Ancient Aliens and the Search for Life with Kerbals' XP

[ortyblz]

It would be great to use the achievements of individual Kerbals in different SOIs as requisites for operation of certain equipment in the same or other SOIs, that could reap great rewards for a great effort. Since we now have Kerbal XP and a system for tracking their different individual accomplishments in various SOIs, there's a lot that can be done with it. (This description turned out to be much longer than I'd planned. Enjoy!)

Something like this:

Technology left behind by aliens visiting Kerbol in previous epochs is rumored to be scattered throughout the solar system. So is extra-kerbestrial life, native to other bodies in the Kerbol system. After sending a probe and activating and transmitting data from a small sensor (new science part) while in orbit of a body in the system, scientists back at KSC are able to develop a scanner array (new science part) capable of locating alien material or anomalous bio reflection, specific to that planet or moon's environment. Each body would need a corresponding unique scanner part that is available for building only after the initial probe is sent there and reports its findings. Kerbonaut specialists who have previously logged experience in the current mission's SOI must be on board to operate the scanner from orbit and/or one on the surface, to locate the sites where the rumors can be investigated. (This could be similar to the way SCANsat works to locate anomalies with orbital and short-range scanners. RemoteTech also has a cfg edit for establishing a remote command center to reduce signal delay from KSC when controlling unmanned probes, which requires 6 Kerbals and the large 2.5m probe core to be on board.)

When a site is located, a kerbal must gather a surface sample taken there and return to KSC with it. Once the kerbal returns, an expensive node at the end of the tech tree is unlocked for researching, making available a bad-ass engine. Or maybe it's a new type of fuel, developed using biomimicry of the new life found, that markedly improves the operation of some existing engines. There might be a couple techs from different sites that would both be required for researching a second tech, and it's accompanying bad-ass part(s). Whatever the rewards are, there are 14 bodies other than Kerbin that can be visited, so there would likely be some that have an anomaly or two and others that don't. That makes for an interesting hunt, but it also means that there are more than just one or two new parts or features unlocked. It would be great too if someone finally cracked the mysterious technology behind repairing solar panels that seems to elude even the most experienced kerbal engineers.

So it's a parts mod really, that could introduce some interesting and fantastic higher-end treats. It also justifies and requires gathering tons of science at the end-game to research new high-end tech nodes. But it's more uniquely a mod that requires you to use your kerbals' XP strategically. Since there are different values for the different levels of encounter with each body, increasing from fly-by to planting a flag, it would make sense that operating the scanner would require your kerbals on board to collectively have a certain number points for that SOI. So if you need 20 points for it to run at Duna, it might be easier to get 4 points each for 5 kerbals from one high-orbit flight, but 2 kerbals with 10 points each, who've previously landed on the surface, would be much easier to launch for the scanning mission.

This would be a great way to play off the new missions integrated in 0.90, that pay you well for putting kerbals in station around or on the various planets and moons. They have all that experience now (assuming they returned and survived), so let's use it.

* I've spent some time modelling, but I have no experience in modding otherwise. This seems like it might be a lot of work, and I'm not sure it's even possible to change or add some of the things I've come up with, but if someone takes this on, I'd be willing to make some of the parts based on what we'd think would work. Or if it's easier than I think, go ahead and run with it. I'm playing at the end of a career and looking for that rich end game that we all probably feel we've earned from our lengthy arduous missions. This would be fun! Is any of this possible??

PARTS:

-Scanners:

1) Small probe sensor for early missions.

2) Scanner array for follow-up high-res mission to locate anomalies. Unique to body being scanned: i.e. "Prometheus Brand Scanner Array - Gilly Version" These could use the same model but the texture differs, or not, but with unique requirement for operating. Is it possible to add a parameter for a parts config like CommandMinCrewGillySOI = 20, er somethin?

3) Short-range scanner for surface sampling missions.

-Rewards (toally just brainstorming):

1) High-efficiency or high-output engines

2) High-efficiency or high-output fuels

3) New high-occupancy or newly configured command or crew pods based on new material capabilities

4) Deployable wings and non-oxygen containing atmospheric jet engines

5) TAC-LS compatible super-food

6) Cake

TECH TREE:

1) Integrate small sensor into existing tech node

2) New node or integrate into existing for scanner array. Scanner arrays available for building are still limited by probe sensors' returned or transmitted data.

3) New tech nodes for reward parts. Branched past existing, prerequisite techs. Is it possible to have anomaly-specific surface sample returned as an unlocking condition? (in 0.90 they're now used as mission criteria) Alternatively, the requirement for a bio tech node unlock might be more simply a surface sample taken from a specific biome on that body.

BODIES:

1) Locate anomalies on the surface of planets. Eg.: wreckage or bio-mounds, etc.

2) Detection of anomalies by scanners.

[ortyblz]

I just checked out Final Frontier, and Nereid has created an extensive and beautiful tracking system for awarding ribbons to your kerbals for various achievements and activities around the system!

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/67246-0-23-Final-Frontier-0-3-9

[ultrasquid]

This is very similar to the ultimate goal of my Koins! concept, but much better stated.

Also possibly some overlap with nightingale's Anomaly Surveyor contract pack.

Edited February 23, 2015 by ultrasquid
another link added