Marine Exploration Content/Expansion

[Batrachos]

I haven't been following KSP2 development too closely so forgive me if this is something that's already largely planned for KSP2, but I would really love some content or a DLC devoted around marine exploration.  Aquatic alien environments are important future targets of investigation in space exploration, and I believe it would be great if this was reflected in KSP2.  The content I have in mind would largely be focused on submersibles and buoyant rovers, although if IG wants they could totally expand to typical aquatic crafts like boats and submarines as well

What would this additional content entail?

Parts:

• Command Modules: 2-3 Crew pods, 1-2 probe cores, 1-2 habitat modules
• New Aquatic Propulsion systems (maybe some pure hydrogen fuel that can be generated with new hydrolysis parts?)
• Ballast & Flotation systems
• Structural & hydrodynamic parts
• Aquatic landing gear & new cargo/bay parts
• New lamps/lighting  parts, cameras + monitor feeds (think raster prop monitor)
• Improved nuclear energy tech, fission too? (for deep sea mission power requirements)
• 2-3 new science parts/experiments
• Buoyancy system for kerbals on EVA

Celestial Bodies:

New marine environments/biomes/anomalies on the following:

• Kerbin
• Laythe
• Eve
• Gurdamma
• Merbel
• Icy moons (Vall + others) with a subsurface ocean that's many kms below, only reachable via deep canyon like cracks.

Any celestial body that holds life should have that added in visually to create a more enriching experience for the players

Kerbin: Modern earth like marine ecosystems. (coral reefs, kelp forests, deep benthic zones etc.)

Vall + Other ice shell moons: Could have microbial-mats/stromatolite-like formations of chemosynthetic bacteria near hydrothermal vents

 

It would also be cool to see a planet or moon outside of the Kerbol system that contains more advanced forms for life, something akin to Ediacaran or Early Cambrian life forms

Edited May 20, 2023 by Batrachos

[dr.phees]

Yes, that would be nice. Diving in Kerbin's oceans is really nice and gets actually creepy the deeper you go, just, there is nothing there...

Imagine we had some underwater scenery like in Trailmakers...

[Batrachos]

7 hours ago, dr.phees said:

Yes, that would be nice. Diving in Kerbin's oceans is really nice and gets actually creepy the deeper you go, just, there is nothing there...

Imagine we had some underwater scenery like in Trailmakers...

Yeah I've made submersibles before, with stock parts using loaded up ore tanks as ballast (the thing was absurdly heavy, i had to roll it off the runway very slowly).  It's just so awkward as is, and having to use jet engines producing smoke clouds underwater is hilariously out of place.  Not to mention it really is just a vastly empty place down there, nothing but clear water and a featureless sea floor.  Would be very cool to explore coral reefs on kerbin, or weave between massive ice crystals forming downwards from the ice shell on Vall

[dr.phees]

Maybe a cave or two

Also: Missions on Kerbin could be retrieval of sunken sample return-capsules, meteorites and similar.

Missions on other planets and moons would also be sample gathering, science base construction or at least setting up deep submersible science experiments, maybe searching for life, examining 'strange' signals.

Scansat type science could be supported by plane or even ship based scanning...

[Batrachos]

Oh yeah scanning tech could be cool since SCANSAT wouldn't be able to penetrate below the thick ice shell.  Maybe some radar parts too to map the sea floor/detect the '?" anomalies of ice shell moons, although that would be very time consuming to map

[BowlerHatGuy3]

On 5/14/2023 at 9:23 PM, Batrachos said:

Kerbin, Laythe and Vall should have life added in visually (scatter objects like coral reefs, kelp forests etc).

I don’t agree with the sentiment that all planets with liquid should have life (which is a large reason why I decided not to use parallax).

Our understanding of the universe right now is that life is extremely rare if not exclusive to earth, and the game should reflect that. There should be only one other planet with life in KSP2 and it shouldn’t be in the Kerbol system imo.

Edited May 20, 2023 by BowlerHatGuy3
Clarity

[Batrachos]

Fair enough, Laythe doesn't need to have life tbh.  I only went with Laythe because we don't really know enough about new the exoplanets/moons to know how suitable they would be.  It seems Gurdamma is going to be a young kerbin, so too early for life to have formed.  The other target could be Merbel, but we don't know much about the oceanic or atmospheric composition.

