Not AI... pilot tasks

[Darnok]

I know AI is not going to happen in KSP and that is fine, but IMO kerbal pilots should be more skilled pilots (with more options) than remote probe.

For example:
- keep current altitude (pilot would keep altitude by throtling down engines to compensate fuel burn),
- keep current heading (more advanced than SAS),
- keep current speed (pilot should keep set speed even if drag is lower or craft if lighter after burning some fuel)

We should be able to pick few of those "pilot commands" at same time, so kerbal would fly at given altitude, with given speed and heading... of course after burning fuel he should crash.

Right before fuel is over player should get popup message:

Kerbal_portrait   "KSC this is CRAFT_NAME, we are low on fuel, I repeat we are low on fuel..."
 

Edited April 30, 2016 by Darnok

[pandaman]

Yes I like this.  In theory I suppose a probe core could also be programmed to perform these too, but it is nice to have actual pilots being able to do stuff probes can't.

[cubinator]

Agreed with @pandaman, and I think this would be a great idea too. Flying planes long distances (say, to the north pole) and having to twitch the pitch controls every few seconds when you're on timewarp is a little tedious. It'd be nice if you could have a Kerbal pilot keep track of all that. Maybe the small probe cores wouldn't be able to take care of the things you mentioned, but I think the 1.25 m, 2.5 m, and Mk2 cores should have more advanced abilities as well.

[Stoney3K]

2 hours ago, pandaman said:

Yes I like this.  In theory I suppose a probe core could also be programmed to perform these too, but it is nice to have actual pilots being able to do stuff probes can't.

Having pilots do stuff that probes can't gives pilots more of a reason to exist. There are only a few reasons where you would want manned missions over unmanned ones if you have the tech for it (aside from the cool factor), and having pilots with extra abilities is definitely one of them.

It may also be a feature for the "Fly by Wire" avionics nose cone which became a bit obsolete when the remote guidance units came around.

[CaLVin-K]

On April 29, 2016 at 4:10 PM, Darnok said:

I know AI is not going to happen in KSP and that is fine, but IMO kerbal pilots should be more skilled pilots (with more options) than remote probe.

For example:
- keep current altitude (pilot would keep altitude by throtling down engines to compensate fuel burn),
- keep current heading (more advanced than SAS),
- keep current speed (pilot should keep set speed even if drag is lower or craft if lighter after burning some fuel)

We should be able to pick few of those "pilot commands" at same time, so kerbal would fly at given altitude, with given speed and heading... of course after burning fuel he should crash.

Right before fuel is over player should get popup message:

Kerbal_portrait   "KSC this is CRAFT_NAME, we are low on fuel, I repeat we are low on fuel..."
 

So essentially Jeb and Val would be an autopilot system, I really do like this idea. With one suggestion, the Kerbal should attempt to keep heading, altitude, speed but should give up and hand control back to the player if its not possible. there should also be an option of the Kerbal to attempt to maintain level flight, even if its not at current altitude. If we expand on this idea even more, I see an expanded role for scientists, and engineers, perhaps engineers will tell you when something is broken and remained you that they can fix it, or increase the efficiency or of the refinement part, as they are able to keep it running at peak efficiency and fix anything that gets "broken" on it. Scientists would be able to remind you when you are able to collect science that you don't currently have and collect higher quality surface samples EVA reports, whatever.  

[RocketSquid]

14 minutes ago, CaLVin-K said:

So essentially Jeb and Val would be an autopilot system, I really do like this idea. With one suggestion, the Kerbal should attempt to keep heading, altitude, speed but should give up and hand control back to the player if its not possible. there should also be an option of the Kerbal to attempt to maintain level flight, even if its not at current altitude. If we expand on this idea even more, I see an expanded role for scientists, and engineers, perhaps engineers will tell you when something is broken and remained you that they can fix it, or increase the efficiency or of the refinement part, as they are able to keep it running at peak efficiency and fix anything that gets "broken" on it. Scientists would be able to remind you when you are able to collect science that you don't currently have and collect higher quality surface samples EVA reports, whatever.  

YES, THIS. CAPITALIZED FOR EMPHASIS.

[CaLVin-K]

2 minutes ago, RocketSquid said:

YES, THIS. CAPITALIZED FOR EMPHASIS.

EMPHASIS!

(who gets the reference?)

[mattinoz]

Very much in favor of KI but not AI like autopilots systems. 

I think it would add value to each kerbals if their training allowed them to look after a more complex task for the player with higher level certification. To me it would also be better if skilled kerbals interacted to allow more complex tasks than a single kerbals. 

Sure in sandbox you'd then have full access but it would add massively to career mission design to making sure you have the crew to run missions and the overall challenge and liveliness of the game. 

[touzenesmy]

One of the best ideas I ever read here

WE NEED IT SQUAD, WE NEED IT !

[Darnok]

6 hours ago, CaLVin-K said:

With one suggestion, the Kerbal should attempt to keep heading, altitude, speed but should give up and hand control back to the player if its not possible. there should also be an option of the Kerbal to attempt to maintain level flight, even if its not at current altitude.

 

6 hours ago, mattinoz said:

To me it would also be better if skilled kerbals interacted to allow more complex tasks than a single kerbals. 

I was thinking about kerbal experience level and with "pilot task" it could work in a way like more experienced kerbal does given task more accurately and new pilots less accurately.
For example 1st level pilot would keep given by player speed (1000m/s), but not as robot, at exactly value of 1000. He would speed up a little more up to 1100m/s, then he would slow down to 900m/s, of course he should change speed slowly, so in effect player should see inexperienced pilot. Same with other tasks, if low level pilot would increase and decrease altitude it would give effect like there would be new pilot flying. Even most experienced kerbal pilot shouldn't be able to keep given speed or altitude like machine at exact value player wants to, there should be margin of error... 10% for 1st level pilot, 8% for 2nd, 6% for 3rd, 4% for 4th and 2% for 5th level.
This should make things more interesting and easier, since if you don't need to make task super precisely give that task to kerbal pilot, but if you need accuracy of 0.1m then do this your self.

One more thing kerbal pilots during task should report amount of fuel not only, as I stated in first post at very end, but more frequently.

Edited May 1, 2016 by Darnok