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Financial Mode


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               I think that a financial game mode could be an interesting addition to the game. It would be like sandbox mode, in the sense that you wouldn't have contracts and all the parts and complex would be unlocked and upgraded. It would feature a budget that you would receive every year in the game, and you would have to design efficient spacecraft and rockets in order to build space stations, land on celestial bodies and launch satellites. In my opinion, this would give players an practical reason to build reusable spacecraft and rockets, without having the other aspects of career mode. What do you all think? 

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Yes I also like to skip the science collection, and enjoy making efficient missions.
We can set up something similar, by starting a Career save and then pressing the buttons 'Technology' and 'Facility' (and probably also 'Experience') in alt-F12:Cheats, to skip the science collection and building upgrades.

I do not see any reason to give the player a budget for every year (even though there is a mod for that) because then you win by waiting. 
The player can use the contracts to fund his efficient missions.  Even if you hate the generated contracts, you can use them as a source of revenue, cleverly completing contract requirements as a side-effect of the flying missions you really want.  The contract rewards are generous enough that an experienced player can make this work, or one can double the 'Funds Rewards' setting to give a bit more freedom in choice of missions.

I also like the option '[yes] Entry purchase required on Research' so I need to use the basic parts to earn money for the advanced parts.

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This has been discussed before, and I, once again, agree wholeheartedly. 

15 hours ago, OHara said:

I do not see any reason to give the player a budget for every year (even though there is a mod for that) because then you win by waiting.

Budget would be based on reputation.  Reputation decay would result from a space program's stagnation.  Thus resulting in diminishing budgets and the solution to this problem.

Edited by klgraham1013
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9 hours ago, klgraham1013 said:

Budget would be based on reputation.

Then reputation would be a measurable thing, convertible to :funds:/year.  The mechanism for rewarding specific activities with specific amounts of reputation would be central to this proposed game-mode.   It could be the current contracts system, using contract configurator to set the rewards, but I haven't seen any contract packs going in this direction. 

Simpler to collapse everything onto funds, and have the Kerbals draw a monthly salary if you want to penalize stagnation.

Edited by OHara
embarrassing speling
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There's a nice example at the "no-contract challenge". At first that sounds like the opposite of "financial mode", but  it does have a financial constraint that the only source of funds is the World's-First Milestones.  

Kergarin makes it look easy,  but if you ignore all the clicking he does to collect science, he is also playing your financial-efficiency game.

 

Edited by OHara
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3 hours ago, OHara said:

Then reputation would be a measurable thing, convertible to :funds:/year.  The mechanism for rewarding specific activities with specific amounts of reputation would be central to this proposed game-mode.   It could be the current contracts system, using contract configurator to set the rewards, but I haven't seen any contract packs going in this direction. 

Simpler to collapse everything onto funds, and have the Kerbal's draw a monthly salary if you want to penalize stagnation.

5 hours ago, klgraham1013 said:

This has been discussed before, and I, once again, agree wholeheartedly. 

Budget would be based on reputation.  Reputation decay would result from a space program's stagnation.  Thus resulting in diminishing budgets and the solution to this problem.

I think that contracts like space tourism could be included, to allow players to earn funds and reputation that way. Also, maybe science could be included, and you could sell it for funds. 

 

 

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4 hours ago, OHara said:

Then reputation would be a measurable thing, convertible to :funds:/year.  The mechanism for rewarding specific activities with specific amounts of reputation would be central to this proposed game-mode.   It could be the current contracts system, using contract configurator to set the rewards, but I haven't seen any contract packs going in this direction. 

Simpler to collapse everything onto funds, and have the Kerbal's draw a monthly salary if you want to penalize stagnation.

The problem with measurables, or, say, going to Laythe is worth more reputation than going to Duna, is is restricts player choice.  I think as long as the player is doing something, reputation should maintain at 100%.  Thus giving 100% budget.  Rep would decrease by stagnation, destroying craft, killing Kerbals, etc.  I feel the game should still remain as reform as possible, allowing the player to choose and create their own narrative, and the gameplay mechanics (career funding mechanics) should support this.

Adding to this.  Choosing the Financial Career difficultly settings would allow players to set overall budget, budget roll over (if any), and budget time frame.

Stagnation, or progress, could simply be measured in funds spent and whether those new funds amount to a new craft in orbit, new craft landed on another planet (or a distance away from the launch platform.  I like polar Kerbin bases), new addition to a station, etc.

Adding in upkeep for buildings and crew would help with "cheating", and provide much needed time based mechanics.  A never-happening life support feature would as well.

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1 hour ago, SpaceCube2000 said:

Also, maybe science could be included, and you could sell it for funds. 

Science could be included, but you could eliminate science points.  Experiments would contribute to rep, and on going experiments could be added to the game.  Placing a science lab on Duna and running an extended seismic analysis would bring in a steady supply of rep until the experiment is finalized.  Research nodes would be unlocked through funds.  You would pay for the research, and it would then begin, taking a specified amount of time to complete.  Then, unlocking the parts upon completion.  Doing research would obviously be considered progress against stagnation.

Edited by klgraham1013
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4 hours ago, klgraham1013 said:

Science could be included, but you could eliminate science points.  Experiments would contribute to rep, and on going experiments could be added to the game.  Placing a science lab on Duna and running an extended seismic analysis would bring in a steady supply of rep until the experiment is finalized.  Research nodes would be unlocked through funds.  You would pay for the research, and it would then begin, taking a specified amount of time to complete.  Then, unlocking the parts upon completion.  Doing research would obviously be considered progress against stagnation.

That would work. 

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3 hours ago, <noname> said:

I just started a a new career game and clicked the technology and facility cheats. You can then go into the administration building and choose your strategies. You don't need contracts to play. You can use strategies to trade science for rep or money. I am still testing and finding balance, but so far, I really like playing this way. Maxmaps had a really good idea with the admin building. Shame it gets unused so much because of the prominence of the contract system and tech tree.

That's what I've been doing. 

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6 hours ago, <noname> said:

Maxmaps had a really good idea with the admin building. Shame it gets unused so much because of the prominence of the contract system and tech tree.

Nah.  It gets unused because career mode is a hodge podge of slap dash ideas.  Unless one of the developers fancies it, it will never get touched again.  Even then, it will be treated as a separate entity, rather than a piece of a whole, and that's been the main problem with career since the get go.

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