damage system overhaul + Kerbal classes

[Mozzarellaman]

Would it be possible to change the "damage system" (if you can call it one) in a way that parts don't just pop off, when hit by others or the ground?

For example:

Gas tanks get cracks or dents and leak fuel.

Probe cores don't function anymore.

Engines don't work or can't be stopped or start burning until they explode or overheat a lot quicker.

Solar panels get stuck in their position and/or produce less power.

Lander legs get stuck in their position and/or are bent all over the place.

Lights don't work.

Decouplers get stuck or fire at the crash.

Wings would get bent a lot.

Flaps would come loose/out of control or stuck in their position.

Fuel lines would brake and leak fuel.

These are just some ideas I came up with, but you get the idea. In fact, post your own ideas please!

I think it would be a lot nicer if the ship did not just fall apart and every piece was fine on its own, but the ship would be genuinely damaged but still in one piece, so you could see the damage.

And also certain Kerbals would be able to repair some of that damage. There would be different classes of Kerbals (Story mode just got a lot more interresting): Mechanics (can repair stuff), pilots (can fly stuff), doctors (can heal stuff) and so on Post your ideas!

Excuse my grammar mistakes if there are any, I'm German

[stupid_chris]

I see where you're going, but I'm wondering if that would really end up being in the game. Thing is, the developers are against forms of random damage, that's is likely unpredictable and could or could not happen for no reason during the flight and hinder your progress, they really want your success to only be based on did you crash onto something: Y/N? For this reason, the parts are in a boolean state right now, nominal (working) or broken (exploded). Now your proposition if far from being random, and I guess this would be based on impact velocity, but I'm just wondering how this would affect gameplay. I most definitely agree this would be fun, as long as the damage can be repaired, like rover wheels, but I'm worried it might nerf unmanned missions to an extent. Hmm.

And yeah, Kerbal classes are planned, you'll be able to train your Kerbals to do different things and develop skills.

By the way, your grammar is just fine and better than a lot of native English I had the chance to encounter

[Technical Ben]

Then make it less random.

Make it so that low speed collisions cause minor damage (1 or 2 panels of an entire array gone, lower output. Dent in can etc).

[stupid_chris]

Then make it less random.

Make it so that low speed collisions cause minor damage (1 or 2 panels of an entire array gone, lower output. Dent in can etc).

You did not read my post carefully, I even said this wasn't random. I'm just wondering if the devs would be interested to add this form of repairable (if your Kerbal has the right skill) damage to the game. Unrepairable damage would likely be an annoyance to everyone.

[Sean Mirrsen]

An annoyance in what way? I'll take a crumpled tank with half capacity, a bent wing, a faulty decoupler that may not fire, or a smashed engine that doesn't give coaxial thrust and has less power, over any of those things fully intact, but torn off the craft or gone in a puff of smoke.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Sean Mirrsen
Typo

[Mozzarellaman]

You did not read my post carefully, I even said this wasn't random. I'm just wondering if the devs would be interested to add this form of repairable (if your Kerbal has the right skill) damage to the game. Unrepairable damage would likely be an annoyance to everyone.

I see your problem, the thing with the unrepairable damage would be an issue..

But when you have probes and they collide with something, instead of losing the parts AND shifting the centre of mass, those parts would just be broken.

You can't repair something that is no longer attached to your vessel, that is, if the part just fell off. And if you really really want to repair something, send a kerbal up there.

[Tw1]

It would be nicer if there was a repair option though.

[stupid_chris]

Not being able to repair damaged parts would be annoying. If you send a mission to duna to land and come back, and that during your landing you scraped your left engine and for some reason it doesn't work well anymore, and you can't even repair it, I'll be pretty damn annoyed to not be able to repair it. This adds the whole depth of bringing Kerbals who can repair stuff and the Kerbal skill training idea.

[Mozzarellaman]

Exactly, that's what I mean.

And also you don't have to restart your mission, since you can repair anything and minimize the damage taken.

For instance, your cockpit gets hit.

Option one: It falls off... well yeah.

Option two: No SAS; reaction wheels are broken; loss of electrical charge; exit obstructed. All until someone repairs it, which also costs you electrical charge.

I'd prefer option two

[Mozzarellaman]

yeah, but if the parts just fell of, repairing them is somewhat more difficult than if there actually was an option to repair them

[NeoLegends]

Not being able to repair damaged parts would be annoying. If you send a mission to duna to land and come back, and that during your landing you scraped your left engine and for some reason it doesn't work well anymore, and you can't even repair it, I'll be pretty damn annoyed to not be able to repair it. This adds the whole depth of bringing Kerbals who can repair stuff and the Kerbal skill training idea.

But then you'd have a change of repairing it (and completing the mission). If it, like it is today, just pops off, there is no chance of completing the mission anmore. You can still turn the fuel pumps to that engine off so that you can balance the thrust again. (If they're not broken as well ofc)

[Sean Mirrsen]

Not being able to repair damaged parts would be annoying. If you send a mission to duna to land and come back, and that during your landing you scraped your left engine and for some reason it doesn't work well anymore, and you can't even repair it, I'll be pretty damn annoyed to not be able to repair it. <snip>

More than you would be annoyed at the part popping off entirely or exploding instead of being damaged? It's not like the current parts can take a whole lot of punishment - a lightweight unmanned rover turning over can already break solar panels - both folding and normal ones, housing or no. Rovers can already break their wheels just driving around. I think that getting rid of the "spontaneous mass existence failure" principle would be a great move, not least because it would give you warning without completely breaking whatever you're flying. If the stress of the engine block pushing up against a heavy rocket is too great for a fuel tank to handle, right now it'll just take the punishment, and then suddenly explode. If it could get damaged, you could get advance warning - if the tank starts to crumple, you have barely seconds left to throttle down before something breaks completely. This could be very useful in career mode, where you likely won't have the option of just rolling back bad launches.

[oggylt]

well i would love bent engine or wing instead of tremendous detonation of delta wing, or landing gear, i mean not all things has to explode, they could go puff only when the speed is ridiculous, and repair skill should not be involved at all, if you exploded the wing then the same effect should be just by bending it over.

[Mozzarellaman]

I don't get your point. sorry