Request - Agency Operating Costs

[dilznick5]

Hi,

Ive seen this concept discussed in other forums, mods and stock alike, but it always seems to be buried pages deep and then over shadowed by whatever other topics have evolved by that point. Forgive me if I am resurrecting an idea that has already been discussed, dismissed, or for which a solution already exists.

I like games with logistics management aspects. Games where you need to carefully collect or manage resources to unlock new capabilities. The addition of Funds and Science to career mode are a great start but as has been discussed in many forums only really limiting early game. Once I can start science spamming Minmus or leaving probes hanging in orbit to collect those 'perform x at y' contracts I dont have to worry about either again. That makes me sad. And yes I know I could exercise self restraint and just not do those cheaty/spammy things but if that was the way I was going to live Id be 30lbs lighter and not playing games in the first place. Im imagining a solution where those techniques some people call 'cheaty' get turned into actions called 'necessary'.

Science is already covered by tech tree mods and science unlock scaling and I cant think of any better ways to handle that. Im proposing a solution for Funds, a user scalable, periodic funds deduction that is modeled as the operating cost for running a space program.

If I had the knowledge or the skill to make a mod for KSP I would do it like this: (default values or rationalization)

-Period fund deduction calculated from factors below (monthly)

-Cost of KSC buildings and levels (balanced against running out of money after 1 month in the game not doing anything and then scaling by each building level so a maxed out centre costs enough that you have to run a few lucrative contracts per year to maintain)

-Cost of kerbals (10% of hiring cost * lv with some additional costs for kerbals on missions)

-Cost of active vehicles (10% launch cost with some additional cost for distance from kerbin)

This would force me, and other(s) who think(s) like me, to not rely on warping for science in the MPL, carefully consider the benefit of leaving probes throughout the system to cash in on random perform x in orbit of y contracts and generally taking mission cost and payback into consideration.

I am fully aware this may not be everyones cup of tea. I can imagine very few people would enjoy coming back from a 7 year long mission to find out the space centre has been repossessed by KerbBank and turned into a housing complex. But that is the beauty of a mod solution, especially one that is user scalable.

 

Your Thoughts?

Edited March 17, 2016 by dilznick5

[jkortech]

We're working on adding part of this as part of BROKE. I have the link to the thread in my signature. Take a look!

[dilznick5]

Nice! I knew someone out there must have thought of this already. 

Thanks.