EAS-1 External Command Seat as a Main Module

[JLE]

I stil can't believe why you can't have the EAS-1 External Command Seat as a Main Module, everytime I want to build a rover/plane/spaceplane/cars/submarines/fun weird stuff/others, I have to add an electric module which is not as fun as trying things with the EAS-1.

So, I suggest SQUAD people to make this External Command Seat a Main Module.

(I think this would add tons of fun for people.

Thanks,

[Armisael]

I'd like to be able to load kerbals directly into the chair on launch, but no more buffs. The part's already crazy good.

To be honest, I'd actually like to see it nerfed such that a kerbal in the chair on a ship exposed to >2g falls out.

[FungusForge]

8 minutes ago, Armisael said:

...exposed to >8g falls out.

Fixed it! At 2g I'd have to drive slow enough to be overtaken by snails.

E: But even then it'd take the fun out of strapping kerbals to SRBs.

Edited May 11, 2016 by FungusForge

[JLE]

I would also sugget that if you fly a plane, you could be able to use a parachute for the Kebopilot

[The_Rocketeer]

There are mods for all of this. I mean, I know some people want everything to be stock, but seriously, the resource is there.... just use it!

[klgraham1013]

3 hours ago, The_Rocketeer said:

There are mods for all of this. I mean, I know some people want everything to be stock, but seriously, the resource is there.... just use it!

This isn't something like life support or construction time.  This is something that should be stock.  Try explaining to a new player why one specific command module can't be crewed in the VAB.  It makes no sense.

[The_Rocketeer]

@klgraham1013 yes you're right it should be stock, but if the problem is that you can't do it in stock for arbitrary reasons, the short-term solution is always mods.

Edited May 11, 2016 by The_Rocketeer

[sumghai]

I suspect that the EAS-1 was strictly intended for use in small lightweight unpressurized rovers accompanying a pressurized crew lander, much like the Lunar Rover hung off the side of the Lunar Module during the Apollo missions, and thus deliberately designed not to be commandable from the VAB/SPH.

In the unlikely event that SQUAD decide to turn the EAS-1 into a true command module, it would require them to replace the KerbalSeat module with ModuleCommand, which would additionally necessitate:

- An IVA for the chair

- Modified seat entering/exiting behaviour (ModuleCommand relies on an invisible airlock collider to detect when a Kerbal is ready to board/disembarked from a pod, while KerbalSeat uses the right-click context menu)

- Additional logic to deal with Kerbal suit appearance in EVA/IVA. By default, Kerbals in EVA all wear white suits, while in IVA they either wear orange or silver suits; it would be rather strange for the Kerbal's suit color to suddenly change while switching back and forth between the flight and IVA scene.

All in all, we're looking at significant development effort into a single feature, which probably isn't the most cost-effective use of time.

[nli2work]

tack the command seat onto the Mk1 pod. a simple MM patch can fix this up easy. 

[cantab]

What exactly do you want to do? "Launch" with a Kerbal in the seat already? I agree that ought to be added and shouldn't be too hard.

Place the external seat as the first part? That's more complex. At the moment it's a "surface attach" part with no attachments nodes, and all parts like that cannot be the first part placed to make a vessel. They usually also cannot have other parts attached to them, and that would in any case be problematic with the external seat considering its complex small-scale shape.

[mattinoz]

7 hours ago, sumghai said:

I suspect that the EAS-1 was strictly intended for use in small lightweight unpressurized rovers accompanying a pressurized crew lander, much like the Lunar Rover hung off the side of the Lunar Module during the Apollo missions, and thus deliberately designed not to be commandable from the VAB/SPH.

In the unlikely event that SQUAD decide to turn the EAS-1 into a true command module, it would require them to replace the KerbalSeat module with ModuleCommand, which would additionally necessitate:

- An IVA for the chair

- Modified seat entering/exiting behaviour (ModuleCommand relies on an invisible airlock collider to detect when a Kerbal is ready to board/disembarked from a pod, while KerbalSeat uses the right-click context menu)

- Additional logic to deal with Kerbal suit appearance in EVA/IVA. By default, Kerbals in EVA all wear white suits, while in IVA they either wear orange or silver suits; it would be rather strange for the Kerbal's suit color to suddenly change while switching back and forth between the flight and IVA scene.

All in all, we're looking at significant development effort into a single feature, which probably isn't the most cost-effective use of time.

