Re-Entry "Radio Blackout"

[plainawesome]

I think it would be a good idea to add in a radio blackout during atmospheric re-entry. During radio blackout, the image for the crew would turn to static. Also, we wouldn't know it they were dead or alive until blackout ends. So if they're dead, their image would disappear, like when they normally die and we would know that they didn't survive re-entry. But if they were to be alive, then the static would disappear and their image would reappear as if nothing happened. Also, not all of them will die, either, some might survive.

Edited October 11, 2013 by plainawesome
I didn't notice a typo :)

[Guest]

I'm flying the craft, why should my pilots' status be blacked out?

[goldenpeach]

I don't think the kind of black-out you describe should be implanted.

However, it would be cool to have a black-out system!

[plainawesome]

Mainly because we wouldn't be able to know if they're dead or alive, like in real radio blackout

[Rosmarus]

Wouldn't you be able to tell if they are dead the second you touch the controls? If the ship responds they are alive, since it is them (you) who is flying the damn thing, it's not remote controlled.

[Superfluous J]

Do your Kerbals often die during re-entry? I've never lost an in-cockpit Kerbal during re-entry and would be pretty annoyed if they just died at random.

Also, as the pilot of the craft I'm pretty sure I would - and should - know if I was dead or not.

I'm all for going static on the images but making it a mystery as to if someone spontaneously combusted or something seems ill advised.

[Rockstar04]

I dont think this really makes sense. We can see the ship we are flying the whole time, now if we ever get to the point where the kerbals can fly the crafts themselves then I could MAYBE see a feature like this.

[Captain Sierra]

I think a more realistic (and agreeable) way of doing this (since you are flying, you are practically in the pod with them) is to make your craft unable to transmit science. THen we get blackout, and we know if people are not dead. Everyone wins!

[Superfluous J]

I dont think this really makes sense. We can see the ship we are flying the whole time, now if we ever get to the point where the kerbals can fly the crafts themselves then I could MAYBE see a feature like this.

Mission control also can't see the ship from any angle we normally watch it, and assuredly can't control it from the ground when its on the opposite side of Mun (or in orbit around Jool).

KSP is a 3rd person perspective game like GTA, Saints Row, Mass Effect, Fallout, Skyrim, or any of a bevy of other games. Just because you don't have your character's exact perspective doesn't mean you're not intended to play as that character.

EDIT: I just re-read your post and realized we are in agreement, I just misunderstood you.

[ixolate industries]

Perhaps this effect could be used on probes where KSC is not in direct control over a spacecraft but must rely on remote control.

This would provide some realism and another advantage of using a manned spaceship.

[BFGfreak]

That might be good if they decide to add a bit of remote tech to the game (not the full mod mind you, just something somewhat more forgiving) But then you might also need to add something like KOS or some other way to tell the probe what to do at blackouts, but that's for a different discussion.

As for static itself, I'm thinking that it would be good if you could record reentry science but can't transmit until the end of blackout. For instance a probe entering Eve can start recording once the flames appear but you can't instantly transmit the data to KSC until the flames disappear. Should the probe be destroyed on entry you won't get too much science out of it other than "that didn't work...or did it? It did make a pretty impressive kaboom after all."

[plainawesome]

If the kerbals were stupid and they were exposed to high G's for long periods of time, the stupid ones would die

[TADBTD]

Perhaps this effect could be used on probes where KSC is not in direct control over a spacecraft but must rely on remote control.

This would provide some realism and another advantage of using a manned spaceship.

yes i agree with that

[boomerdog2000]

If the kerbals were stupid and they were exposed to high G's for long periods of time, the stupid ones would die

How does stupidity affect g-tolerance?

[kiwiak]

Part of this idea could be utilized by chatter mod - during reentry you don hear aby radio messages, just static.

[Sirrobert]

If the kerbals were stupid and they were exposed to high G's for long periods of time, the stupid ones would die

WTH are you talking about? The ONLY way to kill a kerbal is to throw him against the ground hard enough, or explode whatever pod he's in. You can have him enter without a craft and he wouldn't die until he hit the ground.

As seen here:

How does stupidity affect g-tolerance?

It doesn't. Kerbals aren't effected by Gs, Except when you crash them into the ground hard enough

[Lexar]

Mainly because we wouldn't be able to know if they're dead or alive, like in real radio blackout

You are looking at their ship... I think you would know if your ship exploded or not even with blackout. You must have some sort of "kill random kerbal during reentry" mod or something.

[Nobody]

For maned flights it is pointless since the Kerbal in the craft is the one using the controls. I can see this as a feature for Probe controls and data transmissions. To go with it probes would need to be programmable so they can do automated maneuvers while communications are blacked out.

As to G-forces that would tie into health and physical training of Kerbals being added. A Kerbal in poor health or with less physical training would be more likely to black out during a high G maneuver. That is part of the reason for the centrifuge that astronauts are put in for RL training, it helps them learn to cope with high Gs for longer periods without blacking out.

[Sirrobert]

For maned flights it is pointless since the Kerbal in the craft is the one using the controls. I can see this as a feature for Probe controls and data transmissions. To go with it probes would need to be programmable so they can do automated maneuvers while communications are blacked out.

As to G-forces that would tie into health and physical training of Kerbals being added. A Kerbal in poor health or with less physical training would be more likely to black out during a high G maneuver. That is part of the reason for the centrifuge that astronauts are put in for RL training, it helps them learn to cope with high Gs for longer periods without blacking out.

There are no, and will never be, random failures of any kind. Including Kerbals