An EVA tether

[LostElement]

Now, some of us has lost kerbals because they ran out of EVA fuel. Why not whenever you EVA, you have a tether? But if you would like to leave farther, there would be an option saying 'Detach Tether'. This would be a nice idea. If your kerbals EVA fuel runs out and is on tether, there would be another option saying 'Retract Tether'.

Thoughts?

[SargeRho]

KAS is what you're looking for.

[Apollo13]

He's looking for a tether that automatically attaches to the kerbalnaut on EVA. FOR KAS, he has to go to the winch. Otherwise, a good workaround for now.

[vexx32]

It's been suggested before. Rope physics tends to eat up a lot of CPU cycles, though, so... perhaps not the best idea... especially if it's going to be a default thing :/

[Zeroignite]

Practice. An EVA pack has like 400m/s of delta-v, so if you're running out of gas something is definitely wrong.

[LostElement]

Practice. An EVA pack has like 400m/s of delta-v, so if you're running out of gas something is definitely wrong.

Only if you use them on short missions. I am constantly transferring crew, setting up fuel lines via KAS mod, that eventually I run out.

[vexx32]

Doesn't it refill if you plunk them back in the command module briefly, though?

[astropapi1]

This has been suggested many times. If you're running low on RCS, just enter-exit a pod.

You can use KAS in the meantime.

[Drunkrobot]

Eventually, I expect the current suit to be discontinued (in career mode anyway), maybe being replaced by a dedicated spacewalk suit, even then being much weaker than the current one. In this scenario, a tether is hugely beneficial. Instead of simulating a rope in zero-g, the game will take a page from KAS's book, connecting Kerbal and spacecraft with one straight line.

[lajoswinkler]

Ropes aren't easy to simulate. They're simulated with a chain of finite number elements, which can add a lot of moveable parts. I undrstand the need. It would be cool, but jetpack works great.

Only if delta-v is lowered to like 50 m/s in the future updates would the tethers be necessary.

Edited September 18, 2013 by lajoswinkler

[check]

Sorry for necroposting, but was just about to suggest this, before I searched and found this thread.

I think with the new R&D system, having the EVA suits start off with an umbilical/tether and then being able to research EVA packs with rcs/jets might be cool.

[Dunbaratu]

Nah, not Kerbal enough.

For the first Spacewalk of career mode, no EVA pack AND no tether! Just festoon the craft with handhold ladders and warn the player to NEVER hit the "F" key. Then make it so only kerbalnauts with high courage and high stupidity are willing to go on the mission.

[TheAquired]

I would really like to see tethers in this game, even if its just ebcause it adds an extra layer of depth to the game. I think this works well with another threads suggestion about multiple types of suits the kerbals can wear. Only special Jetpack EVA suits would be completely disconnected. The whole rope physics thing is tricky. But it would be awesome if it were added.

[SinPistones]

Instead of simulating/calculating the physhics for a tether, why not use something like a hard distance the cosmonaut can move from the craft, like you have a 100m "rope" then you put invisible walls 100m around the thing and just draw a rope that does nothing?

Just saying, the idea might be incredibly dumb, but it's an idea

[Anton P. Nym]

Instead of simulating/calculating the physhics for a tether, why not use something like a hard distance the cosmonaut can move from the craft, like you have a 100m "rope" then you put invisible walls 100m around the thing and just draw a rope that does nothing?

I was going to post the same thing; it has mostly the same results as a tether but with much less physics burden. Only thing I think it'd really miss is the chance of tangling or snagging on something, but given the limitations of EVA controls that may be more feature than bug.

-- Steve

[corbett]

wait... does kas add an eva tether?

[John FX]

24 minutes ago, corbett said:

wait... does kas add an eva tether?

I think everyone already was waiting as the last post was in 2013...

[Tex]

Locked for necro post. Please check the dates of threads you post in, everybody 

In addition, @corbett, if you're wondering about that, I'd recommend looking at the KAS thread.