in decades.

Around him, Marcus was aware that not everyone had been able to attend the funeral. The Sinclairs were both missing, with Shalice currently interrogating Malaise in the Zig while Justin recovered from his injuries and worked on tracking down any remaining leads to the greater plot he suspected this had all been tied into. More likely than not, both were also avoiding the funeral because they felt responsible. Shalice blamed herself for Malaise slipping back into his villainous ways without her noticing, while Justin doubtless was spending every free minute not dedicated to his current task going over the events in his mind in exacting detail, finding a dozen ways he could have prevented Alexis’s death, even though he’d had no idea of what was really happening until it was too late.

This wasn’t to say that the hero community was underrepresented. There were dozens, hundreds of them present. From Marcus’s personal associates alone, he knew that Raymond, Steven, Michael, Tammy, and Citadel had attended. Megan stood beside him, stoically showing little emotion along with her father Patrick. There would be open displays of grief later, certainly, but for now Marcus suspected his granddaughter was suppressing more violent surges of emotion now, much like himself. Megan was the commander of Longbow, the most visible anti-villain force in the western hemisphere. A contingent of Longbow arriving to “escort” Malaise and Blitz to a new location wouldn’t be questioned, and while investigations would be filed, it would be doubtful if anyone in Longbow or the federal justice system would particularly grieve if both conspirators were to mysteriously reappear as corpses. Assuming that Justin’s own operatives didn’t arrange an “accident” first. Marcus himself felt the urge, deep within, to simply go into the prison and snap both men’s necks with his bare hands, but both grandfather and granddaughter were here instead, willingly, because it wasn’t what Alexis would have wanted.

And more than that, Marcus refused because he knew the danger of what would happen if he were to simply give in to the drive that he could feel pulsing within him. For all his power, he was still one man, but Statesman was a symbol, and one that would drag down others with him if he were to pursue a course of retribution. Megan would come with the minute she found out, while Justin’s own sense of failure and long-standing battle with his own sense of vengeance would be sure to follow. Others might even come less full-heartedly, but out of a sense of obligation to Marcus himself, or worse, try to get in the way. A super powered battle between heroes would be the second worst thing that could happen in the midst of the war with Praetoria.

The first being what Marcus had rushed to prevent as soon as Justin had limped into Fort Trident to inform him of what had happened to Alexis. Few knew that the three sisters that Marcus regularly interacted with were in fact the Furies of Greek legend, though they possibly predated even those legends. Desdemona’s recent investigations into Praetoria’s First Ward had revealed that they far, far more than even that. The Well of the Furies which had contained the power of the Incarnate used them as enforcers of its ancient will, protecting against the misuse of its power...and the abuse of the ideals it had held when they encountered it for the first time, eons ago.

Malaise’s involvement in Alexis’ death had been a betrayal, and a grievous one. A similar betrayal had happened in Praetoria, and resulted in the summoning of the Furies’ most terrible servants: the Talons of Vengeance. They were a bloody sword that upheld the tenants of the age in which the Furies had been born: retribution for betrayal, swift and merciless. But the Talons were indiscriminate, and the misery and woe that they spread across wherever they touched was meant to drive the innocent into punishing the guilty by whatever means necessary, if only to gain respite from the torment of the Talons’ arrival.

And while the father in Marcus wanted nothing more than to tell the Sisters precisely where to find Malaise and where to let their bloody carrion birds loose, he had become a hero to uphold justice and fairness. His wife, his daughter, and his granddaughter had all taken up the mantle to fight alongside him for the same cause, and after their time on the front lines had passed, to uphold those same ideals as ordinary people just as well as they had as heroes. Alexis had died trying to bring peace and safety to the world...and the Talons would only take that away and ten times more. That was why Marcus had begged the Sisters not to intervene, however much their retribution might have been deserved by the betrayers now rotting in the Zig.

And so Marcus stood and watched as the solemn pageantry of the funeral proceeded and they laid his daughter to rest in the earth below. He waited, holding back the surge of anger and rage that burned inside him as his mind called forth every image of Alexis with the crystal clarity he’d possessed since he first drank from the Well. He waited, and hoped that Justin would be successful in his efforts to track down the true perpetrator.

And that for once, no other hero would arrive there before he did. Because somtimes justice and vengeance could work to the same ends, and right now, Marcus Cole felt a deep desire for both.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."

Maybe you guys can figure it out. I was kicking around some ideas on Operation Have Cake And Eat It, and this popped into my head:

Quote:The OV-200 in 2064

The venerable OV-200 series space shuttle remains in service in and around the Sol system and the nearer interstellar colonies. While the ships built before 2025 have largely been retired and largely donated to museums across known space[1], the newer generation of shuttles continue operating much as they always have done. Overshadowed by the newer OV-400 and -500 series explorers and utility spacecraft[2] in recent years, the 200 series remains one of the top performers in Fenspace and a shining reminder of the early pioneer years.

While the original 200 series ships were largely scientific research vessels, most of the shuttle's modern work is related to support and supply missions for stations and colonies on the fringe. Out of the 55 OV-200s still in operation today, only one (OV-276 AFSC Ibn Battuta) continues to work as a first-in explorer. All the rest have been moved off the front lines to a support role. A few shuttles operate as high-end VIP transports: the oldest 200 series still flying (OV-206 SC Daedalus) started life as a personal yacht for a Lagrange millionaire and eventually became an exclusive charter tour ship.

