KSP2 Early Access: ScanSat, KerbNet 2?, Research Bodies, Trajectories

[Vl3d]

I think initially having limited information about celestial bodies and having to orbit and scan them first is a really good idea from ScanSat: generating 2D maps and high resolution 3D overlays shown directly on the celestial body. Telescopes should also help with this as the game progresses.

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Is there any use for KerbNet as it was in KSP1? I found hunting for anomalies kind of interactive / interesting and annoying at the same time. Maybe automating the process like ScanSat does and then analyzing maps / overlays would be better.

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Also I think a tool like the Trajectories mod should be in the game as a high tech part to unlock.

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And I have not seen anything about spiraling orbits displayed in map view (as KSP2 should display orbits that change while under constant acceleration, and maneuver nodes should care about where the acceleration phase starts and where it ends).

PS: Are we going to have a system similar to Research Bodies where we progressively discover celestial bodies (and improve the way they look in map view) with telescopes?

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Any info about these topics?

Edited November 12, 2022 by Vl3d
added Research Bodies as related idea

[shdwlrd]

I think you're getting a little ahead of the game. This info would be better touched on when science or resources are added to the game. 

Granted, I would love to be able to create height maps for planets from the start. But the initial EA release is the bare bones KSP sandbox. So I wouldn't expect anything science related to be included.

[Vl3d]

11 minutes ago, shdwlrd said:

Granted, I would love to be able to create height maps for planets from the start. But the initial EA release is the bare bones KSP sandbox. So I wouldn't expect anything science related to be included.

We need some kind of Altimetry and Slope maps from the beginning so we know where to land, also we need something to detect Biomes and Anomalies. I think we should have telescopes from the start (to detect atmosphere, temperature, initial topography, bodies of liquid). Other maps should come in the first big Science update (maps that integrate information from the experiments and sensors).

As an afterthought, should Radiation be a thing in Early Access from the start?

Edited November 11, 2022 by Vl3d

[regex]

8 hours ago, Vl3d said:

We need some kind of Altimetry and Slope maps from the beginning so we know where to land

Why not just like, look at the planet and decide where to land?

[The Aziz]

Trajectories are essential for pinpoint landings. (I've said it a hundred times). If they want us to do that, such tool needs to be there, otherwise the whole "improved onboarding and user experience" is not a complete feature.

[Vl3d]

2 hours ago, regex said:

Why not just like, look at the planet and decide where to land?

I just don't play like that, I want to pick interesting places to land after analysis of the maps.

[pandaman]

29 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

I just don't play like that, I want to pick interesting places to land after analysis of the maps.

Assuming a similar feature to Kerbnet will be included you can 'drop' waypoints in interesting looking places if no proper mapping feature is present.

[Vl3d]

1 hour ago, pandaman said:

Assuming a similar feature to Kerbnet will be included

Well, that's the point. We don't know if we're getting the interface of KerbNet 2 or that of a ScanSat system. It's going to be a big reveal (hopefully before Feb. 24).

[pandaman]

4 hours ago, Vl3d said:

Well, that's the point. We don't know if we're getting the interface of KerbNet 2 or that of a ScanSat system. It's going to be a big reveal (hopefully before Feb. 24).

Yes a Scansat type function would be great.

To be honest I'm not too bothered about  'advanced notice' of features like that.  Not that I'm not curious, of course I am, but it’s not a big deal for me, I can't do anything with them until I get the game anyway.

Edited November 12, 2022 by pandaman

[Brofessional]

On 11/11/2022 at 5:50 PM, Vl3d said:

We need some kind of Altimetry and Slope maps from the beginning so we know where to land, also we need something to detect Biomes and Anomalies. I think we should have telescopes from the start (to detect atmosphere, temperature, initial topography, bodies of liquid). Other maps should come in the first big Science update (maps that integrate information from the experiments and sensors).

As an afterthought, should Radiation be a thing in Early Access from the start?

In my day we eyeballed the landing and hiked fifteen kilometers to the target and back without maps, uphill, both ways. AND WE LIKED IT.

[mcwaffles2003]

On 11/11/2022 at 6:50 PM, Vl3d said:

We need some kind of Altimetry and Slope maps from the beginning so we know where to land, also we need something to detect Biomes and Anomalies. I think we should have telescopes from the start (to detect atmosphere, temperature, initial topography, bodies of liquid). Other maps should come in the first big Science update (maps that integrate information from the experiments and sensors).

As an afterthought, should Radiation be a thing in Early Access from the start?

Those are all scientific instruments... We're getting a very base game at launch with very limited features. QoL features are not a day 1 priority nor what they want us to debug for them (finding bugs in their code for them is the point of the early access release)... I think they just want to make sure the basic physics of the game works so they can focus their bug fixes to very base core elements before they fix bugs dependent on those systems. If those are the things you are hoping for on a day 1 experience I'd suggest tempering your hopes AND waiting until full release as I can almost guarantee you will see the game as very under developed, bare bones, and unsatisfying.

[MarcAbaddon]

SCANSAT functionality is a rare example where I think it definitely belongs in the base game. So does some form of trajectories (though SCANSAT can be used for this as well, since it shows your trajectory on the maps), because once we have colonies landing at just the right spot is more important, and that is currently annoyingly hard without this feature.

But I think it does not need to be in the first release, but we need it at some point before colonies.

Research bodies seems more like an optional thing, best left for a mod, unless there are some interesting missions like launching orbital telescopes involved with it.

[WelshSteW]

 

I really hope we have a system similar to the Research Bodies mod, as it fits in really well with how I like to play. I like to explore, and find thing by going and seeing, rather than just having it all in the map view from the start.