I don't understand how to read the nav ball - can anyone explain what the markings mean?
I was really struggling when I was on the surface to know which direction was N/S/E/W. I can use context clues to figure out the litteral extremes (N/S/E/W Up/Down) but if I want to point to a heading of 130 with a ptich of 60 degrees - I have no idea what the nav ball should look like.
Maybe I can help somewhat.
First thing is to imagine that you are INSIDE the nav-ball, looking out. The nav-ball surrounds you and your craft and you look out from inside the ball. It is easier to understand from this perspective.
The nav-ball is a spherical measuring device, with degrees of rotation marked on it. The last zero is missing from each of the labels, so 9 is 90 degrees, 18 is 180, etc. You need to know what reference frame you are measuring from with the ball. Knowing the reference frame you are working with will tell you what you are measuring against, where the "zero" points of the ball are aligned.
KSA appears to have 5 basic reference frames. Surface, Orbit, Orbital Velocity, Target and Burn Direction.
I highly recommend that you launch the game and try poking at the autopilot controls to rotate the craft to different orientations. Try that in the available reference frames and note the differences. Remember that when you first start, you will be in a near perfect circular orbit. At some point, you will want to aim prograde in Orbital Velocity reference mode and apply some main engine thrust. Get into an eliptical orbit, then try all of the buttons again and see the differences.
I hope this helps!
