Progressive planet textures

[The_Rocketeer]

Wouldn't it be cool if the planets started out with kinda vague and washy textures in the Tracking Station/map mode that gradually became more detailed and sharp as you do missions to study them? Kinda like the way details of Pluto were only lately discovered because until now we've only had high-magnification images.

I figure the initial image would be a fuzzy blob taken by a 'surface observatory'/Tracking Station telescopes. Then the image would sharpen through a series of stages, unlocked by placing a vessel camera telescope part in various situations and keeping them there for an interval, similar to how some contracts count how long you've been doing something, e.g. being stationary on the runway, and then transmitting data or returning to get the update.

I imagine there being several stages of detail, e.g pictures from:

• Kerbin's surface
• Anywhere inside Kerbin's SOI
• Within the planet's own SOI
• Low orbit of the chosen planet

Obviously improving images would be worth Science!
 

[mattinoz]

Yes please. That would be science worth finding out.

Would be even cooler if the act of observing changed the observed. Game has only enough information for this basic fuzzy view of the map thenthen the detail generates at each resolution as the part observes that section of the map.  Every game save would have unique maps but have enough common data that players could still share howto's and other information.

[JPLRepo]

Working on a concept of this already. Probably as part of my ResearchBodies/TarsierSpaceTech mods