About the Tech tree

[HueHue]

Now hang on a minute. When I think tech tree, I think Victoria II. (Hearts of Iron 3's tech tree being so absurdly in-depth it's not worth even making a pass at implementing).

A quick overview, you've got tech families. Military, Industrial, Cultural, all that fun stuff. You can choose the focus of your administration: this gives bonuses to some tech family research speeds (or point cost, if we go that route) and nerfs others. For example in this image, Bavaria has a Corporatist-Industrialist complex that gives very significant boosts to commerce and industry research while hampering your military and naval research. Each level of technology you research in a tree in a family gives you a specific bonus. Here I have Clean Coal selected as an example. Clean coal is a massive boon to coal and iron production, but also comes with two inventions. Inventions are a percentage chance over time of triggering. I've highlighted the invention of Proto-Existentialism to bring up that UI.

Now how does this translate to KSP?

We could have five families: crew modules, probe parts, engines, science and utility. Obviously there would be fewer inventions and trees than Vicky at first (Victoria II espousing a whopping 150 techs and over 500 inventions) but the idea would be the same. In Crew Modules, you could have the trees of Aircraft, Life Support, 1-Man, 3-Man, Lander. Etc etc.

[Hamilton T Ksos]

I like the idea of experiments to get data, and deliver the data to Kerbin to get science done. Then there is the type of science and how it applies. I am also all for being limited to sub-orbital until a few experiments are done on the upper atmosphere, the you can progress to orbit, them the mun, Duna, etc... I just don't want to have to go to the Mun before I can build an orbital platform. or the other way around.

I await the actual science equipment and experiments that go with it. Harv described the experiments as one-shot deals where data is collected than delivered back. I hope that the experiments are not only time based, i.e. deploy experiment, wait a day, collect results, but also include actions. such as collect data while driving a rover through the mountains successfully to make better materials. or have a "black box" part to get data from failed missions to improve computing. I am also assuming the Kerbals' Stupidity levels will factor in to the experiments as well.

In the tree, I hope it is more free-form than the rigid examples from strategy games. I want to pick my own successful or unsuccessful path. I want to invent the aerosol spray can before the wheel! Nevermind lighter materials, get a better ISP and thrust! Never invent the RTG and rely completely on kolar power, triple-K batteries, and an Exercycle connected to a generator. (hamster powered probe anyone?) KSP has a silly and ridiculous side to it. please keep it. The only pre-requisite to an achievement should be the ability to construct the equipment to achieve it.

[triffid_hunter]

I want to invent the aerosol spray can before the wheel!

+1 for Douglas Adams reference

I like the rest of your idea too, ie a highly expanded tech tree with some random variations thrown in, like a 1 in 1e7 chance of discovering quantum physics shortly after the telescope, balanced to roughly follow our historical pace of development

[alacrity]

I am a huge fan of eve online. There has never been a more complex skill and tech tree in any game ever....

i mean if we are going for a tech tree, lets go full excel with it

Alacrity

[Scotius]

LOL No! I remember tech tree from EVE - it was brutal. I do enjoy such things, i'm min-maxer at heart - but it was ridiculous and i bounced off it like a rubber band off the wall.

[regex]

I am a huge fan of eve online. There has never been a more complex skill and tech tree in any game ever....

i mean if we are going for a tech tree, lets go full excel with it

So basically in KSP we'd set a queue and be able to do basic interplanetary stuff in about a day of waiting, and some players would complain about not being ready and just sit around waiting for the next few years until all their tree was complete, and then quit

[Expwnential]

I would really love this game to expand to a sciencey game. Like, in version 3.0 I can imagine having interstellar travel that would require a lot of technology (i.e. a very large and maxed out tech tree). Some of the tech upgrades would require sending satellites and telescopes into orbit to detect radio waves, gamma waves and K-rays (heh.. X-rays) etc., kinda like spectroscopy irl. Prerequisites for getting to another star would be like sending a probe there, etc. Just random ideas here lol

[Panichio]

I remember talking about the tech tree when this game was still very new, and mentioned that it would be worth looking into making the process of going up through the tech tree more, how should I say it(?), seamless. Instead of a click and spending some money and gaining some new part, it would be nice to have a more elaborate system with multiple ways of improving parts and inventing new parts (slight difference to 'unlocking' parts). HarvesteR mentioned in the last progress update that there will be benefits to flying rockets successfully in the way of research, but I'm wondering what else he has planned. The ability to fly dangerous prototypes as well for the same kind of result, just more rewarding? There are many ways to go about making the 'tech tree' something more seamless. I'd rather not even have the tech tree displayed anywhere, but whatever method of research the player chooses, a different invisible (to the player) branch they go down, resulting in a more fun and personalized experience.

Moach agreed, and I think HarvesteR also replied, I'd like to see what becomes of this old discussion we had.

[Lazro]

I like to think of science points as "public interest points." Satellite in space? Sure, great, but a kerbal in space? THAT'S exciting, and going to net you extra funding and scientists eager to work for you in building new parts. The data gathered will help as well, of course.

[RocketPilot573]

You know, I just realized: Doesn't like half the part descriptions report that the part was "Found laying on the side of the road" or from Jeb's Junkyard or something like that? I'm beginning to question the need for scientists...

[alacrity]

So basically in KSP we'd set a queue and be able to do basic interplanetary stuff in about a day of waiting, and some players would complain about not being ready and just sit around waiting for the next few years until all their tree was complete, and then quit

i don't think the timer aspect would work to well... instead of time, tech usage and science research missions would be the way, I was more talking of the utter complexity of it all... after 11 years of "fixing" and "adding to" the tech and skills trees the only word to describe it would be byzantine.

With the limited amount of stock parts and tech currently in Kerbal it would be hard to add that much complecity tho.... maybe around kerbal .50 we will get close.

alacrity

[Pieman2201]

Is there any option to skip the tech tree? It might annoy some experienced players if they had to start with basic parts.

[Seret]

Is there any option to skip the tech tree? It might annoy some experienced players if they had to start with basic parts.

Yep. Nothing Squad have said indicates sandbox mode would cut from the game just because career mode had been added.

[icemasterpt]

I find it weird to have Manned flight before Probes, its quite unrealistic in my opinion, but modding will change that

[Eskandare]

The USA had manned flights before space probes.

[WeirdCulture]

The USA had manned flights before space probes.

Nope. Satelites were first... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorer_1