![[1.12.5] Helvica (v0.5 FINAL) (1)](https://i0.wp.com/i.imgur.com/hywKBzR.png "[1.12.5] Helvica (v0.5 FINAL) (1)")
![[1.12.5] Helvica (v0.5 FINAL) (2)](https://i0.wp.com/i.imgur.com/5A7INPb.png?1 "[1.12.5] Helvica (v0.5 FINAL) (2)")
This mod has been abandoned. It should still work in its current state. Please contact me if you would like to take over the pack.
Description
This mod adds one small gas giant, the titular planet Helvica, and its moons to the space between the orbits of Duna and Dres. While it may not be as far from Kerbin as Jool or gas giants added by other mods, Helvica does have one trick up its sleeve: It orbits in a retrograde direction. Because of this, you will have to carefully plan your trip in order to get an encounter. It has a few other features as well, including large rings, three moons, one submoon, PlanetShine and DistantObjectEnhancement support, and multiple science biomes for each body. As for compatibility with other planet packs, as long as you don't use mods that add planets between the orbits of Duna and Dres, or that entirely replace the existing stock system (Beyond Home, Galileo's Planet Pack, etc.), you should be good to go.Note: Helvica is my first planet mod, and it is very much a work in progress. Do not expect to find zero bugs. Updates may or may not arrive periodically.
Installation Instructions
Recommended: Install using CKAN.CKAN will detect compatibility issues and install any missing dependencies if needed.
Manual:
1. Download and install the dependencies if you don't already have them.
2. Extract the contents of Helvica_(vX.X).zip\GameData to your KSP GameData folder.
3. Enjoy!
![[1.12.5] Helvica (v0.5 FINAL) (3)](https://i0.wp.com/img.shields.io/badge/CKAN-Indexed-blue "[1.12.5] Helvica (v0.5 FINAL) (3)"){kind=icon}
Dependencies
- Kopernicus Stable Branch(1.12.x)
Supported Mods
- PlanetShine
- DistantObjectEnhancement
Q & A
Q. Is Helvica compatible with other planet mods?
A. Yes, as long as they do not replace the existing stock system, and do not add a planet between the orbits of Duna and Dres.
Q. Is Helvica compatible with Principia?
A. Helvica is not compatible with Principia.
Q. Is Helvica compatible with Rescale or Sigma Dimensions?
A. There is currently no support for Rescale or Sigma Dimensions.
Q. Where do I report bugs?A. You can either reply to this forum post, or send me a public or private message on my forum profile. Remember to do a proper bug report (i.e., include your mod list and the steps to replicate the bug). I will try to find a fix during my free time. If the bug is caused by a separate mod with no stated compatibility, I may not be able to fix it.
A. I no longer take responsibility for this mod.
Q. Why does it orbit the wrong way? How do I get to it?
A. One of Helvica's primary features is that it is in a retrograde orbit, unlike most other planets. This is intentional. You can eitherspend enough Δv (delta-v) to put yourself in a retrograde orbit around the Sun, or if you like taking risks, try to get an encounter with Helvica as it is coming towards Kerbin and either aerobrake or use gravity assists (very difficult). You can also raise your Sun apoapsis to a very high altitude,and use a combination of gravity assists and engine power to easily invert your orbit. This has the upside of requiring less delta-v, and the downside of taking many months or years.
Q. Can I make suggestions?A. Of course! Feedback and suggestions are very welcome. I need all the help I can get. I might not take suggestions that ask to add X moon, although I will consider it if it is a good idea.
A. Suggestions will not be responded to.
Helvica System
Blue = Complete
Green = Released
Red = Unreleased
Spoiler
Helvica - The primary planet of this mod. It has a thick, blue atmosphere and large rings.
- Texture
- Atmosphere
- Description
- Rings
- Biomes
- Science definitions
Sothys - Helvica's closest moon. It is small, tidally locked, and has no atmosphere.
- Texture
- Heightmap
- Description
- Biomes
- Science definitions
Redulux - A large moon around the size of Eeloo that orbits far from Helvica. It has its own submoon.
