Automated Traffic

[Highrs]

With several colonies throughout the systems, some degree of traffic is... expected? Desired? Required? Sure, KSP doesn't simulate all of Kerbin's cities, populations and industry, but those aren't space assets. KSP 2 is going for space colonies and industry, and if you have those, you've gotta have space traffic.

I don't see how it could be fun for the player to run every material and passenger demand in two or more systems, between potentially a dozen colonies. To have no traffic at all seems... sad. The reasonable solution, then, is somewhat obvious, and appears surprisingly simple.

The player could design and launch ships with either cargo, material or passenger capacity and enough DV to make the journey between the two or more desired location. If A and B have refueling facilities, then the ship only has to have the DV to get from A to B at worst system disposition, and vice versa. The ship would be deposited into storage at either A or B, and launched to make the journey by the colony AI. It would automatically cross the distance, refuel, deposit/pick up goods and passengers, and travel back.

What this gives the game is 3 things. First, it gives a sense of life in the system, like you are not the only thing moving out there.

Second, it lets you design various ships for the mission, and demonstrates how real life interplanetary traffic would look and function.

Third, it gives some sense and reason to colony growth. In any reasonable scenario, early colonies would need shipments from more developed locations (unless the colonization effort is truly huge). The player could do that themselves, but we have Elite Dangerous and Eve Online for when we want to play space truck driver.

The big issues I can see:

- Not easy to make: You'd have to make pilot AI that can set up paths between A and B without being insane.

- Atmospheric entry would have to be handled with two ships and an orbital station. The space freighter would deliver to the station, then the station would use shuttles and lifters to move the cargo to and from the surface colony. Lots of mechanics there.

- Resource demanding. If done wrong, a dozen ships moving across the system could be hard on the simulation.

[mcwaffles2003]

Have you looked through the forum? There are already threads on this very topic

For instance:

 

[Highrs]

3 hours ago, mcwaffles2003 said:

Have you looked through the forum? There are already threads on this very topic

For instance:

 

Looked through? Yes. Found it before you pointed it out? Nope!

 

Surprised that someone already thought of it? Absolutely not.

[Rocket Witch]

On 3/13/2020 at 3:45 AM, Highrs said:

The player could do that themselves, but we have Elite Dangerous and Eve Online for when we want to play space truck driver.

Not meaning to detract from the need for automation when you have a dozen colonies, but playing space truck driver strikes me rather as one of the positive points of KSP2's tech level. You don't plot semi-brachistochrone manoeuvres with a 100 km/s bulk freighter massing 300 kilotons in those space trade & combat games, because you can just warp in straight lines everywhere in something that amounts to a literal space truck, rather than matching the potentially epic scale of the real deal.

Edited March 23, 2020 by Rocket Witch

[Bej Kerman]

On 3/23/2020 at 9:18 PM, Rocket Witch said:

On 3/13/2020 at 3:45 AM, Highrs said:

The player could do that themselves, but we have Elite Dangerous and Eve Online for when we want to play space truck driver.

Not meaning to detract from the need for automation when you have a dozen colonies, but playing space truck driver strikes me rather as one of the positive points of KSP2's tech level. You don't plot semi-brachistochrone manoeuvres with a 100 km/s bulk freighter massing 300 kilotons in those space trade & combat games, because you can just warp in straight lines everywhere in something that amounts to a literal space truck, rather than matching the potentially epic scale of the real deal.

What about when you have to do this dozens of times?

[mcwaffles2003]

2 hours ago, Bej Kerman said:

What about when you have to do this dozens of times

I don't think "dozens" even applies here so much as 100s at the least. Manual hauling, I hope, will only be required for establishing new colonies and setting up new routes between established colonies or with new vessels. If this isn't the case then progress in the game will be beyond tedious and, at best, progress at a snails pace. 

 

[Bej Kerman]

12 hours ago, mcwaffles2003 said:

15 hours ago, Bej Kerman said:

What about when you have to do this dozens of times

I don't think "dozens" even applies here so much as 100s at the least. Manual hauling, I hope, will only be required for establishing new colonies and setting up new routes between established colonies or with new vessels. If this isn't the case then progress in the game will be beyond tedious and, at best, progress at a snails pace. 

Exactly. I failed to consider how many times you'll need to shuttle resources between 2 locations to make an orbital VAB like the one shown in the trailer.

[Rocket Witch]

On 5/17/2020 at 12:56 AM, Bej Kerman said:

What about when you have to do this dozens of times?

Hence I said "not meaning to detract from the need for automation when you have a dozen colonies", which is to say I agree automation should be a thing.

I was just commenting on the idea that other games offer a better 'space trucking' experience.

[78stonewobble]

Well, the easiest, albeit not most immersive, way would be to just abstract missions. 

Eg. You design your first orbital vehicle Y and launch it manually X number of times. After launching it X times you can "automate" launch and you just start with the capsule in space. 

So you can "automate" every mission as long as you've done it X number of times with a proven vehicle. 

By automate I mean just spawn eg. The orbital capsule in orbit or spawn the resources into the space station. 

[shdwlrd]

I really hope it's automated. I agree with Mcwaffles2003, the first time doing a route or setting up a base/station you should fly it. After that it has to be automated.

In real life, a production chain can take hundreds of people to take raw materials to finished products. The majority of the people are there just to transport stuff to the next step.