Mobile Processing Lab of Babysitting

[Tw1]

And just like with civ, there should be various possible endings to this story. A couple of ways to win, and one or two to lose. And a couple of incidents the story would be hung on:

I disagree. I don't think KSP should have an end, or an end goal aside from spreading out into the solar system without going broke.

KSP works great as an open, self directed, experience-challenge sort of game, like Sims. Plus, IRL, space travel will never really reach an end.

I don't mind the idea of situations where you must respond, or it will be the end, though. Responding to a planet killer asteroid sounds like something a responsible space program ought to do.Also Hardmode = the asteroid/s could spawn at any time, irrespective of the players tech, buildings, and progress.

Not so sure about the supernova idea. While I do think the anomalies could be used involved in some sort of secret hidden puzzle for the player to solve, but one of the best things about ksp is it's (mostly) grounded on real spaceflight, and known technolgies. Having a few odd, alienish easter eggs is one thing, but showing, and needing SuperPowerful-defiesKnownScience alien tech as part of the game is quite another.

[78stonewobble]

That's pretty much how it is supposed to work. You have it churn away while you do other things, and get an occasional gift of a dollop of science.

FYI - all of the options (max science, conversion rates, etc.) are all in the config for the adventurous.

It's also how I do it, but eg. right now I'm waiting for the lab to turn data into science, which due to the data limit, also means experiments waiting to get "processed".

So I'm taking the landings to get new science and sending a craft to return experiments rather leisurely, with a little too much time on my hands to do contracts inbetween.

Offcourse, it's not exactly the most efficient space station I have, it tends to run a little out of electricity and it's main purpose was to just act as a refueling station.

- - - Updated - - -

I disagree. I don't think KSP should have an end, or an end goal aside from spreading out into the solar system without going broke.

KSP works great as an open, self directed, experience-challenge sort of game, like Sims. Plus, IRL, space travel will never really reach an end.

I don't mind the idea of situations where you must respond, or it will be the end, though. Responding to a planet killer asteroid sounds like something a responsible space program ought to do.Also Hardmode = the asteroid/s could spawn at any time, irrespective of the players tech, buildings, and progress.

Not so sure about the supernova idea. While I do think the anomalies could be used involved in some sort of secret hidden puzzle for the player to solve, but one of the best things about ksp is it's (mostly) grounded on real spaceflight, and known technolgies. Having a few odd, alienish easter eggs is one thing, but showing, and needing SuperPowerful-defiesKnownScience alien tech as part of the game is quite another.

Actually, as long as there is the option of open gameplay (career, science and sandbox), I wouldn't be adverse to someone with a bright idea for a story to add it in.

[panzer1b]

IRL, space travel will never really reach an end.

Yes it will, sooner or later when humans start expanding they will come across some hostile aliens that will most likely wipe out earth......

Or well there were plenty of movies on the topic of evil aliens trying to destroy earth, only time until one of them succeeds. Best to stick close to thsi solar system to avoid getting the evil aliens after us! Time to go hide in a bunker and hope aliens dont detect you!

[MacroNova]

It's also how I do it, but eg. right now I'm waiting for the lab to turn data into science, which due to the data limit, also means experiments waiting to get "processed".

Same here, but there are so many Biomes on the Mun that I don't mind sending a lander down to get science/fulfill contracts even if I'm not able to upload it to the lab.

Offcourse, it's not exactly the most efficient space station I have, it tends to run a little out of electricity and it's main purpose was to just act as a refueling station.

Yeah, I massively underestimated the electricity the lab would need during its dark side passes and ended up sending a little battery pack to mate with the station's docking port.

[Randazzo]

Yes it will, sooner or later when humans start expanding they will come across some hostile aliens that will most likely wipe out earth......

There's no reason to assume they will be hostile. It's more likely any conflict will be the result of our inability to understand each other, IF we ever manage to make contact.

Any intelligent creatures capable of traveling far enough to encounter us would most likely would be capable of avoiding us if they wanted.

Sorry that's way off topic..

[diffeq]

The in-game Mobile Processing Lab context menu displays sci/day. This value appears to be 1/5 of the actual value. It appears to actually be displaying the -Data/day value. I noticed this when I calculated the time remaining to reach 500 science. I confirmed this by measuring an external stopwatch against the displayed Science value.

In this example, it displays "Rate: 1.6553 sci/day". The actual science rate is 8.2765 sci/day.

- diff

[Tw1]

Actually, as long as there is the option of open gameplay (career, science and sandbox), I wouldn't be adverse to someone with a bright idea for a story to add it in.

A story like scenario or ten could be pretty awesome.

But I'd be averse to adding in an 'official' ksp story. Having a set story makes it harder, and less likely that people will develop their own ideas about what a certain kerbal is like, or why the space program is this way.

Plus, it makes it possible for your own imaginings to be considered "wrong", if theres something to compare them too.

I think this is getting off topic...

[Kuu Lightwing]

If you put the lab on wheels, you could drive to another biome...

But i suppose with the science/data limit, there is no point since you can fill it up in one biome even...

Meh, dirty work is not for The Glorious Space Lab. Landers do that

[78stonewobble]

Same here, but there are so many Biomes on the Mun that I don't mind sending a lander down to get science/fulfill contracts even if I'm not able to upload it to the lab.

Yeah, I massively underestimated the electricity the lab would need during its dark side passes and ended up sending a little battery pack to mate with the station's docking port.

Well, due to RNG and/or possibly missing them, I've only had 1 mun science contract, since I deployed the station and lander.

*lol* Exactly what I did with the power and I'm, as we speak, on a mission to connect a girder with solar panels and batteries.

[diffeq]

The amount of time required to generate 500 science (with two lvl3 scientists) is:

t(days) = -ln((x-100)/x)/0.002718445606180661031818350164

where x is the amount of data in the lab.

