Base Locations/Expansions (and contracts between them)

[Jimbabble]

First of all,if this has already been mentioned/proposed in another thread, then I apologise.  Had a quick look through recent posts and couldn't find anything like this.

My idea for an expansion is basically a coming-together of various mods in one smooth experience.
I would like to see the option to purchase pre-defined plots of land on Kerbin, and beyond,  These plots can then be expanded (with cash or contract completions to there) to create other Space Centres/Aerodromes, in the same way as the KSC is now.
These bases also unlock the CommNet for that part of the planet (on higher difficulty).

Contracts are generated that go between them.  Examples:-
Fly x units of liquid fuel to the Arctic Base
Fly a Secret Agent from point A to B, but stay below x metres altitude.
Take 2 Kerbals to SW Crater Mun Base, then change them for 2 more, and return them.

I feel that this will give aircraft more of a purpose than waiting for the dual-purpose engines and gunning it skywards, or those 'take a reading' contracts 

I've only just started properly learning how to create planes in KSP (after 150 hours), and feel that this is an opportunity to bring in another style of gameplay.

Feel free to expand on this, or tear it apart!  

[T-Red]

Yeah, it would be convenient to have some additional airstrips on Kerbin, where the player can land and recover aircraft. An additional launchpad closer to the poles can also be useful for launching vessels into polar orbit.

And of course I'd like to use preexisting KSC2 for launches. It's somewhat strange that while vessels can be recovered at KSC2 with 100% funds and the radar is connected to CommNet, we still cannot make any other use of this complex.

[Jimbabble]

Additional thoughts -
- Precision trajectory within a base's area of influence (basically, the Trajectories mod but for unlocked bases and their biomes).  This would help new players as they can send a sub-orbital rocket instead of a plane. 
- Additional R&D at other bases make parts cheaper/lighter/more efficient.
- Refueling mini-biomes you can taxi through to refuel and take-off again without exiting.  This would open up multi-stage missions.

[Codraroll]

This is basically the same idea as a thread I made a few weeks back, so I fully support it. More space centres, missions to transport stuff between them, and the utility they serve by letting you play in all the game's various locations in minutes rather than hours. After you have established connections, that is. You shouldn't be able to launch your first vessel in Career off Eeloo, but once a base is purchased and established, you should have no bigger problems launching from there than from Kerbin. To put it another way: If you have put flags and bases on every planet, launched crewed missions everywhere and returned them, and your stations are orbiting more than half the bodies in the system, racing rocket-powered snowmobiles across the glaciers of Eeloo shouldn't still have to be a complex, hours-long mission out of Kerbin.

I think that the parallel Kerbin bases would need a good reason to exist other than "being there just for having an option". Now, the KSC is pretty much in the ideal location on Kerbin, lying perfectly on the equator and next to a large body of water for soft landings, while being easy to spot from orbit. Frankly, you can't beat the KSC for sheer utility. However, if construction and R&D time was a factor, it would be beneficial to have other complexes to launch from. It could also give the KSC the advantage it needs not to be overshadowed by, say, a Minmus shipyard (where gravity is trivial and Kerbin escape velocity can be acieved using RCS alone): Even though you have to fight your way out of a gravity well and an atmosphere to escape it, the fastest research and assembly would always be done on Kerbin, particularly at the KSC.

[Jimbabble]

Sorry, I didn't see your thread.  Glad there's someone out there with the same thoughts!  My concept was Kerbin-centric, but would easily expand to other bodies.  Accounting for the ease of lift-off/orbiting from a moon, I would likely put the cost of the initial plot up to x Science, y funds, z, reputation, as well as x amount of ore/fuel and hitchhiker containers and MPLs (multiple drops, if needs be).  Basically bring a small construction crew to get started and show that you can easily get there.

[Jimbabble]

I suppose you could limit the tonnage of the vessel from a non-atmosphere SC, limiting it to rovers, orbiters, and insertion flights to its parent planet?

Edited October 13, 2016 by Jimbabble