Make the smaller ISRU converter use intakes to gather ore from air.

[Wjolcz]

Or make both able to do that. I don't see a reason why the big one should lack that ability. That way the small converter wouldn't need a drill if landed on an atmospheric body and use an air intake instead.

Edit: also Xenon. I've been dreaming about my own Xenon industry ever since ISRU was introduced. Extracting and recovering it for money would be awesome, but the gas shouldn't be present in Kerbin's atmosphere for the balancing reasons.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Veeltch

[pandaman]

That's one hell of a good vacuum cleaner you need to suck up rocks:)

Not sure if ore is intended to be present in atmosphere, but if it is then that idea could work.

[passinglurker]

Or make both able to do that. I don't see a reason why the big one should lack that ability. That way the small converter wouldn't need a drill if landed on an atmospheric body and use an air intake instead.

Edit: also Xenon. I've been dreaming about my own Xenon industry ever since ISRU was introduced. Extracting and recovering it for money would be awesome, but the gas shouldn't be present in Kerbin's atmosphere for the balancing reasons.

On xenon.... Yeah I'm gonna say "no". Its high value and potential to be a money maker is why we can't isru it in the first place it's not happening until xenon is made cheap enough to make farming it uneconomical

That's one hell of a good vacuum cleaner you need to suck up rocks:)

Not sure if ore is intended to be present in atmosphere, but if it is then that idea could work.

Ore could be considered more of an abstract term. What ore essentially is is any raw material with the potential to be converted into a useful resource. Most ISRU proposals involve harvesting the martian atmosphere to make rocket fuel

[sal_vager]

Stock ISRU is only planned to work with the ground, sorry, but the system is open to modding if any modders want to add ocean or atmospheric extraction.

You are better off posting this to Addon Requests.

[Snark]

If you want atmospheric extraction, consider the Karbonite mod. It's very well done, and has a lot of options including atmospheric and oceanic extraction.

Xenon mining is an interesting idea. IIRC, the old Kethane mod used to do that. Worthwhile, I think. Yes, it was possible to mine xenon for profit, but wasn't a game breaker, just another interesting thing to do in game. It's easy enough to make money off contracts that being able to refine xenon doesn't really alter the game dynamics.

[Wjolcz]

Ugh. The original stock ISRU had in plans to use atmospheric air to extract fuels. I will be actually really dissapointed and annoyed if SQUAD doesn't reconsider adding that in stock. Sucks a lot.

- - - Updated - - -

Xenon mining is an interesting idea. IIRC, the old Kethane mod used to do that. Worthwhile, I think. Yes, it was possible to mine xenon for profit, but wasn't a game breaker, just another interesting thing to do in game. It's easy enough to make money off contracts that being able to refine xenon doesn't really alter the game dynamics.

IMO setting a refinery and a fleet of Xenon haulers is more fun than making those contracts that aren't that good and profitable. Ok, maybe they are sometimes profitable but are also boring as hell and repeat a lot.

Edited October 19, 2015 by Veeltch

[passinglurker]

Complex vs simple isru is controversial, but It's easier for a mod to add complexity than it is to simplify so squad probably saw a simple base with the potential to be easily expanded by mods to be a easy compromise that pleased as many as possible

[Wjolcz]

Complex vs simple isru is controversial, but It's easier for a mod to add complexity than it is to simplify so squad probably saw a simple base with the potential to be easily expanded by mods to be a easy compromise that pleased as many as possible

How is adding the feature of extracting ore from air complex? Only because it adds a feature doesn't mean it's more complex. And it would be more realistic than digging with drills in the ground.

Having ore in the ground only feels limiting.

Edited October 19, 2015 by Veeltch

[Pthigrivi]

Could work if it was just the big converter and only worked on eve and laythe maybe.

[RoverDude]

Hopping in for a bit

A couple of things - the extraction and conversion process are, by design, separate. So what you're really asking for is atmospheric scoops. It would not make sense to allow the ISRU to do both out of the box as it invalidates the use of a drill/harvester. Also, relatively few bodies on KSP even have atmospheres.

That being said, as noted, the resource system was built as a framework that can be extended and leveraged by more than just stock. Stock aims for a system approachable by the average player, mods are free to make things as complex/simple/easy/hard as they wish.

Semi-related:

Ugh. The original stock ISRU had in plans to use atmospheric air to extract fuels. I will be actually really dissapointed and annoyed if SQUAD doesn't reconsider adding that in stock. Sucks a lot.

This tone is probably not the best way to have a productive dialogue.

[Wjolcz]

This tone is probably not the best way to have a productive dialogue.

I just thought it's still planned since the ISRU system is relatively new. Was expecting some more tweaks/features to be added. Was also sleepy and grumpy at the time I was posting that.

Edited October 19, 2015 by Veeltch

[passinglurker]

A lot of the old resource system plans were scrapped as being to grindy unweildy and dominating of the game play. Basically this is kerbal SPACE program not kerbal oil refinery program

Now as for talk as to how a stock a like atmos harvestor could be implemented you'd probably get fewer eyebrows saying you could turn intake atmos into oxidizer with the perks that it's lower tech works in any atmos (though ec efficency requirements may vary from planet to planet) no matter the biome, smaller, and lighter, etc... though care should be taken that it can't be easily used to harvest oxidizer on the fly for unlimited range with no stops until the lf tanks are dry

[Pthigrivi]

I misread this, ore through an intake? That seems weird. I could see a xenon scoop for the big converter as a bit of balance but thats it.

Edited October 19, 2015 by Pthigrivi