Last updated for v0.9.0.0

This page has the following sections:

• Default Settings
• Changing settings
  • Life Support Setup Dialog
  • Configuration Files
• Common Configuration Changes

Default Settings

Under the USI-LS default settings:

• A Kerbal consumes 10.8 Supplies per Kerbin-day (at a rate of .0005 per second) and produces the same amount of Mulch.
• Kerbals can last 15 days without Supplies.
• Kerbals can only EVA for 1 Kerbin-day (six hours, or 21,600 seconds).
• 'Vets' (by default, Jebediah, Valentina, Bill, and Bob) and regular Kerbals all will turn into Tourists after 15 days without Supplies, but they will not get homesick.
• If Kerbals are below 25 km on Kerbin, they will not become Tourists even if they do run out of Supplies. (They will still consume Supplies that are available, however.)
• Habs and Life Support equipment do not wear out and so never need new replacement parts (i.e., Machinery).

If you also install the USI Modular Kolonization System (MKS) mod, note that the default settings are slightly harsher than USI-LS alone; prepare for this by recalling all un-supplied or under-supplied Kerbals before making the change if you choose to add MKS (or any harsher LS configuration) to an existing save.

Of particular note,

• The default penalty for running out of Habitation is that Kerbals will become Tourists.
• Wear refers to the slow degradation of Life Support parts over extended use (eventually, one needs to unclog the filters). With default settings, life support equipment will require replacement parts (i.e., Machinery) at a rate of approximately one every 46 days, as defined by the "Wear Amount" setting.

Changing Settings

The USI-LS configuration settings can be changed within the game using the Life Support Setup dialog or manually by changing the configuration files.

Life Support Setup Dialog

The Life Support Setup dialog is opened by clicking the USI icon in the bottom right of the Space Center view. It looks like a green cube.

All the settings discussed in the Configuration Files section below can be changed from this dialog. This image shows the default settings when only USI-LS is installed.

This image shows the default settings if MKS is also installed.

Configuration Files

The Settings.cfg file control USI-LS's settings.

If you also use the MKS mod, there will be a similar file named USI-LS.cfg. When the settings in two configuration files conflict with one another, USI-LS automatically chooses the harshest combination of settings. For an extreme example, if there are two configuration files, one where Habitation is disabled but running out of Supplies will kill a Kerbal, and another where Supplies are disabled but running out of Habitation is deadly, USI-LS will put them together to make both deadly.

Note also that timers and effects count as separate settings. For another extreme example, a configuration that has no ill effects for Kerbals who run out of Supplies but has set "SupplyTime" to zero will make running out of Supplies very harsh indeed when loaded along with any configuration that has "NoSupplyEffect" enabled.

Config File Locations

• \GameData\UmbraSpaceIndustries\LifeSupport\Settings.cfg
• \GameData\UmbraSpaceIndustries\MKS\USI-LS.cfg

Example Life Support Config File

LIFE_SUPPORT_SETTINGS
{
	SupplyTime = 324000		//How many seconds before Kerbals are affected by no supplies
	ECTime = 324000			//How many seconds before Kerbals are affected by no EC
	EVATime = 21600			//How many seconds before ill effects on EVA
	ECAmount = 0.01			//EC per Kerbal per second						
	SupplyAmount = 0.0005		//Supplies consumed per Kerbal per second
	WasteAmount = 0.0005		//Mulch produced per Kerbal per second
	NoSupplyEffect = 1		//Effect if a Kerbal has no supplies
	NoSupplyEffectVets = 1		//Effect if a Kerbal is a vet and has no supplies
	NoECEffect = 1			//Effect if a Kerbal has no EC
	NoECEffectVets = 1		//Effect if a Kerbal is a vet and has no EC
	EVAEffect = 1			//Effect if a Kerbal exceeds EVA time		
	EVAEffectVets = 1		//Effect if a Kerbal is a vet and exceeds EVA time
	NoHomeEffect = 0		//Effect if a Kerbal becomes homesick
	NoHomeEffectVets = 0		//Effect if a Kerbal is a vet and becomes homesick
	HabMultiplier = 1		//Bonus to hab values (1 = default = 100% of the part's rated value)
	HomeWorldAltitude = 25000	//Altitude on Kerbin that negative effects are removed
	BaseHabTime = 0.25		//How long can 1 crew capacity support 1 Kerbal, expressed in Kerbal Months
	ReplacementPartAmount = 0	//How fast life support equipment and habs 'wears out'
	HabRange = 150			//How close we need to be to use other vessel's habitation modules and recyclers.
	EnableRecyclers = true		//Use resource recyclers?  Not the same as resource converteres like greenhouses!
	VetNames = Jebediah,Valentina,Bill,Bob	
	ScoutHabTime = 9180000	
	PermaHabTime = 459000000	
}

