I would love to start by saying that NASSP just keeps getting better and better. Been playing a build now that is only a couple of weeks old, 2507. I can confirm that if you start from scratch, T-4 hours, then there is no issue with cryo pressure. It seems that it's possible to slip TLI by uplinking a calculation from the RTCC to the SIVB IU now, very cool.
I read a post from a fellow airline pilot who said he was struggling with figuring out how to "fill in the blanks". My recommendation is to never START with NASSP. EVER. There is too much going on. If you just flip switches according to the checklists, even in the hand-holding MCC missions, you will hit numerous brick walls, not the least of which is P63 in the LEM. You simply cannot troubleshoot the ROOTSPRS ignition issue without a deeper understanding. I was lucky enough to start with Orbiter back in 2004. So for what it's worth, here is a self training footprint I would use:
1. Get orbiter, just basic Orbiter. Learn the mechanics. Use the idiot friendly powerful and forgiving spaceships and the MFD's.
2. Download and play AMSO. It's well documented for what it does, arcade like and user friendly. It will give you a great overview of the flight plan, and introduce you to the concept of the mission segments, GET and how important that is, and even program segments.
3. Buy Reentry and use it. Whatever he is charging, especially for V 1.0 out soon, it's worth it. For the documentation alone. Start with the Mercury campaign and work up, just like the real astronauts did. You learn that the building complexity is usually just engineering solutions to problems you now understand. I would supplement the docs with 3 main downloads from NASA websites. A15 DELCO book for the AGC/LGC. FP6 AGS manual. LEM familiarization manual. NASSP 7.0 wiki has great individual articles on each CSM system, or it did.
4. Now you are ready to tackle NASSP. It is even more complicated that Reentry's apollo for the moment. Especially Thrust vector on the SPS, and AGS in the LEM. P63 and gyro alignment is also way more forgiving in ReEntry.
5. Finally, dive into the RTCC. It's amazing. Not easy to figure out, but it really empowers the simmer to do a lot. Now not only can you fill in the blanks, you can tweak the blanks in ways that you want. I just came down from Skylab the other night using the RTCC for the retro burn and splashdown, and was able to program and execute a splashdown exactly where and when I wanted. 150W, 40.8N sun overhead. A very nice latitude to be in the pacific on May 28th.
All of this has allowed me to really enjoy this sim, and honestly actually be more lazy. After initial boost and insertion from T-4 hours, I can pretty much complete the mission without using the checklists, with the exception of LEM initial docked align, and AGS init.
So for those who read through by boring dissertation, here is the present, a nice Apollo 15 PDI scenario. It's epic on my computer, as I grabbed a lot of sounds from AMSO sound packs for the descent audio and set them up in XRSound. One has to be precise here, unless they want to end up in the ravine. Although V16 N69E can adjust it in AP 15,16,17. I tested the AGS abort as well, about 100 feet off the deck, by pulling the PGNS circuit breakers and slamming it into AGS. It does it well. There should be no alarms in the LEM or CSM on start. Enjoy.
I read a post from a fellow airline pilot who said he was struggling with figuring out how to "fill in the blanks". My recommendation is to never START with NASSP. EVER. There is too much going on. If you just flip switches according to the checklists, even in the hand-holding MCC missions, you will hit numerous brick walls, not the least of which is P63 in the LEM. You simply cannot troubleshoot the ROOTSPRS ignition issue without a deeper understanding. I was lucky enough to start with Orbiter back in 2004. So for what it's worth, here is a self training footprint I would use:
1. Get orbiter, just basic Orbiter. Learn the mechanics. Use the idiot friendly powerful and forgiving spaceships and the MFD's.
2. Download and play AMSO. It's well documented for what it does, arcade like and user friendly. It will give you a great overview of the flight plan, and introduce you to the concept of the mission segments, GET and how important that is, and even program segments.
3. Buy Reentry and use it. Whatever he is charging, especially for V 1.0 out soon, it's worth it. For the documentation alone. Start with the Mercury campaign and work up, just like the real astronauts did. You learn that the building complexity is usually just engineering solutions to problems you now understand. I would supplement the docs with 3 main downloads from NASA websites. A15 DELCO book for the AGC/LGC. FP6 AGS manual. LEM familiarization manual. NASSP 7.0 wiki has great individual articles on each CSM system, or it did.
4. Now you are ready to tackle NASSP. It is even more complicated that Reentry's apollo for the moment. Especially Thrust vector on the SPS, and AGS in the LEM. P63 and gyro alignment is also way more forgiving in ReEntry.
5. Finally, dive into the RTCC. It's amazing. Not easy to figure out, but it really empowers the simmer to do a lot. Now not only can you fill in the blanks, you can tweak the blanks in ways that you want. I just came down from Skylab the other night using the RTCC for the retro burn and splashdown, and was able to program and execute a splashdown exactly where and when I wanted. 150W, 40.8N sun overhead. A very nice latitude to be in the pacific on May 28th.
All of this has allowed me to really enjoy this sim, and honestly actually be more lazy. After initial boost and insertion from T-4 hours, I can pretty much complete the mission without using the checklists, with the exception of LEM initial docked align, and AGS init.
So for those who read through by boring dissertation, here is the present, a nice Apollo 15 PDI scenario. It's epic on my computer, as I grabbed a lot of sounds from AMSO sound packs for the descent audio and set them up in XRSound. One has to be precise here, unless they want to end up in the ravine. Although V16 N69E can adjust it in AP 15,16,17. I tested the AGS abort as well, about 100 feet off the deck, by pulling the PGNS circuit breakers and slamming it into AGS. It does it well. There should be no alarms in the LEM or CSM on start. Enjoy.
