More EVA activities?

[GunnDawg]

You think they'll ever add more purpose to doing EVA stuff? I know with mods such as Kerbal Attachment System you can attempt to attach, link, etc things together, but do you think Squad will add more stock interaction to EVA? I only typically use visual mods but often find my self enjoying some EVA time. But at the same time I always think "Wish there was something I could do out here in my space suit!"

[AbacusWizard]

The EVA right-click menu should include more options, like "Admire the view," "Marvel at the mystery of it all," and "Wonder if those green rocks are edible."

[r4pt0r]

Here, have this thing I post in every "EVA Activities" thread: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Lunar_Surface_Experiments_Package

I want those. Let kerbals drag them out and deploy them around the lander/base. Scientists could read the data for a slight bonus. Engineers could deploy them better for a slight bonus. I dont care. Give us reasons to be on the surface longer than 10 seconds.

Perhaps the various experiments in the ALSEP could be taken out of the Science Lab(if landed as a base) or the Lab Jr and then deployed. Just something.

On another note, if once landed the game spawned "Collect surface sample(or EVA report) from these 3 places within ~300m" that would be great too.

Edited July 16, 2015 by r4pt0r

[Kaos]

While realism is not the ultimate goal it still can be a good inspiration. So I looked up the reason for a number of EVAs in reality. The vast majority seems to be installation. Next is repair. Then handling of experiments that can only be handled from the outside. And still quite some for testing of EVA equipment.

We have the repair thing, but no random fails. We can open solar panels from the outside even if the craft has no power.

Then there is some interaction with experiments from the outside.

So in comparison to reality the most missing thing is some construction work.

And for to direct answer the question: Yes, I think there should be more EVA activities possible.

[windows_x_seven]

On another note, if once landed the game spawned "Collect surface sample(or EVA report) from these 3 places within ~300m" that would be great too.

That's actually a really good idea.

[AbacusWizard]

Even just stock-ifying KAS/KIS would be a huge boost. I installed them when 1.0 came out and since then I haven't even bothered going to other planets (not due to lack of ability; I've landed and returned from every solid surface except Eve and Tylo in previous versions) because I've been having so much fun messing around in Kerbin orbit (and, to be fair, with my mining base on Minmus).

Just recently, for instance, I figured out a great way to do "rescue stranded astronaut and recover his/her command capsule" missions at almost no cost. I rendezvous with the stranded capsule with the H-Wing (already in orbit), harpoon it, tow it to rendezvous with the Klaw Construction Co. base (already in orbit), and have an engineer pull a small heat shield off of the heat shield rack and some parachutes from storage and bolt them all onto the capsule, then use the H-Wing to tow the capsule into a sub-orbital trajectory. Detach harpoon, speed up to restore the H-Wing into a stable orbit, switch focus to the capsule, and ride the heat shield and parachutes down to a safe landing.

All the infrastructure I needed was already in place, and I can do it 15 more times before I need to send up another rack of spare heat shields. More importantly, building stuff in orbit is loads of fun.

[tater]

Yeah, KIS/KAS should be made stock yesterday.

[DuoDex]

'Not in scope', unfortunately.

Although it would be a nice feature. Maybe I will add something about it into my WIP career proposal/ragepost.

[tater]

Totally in scope for career. Kerbals crash stuff. Being able to fix things, particularly with stock skills and limited repair? Makes total sense.

[klgraham1013]

I always thought part degradation (not random failures) would give engineers more things to do on EVA. Parts would degrade to, say, 80% of their max efficiency over time, and an engineer would need to repair them or just do periodic preventive maintenance. Sort of like how real equipment breaks down over time.

I also like the other ideas already mentioned.

[r4pt0r]

'Not in scope', unfortunately.

Although it would be a nice feature. Maybe I will add something about it into my WIP career proposal/ragepost.

What, pray tell, is 'In scope' then? They keep saying they want to add "features". More EVA activities would be a set of awesome features, even if its not on the level of KAS/KIS.

[Kaos]

I always thought part degradation (not random failures) would give engineers more things to do on EVA. Parts would degrade to, say, 80% of their max efficiency over time, and an engineer would need to repair them or just do periodic preventive maintenance. Sort of like how real equipment breaks down over time.

I also like the other ideas already mentioned.

The downside of this idea is, that one is forced to do the same repair EVA over and over again. Perhaps the engineers would automatically maintain all parts of the ship slowly over time. And on EVA they can maintain the parts instantly. Then I consider this idea as a very good idea! That would also give manned missions an advantage over unmanned ones.

[micha]

Here, have this thing I post in every "EVA Activities" thread: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Lunar_Surface_Experiments_Package

I want those.

And I post this in nearly every EVA Activities thread:

AlbertKermin's Munar Surface Experiments Package mod.

[mythbusters844]

And I post this in nearly every EVA Activities thread:

AlbertKermin's Munar Surface Experiments Package mod.

Except that's not stock. That's a huge difference.

Thanks for the link though.

'Not in scope', unfortunately.

Wasn't the "scope complete" and "out of scope" stuff a pre-1.0 thing?

[r4pt0r]

And I post this in nearly every EVA Activities thread:

AlbertKermin's Munar Surface Experiments Package mod.

Yeah, I see that in every EVA thread.

That but better modeled and stock would be lovely.

Edit: Seems its been much better modeled since I last saw. So yeah, stockifying that would be a-ok.

Edited July 17, 2015 by r4pt0r

[klgraham1013]

The downside of this idea is, that one is forced to do the same repair EVA over and over again. Perhaps the engineers would automatically maintain all parts of the ship slowly over time. And on EVA they can maintain the parts instantly. Then I consider this idea as a very good idea! That would also give manned missions an advantage over unmanned ones.

Taking an engineer would provide constant maintenance for the player. I like it.

- - - Updated - - -

'Not in scope', unfortunately.

Although it would be a nice feature. Maybe I will add something about it into my WIP career proposal/ragepost.

What is and isn't "scope" is a vague and mysterious thing.

[micha]

Why do people whinge about missing features, but then refuse to install mods?

Sorry, I don't understand that at all. Personally I'd prefer the developers to concentrate on getting the core game rock-solid stable with a good set of base features, and then let mods fill in the rest as far as content goes. Everybody has a different set of "MUST HAVE" parts/options/settings/whatever, can't realistically expect the developer to supply them all. And if they did, it'd raise the minimum system requirements to ridiculous levels.

For me, good stock "MUST HAVE" features are baseline functionality which is ROCK SOLID and then extendable by modders.

Anyway, whatevs.

[r4pt0r]

Because I enjoy playing the 100% stock game, and the suggestion board is for suggesting additions to the stock game.