Applications for Science at End Game

[Geoclasm]

Currently, to my knowledge, science has no end-game functionality beyond a resource used in the Strategies to acquire extra money or reputation.

I think that it would be pretty cool if we could use science to tinker with the stock parts we have been given, something akin to : 

• Edit engine attribute ( maximum thrust, ISP ASL/VAC, mass, resource burn rate, etc. )
  • Science/Funds cost of new custom engine could be proportional to how ridiculous you make your engine
    • I.E. - Giving an Ion engine a thrust rate of 300 KN ( or an ISP ASL = ISP in VAC ) with no other changes to anything like, say, weight or resource consumption would cost 5,000,000 science This is just an example.
• Edit fuel tank attribute ( maximum available liquid fuel/oxidizer, maximum mass ( ultra sci-fi - our scientists have somehow figured out how to cut the mass of fuel in half without losing any efficiency! Rumors run rampant about the alleged use of 'black magic'... ), etc ).
  • Same deal - Science/Funds cost of custom fuel tank would be proportional to the absurdity of your fuel tank - 1% mass for same level of fuel? ONE HUNDRED. TRILLION. SCIENCE. ( Again, just an example ).
• Science! - Customize attributes of science experiments ( Not exactly sure how this would work - maybe you could alter the mass to make it lighter, or allow a science experiment to be performed multiple times without losing the science value ).

And so on and so forth.

"But why don't you just mod the game to do these things?"
Fair question. Not all of us are capable of modding the game. Maybe it's a time issue. Maybe it's a competence issue. Maybe we're just lazy. Maybe it's all 3.
But the bigger point here isn't about allowing player to mod the game, in game. It's about finding another use for a resource after the player has completely unlocked the tech tree and has nothing else relevant to do with their science besides watch it accumulate.

 

[HebaruSan]

Surprisingly  this has come up before. This was my suggestion last time. The problem isn't so much that the tech tree finishes but that it finishes long before the rest of the content does (since its function is to ration parts and give a purpose to missions). If you cracked open the final node upon returning your Eeloo and Moho landers, no one would even notice that science points cease to be useful after that.

 

[Grumman]

It's harder to share designs when everyone uses a different set of stats, so I don't like the idea in the OP.

How about letting us spend a bunch of funds and science to add simulators to our Astronaut Complex that automatically grants 2 experience points the next time each Kerbal returns to the KSC?

[Geoclasm]

1 minute ago, Grumman said:

It's harder to share designs when everyone uses a different set of stats

If the designs were stored in the same way that vehicle designs are saved, then this would be no problem at all.

Everything that players want to modify could even be stored in a special tier beyond the 1K science tiers which would allow players to design ( modify ) whatever they wanted and save them to that tier. Then, after paying the initial science cost ( and money cost if that option is enabled ) to unlock it, they could use it as much as they wanted could afford to.

[Wyzard]

6 hours ago, HebaruSan said:

The problem isn't so much that the tech tree finishes but that it finishes long before the rest of the content does (since its function is to ration parts and give a purpose to missions).

This.  I unlocked the entire tech tree with just Kerbin, Mun, and Minmus (plus an orbital science lab or two).  Now I just rack up science points that'll probably never be used for anything.

[MaxL_1023]

I would like to see incremental improvements to existing technology. For example, once you finish the rocketry branch, have a 2500 science node open up which gives all engines +5/10 SL/Vac ISP. When you finish the fuel tank branch, have a node which makes all tanks 20% less massive (when empty, not full). 

Essentially, you unlock the stock tree to give you the parts you need to go places, then unlock improvements which make it easier to get there (or allow more ambitious missions). Nothing too drastic, but a little carrot to reward science grinders without messing up "explorers" or causal players. 

[Pthigrivi]

Yeah breaking the shareability of craft seems like a huge price to pay. I've always thought its not that the tech tree finishes too early (I actually think its plenty grindy enough as is), its that the tech tree shouldn't be the goal of the game period. People treat it as the goal of the game because its the central reward system and we aren't provided with any other indicator of progress or completion.