We need Terraforming!

[kerbiloid]

Quote

Should there be terraforming in KSP?

Yes, in real time. 1 day IRL = 1 day in-game.

As Kopernicus mod allows to create a planet with a set of basic parameters for its shape, ocean, etc, maybe there could be possible to dynamically change a heightmap, and that would be the deforming.
Also with water level.
Probably, temperature and so, would be changed absolutely easily. And the biomes could change after them and depending on the heightmap.

But remember Spore: there is would be not much to look at without weather, fog or volcanic eruptions and smoke effects.
And without dynamically growing trees and creatures.

Edited July 25, 2016 by kerbiloid

[Wjolcz]

No, we don't.

[mk1980]

i think terraforming is a fair bit "out of scope" of the game. the kerbals live in a world where simple ISRU systems are considered high tech (mining stuff is at the end of the tech tree).

there's a huge gap between "we can get small outposts and some mobile machinery there with some effort. and we can explore the place thoroughly thanks to in situ resource utilization" and "we have full control over this place and have the technology to change the environment of the whole planet".

the tech in KSP is somewhat plausible, not that different from what we have in real life. terraforming is pure science fiction.

[adsii1970]

13 minutes ago, Veeltch said:

No, we don't.

Exactly!

5 minutes ago, mk1980 said:

i think terraforming is a fair bit "out of scope" of the game. the kerbals live in a world where simple ISRU systems are considered high tech (mining stuff is at the end of the tech tree).

there's a huge gap between "we can get small outposts and some mobile machinery there with some effort. and we can explore the place thoroughly thanks to in situ resource utilization" and "we have full control over this place and have the technology to change the environment of the whole planet".

the tech in KSP is somewhat plausible, not that different from what we have in real life. terraforming is pure science fiction.

Now I am not opposed to "borrowing" some ideas from @Porkjet's earlier habitat mods, and making small domed outposts that contain their own breathable atmosphere UNDER the dome. While terraforming would take thousands of years, lots of resources, and techniques thus yet realized, domed settlements would not. In fact, even when I was a teen, I felt that the largest domed outpost would probably be close to the size of a modern day American football field (excluding the end zones) - about a hundred meters in diameter.

In KSP, that would generate an incredibly slow frame rate and tax most systems severely; however, I do believe a domed settlement could be *hinted* at using Kerbal Planetary Base mod by @Nils277 and the creation of a central core of maybe 10 meters - but with a transparent dome that is simply nothing more than a court yard.

[Coga19000]

No. It has nothing to do with the game as it was first concieved as and loved as, will either require a excrementston of work for something that does not benefit us in any way other than aesthetic or so easy it shatters all suspension of disbelief and makes KSP into yet another space opera game, and it would simply be another time-consuming charade that would lead to yet more abuse of the timewarp button.

Besides, I am almost definite it is currently clsoe to impossible to implement in the game. Even editing modifies the planet as a single event, while the game is not closed; when the game opens, all planets are on rails, and impossible to influence in any way. Making those planets able to dynamically change (besides a wait-5-months-and-pop!-instant-planet mechanic that would be just stupid) would require a major rewritting of very fundamental parts of the code that have barely changed since version 0.18 or earlier, and open a whole new can of Kraken worms for everybody to enjoy. It would in essence require SQUAD to make a new game to support this feature -and it's simply not a good enough idea to make a whole new game to accomodate it.

[Astrofox]

In a way, yes - but only for making patches of land for small bases that have 'fake grass'

Although, it doesn't really fit the game.

Plus - Terraforming has multiple definitions and therefore I would like to have the ability to modify the terrain of Kerbin for bases given enough funds and Kerbals to do the task (Maybe about 50 kerbs minimum, and it would take a while minimus (maybe a few kerbal months?)).

[THX1138]

I would like to be able to flatten terrain for landing at and remove scatter if it ever becomes solid. 

[Wjolcz]

11 hours ago, THX1138 said:

I would like to be able to flatten terrain for landing at and remove scatter if it ever becomes solid. 

IMO adjustable landing legs could be great for this.

You would put a landing platform on a planet and level it by adjusting the landing legs separately! Though I'm pretty sure it's possible already, but we need an in-flight spring tweakable first.

[THX1138]

34 minutes ago, Veeltch said:

IMO adjustable landing legs could be great for this.

You would put a landing platform on a planet and level it by adjusting the landing legs separately! Though I'm pretty sure it's possible already, but we need an in-flight spring tweakable first.

So long as they don't slide down slopes too easily, I guess. Ideally they could be fixed/dug into place.

[Astrofox]

Possibly add landing gear with the ability to anchor, perhaps?

[StahnAileron]

On ‎7‎/‎31‎/‎2016 at 1:22 PM, Astrofox said:

Possibly add landing gear with the ability to anchor, perhaps?

Well, this is genius. Like how Philae was suppose to attach itself to the comet.

The devs would need to get KSP to the point that vessel/planetary interactions are rock-solid though (pun not intended). I haven't touched KSP in awhile (and I'm still with 1.0.5 until wheels get un-screwed), but my understanding is that it's still a bit janky, especially with large bases.

I imagine that in the engine, they would just lock the relative position of the vessel rather than actually attaching it to the planetary body like how KIS/KAS and I'm guessing EPL does things. The legs become non-colliding and fixed in position. That might help prevent the jankiness and phantom forces over time, during time-warp, and on vessel load.

[electricpants]

On 7/4/2016 at 2:15 AM, KerikBalm said:

You can mod that though:

 

I only added a green tint to the water, but I did something similar to a modified mars:

You can do something similar to Duna if you want:

How does one do this?

How edit Duna to have water (Not the mars one, though.)?

Is it possible to edit Kerbin?

I WANT TO KNOW THE SECRET BEHIND THIS! (Ok basically I'm a bad modder and I don't know how to do that.)

[KerikBalm]

Step #1, Download Kopernicus

Step #2, look at examples like what you see here:

https://github.com/Kopernicus/KopernicusExamples/tree/master/KopernicusExamples

 

I sort of stopped working on any duna modifications after proceeding with the mars based planet, but here's the last color map I made for it to have some green around the edges:

Spoiler

I need to do something about the green near the ice... its... too bright. I'd like to get rid of the water on the ice completely, but that's more heightmap adjustment