Parts for easier offworld base assembly

[Nobody]

Re-posting this suggestion since it got locked do to a misunderstanding and apparently deleted by accident when unlocking.

There are 2 parts I think would make the construction of offworld bases such as refineries/fuel depots for those running mining mods or the coming resource gathering feature.

• Adjustable or auto leveling legs: Some times the ground is uneven and can make placing sections difficult. This would allow you to counter the terrain by setting some legs shorter than others.
  
• Telescoping docking clamp: cuts down on the amount of persision needed when connecting landed sections of a base by letting you position with more room between units and close the gap with minimum force.
  

Understandably there should be drawbacks to go along with the benefits of these parts such as added weight or being more fragile than the current options.

I know there are some mods to do this but I think it would make a great addition to the stock game eventually.

[Captain Sierra]

I'll go ahead and second this. I currently have an extendable docking port in the works but it is meant for space station assembly and to be compact while still being able to provide clearance from solar panels when necessary. It wouldn't do exactly this though. Right now, a person can improvise using MSI but with these types of things, it would become a lot easier as on Kerbin, we can't test under these circumstances. It would be advantageous to have parts that can account for that for us.

[TimMartland]

I agree with this idea, especially the telescopic ports-they would be useful, cool, realistic and would fit in with the games 'feel'

[Helix935]

there was work a while back over the usage of auto leveling legs as shown below

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/39367-WIP-Magic-Smoke-Industries-Animator/page4?highlight=Magic+Smoke+Industries+animator

although i am not sure about the telescopic docking clamp but there is a extendable docking port in LLL as shown below

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/24906-LLL-Lack-Luster-Labs-0-10-4-1

(ohh crap i just read the last line)

but whether or not these would be made stock is probably not likely as to the fact that they said that there would be no moving parts until after the first version ....

i would still support the usage of these

[dlrk]

I'd like this as well. A 'anchor' leg that digs in for more stability would be excellent as well.

[Rhyunix]

This is not an issue that hasn't been raised before - I have trouble docking my Mun base parts and I have to find a "flat" piece of land so that it will dock and not buckle. I would suggest fabric-like docking connection so that it can bend and flex so that they connect

[Dunbaratu]

The only good docking I've been able to do is from underneath. A rover with a docking port on top and a lander with a docking port underneath. I drive the rover under the lander's docking port and then retract the legs of the lander so it sits down on the rover, and when the ports connect they join. If the alignment is off, I just re-extend the landing legs to stand the lander back up again, and try to drive the rover to the right spot under it and try again.

But yeah getting horizontal docking ports on landed craft to line up is a pain because of suspension springs. The height the craft sits at on its springy suspension varies depending on surface gravity, so testing the alignment on Kerbin does no good.

[Temstar]

There's actually a relative easy way to line up horizontal docking ports if your base layout permits. Say for example you have this:

Then it's a simple matter of raising up the legs on the modules that you're trying to connect to. What happen is that module then droops down a bit due to gravity and that docking ports lowers, as long as you get enough downward deflection and the two docking ports line up for an instant they will connect:

You can find my base building kit here:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/50685-Modular-Base-Creation-Kit

[karolus10]

Other auto-leveling suggestion: telescopic support legs that will lock it's position when collide with ground - this would be useful if you grab and dock (with rover for example) it to rest of the complex, deploy support legs and let it go !

Adding more friction for legs would be very valuable addition, they often slide too much, what can end badly for larger structures.

Flexible ducts (something like elastic sections of airport jet bridges) part could also be used with docking ports or other rigid sections and be able to bend in some limited way... like ~20-30 degrees.

Edited September 29, 2013 by karolus10