Construction

[Synapse]

Construction

I’ve written this guide to discuss the construction system of KSP. Construction is necessary because KSP consists of a lot of planets/moons with nothing to do on them. Kerbals have little use in KSP, and the planned resources system although useful runs the risk of being minimalistic ala Kethane. As well as this construction would allow the players who have explored Kerbal system with a new task and occupation that so far mods like Kethane and Remotetech have attempted to fill.

What construction solves:

• Something for Kerbals to do and a necessity to bring them instead of probe cores.
  
• Fully implement a resource system.
  
• Allow players to “colonise†and expand their space program.
  

So the question for discussion is what to construct? Firstly, fuelling depots. It has been previously suggested that the KSC should have ability to refuel ships within a certain distance, rather than clicking “end flightâ€Â. So why not move this off-planet? Constructing a depot on a planet or moon that allows you to crossfeed fuel into any nearby ships would allow people to do exactly what Kethane simulates, run larger interplanetary missions and maintain extra planetary exploration.

Secondly, new Space Centres:

1. New tracking stations would be implementable with a “fog of war†similar to Remotetech – building new tracking stations further afield would give you more information and ability to control remotely probes and ships.
   
2. New runway allows space planes to land and refuel on planets with atmospheres.
   
3. New launch pads allows a landing, refuelling and launching spot for rockets.
   
4. New VAB allows construction of rockets on other planets (think different sizes dependant on cost).
   
5. New SPH allows construction of space planes (will not function without runway).
   
6. Others: use your imagination - naval landing pads for example, rover construction lab, boat construction lab for full implementation of the exploration aspect.
   
7. Generators to power the buildings, miners to generate fuel. Different generators eg. Geothermal for places like Eve or Moho, solar, nuclear (risk of overheat/meltdown)
   

So essentially this doesn't sound v. different from Kethane, however not to send bases in one piece like Kethane, but build off-planet certain buildings (from scratch). This requires:

1. Kerbals – buildings have a certain Kerbal requirement eg. 8 Kerbals to build a runway, 30 to build a new VAB. This would make hitchhiker containers, transporters etc necessary. It makes it important to take Kerbals and look after them, establish colonies. If you implemented Kerbal requirements later this would force you to establish colonies with food supplies etc.
   
2. 
   
3. Blueprints – Maybe blueprints are bought with science points. More you research more you can build? Or more you earn. Blueprints are placed on the ground via a top-down screen allowing you to plan your base without causing lag. You could add lights, towers etc from this screen.
   
4. 
   
5. Materials – rather than having one or too many resources, I recommend say, 2 – a iron-like material and a electronics type one, one common, one rare.
   

The Construction Process

You would buy blueprint eg. launch pad with science points. When you land on Mun you can EVA Kerbals, click blueprint screen and then top-down view place your building blueprint. Then you need Kerbals and materials, when it is ready click build and Kerbals stand around the blueprint, hammering etc till it is built. Now rockets can be refuelled here. If you build a VAB you can now build and launch rockets here – imagine the deltaV requirements for missions are much lower as you are on Mun! Imagine a spaceplane runway on Laythe!

To reduce lag you could make it maximum of 6 blueprints in a construction area, this means bases have to be specialised.

I may brainstorm more ideas later, please tell me what you think.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Synapse
Changed to discussion - do not suggest

[Synapse]

Construction

•Orbital construction and construction on other celestials [9] [10]

Seen this on what not to suggest. Can we make it a discussion then?

[Synapse]

No comments?

[Beeman]

Sometimes it takes a while for people to notice your thread >_>

Anyways, I think a lot of this stuff is planned...more EVA features and even repairing things as they break for whatever reason(almost exclusively user error, I think). But I'd definitely like to see a bit more depth in the way of EVA activities. Maybe attaching cables or fuel lines. I think they've got a strut "gun" planned, where you can reinforce large structures after docking them. So that'll be somethin'.

As for surface-bound fuel stations and things...you can already build a lot of that stuff and they do have resources and gathering planned(though we don't know any specifics, I don't think). So that'll all be good. It'll be nice when we get surface structures that look like they were designed for surface bases, rather than just using spherical rocket bits and a lot of creativity to make bases look cool. I imagine a lot of that stuff is planned, but may well be a few patches away. Especially since they're working really hard on getting career mode at least somewhat functional for testing in the next couple patches.

I don't know about the blueprints thing. I mean, I guess I can see it working...maybe have mining vehicles that you launch to a planet or nearby asteroid then storage rockets and rovers which you use to ferry the resources about. Instead of science points, it'd probably just be funding. I think everything's going to run off of funding and your kerdough, or whatever they call the currency...which will increase via completing missions and increasing your PR level by not failing as much. But that aside, I wouldn't mind having to mine resources in space and use them to build structures on other celestial bodies...I just don't think that's what they've got planned. I think it's probably just going to be building parts that you combine to make your own buildings, then launch them to those celestial bodies.