Career mode suggestions

[IanCanberra]

I am playing career mode and I would like to have four items added. 1: When doing an EVA that the distance to target always shows. Currently it turns off at 150m or so. When doing dark side connections you are then flying blind.

2: that the distance to surface be the main item not the distance to sea level

3: The ability to build more ground stations so that communication with satellites is world wide. Like we currently have on Earth

4: that space junk can cause other launches and satellites to be destroyed

Edited September 1, 2018 by IanCanberra
add space junk idea

[sumghai]

[MOD - Post split into new topic, as it has little relation to the topic of the original thread it came from]

36 minutes ago, IanCanberra said:

3: The ability to build more ground stations so that communication with satellites is world wide. Like we currently have on Earth

By default, the stock game already includes extra ground stations Kerbin-wide. You may want to check your game difficulty settings to see if you have accidentally disabled this.

36 minutes ago, IanCanberra said:

4: that space junk can cause other launches and satellites to be destroyed

If debris enters the physics range of your currently active vessel, then yes, they already do have a chance of destroying vessels.

However, for vessels and debris simulated in the background, they are deliberately put "on rails" (i.e. all collisions and physics other than orbital position are disabled) to save computational resources. Fully simulating all background vessels/debris to track when they collide would slow the game down significantly, especially if large numbers of vessels/debris are involved.

[4x4cheesecake]

53 minutes ago, IanCanberra said:

1: When doing an EVA that the distance to target always shows. Currently it turns off at 150m or so. When doing dark side connections you are then flying blind.

Oh, it does? I never noticed that but if it is true, I agree with it ^^

54 minutes ago, IanCanberra said:

2: that the distance to surface be the main item not the distance to sea level

While in space, this would be really annoying. You would always need to switch to the map view just to check your orbital parameters but a switchable altimeter would be nice so you can always decide on your own, which altitude you want to see. The IVA view already provides a radar altimeter to display the altitude above the ground but I guess the highest altitude it can show is 1km and no one want's to be forced to land in IVA view...

57 minutes ago, IanCanberra said:

3: The ability to build more ground stations so that communication with satellites is world wide. Like we currently have on Earth

Like sumghai said, there are already many ground stations. But if you want, you can still build a simple structure, add a few batteries, solar panels, RTGs and a radar dish on it and place it where ever you want on Kerbin. Well, you have to transport that thing but a big plane should be able to do the job. AFAIK, the stock ground stations already cover the whole surface but I might be wrong (I don't use them, I like to build a satellite network^)

1 hour ago, IanCanberra said:

4: that space junk can cause other launches and satellites to be destroyed

The only thing I have to say to this one: I did not setup the situation in the following video and it was indeed an accident:

 

[HebaruSan]

1 hour ago, IanCanberra said:

communication with satellites is world wide. Like we currently have on Earth

We do not currently have that on Earth. Here's the telemetry signal cutting out during the launch of Iridium-4 (starting at 1:15:25):

 

[Gargamel]

2 hours ago, IanCanberra said:

1: When doing an EVA that the distance to target always shows. Currently it turns off at 150m or so. When doing dark side connections you are then flying blind.

I recall a recent thread on something similar.  I might be mistaken, but there is something in a config somewhere that might change this. 

2 hours ago, IanCanberra said:

2: that the distance to surface be the main item not the distance to sea level

Very common suggestion, and various iterations of this idea have been fleshed out. 

2 hours ago, IanCanberra said:

4: that space junk can cause other launches and satellites to be destroyed

Space is big..... like REALLY big..... it's a very remote chance for random debris to collide with stuff in game.  But it is non zero.  But as mentioned, the physics engine of KSP precludes this from happening with stuff that is on rails.    Even if a vessel is loaded, with enough velocity and high enough time warp, you can pass straight through planets, not to mention other vessels. 

 

But my question in return is... why should these be limited to just career mode?

Edited September 2, 2018 by Gargamel

[The Aziz]

Well if you're on the dark side and can't see a thing, turn on the helmet lights.