- Texture
- Heightmap
- Description
- Biomes
- Science definitions
Ruse - A small captured asteroid in an eccentric orbit around Redulux. It is very dense, and thus has high gravity for an object of its size.
- Texture
- Heightmap
- Description
- Biomes
- Science definitions
Neus Nadavo - A habitable planet slightly smaller than Laythe that orbits closer to Helvica than Frigia and Redulux do.
- Texture
- Atmosphere
- Oceans
- Heightmap
- Description
- Biomes
- Science definitions
Changelog
Spoiler
- v0.5 (May 31st, 2021)
- Greatly improved Neus Nadavo's appearance
- Greatly improved Neus Nadavo's surface terrain textures
- Updated Neus Nadavo's biomes
- Changed all map textures for Neus Nadavo to .png format for the time being
- Revamped Helvica's textures
- Updated Helvica's biomes
- Improved Helvica's rings
- Adjusted orbital distances
- Rebalanced masses, densities, and surface gravities
- Rebalanced science gains
- Added proper atmospheric rims to Helvica and Neus Nadavo
- Updated PlanetShine and DistantObjectEnhancement configs
- Tweaked the descriptions for each body
- Other minor tweaks
- v0.4.2 (December 29th, 2020)
- Overhauled Neus Nadavo's surface
- Updated Neus Nadavo's biomes
- Improved Sothys' mesh
- Improved Redulux's mesh
- Updated PlanetShine and DistantObjectEnhancement configs
- Other minor tweaks
- v0.4.1 (December 26th, 2020)
- Overhauled Sothys' surface
- Overhauled Redulux's surface
- Improved the descriptions for each body
- Simplified the folder structure
- Other minor tweaks
- v0.4 (December 20th, 2020)
- Added Ruse
- Fixed an issue with Sothys' sphere of influence
- Tweaked Sothys' orbit
- Tweaked Redulux's surface
- Tweaked Helvica's normalmap
- Tweaked Neus Nadavo and Helvica's atmosphere rims
- Tweaked contract weighting for all bodies
- v0.3.2 (November 29th, 2020)
- Added PlanetShine support
- Added DistantObjectEnhancement support
- Improved Neus Nadavo's surface material
- Tweaked Neus Nadavo's atmosphere when inside of it
- Tweaked Neus Nadavo's normalmap
- Rebalanced science gains from experiments
- Fixed a minor issue with science experiments taken around Helvica
- v0.3.1 (November 23rd, 2020)
- Changed all textures to DDS format
- Enabled OnDemand loading for all textures
- Tweaked Neus Nadavo's surface texture
- Tweaked Neus Nadavo's rotation
- Tweaked Neus Nadavo's biome map
- Tweaked Sothys' surface texture
- Tweaked Sothys' rotation
- Reduced download size and memory usage
- v0.3 (November 21st, 2020)
- Added Neus Nadavo
- Tweaked Sothys' rotation
- Tweaked Helvica's ring texture
- v0.2 (November 13th, 2020)
- Added Redulux
- Added biomes to Sothys
- Tweaked Sothys' normalmap
- v0.1.1 (November 6th, 2020)
- Tweaked Helvica's ring texture
- Tweaked Sothys' surface texture
- Fixed a minor issue with Helvica's biomes
- Reduced download size and memory usage
- v0.1 (November 5th, 2020)
- Initial release
- Added Helvica
- Added Sothys
Known Issues
- Ruse may have strange terrain, particularly around its poles.
- Borders between biomes may not be well-defined on certain moons.
- Large file size due to the use of .png textures for Neus Nadavo.
Licensing
![[1.12.5] Helvica (v0.5 FINAL) (4)](https://i0.wp.com/i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png "[1.12.5] Helvica (v0.5 FINAL) (4)")
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Edited by Maple Kerman
![[1.12.5] Helvica (v0.5 FINAL) (2024)](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mP8/h8AAvMB+NzmkbcAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)