Toggle-able option for difficulty + a "Component Failure" as new option

[LadyAthena]

My idea is simple. Basically it allows a player to choose their "difficulty" when starting a campaign.

Options:

1) Possible Failures (Ship parts may "fail" randomly. Though low % of failing, "newer" parts also have a lesser chance than earlier parts to fail as well).

2) Dangerous Re Entry (Toggle if you want the Re entry fires to be realistic)

3) Dangerous G- Forces (Toggle if you want G Forces to be dangerous)

(Just to name a few)

Btw 1) Is my new option Idea.. To have possible failures on components. This could affect literally anything. From batteries, engines, fuel tanks, de couplers, even parachutes, or ladders, lights, science equipment, etc.

If it breaks, your kerbal can do an EVA (if possible) to attempt to fix it. Which would mean leaving the spacecraft, going to the part that broke, set it as target, then right clicking your kerbal and clicking "repair module". (The success rate of them repairing it would be based on their stupidity stat. However, even the smartest Kerbal can't always fix something. )

Of course this can't always be done depending on the situation, but that's realism.

The parts would break at the moment of using them. (Since that's most likely when you'd realize a part is broken anyway).

Older parts, (components and items lower on the tech tree) have a higher chance of breaking. Because they are older, and of the first variety of parts, therefore aren't "perfected" yet. While parts farther up the research tech tree have a much lower chance of failing. (But they still can).

I think with parts being able to break would be a huge addition to realism (and fun), needless to say also adding quite a spin on challenging situations that may be thrown at you out of nowhere.

Possible Scenario's:

1) Imagine Bill kerbal attempting a Mun landing, only to have his De-coupler malfunction. Now he can't properly land on the Mun. Well this would open up several options.. Abort the mission and return to Kerbal. Have Bill attempt to repair it himself, and if that fails, send another shuttle up to attempt to do emergency repairs with a smarter kerbal.

2) Perhaps you use the TAC mod which requires Kerbals to eat, etc. And perhaps the Electrical power in your ship shorts out, and you now need to launch an emergency rescue mission to get the kerbal or 3 back home via a new ship before their food runs out.

3) That nifty satellite you have over Kerbal with the nice shiny telescope, and array of scientific components just broken down. The electrical power, and telescope both malfunctioned at the same time. Now you gotta send up a kerbal crew to repair the two parts and get that satellite back up and running.

Possible new modules:

1) A "Maintenance Bay" (Similar size to the material bay) for ships. Having this bay will increase your kerbals chances of successfully repairing a module due to having a much wider array of tools at their disposal (and "How to fix things 101" manuals).

2) "Emergency Power Large" components built into Pods, including external ones for probes, or landers. The Emergency Power is quite hefty, but has a good amount of charge stored. It can't be used as an effective battery, but it will supply enough power to allow kerbals with TAC to continue breathing and eating for a little longer buying the rescue party time to get there.

3) "Emergency Power" Built into some pods, and probe cores. These additional cores, or pods would be slightly heavier due to the additional emergency batteries, but will supply enough power to at least control the ship and allow it a bit more power to get your ship situated for the rescue party, either by allowing it a chance to turn and burn to an appropriate orbit, or slowing its speed etc. However it can't be used as a battery pack and can't be re charged. (later ones can be recharged)

Edited January 3, 2014 by LadyAthena

[edwardc]

1) You definitely want to be able to fix things. Nothing would infuriate me more than spending a few hours on a super long meeting up, docking and joining of my multi part super space fortress only to have the main engine be broken. Early in launch I don't mind not being able to fix, that's what "Abort" is for after all

Newer parts would generally have more problems than more established bits. If you've used an engine for years, usually all the quirks get ironed out. Also, there should be a lessons learnt part to avoid it "happening again" now that you know what went wrong.

3) I think this is already in place. There's a g-force meter on the right of the nav ball. Soon as it hits the upper red things start ripping apart. I've had this happen plenty of times already.

Side note: parachute failing is insta-death. If this happened while I was landing on Jool I might say something unpleasant.

[LadyAthena]

1) You definitely want to be able to fix things. Nothing would infuriate me more than spending a few hours on a super long meeting up, docking and joining of my multi part super space fortress only to have the main engine be broken. Early in launch I don't mind not being able to fix, that's what "Abort" is for after all

Newer parts would generally have more problems than more established bits. If you've used an engine for years, usually all the quirks get ironed out. Also, there should be a lessons learnt part to avoid it "happening again" now that you know what went wrong.

3) I think this is already in place. There's a g-force meter on the right of the nav ball. Soon as it hits the upper red things start ripping apart. I've had this happen plenty of times already.

Side note: parachute failing is insta-death. If this happened while I was landing on Jool I might say something unpleasant.

I added alot to the explanation, and while paracute failures would be very rare, it would also make you plan for "failures" like adding an additional parachute just in case 1 fails.

[stupid_chris]

Part failures are already on the What Not To Suggest list, as for reentry heating, that part is planned and also on the WNTS. Difficulty selectors have already been turned down by the devs in the past many times, kinda confused about why this is not as well on the WNTS, I'll try to see about it being added.

For now, since this is either planned or WNTS material, I'll close this thread.