Additional Sites as Unlockables

[Missedtrashday]

Hello, Noob here.

Has anyone ever suggested making the additional launch sites and comm net ground stations unlockables instead of simply on or off?  Since I started playing the game I have thought that these should be something that a player could get in stages. 

As an example, Gene says “We have found information that some abandoned buildings might be in the vicinity of XX.”

Once the player goes there, you find those facilities at level one and in disrepair. Nothing more than what is already there (there is only one KSC), but able to be repaired and then upgraded the same as their KSC equivalent.  The same would go for the additional comm net ground stations. Gene sends you out, you find the stations one by one, and then repair and upgrade them over time to “earn” that capability. 

Thoughts?

[Rocket In My Pocket]

I'm not sure it would make a lot of sense as the KSC is already the ideal launch site for 90% of launches.

Why would I invest in upgrading an inferior location?

[Missedtrashday]

That’s why I would leave it up to the player to spend the money. When you discover the location, I picture them as being neglected facilities that if you wanted to use them you would have to pay a minimal repair fee to get them to level 1. Once you had done that, if you landed and recovered near there it would compute your recovery funds based on the nearest operational facility you owned. Also, Gene could have a thread of missions to incentivize the use of your new alternate sites. Basically I was thinking that instead of being interesting scenery, the sites could have a story attached...AND, if you don’t want to explore that part you should still have the opportunity in the settings to enable all the sites from the start or not use them at all. To quote a crappy military policy from back in my day “all, some, or none.”  Not taking away anything, just adding something in between fo those who want it. 

Thanks for the input

[Rocket In My Pocket]

I do like the idea of having to locate, find, and repair them.

Making contracts require a certain launch site for launch or landing once acquired is also interesting, and could add some complexity to otherwise boring missions.

Tourist missions back and forth to those sites would be fun as well, give more of a reason to use planes. Heck, while we're at it, let's have tourist missions to the anomalies once discovered, I'm sure some Kerbals would like to see the Sphinx, or the crashed UFO!

Edited December 8, 2018 by Rocket In My Pocket

[Pthigrivi]

Love this idea, especially with the new "navigate to launchsite" feature.

Edited December 8, 2018 by Pthigrivi

[EchoLima]

I like the idea of having to unlock ground stations, just like in real life the earliest satellites didn't have full coverage.