MOD/Vanilla suggestion

[justmeman117]

I really wish I were a modder, because then I could actually do this stuff rather than just talk about it.

So, I had an idea for a multiplayer system. I'm aware of the current multiplayer mod, but I don't think it's the right way to go. I think a better multiplayer system for this game would be a competitive "Space Race" style multiplayer.

the idea of this is to essentially create a space race between players. Players are matched up by science level, for match making purposes.

Then, a level appropriate contract is given to them. Next, the players are given a criteria for winning, either do it cheapest, do it fastest, gather the most science, or do it the most efficiently. Whichever player wins gets earnings from the contract. Perhaps there could be lesser earnings for second, third, fourth place, etc.

what would be the incentive for doing multiplayer contracts vs single player? More earnings. A player who wins a contract in a room with 2 players could say, earn 2 times the normal reward for that contract. A player in a room with 3 players could say earn 3 times the normal reward for that contract. and so on and so fourth.

Now, this would be for single missions. 2 players could also enter a "space race", which is campaign long. The 2 players start a new campaign in the room. Instead of going just by a contract by contract basis, the entire race could be won when one player completes an OBJECTIVE first. For example, whichever player does, say, a return mission from the Mun first (traditional). Now, to determine who does it "first", to keep people from abusing time acceleration, the amount of "time" has gone by could instead be determined by the number of science points level a player is at (not including unspent points, only spent points) when they complete the mission. The player who completes the mission with less technology unlocked would win.

Anyway, there are all kinds of scenarios, missions, rewards, etc people could dream up. There could even be a mission creator for people to make their own scenarios, and challenge their friends to.

Now of course, there should be anti cheating. I think there should be missions and mod packs for vanilla (maybe a couple different mission rooms for varying campaign settings), and some missions or space races should allow for certain approved mods and packs. If the game detects a part that has its values changed, or an unapproved mod, then the player cant join space races or mission rooms.

Lemme know what you guys think of this idea. The idea is to replicate space races and contract competition between space agencies. Perhaps AI players could be added to give players that experience in single player as well.

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Oh, one more thing, since things are done by spent science level, I also think the tech tree should be reworked to allow for spending science on individual parts, rather than whole packs of parts.

[CaptainTurbomuffin]

I think most people would like a co-op mode, but PVP is necessary as well. Having major contracts in the same time could force players to compete on the same mission. If they are doing the same mission simultaneously, time warp could be done simultaneously too. So the game will only warp when both players want to warp. That's a solution. Winning from science? I don't like that. For multiplayer, the timewarp-problem could be also solved by locking the warp speed. If everyone can only warp on the same speed, the one with the better trajectory will always be the first. That's a good idea, the only problem is that you couldn't intercept hostile vehicles, as they would warp away... But there could be different gamemodes. Personally, I prefer that all players are in the same time, and they can accelerate that, if they all want to. If you're going to be the first to go to Duna, but you want to get there before your opponent performs a moonlanding, that won't work. Neither in real life. So while he's wasting time with a slow landing process, you have to wait on your interplanetary trajectory to Duna... Or go back to KSC, and use your time to build another craft. Maybe something that will get to minmus before your rival. AlarmClock integration is necessary, so while you approach minmus, you won't skip duna.

Edited September 12, 2015 by CaptainTurbomuffin

[justmeman117]

"Winning from science? I don't like that. For multiplayer, the timewarp-problem could be also solved by locking the warp speed. If everyone can only warp on the same speed, the one with the better trajectory will always be the first."

why not? science level is basically the same as tech level. imagine if Russia went to the moon (barely) on 1950s tech instead of 1960s. then they woulda won the space race. I think it would encourage players to really push their limits in ship design. It's a solution that takes time warp out of the picture, as it is KSP's single biggest problem to solve in regards to multiplayer. But if you want a more realistic measure of time, then the game could just as easily register what date each player completes the objective by, as there is an in-game calendar.

"If everyone can only warp on the same speed, the one with the better trajectory will always be the first. That's a good idea,"

That makes no sense, it's not like the N1 moon rocket was on the way to the moon when Apollo 11 was launched, and it just so happened to have a poorer trajectory.

"If you're going to be the first to go to Duna, but you want to get there before your opponent performs a moonlanding, that won't work. Neither in real life. So while he's wasting time with a slow landing process, you have to wait on your interplanetary trajectory to Duna... "

I'd like to point out that the real russian and american space programs DID do interplanetary missions at the same time as other missions in real life. the US went to mars (1964) and mercury (1973), and russia went to venus (1961). Note that 2 of these came years before the 1969 lunar landings. And odds are, the US space program might go to mars around the same time the chinese one is just making it to the moon. Planets arent stepping stones, they can be conquered independent of each other if a space agency so chooses.

Edited September 12, 2015 by justmeman117

[legoclone09]

I think it could be a KSP-esque space race, a long-term game created by a player and hosted, and it would be something like Rockomax vs Jeb's Junkyard or Kerbodyne, with custom tech trees. There would be two launch sites, one for the KSC, and then another one on the other side of the planet, or 1/3s way around. The winner would be the first to do something, like a Mun mission or a Laythe manned return. Kind of like Civilization for KSP.

[CaptainTurbomuffin]

I think it could be a KSP-esque space race, a long-term game created by a player and hosted, and it would be something like Rockomax vs Jeb's Junkyard or Kerbodyne, with custom tech trees. There would be two launch sites, one for the KSC, and then another one on the other side of the planet, or 1/3s way around. The winner would be the first to do something, like a Mun mission or a Laythe manned return. Kind of like Civilization for KSP.

But there should be more goals in the game than. In Civ, you could focus on the very late game in the previous 6 Eras, and win easily than, so the system only gives early and mid game special units, giving a huge benefit for performing earlier your timing-attacks.