This mod is not known to work with the latest version of Kerbal Space Program. Proceed with caution.
WhirligigWorld Planetary System: Absurd Homeworld in an Alien Solar System.
WhirligigWorld is a mod which moves the Kerbal Space Center to the equator of Mesbin, a rapidly spinning supermassive airless planet. The solar system is also completely rebuilt, turning it into the Kaywell/Gememma binary star system.
Credits:
Lead Developer: * GregroxMun (Art, design, and configuration) Donate at https://www.patreon.com/Gregrox
Mod Help: * Thomas P. and the Kopernicus Team * Thomas P., MrHappyFace, Sigma88 (Kopernicus Expansion Continued) * SeveredSolo (ModuleCommandLimitedControl Plugin) * NovaSilisko (Feedback, playtesting, the model for the Kaputnik Mk0 Electromechanical Program Executor) * SnailsAttack (Feedback, playtesting, Totooa and Yeerbor Biome Map, Revamped minor moon Mally ~~because I couldn't be bothered~~) * Exo (Revamped dwarf planet Pragnik) * Shamash_D (Feedback, playtesting, livestreaming) * Tutur (Feedback, playtesting)
External Resources: * SnowfallTheCat (Venus cloud map, used on Derbin) * Carl Davidson (Tectonics.js web app, used for some heightmaps)
Inspiration: * Hal Clement (Author of the novel Mission of Gravity and the essay Whirligig World, both classic works of hard-sci-fi worldbuilding.) * Chris Wayan (Creator of Lyr and Oisin, the basis for Valyr and Oshan, and very creative planetary worldbuilder.) * Winchell Chung "Nyrath" (Whose Atomic Rockets web page on the Worldbuilding of Mesklin really started off my obsession with these oblate worlds. I am proud to say that section now contains info about my Whirligig World mod, found at http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/worldbuilding.php#mesbin)
----------------IMPORTANT COMPATIBILITY NOTICE--------------------
Make sure, when updating the mod, you delete the old WhirligigWorld folder before you install the new one. Also, make sure you are using the latest version of Kopernicus. (or latest backport if you're playing on old KSP)
LICENSE
Whirligig World art assets and config files: Copyright Gregory Brannon (GregroxMun) 2018. All Rights Reserved.
Kopernicus Expansion Continued: GNU General Public License.
Sigma Loading Screens: Copyright Sigma88, used with explicit permission.
Derbin cloud map: JAXA Venus Data. Map is copyright Snowfall-The-Cat 2018. "Use this however you like, just give me a credit if possible for assembling." https://www.deviantart.com/snowfall-the-cat/art/Venus-Clouds-733625463
ModuleCommandLimitedControl: MIT License Copyright (c) 2020 severedsolo
SciRev: MIT License Copyright (c) 2019 Dorian Stoll
Loading Art: Copyright (c) 2019 Pythania.
PLUGIN SOURCE
SciRev: https://github.com/StollD/SciRev
Kopernicus Expansions Continued: https://github.com/StollD/KopernicusExpansion-Continued
ModuleCommandLimitedControl: https://github.com/severedsolo/ModuleCommandLimitedControl
Sigma-LoadingScreens: https://github.com/Sigma88/Sigma-LoadingScreens
BACKSTORY
Around 1300 years ago, explorers from the far off planet Kerbin left their home to colonize other star systems. One such ship embarked on a journey to Kerbmun, an oxygenated moon in the Kaywell star system. There was just one problem. They hadn't counted on Mesbin being much wider than expected.
Unable to correct their course due to piloting error, the U.S.C. Manifest Destiny crashed into the massive, 70 Kerbin Mass planet Mesbin. Luckily, Mesbin spins. Once every twenty eight minutes it completes a rotation, and the centripetal effect pushes the equator outwards and negates some of the gravity. The 13 gees of gravity at the poles is reduced to a tad under 1.3 gee at the equator.
The payload of the ship survived, but the engines and fuel tanks were reduced to a lot of metal rubble along the surface. Unable to find somewhere else to go, they buried themselves underground and set up a stable ecosystem and environment. It took nearly two millenia, a few wars, and the re-invention of the steam engine, but eventually the colony was sufficiently industrialized to start looking up again.
MESBIN PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
List of objects: (Descriptions intentionally vague.)