For the groundstations, like above, you can set up a mobile one somewhere, or send up few commsats to help. I've always found that when KSC disappears below the horizon when in equatorial orbit, I lose connection for a short while, even with groundstations on. So small relay somewhere over that point should do the job.

[Aeroboi]

As for the 2nd point. There are 2 types of altimeter systems. Namely barometic and radar.

The way altitude measurement works on a aeronautics craft using the barometic system is by measuring pressure in Pa (pascal)

The Pa defines the air pressure which varies at any altitude that is then converted to a needle on a gauge to show the amount of feet. That consequently is always above sea since all air is above sea. Since air pressure is very constant especially as altitude rises it is the most reliable system for air or spacecraft.

For AGL (above ground level) readings the radar altimeter is used. However, the big caveat being is that they become inprecise at higher altitudes.

Typically these systems operate between 2500 to 5000 feet AGL.

Radio waves become weaker as distance increases and a larger more powerful transmitter will be needed to do the job accurately. Something that is heavy and requires more power which airliners and spacecraft typically do not like. 

Also, elevation of ground is constantly changing especially at high speed.

1 second your over sea, then your flying over a mountain and the altimeter would go crazy because of it. That's not reliable.

Furthermore, imagine a typical jetliner who is instructed to fly at exactly 37.000 feet (FL370)

Another one at the FL360. Since radar altimetry is inprecise at these altitudes, might we expect it is possible for both craft to crash when they hold on to the radar altimetry readings?

Radar altimetry to meassure altitude AGL is typically used during aproach for landing when a ground level reading is actually necessary.

In all other instances it isn't. This makes me wonder why you actually want this.

Anyway, these altimetry readings in ksp are arbitrary since many bodies don't have a atmosphere or water but some magical barrier where sea level apparently is. In real life altitude in space is measured at the space complexes based on the vessels trajectory or with radar altimetry also (also innacurate)but in real life we don't have magical barriers ksp got in place. Which is there because that is how planets are sphered and made into the game which is a game limitation I guess.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Aeroboi

[Kerbart]

14 minutes ago, Aeroboi said:

Since air pressure is very constant especially as altitude rises it is the most reliable system for air or spacecraft.

Actually air pressure us not constant at all, which is a problem when using it to measure altitude. This is why altimeters have an adjustment knob that allows calibrating the altitude based on sealevel pressures, and airports broadcast these altimeter settings (even if an airport is at an altitude at 4000’ it will broadcast what their air pressure would be if it were at sea level, because that’s what the alimeter setting is based on). That way you can be sure that the altimeter is indicating the right altitude.

Flight level is an indicated altitude based on 1 atmosphere pressure (1013 mBar) regardless of what the true pressure at sea level is.  Everyone is using the same setting (collision avoidance is more important than 3rd decimal accuracy). Flight level 360 might not really be 36,000’ ASL, but it’s the same altitude for everyone who’s on FL360.

It’s just practical to work with flight levels at higher speeds and altitudes, if you can’t crash into the ground the true altitude is less important, it’s more important that two planes that are supposed to be 2,000’ apart are truly 2,000’ apart.

[Aeroboi]

@Kerbart yes.

I said constant which is bad wording. With nearly constant I meant relative to the accuracy of radar altimetry but Makes little sense indeed the way I said it.

Anyway I use the altimeter knob in xplane for many years so I know how it works. The system makes it very identical constant for aircraft at the same altitude. What ksp craft would be using to meassure altitude I don't know. Im curious about this btw. 

Edited September 6, 2018 by Aeroboi

[Kerbart]

4 hours ago, Aeroboi said:

@Kerbart yes.

 What ksp craft would be using to meassure altitude I don't know. Im curious about this btw. 

KSP craft have the benefit of living inside a simulation, so the altimeter simply shows height above sealevel. Unlike xPlane or Prepar3d it doesn’t need to simulate RL instruments.

[Thygrrr]

I want ground stations that I can buy but that don't cause extra simulation overhead.

I want this excessive coverage to be a costly choice in career mode.

 

I currently use "extra launch sites" as the 3 extra comms beacons, but keep the additional stations off.