Let me start by saying that I love this game and thanking SQUAD for making it and continuing to update it. A short brief list of desired changes can be found at the bottom of this post. Recommended to read. The new 0.24 update introduced two new game currencies in rep and funds, and a new game play mechanic in contracts. Now science points can be earned along with funds and rep by completing contracts and has lead to a much more developed career mode with many more possibilities than in the previous 0.23 career mode. This new system that has been introduced can solve problems that were brought up with the introduction of 0.23 and the new problems with 0.24. In 0.23 people complained that a surface sample or a seismic scan of a body shouldn't lead to developments in rocket engines and aerodynamics as they are unrelated fields of science and technology. I agreed with that flaw in logic, but accepted it as a necessary game mechanic. In both 0.23 and especially in 0.24 as science can be gained from contracts, the tech tree can be filled or mostly filled by just collecting science from within the kerbin system and never even going interplanetary. As career mode currently functions now the only purpose to go anywhere in the kerbol system is to make money and to unlock new rocket parts, and not the reason why we humans go into space for exploration. I propose splitting science into two separate unique parts, and would be rocket science points which would work in a similar way that science points currently do and another that would be biome science, which is scientific data about specific biomes and would play a different role in career mode that will be discussed later on. First, rocket science points would be exactly like the science points we have now, but how you get them would be more limited. These points would be gained in a number of ways, such as completing a part testing contract, a 'firsts' contract (im sure you would learn something by launching your first rocket ect), recovering a rocket, and from some science equipment such as the materials bay. The science from science equipment can be split into both rocket science points and biome science point depending upon what it is and where. For example, a temperature scan in LKO would give the first good information about the exact conditions in space that a rocket must endure in space so that science could mostly go to rocket science where the same data in Duna orbit would be less useful to rocket design, as Kerbals already know about space, and more for the knowledge about Duna so that would be mostly biome science. A benefit of limiting rocket science this way would make tech development more realistic and would put a heavier reliance on part contracts to get the science, a variable in which squad controlswith the generation of part contracts. Hopefully this means that the devs can balance the game easier and more dynamically (spawns more parts contract when it thinks you need them on an individual level rather that having collecting science the same for everyone). I think anyone who watched Scott Manleys two mission carrer mode would agree with a slower tech tree development.
The much more interesting and beneficial to game play part of this redoing of science would be the biome science portion. General biome science would be a collection of all the scientific data of all of the biomes in the Kerbol system, similar to how all of the science reports and kept in the R and D building, but with an actual purpose and sense of accomplishment. Here is how i envision it would work; the player would collect science reports and biome science points from a specific biome somewhere with the proper scientific equipment and kerbal observation as they do now. These reports and biome science points would go to the R and D building in the reports tab saved under the biome they were collected from. As more experiments are done in that biome, more reports and biome science points are sent back. When let say 50% of the total biome science points from that biome are sent back to the KSC than a preliminary report on that biome could be made by the boys in the R and D lab and when 100% is known a final report could be released. The same concept could also work for the entire celestial body. These reports would not merely be accomplishments that a player would be proud of, they could also be 'released to the masses' netting your space program funds and rep. Its a way to make players, especially new ones, feel like their exploring the kerbol system. Plus the crazy NON RANDOMLY GENERATED things these reports could say would be hilarious and could hint at some Easter egg or background history that would be cool. Also after the tech tree gets unlocked relatively early there is plenty of science still out there so this would still be a reason to go out and get it all motivating the player to continue playing. On a slight tangent to the report idea, if biomes ever get weather/ environmental effects, such as extreme temperature on moho, dust on duna, or corrosion on eve then you could use a preliminary report as a prerequisite for new tech or variations of tech that would allow you to send things there/ keep them alive longer. Such as new space suits, extra cooled or heated command pods and other such parts. Short Version Split science into two types, rocket science and biome science Rocket science would mostly come from part contracts and the likes and would act as science currently does Biome science would come from scientific equipment and accumulate for a biome ​Biome science would accumulate and a preliminary and final report could be released for funds and rep after a certain% of the total science from that biome was collecte Reports would be good and fun personal goals that would be a gameplay style/mechanic and could elude to a largerbackground or story [*]​Would slow tech tree progression while maintaining science collection and adding long term (possibly end game goals) Thank you for taking the time to read this.