Kaywell: A white main sequence star. * Limnel: A red dwarf star in a close binary with Kaywell. * Shol: A Hot Jupiter orbiting close to Kaywell. * 2 Wolda: A small asteroid orbiting terrifyingly close to Shol. * Tyepolbynar: A warm Jupiter that gets more light than Venus. * Jifgif: Small minor moon. * Imterril: Big blue moon. * Tannor: White moon. * Etrograd: Gray, retrograde moon. * Aerious: Small minor moon in a potentially chaotic orbit. * 1 Wers: A large asteroid, or perhaps a small dwarf planet. * 1 Vizea: Wers' moon, which is so bright compared to Wers that' it's been argued Vizea was discovered first. * Mesbin: An oblate airless world with a rotation period of 28 minutes, gravity of 13 gees at the poles, and 1.3 at the equator. * Statmun: Tiny, dense moon in a Mesbin-Stationary orbit. * Thresomin: MINor moon in a THree to one RESOnance. * Graymun: Gray moon. * Kerbmun: Very Kerbin-like moon. * Troymin: TROjan MINor moon of Kerbmun. * Derbin: Superterrestrial-mass planet in a distant binary orbit with Mesbin. * Derminmus: Largish minor submoon with a similar spectral type as Minmus. * Dermun: Large submoon superficially similar to Graymun. * Valyr: Superterrestrial-mass ocean world. * Denna: Greenish minor moon. * Plaph: Brownish minor moon. * Oshan: Large, cold, white and red. * Manonam: Distant cold moon. * Didd: Subsatellite of Manonam. * Egad: A medium-sized desert world. * Yeerbor: Captured asteroid in an eccentric orbit. * 3 Rik: Main Belt asteroid. * Reander: A jovian-type gas giant. * Lito: Enormous earth-mass ice moon. * Yalthe: Little hot moon. * Yokane: Little warm moon. * Dakkon: Little white moon. * Totoöa: Little atmospheric moon. * Mally: Trojan of Totoöa. * Yawer: This moon seems to blink on and off every hour or so. * 1P/Fophie: A short period comet rising high above the plane of the Kaywell system.
Gememma: A red dwarf star. * Ammenon: Little planet close to Gememma. * Lowel: Planet known to be in Gememma's habitable zone. * Ollym: The massive binary companion of Lowel. * Gannovar: Icy world in an eccentric orbit of Gememma. * G1 Gallant: Large asteroid. * Mandrake: A large blue ice giant planet. * Rutherford: A small blue ice giant planet, binary with Mandrake. * Lozon: You must face the little moon. * Beagrid: A mother's little moon. * Jancy: Dirty little moon. * Tatian: I see a little moon. * Pragnik: Dwarf planet in Plutino-resonance with Mandrake & Rutherford.
CAREER AND SCIENCE MODE NOTES:
These changes only affect the Mesbin homeworld option.
KAPUTNIK PROBE CORE:
The Kaputnik Mk0 Electromechanical Program Executor and Four-Function Calculator! A start-level probe core designed by me and modeled by NovaSilisko that is 1.875m diameter (1.25m mounting points), very heavy, and contains all SAS levels. However, there's no transmitter/reciever, so the probe core can only use SAS for control until you unlock the antenna. Even when you do finally get the antenna and full control over the vehicle, and therefore have all the functionality of the top tier probe cores, you still have to lug that functionality around in a 1.2 ton mass of vacuum tubes, wires, metal gears and cogs.
KNOWN ISSUES:
KERBMUN HOMEWORLD SWAP
There is a settings file that allows you to relocate the KSC to the surface of Kerbmun instead of Mesbin. I don't know why you would want to (since Mesbin is so dang cool), but just in case you're feeling homesick but want to play with the Kaywell system, this is an option. To use it, follow these instructions:
1 Open the file GameData/WhirligigWorld/Settings.cfg in a text editor.
2 You will see a configuration string with "Homeworld = Mesbin"
3 Change "Mesbin" to "Kerbmun"
4 Restart KSP, and make sure to use a new save file or at least back up your old one.
5 Kerbmun is nearly identical to Kerbin, though slightly denser. Gameplay will be comparable to Alternis Kerbol or Laythe Space Program.
REQUIRED MODS (The game will not work without these)
1) The latest version of Kopernicus. Make sure you install the plugin's own prerequisites, which come bundled along: ModularFlightIntegrator and ModuleManager.
Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/181547-170-1-backports-kopernicus-kittopiatech/
2) Scientific Revolution (bundled with Whirligig World download)
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/StollD/SciRev
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED (and supported) MODS
Scatterer. Configs included. Supports scatterer atmospheres for all relevant worlds except Derbin and the Gas Giants. Supports eclipse casting from all relevant worlds orbiting Kaywell. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/103963-wip19x-110x-111x-scatterer-atmospheric-scattering-v00723-31122020/
Environmental Visual Enhancements-Redux. Plugin only, do not install any E.V.E. visual-packs/configs or "BoulderCo". Supports clouds for all atmospheric planets, most importantly on Imterril and Derbin. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/196411-19-111x-eve-redux-performance-enhanced-eve-maintenance-v11121-31012021/
Distant Object Enhancement. Adds dots of the correct colors to represent distant planets and moons in the sky. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/89214-13x-14x-distant-object-enhancement-bis-v191-8-july-2017/
PlanetShine. Adds a subtle lighting effect to simulate reflected light coming from a planet's surface, cast onto spacecrafts. Supports correct colors. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/173138-141-planetshine-0261-mar-28-2018/
Poodmund's Deep Star Map Skybox. A fantastic realistic skybox that I consider to be the canonical appearance (at least for now) of Mesbin's skies. * Forum Post: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/96851-15x-texturereplacer-34-28102018/&page=42&tab=comments#comment-2388097
Sigma EditorView. Beautiful suffocating view of the vast night sky as seen in the VAB and SPH. * GitHub Repository: https://github.com/Sigma88/Sigma-EditorView/releases
(ResearchBodies). Delays the discovery of certain celestial bodies during the game. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/139473-141-researchbodies-v197-17th-mar-2018/
(Kronometer). I have invented my own basic calendar/clock for WhirligigWorld, since days and years don't exactly have the same meaning anymore. * GitHub Repository: https://github.com/StollD/Kronometer/releases/tag/v1.3.1-2 * Explanation link: https://github.com/GregroxMun/aWhirligigWorld/wiki/Kronometer-Support-and-The-Mesbin-General-Calendar
(Community Tech Tree). Tech tree modifications are safely applied to the CTT. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/90530-15x-community-tech-tree-oct-16/
(Extraplanetary Launchpads). I don't use or recommend this, but I do include patches to exclude MetalOre from spawning on the gas giants and some icy worlds, while making Statmun have even more MetalOre. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/54284-173-extraplanetary-launchpads-v661/
(Bluedog Design Bureau). Science instruments are supported. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/122020-181-1112-bluedog-design-bureau-stockalike-saturn-apollo-and-more-v172-%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9-22mar2021/
OTHER USEFUL MODS (that are neither supported nor broken by WW)
The entire Near Future Suite, but in particular: Near Future Exploration. Adds multiple large antenna systems for communication with the outer system, implemented in a unique and interesting way. Also lots of cool probe bodies to play with. Near Future Electrical. Adds nuclear reactors to allow for power generation in the outer system. Pairs well with Near Future Propulsion. Near Future Launch Vehicles. Giant rockets for a giant planet. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/155465-111x-near-future-technologies-all111x/
Cryogenic Engines. Energetic upper stages are good news for getting things out of Mesbin's deep gravity well. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/106089-145-cryogenic-engines-high-isp-chemical-rockets-august-7/
Kerbal Atomics. High efficiency and high thrust nuclear thermal rocket engines are kind of OP--except when you're trying to escape Mesbin's gravity well! * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/130503-145-kerbal-atomics-fancy-nuclear-engines-august-7/
Eve Optimized Engines. Not useful for launching from Mesbin, but there are several destination planets with thick atmospheres that this may come in handy for. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/136342-14x-13x-eve-optimized-engines/
Transfer Window Planner. There is currently no delta-v chart (and probably won't be until I finalize the system design in 1.0). This mod is a lovely alternative, with plenty of information on transfer times and delta-v. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/84005-14x-transfer-window-planner-v1630-march-18/
Kerbal Engineer Redux. You should know what this does already! It's as useful here as ever. Displays information about crafts and celestial bodies. TWR displayed is relative to polar gravity for Mesbin, which is about 10 times higher than the apparent equatorial gravity, so keep that in mind when building. * Github Repository: https://github.com/jrbudda/KerbalEngineer/releases
Waterfall. New shader for KSP rocket plumes. Changes rocket engine exhaust to look different in a vacuum compared to in the atmosphere, by showing the broader expansion of exhaust gasses. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/196309-111x-waterfall-a-framework-for-continuous-mesh-driven-engine-effects-march-26/
Better Timewarp. Adds better timewarp controls including faster maximum timewarp, which is necessary when maneuvering around the outer system. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/154935-15-bettertimewarpcontinued-customizable-time-warp-and-lossless-physics-warp/
SMURFF. Simple Module adjUstments for Real-ish Fuel-mass Fractions. It makes rocket parts lighter, so that stock parts can be used in Real Solar System instead of Realism Overhaul. However, it may be useful here given Mesbin's high escape velocity! I personally don't use it, but if you feel that WW is too hard with default mass ratios, you may want to give SMURFF a try! * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/117992-14x-smurff-simple-module-adjustments-for-real-ish-fuel-mass-fractions-180-02018-mar-21/
Atomic Age/Spacetux Recycled Parts. Porkjet's original Nuclear Lightbulb and LANTR nuclear rockets are a nice, slightly more stockalike alternative to Kerbal Atomics, and the nuclear ramjet is handy for exploring some of the non-oxidized atmospheres of the planets in the system. * Forum Thread: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/164829-13-14-spacetux-industries-recycled-parts/
Contact:
Conclusion:
I hope you enjoy playing in this absurd system! I have certainly enjoyed making it.
I encourage you to post your mission reports on the mission reports forums and/or the KSP subreddit. For real time discussion, visit my Discord server where you can find prerelease builds and development updates. I'd love to see someone do a youtube or twitch career mode series with this mod. If you make a video of this mod or see a video of this mod, let me know!
Raw stats are from the beginning of time until now. Each follower and download entry represents one hour of data. Uneventful hours are omitted.