[ALPHA]Space Race

[johnqevil]

I hope the enemy won't be simply a timetable. Prerably they danamicly scale with the achievements with the player with some big random factors. It would also be nice if you somehow can see the enemies progres.

Their Science tree actually has to mimic the players for the most part, since those nodes don't event exist until the player's research window has been opened. They do have their own budget and science pool, and will maintain a staff and contracts list. You'll be able to see all of this information from a panel in the UI.

The events are randomly generated using templates and have a chance to fire at certain intervals.

[ChrisSpace]

Also, how will the rival space program fly their spacecraft? Will it be a mechjeb-like autopilot? Would that mean there would be no 'pilot error'? Will there be procedurally-timed rocket failures? Will their spacecraft even be shown in the tracking station?

[johnqevil]

Also, how will the rival space program fly their spacecraft? Will it be a mechjeb-like autopilot? Would that mean there would be no 'pilot error'? Will there be procedurally-timed rocket failures? Will their spacecraft even be shown in the tracking station?

Let's back up a sec: I'm not trying to add NPC rockets at this time. That would be awesome, but not a near-future project.

[255]

Thank you for this mod, I'll follow its development.

I'm unfamiliar with BARIS

You shouldn't!

If you want to try something newer, you could have a look at BASPM (Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager), which is a modern version of BARIS. Try some gameplay videos if you don't want to buy it.

What you're trying to do with this mod is very similar to this game. However, this game is 2D and focuses only on the tycoon aspect of running a space agency, missing actually running the mission in a 3D world and everything else that KSP has to offer: that's why I would love to have an hybrid of KSP and BASPM (I opened a recent thread about it).

I really suggest you to have a look at that game because you could get cool ideas from it. However, without even knowing it you already included most of his gameplay aspects.

Other things that for example you could add:

• Training engineers: you can send them to study/train on different engineering aspects (probes, manned spacecrafts, rockets, etc); when you research a part, it will be done faster if the engineers that are working on it are expert on that particular subject
  
• After the part is developed, you can keep working on it, increasing its reliability. Reliability will determine failures during a mission.
  
• More engineers working on the same part so it goes faster.
  

LATE EDIT:

The reliability part is already done by TestFlight mod, so there should probably be some kind of compatibility with it, unless you want to recode that feature from scratch.

BTW, researching parts should also take time, it's currently instantaneous.

There's also a little bug, the "Assign Kerbal to project" window sometimes stays open and you cannot close it, but you problably already solved it as of now.

Since KCT and DangIt are already really well done, I'm not going to be covering the same ground there.

You should support DangIt! though, making it possible to (maybe with the help of the author) cause failures depending on a part reliability (which would be managed by your mod) instead of just randomly. This will really add to the gameplay: if you rush the construction of a part because your rival is ahead of you, you risk getting a failure because that part is still not reliable enough (engineers should have worked on it more).

On another note, anyone have an idea for the rival agency's name?

I would say let the player define names and flags for both his and rival's agencies.

Edited April 24, 2015 by 255

[magico13]

I just discovered this while doing a quick perusal of the WIP mods. Let me know if you want me to add anything into KCT, should you decide to maintain compatibility with KCT and want some improved integration if they're both installed. If you decide to go your own route for time constraints then that's ok as well. I've been considering making some sort of KCT API but so far no one has indicated an interest in adding their own things into KCT's systems, possibly because they're not really setup for others to interact with. A bit of a Catch 22 really, I don't know what people want changed and people don't let me know what they want changed because the system isn't setup in a way that makes it possible for them to use anyway

I would say let the player define names and flags for both his and rival's agencies.

Also, this is a great idea.

If you decide to include some physical craft somewhere (maybe not one that's "animated" or "controlled", but like a rival satellite or a discarded Mun lander 1st stage, or a rival flag) there are ways to spawn craft at specified orbits/locations. I'm pretty sure Contract Configurator has some code to do that.

[Whirligig Girl]

Let's back up a sec: I'm not trying to add NPC rockets at this time. That would be awesome, but not a near-future project.

You might be able to have the asteroid-spawning system be capable of spawning premade station crafts or spacecrafts in various places, I remember one of the developers saying that the asteroid system would be fully capable of that. Of course, the trick would be to make it tech dependant and related to contracts. Just a thought.

[nightingale]

If you decide to include some physical craft somewhere (maybe not one that's "animated" or "controlled", but like a rival satellite or a discarded Mun lander 1st stage, or a rival flag) there are ways to spawn craft at specified orbits/locations. I'm pretty sure Contract Configurator has some code to do that.

Sure does, that would be in SpawnVessel.cs

[johnqevil]

I just discovered this while doing a quick perusal of the WIP mods. Let me know if you want me to add anything into KCT, should you decide to maintain compatibility with KCT and want some improved integration if they're both installed. If you decide to go your own route for time constraints then that's ok as well. I've been considering making some sort of KCT API but so far no one has indicated an interest in adding their own things into KCT's systems, possibly because they're not really setup for others to interact with. A bit of a Catch 22 really, I don't know what people want changed and people don't let me know what they want changed because the system isn't setup in a way that makes it possible for them to use anyway

If you decide to include some physical craft somewhere (maybe not one that's "animated" or "controlled", but like a rival satellite or a discarded Mun lander 1st stage, or a rival flag) there are ways to spawn craft at specified orbits/locations. I'm pretty sure Contract Configurator has some code to do that.

I'm adding code to deactivate parts of my mod automatically if KCT is loaded, so there's no interaction on tech nodes and parts. I don't think our mods intersect in other places, so we should be safe there. An API would have DEFINITELY made this whole thing easier, though XD!

You might be able to have the asteroid-spawning system be capable of spawning premade station crafts or spacecrafts in various places, I remember one of the developers saying that the asteroid system would be fully capable of that. Of course, the trick would be to make it tech dependant and related to contracts. Just a thought.

Sure does, that would be in SpawnVessel.cs

I hadn't considered that. One more thing on the list, I guess

[magico13]

An API would have DEFINITELY made this whole thing easier, though XD!

I've got an issue on GitHub for the discussion of the creation of an API, including what people want/need from it. I'll link it here and you can toss some ideas in if you have them. I'm still in the planning stage for the next update (which will be starting after finals are finished in about 2-3 weeks), so I can plan on working on a basic API if you're interested. Otherwise I think my main plan is improved support for other mods (Kerbal Konstructs, TestFlight, Alarm Clock), and I might throw settings presets and better simulations in there. Nothing that should interfere too much with what you're doing.