What would you like to see in KSP?

[Tang Titan]

With this campaign thing in the works (some people love it some people hate it) I wonder what would you guys and gals like to see added to the game. Other than the lag problem being fixed

I would like to see at least material collection and researching new technologies. Meaning if you go to the Mun and land maybe have a feature were you could approach the rocks and take a "sample" to bring back to Kerbin for study. Have the space stations you build actually serve a purpose like unlocking new materials or technologies. But here is the best idea of all..... studying those monoliths to unlock "alien technologies" or "alien navigational maps" that take you on a journey through space to find the "source." Like in space oddyssey the very idea they were based on. The potential this game has is staggering and these ideas aren't all that extreme at its core all I'm suggesting is basic object manipulation, adding some lines of story script and a some new models. The physics of the game doesn't have to change and you don't have to add any new planets or a new "race." Traveling outside the system to search for the "source" can be in K.S.P. 2 http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/images/smilies/k_cheesy.gif . Thats just my two cents what would you fellow kerbonauts like to see and what do you think about my idea?

[Rosarium]

yeah Alien!!!! I've never thought about it! i have a better idea for KSP aliens with gunz!!!!!

[lajoswinkler]

I hope developers never ever include weaponry and conflicts in KSP. It would ruin it. Hordes of k3wl assholes would come and it would be another well started project down the drain.

What's up with this fu*ked up human mind that it seeks conflict and destruction? Aren't there enough games where people can kill and mutilate whatever they encounter? Can't we have one hugely popular game where this isn't the case? Geez...

[Beeman]

They won't include weapons or sentient aliens into the game. They've said so before and we're not supposed to suggest such things.

However, I remember Scott Manley saying how cool it would be to have to assemble like a stargate near Kerbin using parts you found on a handful(or more) of the planets and/or moons. Then you could use this stargate-like orbital structure to warp to another solar system. Then I guess from there, you'd have to find an already built stargate to get to the next one or possibly to get back, I don't know. But warping between solar systems is the planned endgame for KSP. There's supposed to be a few solar systems that're prebuilt so everyone's first warp adventures will be more or less comparable...then beyond that there's supposed to be procedurally generated solar systems. Of course, they could always dump that idea in favor of something more simple. I guess I wouldn't know about that. Would be really sad, though.

Other people have suggested doing special science stuff at the munoliths and things like that, just for a nice boost to your science data and we already know that we'll be able to collect rock samples for whatever. Returning them should give us a nice boost to our science data progression whatevers. So that'll be good. Beyond that, they'd talked about scanning and mining for resources but that's a lower priority at the moment 'cause they're working on more fundamental career mode stuff for the next couple patches.

Either way, more things that add depth to the game...be it more functional parts, more career mechanics, more things to do in space(especially in EVA or expanded IVA) or more ways to customize my kerbals and/or missions(colors, suits, decals, patches, etc...) the better. More depth is always welcome, so long as they introduce it gradually through career mode and the tech tree for those of us who get overwhelmed by huge part lists and what-not...which is a big reason why they switched to developing career mode when they did XD

[TheGreatSkeeve]

I always thought it would be cool to be able to attach an underwater-capable pod to a rocket. It would be cool to explore Laythe's oceans.

[Galane]

I'd like to see all the couplers and separators have switchable fuel crossfeed, with the default being OFF. That would be simpler than making the fuel pipes able to cross them, which for some reason they can't without using an intermediary part like a small hardpoint stuck to the separator or coupler and two fuel pipes. Kind of crazy that fuel of the same type can be transferred anywhere on a vehicle, even between two tanks that are not connected in any way by parts with fuel crossfeed.

Another thing I'd like to see is being able to set things like gimbal locks and fuel transfers in the VAB, and save the settings with the craft file, instead of having to do them on the pad every time.

Automatically generated engine fairings that actually strengthen/support the structure so rockets don't have to be so much of a spiderweb of struts.

Nosecones that reduce drag. Are negative drag values supported by the game? If so, couldn't the drag value for nosecones and tapered adapters be set to a negative so adding them reduces the overall drag value of a vehicle? Keep the weights the same. 'Course it'd have to be managed somehow so sticking 500 nosecones on a rocket doesn't cause it to levitate. ;-) I've seen the Youtube videos of engineless planes flying simply by wiggling their control surfaces.

Edited September 4, 2013 by Galane

[Tang Titan]

Rosarium - yeah Alien!!!! I've never thought about it! i have a better idea for KSP aliens with gunz!!!!!

I would absolutely hate to see aliens or weapons and especially hostile aliens leave that to the modders I am sure if it isn't out there now it will be. But I appreciate your enthusiasm

Beeman - They won't include weapons or sentient aliens into the game. They've said so before and we're not supposed to suggest such things.

If you read the post carefully I specifically said they didn't have to add a "new race" All i would like to see on that front is searching for the source even if it leads to a long dead world and your journey ends with you realizing the race you were searching for was long gone to me that would be far better than coming across another race. And seriously no guns its a space program if people want to build battleships and stuff the can with mods but to me KSP is first and foremost a "DISCOVERY" game I have always disagreed that it was simply an exploration game its far far far more than that.