Or change the system so that each ModuleCommand contains within it a number of KerbalSeats. Then change the crewing system so that it looks for KerbalSeats and who's in them. So the Crewing system in SPH/VAB/Runway/LaunchPad would have access to every KerbalSeat. While Crew Tranfer System would run a quick test to see if Kerbal can point to point transfer between those two seats without using an airlock or hitting a part that doesn't allow crew resource transfer and only present seats, airlocks or doors that can be reached. 

The IVA would then be a 3d scene containing said KerbalSeat which would in turn contain said Kerbals. Kerbals already in a seat could unbuckle from the seat either EVA or IVA. Leading the way for free movement of Kerbals in the IVA scene.   CommandModule could also have other sub parts like AirlockModule that causes the Kerbal to change put on the white space suit.

This would solve the problem at hand in the first instance, avoid the issues you noted and open up other good things to happen in "future" version.

#skinTheCatDifferent

[Climberfx]

i manage to put the seat codes for 4 places in one part, but KSP only let me use one kerbalSeat seated at a time.

I have the four pivots, i have the seats codes on cfg for each one (seatPivot01,02,03,04), but when i seat one Kerbal, all others got locked together.

So, i believe in the actual functionality of the module, i will have to use separate parts por each seat inside the part

(you can see what i'm talking about on the last post of my signature thread.)

[foamyesque]

I just want to be able to start my rovers with a Kerbal driving them, is that so much to ask

[Climberfx]

Just have some patience, Papa_Joe is finding a solution for us. I believe in him!

Edited July 13, 2016 by Climberfx

[The_Rocketeer]

6 hours ago, Climberfx said:

Just have some patience, Papa_Joe is finding a solution for us. I believe in him!

The solution has already been found. I sort of hinted at this last month...

On 11/05/2016 at 3:14 PM, The_Rocketeer said:

There are mods for all of this. I mean, I know some people want everything to be stock, but seriously, the resource is there.... just use it!

Here: Take Command.

[Climberfx]

17 minutes ago, The_Rocketeer said:

The solution has already been found. I sort of hinted at this last month...

Here: Take Command.

Great! Downloading!

Thank you!

[Rocket In My Pocket]

I think this is a bit of a game play balance concession.

If the external chair could be crewed from the VAB, why would you use any other command module for crewed missions? It's the lightest, and you are prolly going to add more reaction wheels/batteries to your craft anyways.

I'd wager the Dev's gave it this limitation to avoid having every single rocket look the same, with a few Kerbals hanging off the side in chairs.

Take Command is a good mod for those who want this functionality, I'll admit it helps a lot when testing rovers and such. That said, I had some issues with using it in 1.1.3 as it was throwing up all sorts of exceptions. Perhaps it's been updated though.

[Slam_Jones]

On 7/13/2016 at 9:35 AM, The_Rocketeer said:

The solution has already been found. I sort of hinted at this last month...

Here: Take Command.

Oh, they updated it?  Or are you suggesting an out-of-date mod without looking at what version it is?

Because last I checked it was very buggy and could get your Kerbals stuck in an IVA that doesn't 100% really exist.  The fact the the version listed on the mod page itself doesn't match up with the current KSP version tells me that it quite likely hasn't been fixed or updated yet.

But, I guess, if it works, then it works.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Slam_Jones

[The_Rocketeer]

@Slam_Jones  yes I am not only suggesting but recommending it despite being 'out-of-date' because:

a) it works fine 99% of the time,
b) it does exactly what people have been asking for, and
c) it's better than having people in this thread trying to create from scratch a mod that already exists.

If people think they can improve on it, I suggest they get in touch with @seanmcdougall and offer to collaborate. In a few weeks I expect it will be updated to 1.1.3 anyway, and I also strongly doubt there will be much difference besides a 'current release' entry in a cfg.

No mod I've ever used has been absolutely flawless, including this one, but that being said I've used it to fill a 40-seat craft and had no catastrophic failures - a few guys had to be EVA'd back into their seats, and I'm pretty sure that was my own fault for making their helmets clip because the seats were too close together. I did also get the 'trapped in a fake IVA' problem once, but clicking the EVA button on the portrait something got me out of it.. it could have been forcing EVA, or it could have been a revert/relaunch. I have a feeling the button I was thinking of is actually an IVA button. Gah.. I must be getting old!

Edited July 13, 2016 by The_Rocketeer