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The question that does not die - Can we have another planet?


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I KNOW ABOUT KOPERNICUS! THOSE WHO POINT IT OUT SHALL FACE THE UNDYING FURY OF MY NEIGHBOR'S CAT!

 

*Ahem* Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about this undying question, recommendation, or whatever you want to call it - Planet Eight.

It's been quite a while since we've gotten a new world to explore in stock KSP, and I'm starting to wonder if we ever will again. I just want a new, fun destination to go to, explore, and build bases on. Maybe a Kerbin-like world in the outer solar system littered with mountains and valleys and kraters filled with water, and even the beginnings of surface life!

Not quite like Laythe or Eve, but something more friendly. Of course, being in the outer solar system would mean the planet doesn't get a whole lot of light, so maybe it could have a highly eccentric orbit (tidal heating) around Eeloo or another completely-new world.

Maybe the life isn't entirely new, but it's just recovering after a massive object collided with it millions of years ago, ripping a long gash in the surface and carrying some particularly resilient microbes to Kerbin and Duna? Perhaps the origin of the Kraken?

I'm going a little too deep in speculation, but we're lacking this kind of world in stock KSP, and I personally think it would make a pretty nice addition to the game

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A good amount of people who play KSP don't ever leave Kerbin's SOI, so the developers would rather work on adding parts and other things. The ksp solar system is also modeled after ours, so if there's going to be a new planet, its going to be like Saturn or a dwarf planet.

There are other ways to get planets, methods that you wish not to be named...

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15 minutes ago, MiffedStarfish said:

Why would there be life on a planet completely out the goldilocks zone? And we don't need another planet with nothing to do on it, we need things to do on planets.

True, the planet would be out of the goldilocks zone, but there are other ways to get heat - one of them is from tidal friction - https://www.britannica.com/topic/tidal-friction. Also, assuming something huge hit the planet a long time ago, the core could still be quite hot. A volcano could be prime real estate over there

But there'd be tons of stuff to do on this world - the terrain would be fun to fly through and difficult to explore through other methods

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3 minutes ago, Scout1218 said:

If you want to have another planet, then make it yourself. I think that the current planets need to be improved before we even think about getting a new planet/moon

I didn't even think about improvements. Kerbin needs some kanyons

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1 hour ago, Jas0n said:

In addition to kanyons, rivers would be nice too. Like rivers that actually flow.

That implies currents. And other external forces, like wind being possible. Would be a fairly large thing to implement.

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We need weather, surface experiments, geological features, etc on existing planets, stuff to do when you get there, but I would like a gas giant with rings and moons. Personally I would just really like an enhanced experience on the surface of bodies, and currently no mod effectively characterizes the planets imo (Visual mods do somewhat with clouds)

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10 hours ago, Fireheart318 said:

True, the planet would be out of the goldilocks zone, but there are other ways to get heat - one of them is from tidal friction - https://www.britannica.com/topic/tidal-friction. Also, assuming something huge hit the planet a long time ago, the core could still be quite hot. A volcano could be prime real estate over there

But there'd be tons of stuff to do on this world - the terrain would be fun to fly through and difficult to explore through other methods

What tides? All the liquid on a planet in the outer solar system would be frozen solid. And if a volcano big enough to change planetary heat erupted, no life could evolve in that timespan, and if there was any existing life somehow, it would probably die out from being exposed to completely different conditions.

And no, there wouldn't be anything to do on this planet. No more than any other planet. Terrain can only get a planet so far without new features.

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2 hours ago, RatchetinSpace said:

We need weather, surface experiments, geological features, etc on existing planets, stuff to do when you get there, but I would like a gas giant with rings and moons. Personally I would just really like an enhanced experience on the surface of bodies, and currently no mod effectively characterizes the planets imo (Visual mods do somewhat with clouds)

Love the smell of roasted potatoes in the mornings.

K, I know, you guys neeed something to do on the surface.

But(t)! Do you really think every computer can handle something like weather or fluid physics? Just the ragdolls of kerbals bring a whole lot of krakens and bugs! 

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The only way KSP1 will get new stock planets is in DLC.  Seeing as most players don't leave the Kerbin SOI, I can't see this being a viable return on investment.  So, no, I don't think we're getting any new planets...in stock.

Posted in the Suggestions and Development sub-forum and not the Add-on Discussions sub-forum.

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14 hours ago, cratercracker said:

Love the smell of roasted potatoes in the mornings.

K, I know, you guys neeed something to do on the surface.

But(t)! Do you really think every computer can handle something like weather or fluid physics? Just the ragdolls of kerbals bring a whole lot of krakens and bugs! 

No, I don't expect every computer to run fluid mechanics ;). However I think a weather system in KSP wouldn't necessarily have to involve the complex mechanisms behind real simulations.

I honestly don't know what the impact on computers would be, personally I don't think it'd be out of the scope of regular KSP physics, but I addressed that in this old thread (don't bump it).

Anyway, that's my take on that. I'd like to see some actual evidence that weather calculations would seriously hamper performance, at least in theory. I'm no coder, so any insight from programmers would be great.

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I know people are advocating for a stock experience with more to it than Eeloo at the edge, but this issue is addressed beautifully by OPM.  I have OPM installed and have @GregroxMun's End (second plug this week, the bill is in the mail) as the "edge" of my solar system, and in 1 1/2 games I *still* haven't gotten there (upgrade to 1.22 too tantalizing).

That is a Huge variety of worlds to explore, about as realistically as you can without relativistic-travel mods.

I would concur with the opinion however that, if the Stock system were to be enhanced, it would be better to improve what is there.  Modding can add planets, but Developers can improve what we have.

 

...and i too love cats.

Edited by GarrisonChisholm
I love cats.
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I don't trust Squad not to screw up adding more planets. Either through ludicrous ideas, shoddy construction, or ugly appearance. Kopernicus is great because if you want GP2, we have several for you to choose from. Heck, make your own if you want. The tools are there, easy to learn (more difficult than people realize to get right), and there are so many options. At this point I am comfortable with the current layout of planets remaining stock.

Maybe if they wanted to do an Outer Planets expansion pack, but honestly why would you want that as a paid expansion if you can get the generally well made Outer Planets Mod. Any planet update or expansion released by Squad would need features that are difficult or impossible to do with mods. Axial tilt, meaningful weather/clouds/storms/geysers, stable implementation of true interstellar distances.

Really well and truly what we need more than more planets and moons, is things to do on them all. Things that make them different and special. Once you've landed on Mun, you've landed on Moho, Eeloo, and Vall. What if Vall and Eeloo had geysers, or could be explored beneath the surface? What if Laythe had thunderstorms and rain that could screw up electrics and solar panels? What if Duna had dust storms, Eve had rainless storms, and Jool had the mother of all storms? And even after giving the planets weather and geology and all that: stuff that actually affects gameplay and makes it more interesting, that's when you have the chance to add more planets. And those planets can be unique bodies with their own stuff going on.

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On 8/24/2017 at 1:29 PM, Fireheart318 said:

I just want a new, fun destination to go to, explore, and build bases on.

And a new planet won't solve that.

 

I mean, sure, for a while, it will.  But when you've completely explored it, what's next?  Another new planet? And another? And another after that?

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20 hours ago, MiffedStarfish said:

What tides? All the liquid on a planet in the outer solar system would be frozen solid. And if a volcano big enough to change planetary heat erupted, no life could evolve in that timespan, and if there was any existing life somehow, it would probably die out from being exposed to completely different conditions.

And no, there wouldn't be anything to do on this planet. No more than any other planet. Terrain can only get a planet so far without new features.

Tidal heating does not involve water.

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