Experts believe that the 200 series will continue to fly through 2100, if only as living museums, show displays and private bush spacecraft.

[1] To name a few: OV-201 USS Enterprise is on display at the Starfleet Museum; the Ackermanian Institution has multiple OV-200s both on display and in storage; the Museum of Martian History proudly displays OV-213-A PKGS Melchizedek; OV-215 AFSC Duyfken was donated to the NEMO Science Center in Amsterdam upon retirement.

[2] The OV-300 was a strictly notational vehicle, built in server farms in Utopia Planitia, Hephaestus and Black Mesa as a way to work out improvements in the shuttle design and test revolutionary new concepts that would eventually go into the physical 400 and 500 series. The OV-400 series is the practical heir to the shuttle legacy, a large (100m) utility vehicle, while the OV-500 series is the spiritual heir, a larger (~200m) deep space exploration craft. Both vehicles take design inspiration from Matt Jeffries' http://www.projectrho.com/SSC/index.html]Lief Ericson

And a very merry holiday season be unto you. Pass the turkey and cranberry sauce, please.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

To:
From: [url=mailto:flaming_hot_rod@adp.squad9.gov
Subject: FW: Ghosts in the Machine

Quote:Hey there, cowboy. Check out what popped up in my inbox this morning. Ring any graffiti related bells to you?

So, I'm looking to get an entirely new desktop computer. Unfortunately, it's been a while since I've paid any attention at all to hardware specs and the like, especially since I've subsisted on laptops and netbooks for some time now. I've started questioning the great oracle of Google, of course, but...

...I know there's a great deal of collective expertise on the subject here. So, I ask you, the distinguished Drunkard's collective - opinions? Advice?

1. Custom build or off-the-shelf brand name?

I'm not entirely opposed to building my own machine, or getting one custom-made by a local store. But at the same time, I also recall the last time I tried my own upgrades...well, it worked for the next several months. And still technically does work, if you discount the twitchy motherboard and sad-panda'd graphics card. That was in 2004. I don't think I've improved my skills since. 

Conversely, I live in Singapore, and y'know, we're wired to hell and back here. Walk-in service for the big manufacturers is pretty damn excellent. I've had good experiences with Asus and Acer for laptop and netbook stuff. That makes the option tempting - it's a lot more convenient than having to deal with separate warranties for individual parts. But I know damn well I'd get less computer power for my money spent. Is that worth convenience and peace of mind?

In addition, since I'm looking for a new set of everything - monitor, keyboard, OS, whatever, I imagine it won't end up all THAT cost efficient to build from scratch. If I just needed a tower and had OS licenses, that's one thing...but I need the whole kit here...

2. Specifications and value

Right. Presently I use a 2008 Asus laptop. I game, though mostly MMOs and RPGs - City of Heroes, Bioware's stuff, the upcoming SWTOR, and so on. I also dabble in art - but honestly, Elements and CS aren't that intensive and it's been a long while since I've fried something with too many layers and filter effects, so I doubt that's a huge issue.

I was eying a $950-ish Acer package with monitor, keyboard and junk (using US dollars for universal simplicity - but I mean $1200-ish in local currency) with a GeForce GT 530, but I've been told that's not a good deal on the graphics card. I don't know. What do folks think is worth shooting for? I guess I'd be willing to pay about $1000-1500-plus (again, in American). I've shelled far out more in the past for a good laptop, on a far smaller income. But, hey, y'know. I guess I'm getting either financially more prudent or just damn cheaper as I progress further and further away from the hallowed stupid teenage-hood. 

I know some folks favour building monster PCs with a whole lot of future-proofing, but I dunno, I figure one way or the other, with the way technology develops, I'll end up buying something new in a couple or three years anyway. Viva consumerism. 

I know crap-all about processors, and I have no idea what the minimum value of RAM one should settle for these days is, beyond MOAR = GUD.

(A word on cost - again, since I know damn well you folks mostly aren't located in, well, Asia like me, I realise money figures here don't mean much. But component and spec advice could be useful. Shipping generally isn't another cost issue for me; I'm in a big city, anything I do is just gonna be picked up personally and shoved in the back of a car. I just dunno what I should be shoving into said back of car.) 
-- Acyl

You dirty evil dogs. You Americans have no idea how good you have it.
I just saw an ad for DVDs and Blu-rays for 2 bucks. But due to the zone restrictions it was useless for me to grab them. ARGH!
The said same movie is going for $40+ down the road.
So my spending this year is going to be restricted to sensible stuff: Clothing.
I'm also hunting Tablets, Joysticks/Joypads, various bits of software and Jewelery.
So far I'm keeping an eye on: Amazon, ebay, buy.com, Walmart, Target, Sears, Apple, Kohls. Any one have any other stores I should keep an eye on? I have a US shipping address that everything is to be shipped to.

That Anne McCaffrey has passed away.
http://www.wired.com/geek...nne-mccaffrey-1926-2011/
The news was not necessarily unexpected, given her age, but on the other wing, it's still saddening.
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor