'Dismissing' kerbals

[The Dressian Exploder]

Picture the scene, you've landed a few kerbals on the Mun, you line them up next to the flag and then you mess about a bit with one of them. Yet the other kerbals are all deathly still, occasionally looking at their hands or scratching their butts, but still rooted to the spot all the same. 

 

My suggestion is to have an option to 'dismiss' a kerbal, which would basically mean they could walk around randomly and do what they like. When you're done you could 'call to attention' and move your kerbals back in the lander one by one. You could probably use the script from the kerbals at the bottom of the vehicle assembly building to make this random movement work, idk? Comment what you think y'all!

[kerbiloid]

= Kerbal idle animations

[The Dressian Exploder]

11 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

= Kerbal idle animations

Well, the idle animations are nice and all, but the kerbals still stay in the same position. What I'm suggesting here is that they actually walk around instead of just scratching their butts.

[razark]

And then you lose most of your crew because they wandered off a cliff, and one bumps into the lander and knocks it over.

If those issues were addressed, it might work.

[ARS]

It's better not letting them 'wander' aimlessly, lest they could ruin your mission by toppling a lander or walking where they're not supposed to (especially on Gilly). Kerbal idle animations are good, but could be improved. Like instead of just staring at their hands or scratching their butt, a more 'active' animation could be utilized, such as:

-sitting on the ground and goes stargazing

-turn around to see the surrounding area and squints as if seeing something interesting

-making small hops in place

-fiddling around with their jetpack controller

A profession-specific animation could also be used:

-for pilot, they turn on their RCS thrusters and hop, trying to hover a short distance from the surface (on high gravity world where RCS is useless, after hopping, instead of hovering, they fall flat on their face)

-for scientist, they pulled off (random) handheld observation device and try to do something with it, like measuring atmosphere gas concentration (on atmospheric celestial bodies only), taking soil sample, rangefinding the faraway terrain, etc. the action is randomised each time it's triggered

-for engineer, they pulled off (random) engineering tool, such as handheld welder, power drill etc. and fiddle with it, such as poking the tip of the drill or trying to actually drill the soil, accidentally turned on the welder at high power setting, etc

[kerbiloid]

and

24 minutes ago, razark said:

they wandered off a cliff, and one bumps into the lander and knocks it over. 

for Tourists.

So, you should herd them.
 

[AHHans]

6 hours ago, ARS said:

Kerbal idle animations are good, but could be improved. Like instead of just staring at their hands or scratching their butt, a more 'active' animation could be utilized, such as:

-sitting on the ground and goes stargazing

-turn around to see the surrounding area and squints as if seeing something interesting

-making small hops in place

-fiddling around with their jetpack controller

A profession-specific animation could also be used:

-for pilot, they turn on their RCS thrusters and hop, trying to hover a short distance from the surface (on high gravity world where RCS is useless, after hopping, instead of hovering, they fall flat on their face) 

-for scientist, they pulled off (random) handheld observation device and try to do something with it, like measuring atmosphere gas concentration (on atmospheric celestial bodies only), taking soil sample, rangefinding the faraway terrain, etc. the action is randomised each time it's triggered

-for engineer, they pulled off (random) engineering tool, such as handheld welder, power drill etc. and fiddle with it, such as poking the tip of the drill or trying to actually drill the soil, accidentally turned on the welder at high power setting, etc

I really like your idea! In particular the idea of profession-specific animations.

[Enceos]

Yes, improving idle animations is the only wait to go, unfortunately. This is a physics based game and any uncontrolled movement of an object on a surface can have undesired consequences and kraken summons. Kerbals can be preprogrammed to follow a certain patrol route with EVA Follower mod.

[DStaal]

As someone who occasionally leaves a scientist standing on a thin ledge on top of a science rover while the batteries in the rover recharge so I can transmit the science and have the scientist reset the experiments...

Walking around randomly will cause *lots* of issues.  More variety of idle animations is fine, but they need to be able to stay where I put them. 

[kerbiloid]

A "call to flag" animation maybe?

(Though, of course it's an antonym to "dismiss").

P.S.
In idle the Kerbals may play with scaled copies of in-game and other objects in hands, like crystals, cubic rubiks, yo-yos, etc.
And make selfies with selfie sticks.

Edited August 2, 2019 by kerbiloid

[CaveJohnson376]

31 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

In idle the Kerbals may play with scaled copies of in-game and other objects in hands, like crystals, cubic rubiks, yo-yos, etc.
And make selfies with selfie sticks.

When they in cabins on stable orbit and nothing planned for next 5 years? That would be cool. Yo-yo in space, yay

If a kerbal would do it in crew cabin, that would be okey, but if the cabin is command pod or lab, it wouldnt be okay.

Edited August 2, 2019 by CaveJohnson376

[kerbiloid]

11 minutes ago, CaveJohnson376 said:

When they in cabins on stable orbit and nothing planned for next 5 years? That would be cool. Yo-yo in space, yay

If a kerbal would do it in crew cabin, that would be okey, but if the cabin is command pod or lab, it wouldnt be okay.

I mean, on the Mun, standing next to the lander, yo-yoing, and rubiking cubes, while the only Kerbal controlled by the player is doing something.

[CaveJohnson376]

13 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

I mean, on the Mun, standing next to the lander, yo-yoing, and rubiking cubes, while the only Kerbal controlled by the player is doing something.

I dont think, that will be at least not realistic.

[kerbiloid]

Just now, CaveJohnson376 said:

I dont think, that will be at least not realistic.

In a game where green alien species can survive for years in a 1.5 m wide capsule without air and food?
Maybe.

[CaveJohnson376]

Just now, kerbiloid said:

In a game where green alien species can survive for years in a 1.5 m wide capsule without air and food?
Maybe.

I have some theory about air... But anyways, doesn't matter, how they can survive with space suit only in space for years.

[kerbiloid]

5 minutes ago, CaveJohnson376 said:

But anyways, doesn't matter, how they can survive with space suit only in space for years.

Which idle animations in spacesuits with gloves and usually helmets can look realistic?
When they can't even scratch.

So, that's why I mentioned crystals, like they are understanding something in rocks, and cubics with yo-yos because they look cute.

[CaveJohnson376]

2 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

Which idle animations in spacesuits with gloves and usually helmets can look realistic?
When they can't even scratch.

So, that's why I mentioned crystals, like they are understanding something in rocks, and cubics with yo-yos because they look cute.

Only animations suitable for landed is picking up random rocks from ground and, if they picked up any, small ground features.

[kerbiloid]

2 minutes ago, CaveJohnson376 said:

Only animations suitable for landed is picking up random rocks from ground and, if they picked up any, small ground features.

You're absolutely right and see the point!

And how many stones can they pick up from ground and have a look at, staying still on one place?

So, they've got bored and now are playing toys, awaiting for start.

P.S.
Texting! This is absolutely needed.

Edited August 2, 2019 by kerbiloid

[CaveJohnson376]

Just now, kerbiloid said:

You're absolutely right and see the point!

And how many stones can they pick up from ground and have a look at, staying still on one place?

So, they've got bored and now are playing toys, awaiting for start.

So, there comes the problem, where they get these toys? And how they playing them? Isn't better make them just wander around stuff and look at all this.
And when there comes another lander, they come in line but in some distance to look at, and when it is landedsuccesfully, they cheer and clap, but if crashed and stops moving, they come to see, what happens and trying to save survived kerbals.

[kerbiloid]

Just now, CaveJohnson376 said:

So, there comes the problem, where they get these toys?

From the suit pockets.

1 minute ago, CaveJohnson376 said:

And how they playing them?

They are handwaving, the toy between the hands is animated.

Also they can read books. Maybe instructions.

2 minutes ago, CaveJohnson376 said:

Isn't better make them just wander around stuff and look at all this.

The active one may spend hours. Would anybody just keep standing still?

4 minutes ago, CaveJohnson376 said:

And when there comes another lander, they come in line but in some distance to look at

They should run away and hide behind theirs, but as they shouldn't mode, they must just duck and cover, until it has landed.

5 minutes ago, CaveJohnson376 said:

when

if

6 minutes ago, CaveJohnson376 said:

it is landedsuccesfully

 

7 minutes ago, CaveJohnson376 said:

but if crashed and stops moving, they

report by radio and start handwaving to the active Kerbal to get back immediately and quickly fly away, as the crash site is probably poisonous and flammable.

9 minutes ago, CaveJohnson376 said:

trying to save survived kerbals

Yes. Themselves.