Space Suit Technology

[Lithobrake]

In KSP 1, space suits remain more or less constant throughout the game. Sure, there are a few interchangeable variants, but these don't actually change anything mechanically. Other than a couple upgrades within the first 3 hours of gameplay, you'll be using the same EVA suits to land on the Mun, Eve, and Eeloo. In the real world, this is very unrealistic. Space suit technologies evolve and change just like any other part of a rocket, and are suited (hehe) for the environments that they're used in. One example: An EVA suit you use to spacewalk in orbit does not have treads on the boots because it will never walk on a celestial body. It is also quite heavy because it is used in a weightless environment. A suit like this might be designed for a pressure differential of 0.4 atmospheres, and to work in a typical temperature range you'd find in low earth/kerbin orbit.  Contrast this with a suit a kerbal might walk on Eve with. This suit would have a different range of temperatures, and far greater pressure differential in a different direction, and would have to weigh far less. A typical EVA suit on earth is far heavier than a person can carry in 1G (300 lbs/ 1300 N), imagine trying to wear that on Eve. You might as well wear a business suit for all the good it would do you.  All this is to say that in KSP2, suits should be a line of technology that receives upgrades just like any other. It doesn't make sense to be using the same suits you use to walk on the Mun for the first time and when you first step foot on an extrasolar body. 

 

Varied suits would also provide interesting gameplay mechanic considerations. For instance: if you don't plan of EVA'ing, then you don't need to bring suits along. You could just bring flight suits, but then you can't EVA in an emergency. Alternatively, if you want to EVA, but not land, you could bring EMUs without the gear for walking around. You could even bring multiple different types of suit for complex missions, or bring fewer suits than you have crew, if only one crew member needs to EVA at a time.  I think that the KSP 2 devs should flesh out the way space suits work in order to create far more interesting gameplay dynamics and choices. It would add a layer of depth not present in KSP 1.

[The Aziz]

I forget parachutes on landers often enough, thank you. I don't need to remember to bring a specialized suit. Don't make EVA a chore. Just keep them all in those boxes in pods and it will be fine. I mean Kerbals don't even have airlocks in their ships, disembarking should be kept simple.

[Maria Sirona]

I fully agree with The Azis, it's supposed to be fun

[theJesuit]

I agree with the fun bit, but why not have the suit upgradable? Even treated as a mech suit?  Latest available is always default and previous versions no longer available.

Start : only enough inventory volume for parachute or emu.

Upgrade 1 : same mass but volume for both emu and parachute .

Upgrade 2 : slimline shape and decrease mass

Upgade 3 : increase amount kerbals can manipulate on EVA construction

You need to bring EMU and parachute along anyway mow and these are manipulated by tech tree placement.

 

[KerikBalm]

I think the inventory system in KSP 1 is enough, allowing kerbals to equip parachutes, extra tanks for RCS, etc