Repeatable transmission nullifies sample return

[Commander Zoom]

I also agree with mdosogne's thoughts.

[Joel Dryden]

I don't think people would be inclined to spam one reading over and over again if the experiments allowed saving more than one result in one form or another. If I want to gather all of the science from the science bay part on one mission, I either sacrifice 80% of the science, or put something like 6 science bays on the same rocket, and perform the experiment in a different place with each. This doesn't seem right to me at all. I think that the experiments you perform with this and the Goo canister should give the option of saving the data, or preserving the experiment done last to return to Kerbin. Saving the data would give you partial credit, and closing the bay/canister to preserve results of the latest of those experiments would make more realistic sense. This is essentially doing what transmitting does without having to transmit, just having a log on the pod when you return. The thermometer can only save one reading at a time, and does not transmit for 100% science. How does that make any sense at all? Temperature is the most standard reading you could get; it doesn't matter if you transmit "-12.013" or return with "-12.013." It's the same value. Nothing is to be gained by returning over transmitting with that part. And why can't it hold more than one value? Do I have to place twenty of them on my ship so I don't have to do twenty different launches to get all my data? Kerbals, please stop being so lazy and write down more than one thermostat reading.

Actually just got a mod that does your last suggestion called FScience if you haven't seen it yet, quite good.

[patrickkk]

I agree that its currently not optimal. I trust that this will be addressed at some point. My current solution is to simply not use transmissions at all

i like this suggestion.

I'm going to second OP's suggestion, with the caveat that I think that repeating experiments should still allow you to get extra science on both transmissions and return missions. However, I do agree that there should be some kind of incentive for returning samples home rather than just transmitting data, so I agree that there should be an extra data pool set aside that you can only get science from if you recover rather than transmit.

To summarize, using OP's own summary format:

RETURN REPEATED a few times = all points

TRANSMIT REPEATED a lot of times = many points

RETURN + TRANSMIT REPEATED = many more points

RETURN REPEATED + TRANSMIT REPEATED = all points

This could also be combined with a difficulty level where at higher difficulty you would recieve less science anyway.

some things that would also be cool is more comlpex missions, where you for example place mirrors on the mun/other celestial bodies on several locations. or collect multiple samples (with minimal seperation of X kilometers)that need preprocessing on site. so buggys become usefull.

[Eric S]

I agree that its currently not optimal. I trust that this will be addressed at some point. My current solution is to simply not use transmissions at all

The devs hinted that they have plans to stop some forms of science abuse without stating what forms. I'm expecting "strip mining" research with repeated transmissions to be on that list. As long as that's resolved, I'm happy.

While realistically the non-sensor experiments should have a single use, or at least limited uses, I'm concerned for the effect that would have on research balance, as you'd be nerfing the two heaviest experiments, but not the lighter ones. We'd probably need to increase the science returns for those experiments (not by a huge amount).

I've got one save where my transmission rule is "no transmissions where I've already done a transmission or a recovery." I find that even on fairly simple missions, that cut my science at least in half, which feels like a reasonable progression for something that isn't the only purpose of career mode.