Strategies that effect contract type probabilties

[Pthigrivi]

This came up in the lead up to 1.2 as Arsonide was ironing out contract weighting, but a really nice addition to the Administration Building might be a series of strategies that increase the likelihood that a specific contract type will come up, allowing players to guide directly the type of program they'd like to run. I do appreciate all the work that was put into the automatic weighting process, but you notice as you progress into the mid and late game the ways in which you've pidgeonholed yourself into contract types early that may not be important to you later. It doesn't really allow you to make broad changes to your playstyle as you progress. For instance a player might select things like part-testing and tourism early on but later decide they'd like to move more heavily into mining and base-building. If, however, players could with some small investment effect the probability that, for instance, rescue missions would appear directly through a strategy it would give them much more specific control over their options and allow them to make big changes mid-stream if they wish.

 

Some examples might be -

"Rescue me" - Rescue missions

"If You Build it" - Construction missions

"All Mine" - Extraction missions

"Blinded by Science" - Data collection missions

"Phone Home" - Satellite missions

etc.

 

Anyhoo. Just a thought

 

[passinglurker]

I support this the mechanics of career mode could use more overlap and synergy like this.

[tater]

Yeah, having the so-called "strategies" actually affecting contract offerings would be sensible.

[cubinator]

I rarely get a contract to go to a planet until immediately after I go there myself. I might land on the Mun and come back to five contracts asking me to do the exact things I just did. That's not how it should work. If I go to Duna, I should get contracts for Jool, Eve, and the other planets, instead of the current system which seems to believe the first place I visit is where the space program will be focused for eternity.

[Wjolcz]

I kind of agree. I like how you always try to hit the middle ground between the current system and a drastic change. However, this "likelihood" would not be enough IMO. And the investment part shouldn't be there in the first place.

Yes, the strategies SHOULD influence the types of missions you get to do. I'd call them programs though. The problem is in order to change the strategies to something sensible and enjoyable the whole career mode would have to change. But if I was to design it the more conservative way I'd imagine it to be more or less like this (only a few examples):

National Programs:

Aircraft Research Program - Research and build planes until you get all the atmospheric parts.

SSTO Program - Research and build SSTOs, get missions to test components, fly them, etc. and still progress.

Local Exploration Program - Research vacuum engines and test them in LKO/Mun/Minmus, etc.

Deep Space Exploration - Research deep space habs, probe bodies and atomic/ion engines.

Commercial Programs:

Deep Space Resources - Prospect and exploit potential resources in space and either use them in-situ or bring them back to your home planet for good money.

Tourism - Anything that is connected with tourism (orbital hops, vomit comets, space hotels and stuffz).

Scientific Programs:

Interanetary Science Program - Send probes everywhere.

Local Science Program - Make a space station and research stuff there (test parts, grow food, make nanotubes, whatever)

The Sentinel Program - Make telescopes, look for asteroids, grab asteroids, things like that.

This is just few examples. But in order to make them work things would still need to change: the way the tree is unlocked, the way science works, the way funds are granted, the way reputation works.

All in all, I don't disagree with the change. I just think it should be more dramatic.

Edited May 13, 2017 by Veeltch