Has everyone forgotten about the fabled extra gas planets?

[Windspren]

KSP needs:

Clouds

Better engine exhaust (HotRockets)

Clouds

GP2 and GP3

Clouds

[amarius1]

KSP needs:

Clouds

Better engine exhaust (HotRockets)

Clouds

GP2 and GP3

Clouds

So much truth... BTW, the GP3 was actualy a gia t rocky planet. Check Kerbol Plus to get an idea over how it was supposed to be along with the GP2.

[Rolanvorxariat]

Gp2! Gp2!

[Red Iron Crown]

Moved this to S&DD, where discussions about the games prospective development direction belong.

[amarius1]

Moved this to S&DD, where discussions about the games prospective development direction belong.

Thank you.

[Canopus]

Right now every planet is different and unique in some way. Wouldn't a second Gas giant be to similar to Jool? I would like to see things like clouds before they add new Planets that are basically just more of the same in a different color.

[amarius1]

Right now every planet is different and unique in some way. Wouldn't a second Gas giant be to similar to Jool? I would like to see things like clouds before they add new Planets that are basically just more of the same in a different color.

Jus take a look at Kerbol Plus for a very accurate reborn of the Gas Planet two and more! Just observe those moons and you'll see that they are all unique in some crazy way. For example, only Fonso, the planned moon around GP2, has mountains heighter that it's atnosphere. Only Daphy has large cracks and an ogherwise smooth surface, Only Potatus is oblate... Things like that. Also, Faz, an old unimplemented planet had huge crystals on it's surface, something only developers cab add to a planet. Cheers and I hope this gets done in at least one year.

[klgraham1013]

I'd prefer Squad make the current planets more interesting.

[sumghai]

I'd prefer Squad make the current planets more interesting.

I don't usually agree with klgraham1013, but this is one exception I'll make.

Existing planets could be further improved with better geological features, as well as a series of open-ended missions to determine its chemical makeup through statistical tabulation of repeated surface samples.

[regex]

Existing planets could be further improved with better geological features, as well as a series of open-ended missions to determine its chemical makeup through statistical tabulation of repeated surface samples.

To what end? Are we talking rewriting and re-concepting the science and career mechanics? Because I'd much rather have a few new places to go while that happens.

[Avetho]

Sounds complicated, but I'm for both here. GP2/GP3 and better planets along with it would make interplanetary marathons more interesting with more things to see

[Tankman101]

Am I the only one missing the point of a second gas giant? Wouldn't it be functionally similar to Jool to the point of being redundant?

Also clouds just get in the way.

[Avetho]

Moar Science and places to see! That's the big thing for me at least

[Tankman101]

Except there's not much more to see, just rocks with hills at this point.

I'd rather the existing planets get new geological features than new dull planets.

[katateochi]

I'd like to see another planet, but I can't say I'd be that excited to have another gas giant seeing as you can't land on it. If it had a set of moons like Jool then that's worth it, but then we're actually asking for a whole bunch more bodies to be added. I don't have a problem with that but maybe we should make our RFC clearer. (and perhaps they should fix the performance issues first).

But really I'd rather see improvements to the existing planets to give them more interesting terrain. There are not many noteworthy geological features about the place, the only reason to land in different places are the biomes but when landing in each one it's rather too similar to the last one. I'd rather have that than another basically-the-same-apart-from-colour-and-gravity type planet.

[Vanamonde]

I like the idea of more destinations to fly to, but I must also point out hat the title of this thread is somewhat misleading. There has never been a second gas giant in the game, so it can't be "brought back." It was discussed and some work may have started on it, but there is as yet nothing to bring back.

[Kegereneku]

As I said in earlier topic :

As said numerous time now, it would be pointless to add new planets if there isn't more meaningful difference than requiring more dV or a barely tricky orbit change.

We need more stuff to do down on the planet we have. Science is already giving reason to go in different biome, now it would be great if there was a sort of synergy between biome.

I have no suggestion on this, but being given reasons to build long range rover/ship to "link" base in carefully though out place would make a great dynamic. Just more reason to take <UNIQUE Kerbal/stuff> at point A, THEN B would be interesting.

Lastly, ultimately I don't mind a new Gas planet further away, but only if one give us a OP orbit-only fusion engine/radiator to go with it. I have no interest in doing the same sort of missions with even worse mass margin. Constant optimization is a one trick pony, but giving new toy to play with you could reconsider doing bigger thing elsewhere, like that giant ISRU base on Laythe you were too lazy to carry.

It would be pointless to add clone-planet or ridiculously specific hat-planet with only one new challenge, when you could retroactively give new challenge to every other planets at once.

