[0.90] No More Grind v1.2 - Configurable facility upgrade prices

[nlight]

No More Grind v1.2

This mod will make all facility upgrades ten times cheaper (like the ones that were shown in the 0.90 pre-release video) so you don't have to grind so much money to get started in career.

Authored by me and ddaf.

You can configure the price multiplier (and even set different multipliers for different facilities) from the mod's config file in GameData/NoMoreGrind/config.txt.

Note: The mod will not do anything to your savegames, removing the mod returns all prices back to normal on all savegames.

Please install using:

The Comprehensive Kerbal Archive Network

ckan install NoMoreGrind

or look for "No More Grind" in the GUI

Source on GitHub

License: MIT License

Manual installation

Please note that using CKAN is the preferred and probably most painless method of installation. Manual installs are supported, but please mention that in your issue.

1. Download the latest mod archive from KerbalStuff

2. Copy the contents of the archive inside KSP's root folder.

Shameless plug - for those of you playing with a joystick or a controller, check out my other mod - Advanced Fly-By-Wire.

Edited December 20, 2014 by nlight

[Moskit]

Would it be hard to maybe add more (not visual) levels to KSC buildings instead making them cheapier? Not saying that this mod bad, just asking.

[luxyuz]

Can't you just add more starting money? I know its not the same thing but if you have everything 10 times easyer, why not just play regular game without contracts?

Great Idea anyway.

[AlphaAsh]

@nlight

Good stuff. If I'm reading your code right, you just change the costs in the persistence file. This might actually be the work-around needed in another mod for a bug related to upgradeable facilities. Again good stuff and thank you sir.

[nlight]

@nlight

Good stuff. If I'm reading your code right, you just change the costs in the persistence file.

Hey, thanks! Actually the mod doesn't write anything to your savegame, it just changes the costs for the current session. Removing the mod will return all the prices back to normal on all savegames.

[cttw]

Can't you just add more starting money? I know its not the same thing but if you have everything 10 times easyer, why not just play regular game without contracts?

Great Idea anyway.

It's not 10 times easier, it's 10 times less grindy. There is a vast difference.

[Dazpoet]

This mod is making me want to play more instead of less since I won't have to finish 58192648 surveys anymore!

[BudgetHedgehog]

Just an FYI: I believe Module Manager also uses the Alt-F11 hotkey.

[Maxwell Fern]

I don't really get it. Ten times less ?! So just start a new carriere, grind science and bam, techtree over, you're in sandbox again.

I might understand that some people liked .25 the way it was, but I'm really enjoying the challenges those prices set.

[sal_vager]

You know you can play on easy, right? Or add more funds at the start.....right?

[nlight]

Ten times less ?!

You know you can play on easy, right? Or add more funds at the start.....right?

Absolutely! I believe the tenfold reduced prices is what Squad intended in the first place (as you can see in the 0.90 pre-release footage) and the current prices are a last minute (bad) decision. Also, the multiplier is configurable (Alt+F11 on space center screen) so you can make it as hard as you like (up to 200%).

Just an FYI: I believe Module Manager also uses the Alt-F11 hotkey.

I've tested this and it seems that it's fine.

Edited December 18, 2014 by nlight

[theersink]

You know you can play on easy, right? Or add more funds at the start.....right?

If you add more funds at start the next level upgrade will cost more for the next level upgrade. For example if you set starting funds @ 150000 the lvl 2 upgrades cost the following:

VAB: 315,000

TS: 210,000

R&D: 765,000

Astro Complex: 105,000

SPH: 303,000

Launch: 78,000

Runway: 135,000

It appears that the upgrade costs are on some sort of sliding scale tied to starting funds so simply giving yourself more in the beginning does not do any good.

@nlight

I did play for a couple hours with this and I like the idea but this version is rather easy. I would love to see a "lite" version where the costs are reduced by say half rather than what they are now. Now I am not a coder so I don't know what it would entail to have a second version but I think giving that option you might find a sweet spot with the community. Maybe even perhaps use a config so we can adjust to our own tastes.

Just a suggestion for you. I do really like the basis of this mod though,. Nice Job.

[theersink]

Absolutely! I believe the tenfold reduced prices is what Squad intended in the first place (as you can see in the 0.90 pre-release footage) and the current prices are a last minute (bad) decision. Also, the multiplier is configurable (Alt+F11 on space center screen) so you can make it as hard as you like (up to 200%).

I've tested this and it seems that it's fine.

Ahh I did not see the multi option, this is good. But I can't get it to show as that is in fact the hotkey for module manager.

[nlight]

@nlight

I did play for a couple hours with this and I like the idea but this version is rather easy. I would love to see a "lite" version where the costs are reduced by say half rather than what they are now. Now I am not a coder so I don't know what it would entail to have a second version but I think giving that option you might find a sweet spot with the community. Maybe even perhaps use a config so we can adjust to our own tastes.

Just a suggestion for you. I do really like the basis of this mod though,. Nice Job.