In the following example, I started with 383.681 data in the lab. The above exponential decay equation produced a value of 111 days. The two screenshots represent day 0 and day 110, respectively:

-diff

[problemecium]

Pro tip that as far as I can tell nobody mentioned:

The Mobile Processing Lab does not require the experiments from which it got its data to be present while performing research. So you can, say, do an EVA report, process it for data, and then delete the EVA report with no effect on the Science generation rate.

[78stonewobble]

Pro tip that as far as I can tell nobody mentioned:

The Mobile Processing Lab does not require the experiments from which it got its data to be present while performing research. So you can, say, do an EVA report, process it for data, and then delete the EVA report with no effect on the Science generation rate.

True enough, when it's become data, you can transmit, recover or just delete.

[KerbMav]

True enough, when it's become data, you can transmit, recover or just delete.

... store for future use in another lab.

[Frank_G]

Which I think is how it should be...at least for the existing tech tree. It really makes me sad their aren't any really awesome parts locked away behind 5000 science barriers. The existing tech tree is pretty much just current technology. It would be cool if after you unlocked it you could start opening up future tech to play with.

Wait for KSP 2.0

[gmiddlemass]

You can do even sooner. Stick 2 command pods, horizontal, a lab Jr inbetween. Fit some Goo on the ends, and other science on the side of the pods. Some fixed solar panels (or you won't go very far). To go faster, add some tiny reaction wheels. Fill a scientist and any other kerbal, then ROLL ! Hopefully, Kerbal have a strong stomach...

I got a bit more than 300 with thermometer and surface sample unlocked.

LOL... That's just genius!

[KerbMav]

I made my peace with the lag I think - since conversion speed goes down with decreasing data it makes sense to return from time to time to refill it - I would still prefer a cap for the bonus to speed from amount of data, but I presume see the thought that led to the design choice.

All I need now, would be a way for KerbalAlarmClock to tell me when my lab is in need of a visit.

[magnemoe]

I made my peace with the lag I think - since conversion speed goes down with decreasing data it makes sense to return from time to time to refill it - I would still prefer a cap for the bonus to speed from amount of data, but I presume see the thought that led to the design choice.

All I need now, would be a way for KerbalAlarmClock to tell me when my lab is in need of a visit.

i agree, had been far better if you could load it with say 1000 data where the data above 500 was an reserve. probably easiest to implement as an cap as you say, you only get science and drain of data from the first 500 data.

As its now you will want small reports like eva reports more than the large ones like surface samples who require that the lab is almost dry of data before they can be loaded.

[KerbMav]

I think we can agree we are whining on a completionists level.

An alternative would be to introduce another resource/format, so experiments get uploaded to the lab as data, which is turned in to ??? from which the kerbals generate science. This way every experiment could be copied into the labs database and the original results returned to Kerbin.

Or, experiments can be copied into the lab from which they can only be erased or processed into data for further conversion, but never copied back or taken out.

Give me a few, I can come up with something more complicated for sure!

[CorBlimey]

MPL does mean you can fund your space exploration from science rather than tedious 'point a hitchhiker can on a jumbo orange straight up with SAS on, hit space bar, collect cup of coffee, wait 3 kerbal days to leave Kerbin SOI, collect 800k'

A science hopper on a moon could collect a couple of thousand science from only a few hops (more or less depending on the gravity & number of experiments). That converts over time into a about 6 * base science * 100 funds (at 100% field science to funds strategy).

A simple Minmus trip could net 2M funds over the course of a couple of years. The only babysitting required is to top up the data (from the already collected experiments that could not be processed due to 500 data cap), and you really only need to do this once a year or so.

I like this. Couple it with a life support mod and it is pretty reasonably balanced, from a funds perspective. Just not from a science for tech tree perspective. I would suggest it even removes the science part entirely and makes MPL data convert straight into funds, or increase the cost of tech tree nodes a lot.

Edited May 12, 2015 by CorBlimey

[uglyduckling81]

They should just change the game. Load it up, press start game, A message comes up when you see the KSC which says "You Win", game closes to Windows and uninstalls itself.

That would solve all the tedious need to stop time warping. All the tedious launches. All the tedious rocket designing.

It's a sandbox game. There is always going to be ways to exploit various gameplay mechanics.

You have the option to not abuse it if you don't want too. I don't understand the complaining about this kind of thing.

Complain about the game crashing when you add a certain part, or heat shields not functioning correctly. Not about you abusing a game mechanic and ruining your game.

[ArchGaden]

I just let the science labs rack up science while I'm doing other missions. Every so often (100 days or so), I'll check back in to transmit science and load up more data. No babysitting required! I'm pretty sure that is the intended way to do it... rather than sitting on the lab in high time warp. There is always another mission I can do.

[diffeq]

The exact number of days to refill the science can be evaluated.

Replace x in the following expression with the amount of data that is in the lab, then copy and paste it into google chrome's search bar:

-ln((x-100)/x)/0.0027

It will provide the exact number of days required to generate 500 science.

Note that the constant 0.0027 is only valid for exactly two level 3 scientists. For other scientist configurations, the constant can be evaluated experimentally with:

c = -ln(N1/N0) / t

where N0 is the initial amount of data, N1 is the final amount of data, and t is the number of days.

-diff

[foxkill2342]

I'm going to say I like this mechanic, regardless of the ability to exploit it.

[Laie]

I'd still prefer if one could overstuff the lab by a hundred points or so, then have it work at constant rate until it drops below 500. This would ease the babysitting situation quite a lot; even the most OCD person could leave it alone for a while.

[KerbMav]

I am unsure what the parameter research time does. I set it to 1 for testing but nothing seemed to change.