Probe Bits

[Ultraflight]

As of 0.23.5, I feel that using a probe and transmitting has such a decreased science potential that it's pointless to even transmit or send probes. So I have a few ideas to change that:

1. Robotic Arm

This arm will allow a landed probe to take a surface sample, at the cost of an amount of electricity roughly equivalent to a transmission. The probe still can't take a Crew or EVA report, though.

2. Tweak the transmission rates to get a slightly higher bonus. As I said before, the science points you can get from a probe compared to a manned mission makes probes almost useless right now.

Any ideas of your own? Reply to this!

[Red Iron Crown]

I think the coming economics will make probes much more useful. A probe is much lighter than a manned ship, and no provision to return it must be made to protect your reputation; probes will have a longer reach than manned craft at the same cost, or be much cheaper for the same reach.

Keeping the transmission rates low and limiting surface samples to EVA kerbals gives incentives to follow up probe missions with manned missions.

So while I agree that more usefulness for probes would be a good thing, I want to see how 0.24's economics affect their use before buffing them.

[dryer_lint]

I just really want a camera part for probes. That's the only part I really want for probes.

[Shiv]

There's a mod that does that. ScienceCam I believe? I'm not sure what you'd use it for but the option is there. I think HullCam is another one.

[Sky_walker]

Of course there is a mod for it. If a guy would want to have a mod - he would post here.

As of 0.23.5, I feel that using a probe and transmitting has such a decreased science potential that it's pointless to even transmit or send probes.

No no no.... it doesn't decrease anything. You just get less science in one go, and there's something remaining for a follow-up mission, but you never ever loose any science by sending probes. I like current system because it encourages you to send a follow-up manned missions - only problem is that reasons to send unmanned mission are very sparse and now where costs will actually be a factor - there will be even fewer of them as the best way to do science will be by doing as much as possible in one go - and that can be achieved only with manned missions.

1. Robotic Arm

Yes, please. It's been suggested many times already, and next to telescopes - it's the thing we're missing most in KSP when it comes to scientific equipment.

2. Tweak the transmission rates to get a slightly higher bonus.

No, thanks.

What I'd like to see is some equipment that can be used only on an unmanned probes.

For example: Impactors (needs to have unmanned command module and data from the impact will be gathered by the nearest probe with line of sight)

Or heliophysics probes (make entering low orbit around the sun deadly for Kerbals - this along with new sensor made to study the sun would really encourage people to send a dedicated unmanned solar exploration mission)

Or perhaps some probes that need to perform a long term studies (eg. spend a year orbiting around Kerbin) - though I understand why many ppl might not be a fans of that.

Or we might finally see some reasonable applications to the antennas and Communotron 16 won't have an infinite range? So we could actually build a communication satellites in KSP?

Or perhaps give a penalty in reputation each time player sends a man in space, and then give it back with some bonus on top when he returns back. This could also include premiums for time spent EVA in space, on a planets, and total mission time.

There really can be a lot of ideas....

[Ultraflight]

The issue with "manned followup" is that it still makes probes pointless.

In sandbox mode, they have a reason, but in campaign it's useless to send probes.

Example:

I sent a fairly well-stocked robotic lander to the Mun in .23.5.

It didn't get much science despite having several experiments.

Once I tried a manned followup, I found that the orbital areas

were already drained of Science by the probe.

This meant that the potential science from orbit is significantly lowered.

Just a slight annoyance though.

The main issue is that you can launch a manned mission from the start of the campaign, or invest in lesser-value probes.

They could definetely help with the reputation bar, but there's something oddly satisfying in watching Bobfred Kerman fly into Minmus.

I definetely agree with impactor instruments, Sky_Walker.