It's totally configurable! Just go to the space center screen, press Alt+F11, select the multiplier you want (0.1 by default), save your game and restart KSP (the restart is neccessary to prevent users from being tempted to change the prices all the time).

If you're into editing config files, the configuration file should appear in the mod's folder after you've saved your career at least once.

But I can't get it to show as that is in fact the hotkey for module manager.

Oh, so this is an issue, let me change the mapping and release a new version. Sorry about this.

Edited December 18, 2014 by nlight

[theersink]

It's totally configurable! Just go to the space center screen, press Alt+F11, select the multiplier you want (0.1 by default), save your game and restart KSP (the restart is neccessary to prevent users from being tempted to change the prices all the time).

Very good. I would suggest changing the hotkey though. MM does use that one if you need to reload the MM DB.

[AlphaAsh]

I don't really get it. Ten times less ?! So just start a new carriere, grind science and bam, techtree over, you're in sandbox again.

I might understand that some people liked .25 the way it was, but I'm really enjoying the challenges those prices set.

I get it. I don't want to grind science. I don't want to grind surveys and test contracts for pocket-change to upgrade facilities to give me features I started with in previous versions of KSP. Upgradeable facilities was a nice idea but turns out it's just a nerf-fest with the current costs. Add features. Don't take them away.

[sal_vager]

I'm not so sure about that theersink, as with all other settings left on their Normal defaults, just changing the starting funds had no effect on the upgrade cost of the tracking station, the pics below show the career game on Normal with starting funds of 250k and 500k, the cost to upgrade is the same as the unaltered game.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

But anyway, it's still a nifty plugin and shows how the game can be rebalanced in various ways

[nlight]

Thanks so much for the feedback, guys!

Anyway, version 1.1 is up with the key binding change. Now Alt+O opens up the UI, hopefully that doesn't conflict with anything else.

[luxyuz]

It's not 10 times easier, it's 10 times less grindy. There is a vast difference.

I think the problem with the grind is the contracts and not the grind itself.

I do hate "Test x part at given y altitude at exactly z speed" and avoid them like the plage.

You know you can play on easy, right? Or add more funds at the start.....right?

Exactly my thoughts. You can adjust the money income in the difficulty settings, rendering this mod a bit dull.

[theersink]

I'm not so sure about that theersink, as with all other settings left on their Normal defaults, just changing the starting funds had no effect on the upgrade cost of the tracking station, the pics below show the career game on Normal with starting funds of 250k and 500k, the cost to upgrade is the same as the unaltered game.

http://imgur.com/a/fN2oQ

But anyway, it's still a nifty plugin and shows how the game can be rebalanced in various ways

Yes, you are right sir it appears they are linked to the slider positions not the starting funds. Set your funds payouts higher in the options and upgrades cost more.

[tajampi]

I don't know why i haven't noticed this before, i really hate to keep grinding the boring contracts

Going to try this out, i hope it works!

Cheers!

[SSR Kermit]

Big up on this one, I had never imagined KSP as a treadmill to unlock tiered content-- but that's kind of what it is now.

[sumrex]

The opening rounds in Normal is grindy..... Need lotsa cash okay. a 210k building upgrade with a lot of missions paying 1000 or less. cant build anything over 35 parts to get those big payoff jobs. oops cant launch anything over 25 tons. the upgrade bill climbs sharply while income does not. A lot of initial missions seem scaled for when you are later in career. Fly over spot x at 17000 m and make a report. Rockets run out of fuel quick trying to do this, this is better for planes which are not available at the start. Precision orbit jobs with no rcs or solar panels, and bare minimum rockets due to building restrictions is definitely a challenge. There are things I like, but definitely things that should work better. I finally resigned Jeb to a one way Mun shot to get cash to get past that blasted 35 part limit.

Edited December 18, 2014 by sumrex

[luxyuz]

The opening rounds in Normal is grindy..... Need lotsa cash okay. a 210k building upgrade with a lot of missions paying 1000 or less. cant build anything over 35 parts to get those big payoffs. oops cant launch anything over 25 tons. the upgrade bill climbs sharply while income does not. A lot of initial missions seem scaled for when you are later in career. Fly over spot x at 17000 m and make a report. Rockets run out of fuel quick trying to do this, this is better for planes which are not available at the start. Precision orbit jobs with no rcs or solar panels, and bare minimum rockets due to building restrictions is definitely a challenge. There are things I like, but definitely things that should work better.

My thoughts exactly.

Good job with the mod, I'm sure many will love it.

[Andersenman]

Apologies for taking this on a tangent here, but what is "ten times easier, ten times less grindy, reduced tenfold"? The more I try to quantify it, the less I can make sense of multiplying a relational term when your base isn't a relation to begin with ... How is that even calculated? If something is a little bit easier, and something else is "ten times" that, would that be like originial * 10^(1-easier)? Or original*10^easier? Maybe even original*easier^10, or original * (easier/10)? And where is "easier" even defined? Is it 0.9? 0.5? 0.1?

Honestly, I don't get it.