//  SIDE EFFECTS:
// 
//  0 = No Effect (The feature is effectively turned off
//  1 = Grouchy (they become a Tourist until rescued)
//  2 = Mutinous (A tourist, but destroys a part of a nearby vessel...)
//  3 = Instantly 'wander' back to the KSC - don't ask us how!
//  4 = M.I.A. (will eventually respawn)
//  5 = K.I.A.

Example UKS Life Support Config File

LIFE_SUPPORT_SETTINGS
{
	SupplyTime = 324000			//How many seconds before Kerbals are affected by no supplies
	ECTime = 324000				//How many seconds before Kerbals are affected by no EC
	EVATime = 21600				//How many seconds before ill effects on EVA
	ECAmount = 0.01				//EC per Kerbal per second						
	SupplyAmount = 0.0005			//Supplies consumed per Kerbal per second
	WasteAmount = 0.0005			//Mulch produced per Kerbal per second
	NoSupplyEffect = 1			//Effect if a Kerbal has no supplies
	NoSupplyEffectVets = 1			//Effect if a Kerbal is a vet and has no supplies
	NoECEffect = 1				//Effect if a Kerbal has no EC
	NoECEffectVets = 1			//Effect if a Kerbal is a vet and has no EC
	EVAEffect = 1				//Effect if a Kerbal exceeds EVA time		
	EVAEffectVets = 1			//Effect if a Kerbal is a vet and exceeds EVA time
	NoHomeEffect = 1			//Effect if a Kerbal becomes homesick
	NoHomeEffectVets = 1			//Effect if a Kerbal is a vet and becomes homesick
	HabMultiplier = 1			//Bonus to hab values (1 = default = 100% of the part's rated value)
	HomeWorldAltitude = 25000		//Altitude on Kerbin that negative effects are removed
	BaseHabTime = 0.25			//How long can 1 crew capacity support 1 Kerbal, expressed in Kerbal Months
	ReplacementPartAmount = 0.000001	//How fast life support equipment and habs 'wears out'
	HabRange = 150				//How close we need to be to use other vessel's habitation modules and recyclers.
	EnableRecyclers = true			//Use resource recyclers?  Not the same as resource converteres like greenhouses!
	VetNames = 	
}

//  SIDE EFFECTS:
// 
//  0 = No Effect (The feature is effectively turned off
//  1 = Grouchy (they become a Tourist until rescued)
//  2 = Mutinous (A tourist, but destroys a part of a nearby vessel...)
//  3 = Instantly 'wander' back to the KSC - don't ask us how!
//  4 = M.I.A. (will eventually respawn)
//  5 = K.I.A.

Common Configuration Changes

Making your Orange Shirts (Veterans) immune to the dangers of Life Support

In game, choose 'none' for "Supply Effect (Vet)", "EVA Effect (Vet)", and "Hab Effect (Vet)". This is the same as manually setting NoSupplyEffectVets, EVAEffectVets and NoHomeEffectVets to 0.

Note: If your Veteran has already been affected by any of these conditions, switching the configuration to 0 will not return your Veteran to their normal selves. You will either need to recover, feed, or pamper them back to happiness or you will need to hack your save file to restore their profession.

Enabling Habitation

Habitation is disabled by default; there are no downsides to being homesick and tired of the vessel your kerbal is in. To change this, in game select the appropriate consequence for "Hab Effect (Non-Vet)" and "Hab Effect (Vet)", or manually set NoHomeEffect and NoHomeEffectVets to any value from 1 through 5, depending on the desired difficulty.