Tunnels and Caves?

[Piatzin]

I'm aware that this has been brought up before, but I'm just wondering how feasible it would be to add cave and tunnel systems to KSP.

I understand that there would be a performance dip, but with optimizations and the general advance of technology (with better processors), I feel like tunnel networks could add a lot of diversity to the game in future versions. They would certainly be less laggy than active volcanoes or hurricanes and things like that.

Personally, I would love to navigate a sub through the oceans of Laythe, reach the sea floor, descend through a deep canyon, and then dart into a tunnel and promptly get lost.

So is this type of thing being considered for future versions (like say, in two years or so, with the option of disabling tunnels/caves for people with baddish computers) or is there a big 'no' marked down for this type of feature?

[0something0]

Well, as I understand it, planetary terrain in KSP is created by a 2 dimensional heightmap, so if younhave terrain, its solid rock all thenway below it. I think there is a easter egg involving caves somewhere but I am not sure.

[The Aziz]

Yup, because of how the terrain is created, caves are not possible. Unless they make models and pin them to the ground, but there goes the performance.

[DAL59]

We know caves are possible, because there is one cave on tylo.  Why aren't there more though?

[roboslacker]

I think that a cave would make a nice easter egg

[DAL59]

3 minutes ago, roboslacker said:

I think that a cave would make a nice easter egg

There is an easter egg cave on tylo.  

[Jas0n]

There are ways to make caves, similar to the easter egg or the hangars at the island airport. However these are models placed in the world and have a performance impact.

[Galileo]

The performance impact of models is quite minimal. There is no animation so there’s that. The only thing that would cause a dip would be the collider, but it would be nearly impossible to notice it. If anyone plays with SVT, all static scatter objects have the colliders on. That’s dozens, if not hundreds of tangible statics and even they don’t hit performance that hard unless you are running a Commodore 64...

That being said, PQS mesh colliders only allow for convex surfaces so caves or tunnels are not possible in KSP. Models, like Tylo’s cave are, but they lack the immersion of a real cave system on a planet unfortunately. 

Edited December 3, 2017 by Galileo

[HeliosPh0enix]

I feel like the most plausible version of this would be more extreme underwater terrain, such as narrow trenches, but those would just be special uses of the heightmap.

[SG Aero]

Honestly I would love more caves in the ground system and reason to explore the actual planets, not just land and leave. I would also love hurricanes and volcanoes just for the challenge that they would pose, and maybe some simple terrain damage for crashing large ships from orbit, but I feel like we won't get any of these.

[Red Shirt]

13 hours ago, Galileo said:

That being said, PQS mesh colliders only allow for convex surfaces so caves or tunnels are not possible in KSP. Models

I've wondered about something for a while. Since I don't understand this PQS of which you speak, maybe you can explain - Taking the awesome Dres canyon as example, why can't a surface level model be made to cover all but an open end? It would anchor along the side walls of the canyon and be level with the surface. If the planet texture could be used the cave surface, it might appear to be part of the planet. I'm guessing it doesn't work this way or someone would have done it already - but why not?

[Galileo]

1 minute ago, Red Shirt said:

I've wondered about something for a while. Since I don't understand this PQS of which you speak, maybe you can explain - Taking the awesome Dres canyon as example, why can't a surface level model be made to cover all but an open end? It would anchor along the side walls of the canyon and be level with the surface. If the planet texture could be used the cave surface, it might appear to be part of the planet. I'm guessing it doesn't work this way or someone would have done it already - but why not?

It can be done that way, it just hasn't yet. 

[NSEP]

Would it be possible for an entire asteroid/planet to be a model so you can fly a spaceship through cheese caves?

[Piatzin]

On 12/5/2017 at 1:20 PM, NSEP said:

Would it be possible for an entire asteroid/planet to be a model so you can fly a spaceship through cheese caves?

Cheese? Someone make a mod for this

Now.

Edited December 20, 2017 by Earthlinger

[IncongruousGoat]

3 hours ago, NSEP said:

Would it be possible for an entire asteroid/planet to be a model so you can fly a spaceship through cheese caves?

I think Unity would choke, trying to render a model that big. There's a reason PQS exists.

[linuxgurugamer]

21 minutes ago, Earthlinger said:

Someone make a mod for this

Now.

Are you willing to pay someone $500 to 1000 to make a mod like this? Or even more?

 Demanding something be done isn't going to get it done.

[Piatzin]

1 hour ago, linuxgurugamer said:

Are you willing to pay someone $500 to 1000 to make a mod like this? Or even more?

 Demanding something be done isn't going to get it done.

I was kidding. I'm not demanding anything

[linuxgurugamer]

3 hours ago, Earthlinger said:

I was kidding. I'm not demanding anything

Fine.  But you must remember that the typed word does not have any inflection.  At least a smiley would have given a clue, which is IMHO the only reason for emoticons existence.

Or, possibly, the word "please" would also have softened it. I suggest you go back and re-read your post, thinking of how it may come across to someone a thousand miles away from you.

[Piatzin]

2 minutes ago, linuxgurugamer said:

Fine.  But you must remember that the typed word does not have any inflection.  At least a smiley would have given a clue, which is IMHO the only reason for emoticons existence.

Or, possibly, the word "please" would also have softened it. I suggest you go back and re-read your post, thinking of how it may come across to someone a thousand miles away from you.

I did put a smiley face at the end....

[DoctorDavinci]

10 hours ago, NSEP said:

Would it be possible for an entire asteroid/planet to be a model so you can fly a spaceship through cheese caves?

Asteroid, yes ... Planet however, that would tank your fps

[Kerbinchaser]

2 hours ago, Earthlinger said:

I did put a smiley face at the end....

aheheheheheheh....

[roboslacker]

 

13 hours ago, NSEP said:

Would it be possible for an entire asteroid/planet to be a model so you can fly a spaceship through cheese caves?

So, doughnut shaped asteroids

[KerBlitz Kerman]

3 hours ago, DoctorDavinci said:

Asteroid, yes ... Planet however, that would tank your fps

WHAT!? No. It wouldn't tank fps, it would tank your spf (seconds per frame). By the way, tanks are good. Almost as good as a nuclear bunker....

[DoctorDavinci]

59 minutes ago, roboslacker said:

 

So, doughnut shaped asteroids

or something like this ....

[SG Aero]

what is that and why does it have a trigger?