Infinite fuel sources at KSC

[Keymaster89]

Hi!

I'm suggesting some kind of structure at KSC for refuel any kind of vehicle in flight.

It could be like a general building size fuel tank, or other minor object like the tanks and the tower near the launchpad, specialized for any type of fuel...

The idea is to go there with your empty vehicle, dock with the tank building (it could be done by touching the building in some specific point like a pipe, a valve or maybe interacting via right click when near), buy the fuel u need at the proper cost, fill the vehicle with that fuel, undock and then fly away with the vehicle full, all without recover the vehicle.

What do you think?

[Superfluous J]

I think so long as your vessel is either on the runway, or perhaps even just anywhere within the "KSC" biome, you can <simple input here> and fill the tanks for the cost. I have no problem abstracting away the busy work of taxiing up to a refueller. We don't simulate the crawlway or taxiing the plane initially.

[Grumman]

If we get KAS-style EVA-deployable pipes in stock, I would like this to be a thing. Truly reusable spaceplanes are fun to build, so having an easier way to refuel them - either by having a third location to spawn service vehicles or giving us an infinite source/sink for all resources we can plug into - would be nice to have.

I think so long as your vessel is either on the runway, or perhaps even just anywhere within the "KSC" biome, you can <simple input here> and fill the tanks for the cost. I have no problem abstracting away the busy work of taxiing up to a refueller. We don't simulate the crawlway or taxiing the plane initially.

I'd be happy with this simplified implementation, but I'd make it only the runway and SPH biomes.

Edited September 3, 2015 by Grumman

[pincushionman]

Trying to circumvent the pad launch weight limit, are we?

[Stoney3K]

Trying to circumvent the pad launch weight limit, are we?

That can be checked at run time as well, I guess. If you try to *land* a supermassive space plane on a runway that does not support it, it should damage just as much.

At least when you try to launch something overweight it will not even go on the launch pad, so if you try to cheat and launch empty, refueling on the pad, your launchpad or runway gets damaged -- which I think would be a reasonable penalty.

[CaptainTurbomuffin]

[quote name=Stoney3K;2176601 If you try to *land* a supermassive space plane on a runway that does not support it' date=' it should damage just as much.

Why, is'nt that happening? My runway keeps exploding when my overweight planes lean over and roll on a few wheels only.

[Keymaster89]

Trying to circumvent the pad launch weight limit, are we?

Well no... i mean, i thought that this will be a cool addition, but didn't thought at that exploit... yeah, that's a problem...

But as we have upgradable buildings, we can still say that you have to build both runway and launchpad at 3rd level before the actual "fuel depot" can take place... having no weight limit nullifies the meaning of this exploit, didn't it?

[Stoney3K]

Well no... i mean, i thought that this will be a cool addition, but didn't thought at that exploit... yeah, that's a problem...

But as we have upgradable buildings, we can still say that you have to build both runway and launchpad at 3rd level before the actual "fuel depot" can take place... having no weight limit nullifies the meaning of this exploit, didn't it?

I still think the current pad/runway weight limits should be sufficient if they are maintained at game time. If landing an object that is too heavy already explodes the pad/runway as it is now, it would also happen if you try to launch something empty and re-fuel it to exceed the weight limit.

Somewhere, the idea of fueling a rocket and failing miserably in a dramatic explosion because the launch pad collapses underneath you really sounds like a very Kerbal option to me.

Implementation wise, you could just have a static fuel tank on the pad that you can interact with if your craft is landed and nearby enough, so you can ALT+right click on the tank and transfer fuel in like with any other tank.