As example, take the case of heat radiators :

Now heat transfer rate between the inside and the outside matter, which mean we can actually have planet/biome that require special heat consideration, making temperature scan matter ! More stuff to design for WITHOUT adding more planet.

And lastly whatever feature a new planet/moon could have, can be added to old planets the same (Geyser, spiked-mountain, plateau, cave, floor is lave, rings...etc)

[Superfluous J]

I like the idea of more destinations to fly to, but I must also point out hat the title of this thread is somewhat misleading. There has never been a second gas giant in the game, so it can't be "brought back." It was discussed and some work may have started on it, but there is as yet nothing to bring back.

I think it's paralleling the "Bring Back The Barn" "movement" from earlier, which also wanted something that was planned but never actually put in the game. The Barn had a bit more info posted about it and looked a lot more likely to make it in the game, but other than that this is similar enough I suppose.

I've spoken my piece about this in other threads so won't go into it, but I (like others here) would prefer we had something to do more than somewhere to go. Adding a planet will not keep anybody entertained for more than a couple hours.

[amarius1]

and perhaps they should fix the performance issues first.

Well, they could implement a dynamic planet loading texture that would save huge ammounts of memory and FPS when close to planets. Just take a look at Kopernicus. It has dynamic loading! That means that the planet loads all of its settings only when you're close to it, as opposed to the stock loading system that keeps EVERY SINGLE BODY in the game mostly loaded. Why SQUAD? Why not implement that at least?

[Tankman101]

A bit easier said than done.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Tankman101

[r4pt0r]

Am I the only one missing the point of a second gas giant? Wouldn't it be functionally similar to Jool to the point of being redundant?

Also clouds just get in the way.

The theory with GP2 is it comes with rings (becuz they r 2cool) and moons, some super unique ones would be sweet. like mountains that reach above a very thick atmosphere, something strange like that.

But I do second the "more interesting things to do while there" crew. Obligatory link here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Lunar_Surface_Experiments_Package

This thread was also very interesting to me as a gameplay mechanic: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/92188-Interact-with-terrain-scatters-%28for-SCIENCE%21%29

Searching for rare terrain scatters for science or contracts would be something different, I like it.

[Bill Phil]

I think that a few things are higher on the list. Optimization and beautification, to be exact. The game loads so many things on start up, perhaps reducing that and loading things on demand would help. Maybe make it possible to "background load"? Loading parts of the game while playing other parts. Is that not doable? After optimizing, the game could use an improved look. Betters skybox, clouds, and maybe better textures?

After that, more interesting terrain, like huge canyons and weird landforms, could make places more interesting. Also, a larger demand for going interplanetary. I could just grind contracts in the Kerbin system, and then fund science missions to fill out the tech tree. There needs to be a need to go interplanetary. A huge need.

Once we get those improvements, then GP2 will have those qualities as well, making it much more interesting.

[Space.exe]

More plants? We need more solar systems.

[pandaman]

I notice that his discussion resurfaces fairly frequently.

My 2 cents...

Yes, I'd love more planets and places to visit, but I think priorities should be elsewhere. If we had them, say next month, then after a few weeks the novelty will have worn off, people will be complaining about the extra strain their rigs are under and there will be a new campaign for 'outer planet x' as everywhere has been visited and it's getting boring going to the same places all the time.

For now I think it's better to put devs resources into U5 and v1.1. rather than "more rocks like we already have but different colours and further away."

Then add more features and more varied terrain etc. to the existing bodies maybe at 1.1 release if that's viable. After that extra planets etc that fit in with the 'enhanced style' of the current ones that can provide different challenges and a evrn more variety than if they were implemented now.

[amarius1]

A bit easier said than done.

Ahem a plugin, namely Kopernicus, already does that by defaul with kopernicus created custom planets.

- - - Updated - - -

I notice that his discussion resurfaces fairly frequently.

My 2 cents...

Yes, I'd love more planets and places to visit, but I think priorities should be elsewhere. If we had them, say next month, then after a few weeks the novelty will have worn off, people will be complaining about the extra strain their rigs are under and there will be a new campaign for 'outer planet x' as everywhere has been visited and it's getting boring going to the same places all the time.

For now I think it's better to put devs resources into U5 and v1.1. rather than "more rocks like we already have but different colours and further away."

Then add more features and more varied terrain etc. to the existing bodies maybe at 1.1 release if that's viable. After that extra planets etc that fit in with the 'enhanced style' of the current ones that can provide different challenges and a evrn more variety than if they were implemented now.

well, I doubt that one of the devs would even know how to work with the extreme PQS mods that make planets possible...and if they would simply add some more deformity all you'd get is Bumpy/ Spiky terrain...