another/more space programs?

[The Crusher 862]

i always loved the idea of having NPC space programs that made their own ships and tried to fly them

it's my understanding that squad has ruled this out for the stock game, so i was wondering if it's even possible for a game like KSP?

I imagine it would be difficult to make a program capable of building spaceships, so perhaps a procedural generation based on pre-designed chunks of a ship that get thrown together.

I also realise that having other ships flying in the atmosphere while you're in interplanetary space at maximum time warp would not be possible, so maybe the end result of the craft could be calculated and put into the tracking station as an unknown object, which is discovered to be an NPC craft should you choose to track it. this would, however, rule out the possibility of NPCs making planetary landings, so maybe an in-game message asking if you'd like to watch (because kerbals like to boast about their achievements), if not then nothing happens, if so then you witness their landing and return as though you were the controller, but the craft flies itself and time-warps appropriately.

i understanding that I'm basically asking if it's possible to make the computer into a player of kerbal space program, and it would be a colossal task for anyone to attempt, but the AI in some games baffles me, i still have trouble beating NPCs in Warcraft 3!

don't hesitate to tell me how ridiculous I'm being, i guess my rocket designer skillz has bled into the rest of my brain

[legacynl]

I guess it would be possible to have a 'invisible' competitor. Not something that actually launches rockets from kerbin, but something that spawns bases/space-stations/satellites according to some logic. Possible accompanied by missions or messages saying that "Robodyne coorp. has launched a space station, we need you to dock with it."

But I guess from a technical standpoint that would be the closest you would be able to get. A add-on that has an actual AI that builds/launches rockets is AFAIK impossible.

so maybe an in-game message asking if you'd like to watch (because kerbals like to boast about their achievements), if not then nothing happens, if so then you witness their landing and return as though you were the controller, but the craft flies itself and time-warps appropriately.

If you want this, you're better of watching Scott Manley on youtube

[Feradose]

Id love this. Seriously. I want to dock with premade stations and have notifications about them, resupply them or watch NPC landers land on the mun or other planets, maybe even near my base! I wouldn't like assuming control on them though. Maybe even buying them for their current cost with fuel, science, and destination value, (A lander on Tylo>A probe around mun, no matter what) through tracking station?

[hab136]

Yes, it's totally possible to create NPC ships. That's basically how asteroids and rescue missions work, except the ship is a single part. Modifying the orbit of that ship after a set amount of time (for example having it transfer to another planet) would also be possible, as would landings or takeoffs, though you'd have to intercept the ship deletion call so it didn't get deleted in atmosphere.

What would be really hard or impossible would be to have proper fuel usage and staging in the background. I guess you could have a "play computer's turn" button which locked all input controls, then switched to the ships it wanted to move, and used MechJeb to have it do things (launch ships, land, transfer to other planets). Then once it was "caught up" it could dump you back at the space center.

When we get multiplayer, it might make more sense to have an AI control a copy of KSP - then it could do whatever it wanted.

Edited August 16, 2015 by hab136

[The Crusher 862]

I guess it would be possible to have a 'invisible' competitor. Not something that actually launches rockets from kerbin, but something that spawns bases/space-stations/satellites according to some logic. Possible accompanied by missions or messages saying that "Robodyne coorp. has launched a space station, we need you to dock with it."

But I guess from a technical standpoint that would be the closest you would be able to get. A add-on that has an actual AI that builds/launches rockets is AFAIK impossible.

If you want this, you're better of watching Scott Manley on youtube

i know, i was getting a bit carried away with watching landings, and i love scott's videos

Edit: i'd make a mod myself if i was competent at all with coding, i'm surprised i got any replies. i might have a look at learning... meh

Edited August 16, 2015 by The Crusher 862

[_Augustus_]

It would probably need to be a cold war space race mod, which would necessitate having OMSK, Tantares, and FASA. The Koviets could have a bunch of craft files that they launch based on your progress (i.e slightly ahead or behind you).

[hab136]

It would probably need to be a cold war space race mod, which would necessitate having OMSK, Tantares, and FASA. The Koviets could have a bunch of craft files that they launch based on your progress (i.e slightly ahead or behind you).

StateFunding is kinda like that (a cold war).