Or potentially a yet to be disclosed celestial body would be an even better candidate

As far as Vall goes.  I think having very limited, fairly boring vats of microbes is a safe and tantalizing approach to teasing life outside of kerbal, and could spur players to explore for life outside the kerbol system like you suggest.

Edited May 21, 2023 by Batrachos

[KerikBalm]

On 5/15/2023 at 9:14 PM, Batrachos said:

Yeah I've made submersibles before, with stock parts using loaded up ore tanks as ballast (the thing was absurdly heavy, i had to roll it off the runway very slowly).  It's just so awkward as is, and having to use jet engines producing smoke clouds underwater is hilariously out of place.  Not to mention it really is just a vastly empty place down there, nothing but clear water and a featureless sea floor.  Would be very cool to explore coral reefs on kerbin, or weave between massive ice crystals forming downwards from the ice shell on Vall

With breaking ground in ksp1, you could have electric rotors propel your sub, powered by RTGs.

Simple text editing could make surface features show up there 

[Pat20999]

NOICE, it would be very NOICE to have.

[dr.phees]

But Kerbals might bring life to other bodies of water!

[dr.phees]

*That* would be so cool. The science tree could have Gene Manipulation in it and would allow to tailor certain life forms to a body's characteristics. (Within boundaries)

This would allow some new gameplay: Building huge space based telescopes / telescope arrays with solar system sized base length(!) to search for extra-kerbolar systems that contain planets as life supporting as possible and visit these systems to not only colonize but also to plant life if none is already present.

You would have to transport large amounts of fitting biomass / life forms, ranging from frozen bacteria to a proper Ark, transporting large amounts of living animals and plants. Or you could (higher techlevel) send a large BioEngineering factory module and start tailoring life.

I think the game should be able to support some simple animals. They would not have to be persistant/simulated. A body would have a couple of values per Biome: Number or density of each "imported" species. Those would then be placed randomly when landmass is loaded. That way they could actually even be static and would still seem to move, since they would be loaded at random locations with each landmass loading. (Moving animals would be cooler, but this would already be very cool).

 

That sounds KSP 2.0, right?

Edited June 2, 2023 by dr.phees

[some_failure]

yes i want to make kerbal atlantis 

[Strawberry]

Since no one mentioned this, the devs have confirmed that buoyancy and hydrodynamics will be in game (AMA 1).

 They've also expressed lots of interest the ocean will likely play an important role in some things. 

Still no official confirmation we will get dedicated parts for both, but there is confirmation that the game will support things like submarines and boats. 

[Lowi_Sace]

On 5/15/2023 at 3:23 AM, Batrachos said:

Icy moons (Vall + others) with a subsurface ocean that's many kms below, only reachable via deep canyon like cracks.

Would be cool if with colonies you could drill a hole to let submarines and probes into the subsurface ocean. Maybe some crackes with  water  vape comming out (like jupiters moon) 

some parts for ships and water bases would indeed be very cool and will create a lot of exploring and science options. 

Microbial life detecting tech would also bea cool science part. 

 

but this is not high priority, but maybe fun idea for future update/DLC

[Vl3d]

Yes, but no carbon fiber hulls please.

[HammerTyme]

I would absolutely love if they did something like this. I know it’s a space game and all but.. being able to explore oceans on distant planets would be incredible. 

[dr.phees]

Everything is in space...

[Vortygont]

Interesting idea, if I'm not wrong devs somewhere mentioned that they are interested in mechanics conected with buoyancy. But there are many technical difficulties. It will compete with the height map system, so that's why it is so difficult to add caves in KSP2.  Another problem - how much will this content be interesting. You can add reefes on Kerbin in some places, but to make game scientifically accurate not all planets will have life. So what will you do in the giant but empty underground Vall ocean, maybe if there will be resources it makes sence. But if buoyancy will be added with ship parts, I believe game would have water colonies and ships, otherwise there won't be sense. With ships you can make comfortable sea delivery routes and explore planets with oceans easlier

[DibzNr]

I'd love this, being able to send submarines and such to distant bodies to explore their depths, and maybe even set up underwater bases, would be such a sick mechanic