Building Tiers

[Pthigrivi]

So after a few days checking out the new parts in sandbox I dove into career and found there have been a few nice improvements to the building upgrades. I like the direction milestone contracts are moving and it seems strategies can be restarted once canceled, which I recall being a huge pain before (am I right about this?) Still I know they plan eventually to have 4 tiers and have a major overhaul of this system. Needless to say its a little clunky at the moment, so I thought we could chat about how things could be improved.

A couple of sticking points people have made (that I happen to agree with) are things like maneuver nodes and action groups being hidden too deeply (or at all) behind pay-walls. I do see how the first tier is really about introducing new players and there is a genuine reason why some features could and should be withheld so as not to overwhelm them, but pretty rapidly some features are just necessary for the game to function properly. Some of this could be resolved by moving them to a second tier out of 4, and reducing the upgrade cost to make them within reach much earlier. There could also be a number of new tools that could be added to higher building tiers that would be worth striving for. I would especially like to see an alarm clock with transfers and maneuvers posted, and a genuine mission pre-planner that would supply optimum dV budgets and flight duration predictions.

I know others have strong feelings about this, but lets keep in mind that this system is currently unfinished and try to be constructive.

Thoughts?

Edited November 14, 2015 by Pthigrivi

[Wanderfound]

I don't think maneuver nodes are too far in; basic upgrades to two buildings and you're there. And flying without orbital planning for a bit is interesting and educational.

OTOH, action groups require expending millions of √ for each of the VAB and SPH. That's just daft; there are plenty of low-tech early-game aircraft that require action groups to work properly (e.g. SST-suborbital planes running subsonic jets and pairs of radial rockets).

A button that switches off the jets when you light the rockets and vice-versa should not be super-advanced tech. Requiring the player to individually right click every solar panel and scientific instrument isn't interesting or educational; it's just tedious.

[Pthigrivi]

So I spent a bit of time testing and came up with some ideas.

1) Generally I've found the latter building upgrade prices feel too high. This could be a personal preference but it seems like its just adding grind. Some of this could be alleviated by increasing the number of tiers so things would be more incremental, but I've suggested lower prices across the board.

2) Ive moved the action groups up in the building progression, and added Delta-V, TWR, and Drag Modeling to the VAB and SHP for higher tiers. Generally I've been thinking Tier 1 is for Kerbin, Teir 2 gets you to the Mun and Minmus, Tier 3 is interplanetary and Tier 4 unlocks everything.

3) Ive tightened up the size and weight restrictions for the Launchpad and Runway so that they offer real constraints. I also think instead of the Runway becoming less bumpy on upgrade, (which seems silly since you can just drive off it), the runway grows in length instead.

4) The Tracking station now includes an active flight number limit. This would include anything with active control and not debris. Ive also suggested that the transmission range could be limited as well before upgrade. The Tracking station would also open up an alarm clock for logging and monitoring maneuvers, transfers, and SOI changes.

5) Mission Control can be upgraded to include a mission pre-planner in which you could select your mission itinerary and be provided with delta-V and mission time projections based on ideal transfers. We've chatted about the need for that here.

VAB

1 - 30 parts, Basic Action Groups

2 - (50,000f) 75 parts, Custom Action Groups

3 - (160,000f) 150 parts, Delta-V and TWR information available

4 - (550,000f) Unlimited Parts, Drag modeling available

Launchpad

1 - H: 15m, W/L: 15m, M: 18t

2 - (25,000f) H: 22m, W/L: 22m, M: 65t

3 - (70,000f) H: 40m, W: 40m, M: 140t

4 - (160,000f) Unlimited

SHP

1 - 30 parts, Basic Action Groups

2 - (45,000f) 75 parts, Custom Action Groups

3 - (140,000f) 150 parts, Delta-V and TWR information available

4 - (580,000f) Unlimited Parts, Drag modeling available

Runway

1 - H/W: 15m, L: 15m, M: 10t, Runway dims: 400m x 1km

2 - (22, 000f) H/W: 22m, L: 22m, M: 25t, Runway dims: 50m x 1.5km

3 - (65,000f) H/W: 40m, L: 40m, M: 50t, Runway dims: 60m x 2km

3 - (140,000f) Unlimited, Runway dims: 60m x 2km

Tracking Station

1 - Active Flights: 3, Transmission range: Kerbin SOI

2 - (60,000f) Active Flights: 10, Transmission range: Eve SOI to Duna SOI, Patched Conics, Maneuver Planning, Alarm Clock

3 - (130,000f) Active Flights: 32, Transmission Range: Unlimited, Transfer Alarms, Unknown Object Tracking,

4 - (320,000f) Active Flights: Unlimited

Astronaut Complex

1 - 5 Kerbals, Level cap: 2

2 - (50,000f) 12 Kerbals, Level cap: 3, EVA and Flags

3 - (150,000f) 32 Kerbals, Level cap: 4,

4 - (380,000f) Unlimited

Research and Development

1 - Research cap: 45

2 - (140,000f) Research Cap: 160, Surface Samples available

3 - (670,000f) Research Cap: 550

4 - (1,100,000f) Research Unlimited

Mission Control

1 - Active Contracts: 2

2 - (45,000f) Active Contracts: 5, Mission Pre-planner for Kerbin SOI

3 - (130,000f) Active Contracts 12, Mission Pre-planner for all worlds

3 - (310,000f) Unlimited Contracts: Mission Pre-planner including aerobraking

Administration Building

1 - 1 strategy, 25% cap,

2 - (28,000f) 3 strategies, 40% cap

3 - (110,000f) 5 strategies, 70% cap

4 - (280,000f) Unlimited strategies, 100% cap

Im still considering ways in which the R+D facility and Astronaut complex could be given special perks on higher levels. A big thing I've been frustrated by is the inability to level up in flight. I tend to think they just always should, but this could perhaps be a Astronaut Complex upgrade as well.

Edited November 15, 2015 by Pthigrivi