All in all I'd love to see real purpose built space station parts and a space station that serves a purpose and "things to do" and "things to bring back". How cool would it be to have a Helium 3 mining base on the Mun to fuel your interplanetary missions or onward to the stars. Or a decent Mun Buggy lol. AND PARTS TANG TITAN WANTS MORE PARTS EEEEEERRRRRRRGGGHHHH. I'm fine I'm fine

[Tang Titan]

I know there is a mod for mining but it would be nice to see the official Kerbal Spase Mineng Program lol i was i could do backwards letters so it would look like official kerbal text lol

EW EW EW ew ew ew Great Idea

If in career mode they decide to turn off the whole immortal kerbal thing i mean they don't eat maybe bio-domes to grow food for you bases so you won't have to constantly resupply they can just grow it all there. I hope Squad is reading posts like this and getting their noggins a buzzing with the ideas the community puts out. That is the bread and butter of any indie developer the community.

[CyclonicTuna]

There are some people modding interiors for space station modules where in you can move around freely with your kerbals. I'd love to see this in the game, to truly build a space station enterior.

[Beeman]

Moving about between space station modules is something that's planned. Using hatches to go between parts all in IVA perspective

Can't wait~

But mostly, I can't wait 'till they just add more depth

[LeadMagnet]

I wanna see Elvis in space!

Viva Las Kerbin baby!!!

[Monkeh]

I honestly feel Squad would be utterly insane if some version of these things didn't make it into the finished game:

1) Procedural fairings - Very useful and makes ugly rockets prettier. Any kind of stock fairing would be nice but give the guy who made this some cash and steal it form him.

2) Universe replacer - Those lovely textures for the planets and moons, the EVA suits for my Kerbal friends, the HD galaxy glow, all so nice. Everyone likes taking screenshots of KSP and with this they're just so much nicer.

3) KerbPaint - Customizing your rockets is naturally a cool thing to do, unless you're me and make everything a garish purple. Being able to add logos or 'stickers' of pictures or whatever we like would be pretty damn amazing too. I would love to design a national flag or something and stick it on my rocket somewhere.

4) Chatterer - Makes the whole experience that much more immersive. Has really added to my gaming experience in a very simple but important way.

5) Engineer Redux - Simply a must have....right?

6) Cargo Bays - The ones in the B9 pack are amazing. Stock game needs something similar that you can open or close in the VAB. The Robodyne ones are fine and all, but not being able to open and close them in the VAB or extend the size as they are closed on each end, makes then a little more limited in usefulness.

7) Aviation lights/B9 lights - These are really useful and really pretty. Having a total of 2, very similar, lights in the stock game is pretty poor to be honest, the aviation lights and little ones in the B9 pack are so good, I use those all the time.

8) Kethane - Never used it myself but resource mining is a great addition to gameplay, adding tonnes of replay value and giving a point to visiting other worlds. The science is great, but being able to mine some fuel for the return home is also rather brilliant.

9) Infernal Robotics - This is such a brilliant mod and offers up so many options that it's become hugely important to me. Whether it be pushing landers out of cargo bays or getting drop ships into position to be dropped, (oh wait, that's kind of the same thing...), it's so fantastic and works so well it really should be in the stock game. Again it adds so much replay value and sparks off so many ideas for uses and possibilities, a truly inspiring set of parts.

Extra engines and fuel tanks and other stuff I can take or leave. Sure it's nice to have options but those things up there I find inspiring, useful, pretty, exciting and downright fun to play with. Please Squad, can we have all the nice things?

[vexx32]

The nice things, the 'bling' mods as I call them, are all well and good, but if any of that stuff is going to have any kind of a stock implementation, I would think that (rather logically) this stuff should wait till much further down the road, when most of the major features (especially the under-the-hood ones) are all done and dusted.

[Monkeh]

Yeah, of course, I'm thinking long term here. The things I mentioned up there just seem the most useful, immersive and game enhancing of all the mods I've played around with.

I'd hate to not have those cargo bays, chatterer and the engineer redux in particular, but the robotics stuff is just so damn useful and inspirational it's fuel for more KSP things.

Can't Squad just take the whole mod and shove it in the game? Isn't that the point of making all the source code for mods public?

The average person who may be interested in KSP won't be bothered to go looking for and installing mods. The more stuff we get in the finished game the more people will be interested in it and the more money will be made by Squad in the long run.

I also have absolutely no problems with Squad releasing things like this as DLC, Moving parts pack for a few quid/dollars/Euros/Kerbucks would be snapped up at a fierce rate, so maybe they have that as a plan. I obviously have no idea but that's the way I'd do it I think.

I only made this post because I've recently got into trying mods and they really do make the game much more interesting and replayable. My mind races with almost every new part I see...and I love it.

Career mode should be the main focus of the next couple of updates imho as at the moment there is very little 'game' in this amazing game and a 'Space Program Tycoon' experience sounds downright awesome. Can't wait to fire my first useless Kerbonaut

Just adding my tuppence to the melting pot of ideas...

[vexx32]

Well, source code being available or not, the mods are still their creators' intellectual property, so depending on how the laws are there may or may not be some legal repercussions of them attempting to 'just take the whole mod and shove it in the game'. Also, a lot of these mods introduce extra bugs to KSP as a result, so there's that to consider as well.

Not to mention that, last I saw any info on how Squad's handling feature development, I instantly thought that it would no longer be as simple as just slamming a mod in there. I forget what the system is called, but from memory -- oh, wait, is it SVN? Branches and branches of features and so forth all to be merged in at some point? I don't recall. Too tired. But yeah, they might have to split a mod over several branches so there aren't loose ends in the code that go unnoticed till they break something really badly

DLC was, last I heard, not really on the cards, except for things that aren't considered really necessary as part of the core game. I have no idea if they consider robotics to be something like that.

Yep, according to the AMA yesterday-ish, they're pumping work into Career mode, so fingers crossed for some awesome stuff, eh?