Some suggestions after working on a space station

[Aneres]

I've been playing for a while and I am really enjoying it, but there are a few things that I think would help.

1. When viewing the map it would be nice if the mission command center had an icon on the map so I could easy find it when it comes time to land my Kerbals.

2. I started building a space station but as far as I am aware the only way to attach new components to it is using RCS thrusters and docking ports. It would be nice if there was a small attachment point component that behaved like a docking port but could be placed anywhere on the station. It would allow other attachment points to connect to it.

3. To go along with number 2, using RCS thrusters to move the parts into position seems a little overkill if we have some Kerbals just sitting around doing nothing. It would be nice if I could place some handles around the component that I am attaching to the station and the Kerbals could hold on to them in EVA mode (like they do with ladders). When controlling the component from the docking port or the attachment point, rather than using dedicated RCS thrusters, it would treat any kerbals holding on to the handles as the RCS thruster, using their flightpacks instead. How maneuverable the component is would depend on how many kerbals were holding on to it and where they were positioned.

Thanks again for giving us early access and keep up the good work.

[blueshark15]

You do realize that you can put a docking port anywhere on your station or station module right?

[Aneres]

Yeah, you're right. I always kinda assumed that docking ports were more of a way to dock two things together that would eventually give you a way to move between them, but a clamp-o-tron Jr. is too small for a kerbal to fit through (comfortably) so it would be a good substitute for what I'm asking for. Docking ports always seemed a bit weak for me though which is why I thought an attachment point might be better. Basically a clamp-o-tron but smaller and stronger. I'll have to play with them more and see if I just under-estimated them.

It would be nice if my kerbals could EVA and move the parts to the correct spots on my station (maybe they can and I just don't know it yet). It just seems right now that once I get them onto the space station they don't serve much purpose. It's kinda like the end of Finding Nemo where the aquarium fish finally make it to the ocean. They are floating on the top of the water in their bags and one of them says 'Now what?".

[rodion]

Yes, currently your kerbals serve little practical purpose on your missions except to operate crewed-only modules, plant flags on bodies and fly gaily around with their MMUs. Probably the most useful thing any kerbal can do right now for you is repair rover wheels that get damaged during use, and clear floating debris away from ships (by bashing into it at speed, of course...whether this maneuver is taught formally in the kerbal astronaut academy is unknown). Of course, development of the kerbals' possible activities is far from over, no doubt in future versions of the game the range of things kerbals will be capable of will be expanded greatly.