KSP spinoff as a plugin-expansion (base building)

[aruoch]

Rather than release an entirely new game here is 100% what KSP should do in the future with a new game or large expansion.

 

1) everything starts with KSP. add in a new item to KSP that's called a Base module munufactorum, which will allow extraplanetary launches, but more specifically sets up a colony, and missions to deliver colonists. this can occur anywhere - on the muun, laythe, on space station, on an asteroid. each will offer different challenges.

 

2) once the colony has been filled and the base module deployed, the KSP base-building simulation can be started, although since it'd be a new dlc or game entirely, this can be started on it's own, but will then not link back to your KSP save file.

 

3) the new VAB for this mode doesn't really focus on vehicles and rockets, although most things are still available, it focuses on surveying, mining and base module construction. expansion cannot occur without getting more resources. there's a high focus on living space, and if there is no air, on life support systems, on food. rather than being vehicle based it has to be more kerbal based in a lot of ways. maybe if you start or land on laythe, there are animals that can attack or be domesticated and plant life that can be farmed or expoited. other places would need special bays to grow food rather than just having farms. 

 

4) back in KSP this can be expedited with other missions to gather asteroids or pre-arrange mining vehicles, or fully delivering pre-constructed modules.

 

5) once the base is complete, colonists can expand and it becomes more like a population sim. maybe it's like spore past a certain point and everything goes up in scale so to speak. 

 

6) once the population sim is over, the new base can be used the same as kerbin with no resource constraints, as all the mineral fields are being exploited.

 

7) when the colony becomes a new kerbin-tier planet technology is unlocked, and the colonists will gain a bonus to re-colonisation efforts of other planets of some sort. 

 

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the biggest work required for this is vastly improving the quality of every planet. if people are going to set up in space they don't care about the scenery, but personally i think every planet needs a lot of work adding significant features, especially on kerbin and laythe. kerbin still has no towns or cities of any sort and it's just odd at this point. laythe has no plants other than green floor. same for kerbin. just do it like a flight sim game and itll still be okay.

Edited July 14, 2019 by aruoch