Real-life based tech tree

[Bothersome]

Well, I've got a first try of this mod ready for play testing if anyone wants to give it a whirl.

This mod also changes all Command Pods and Probe Core to NOT have reaction wheels built in. This didn't seem like real space craft to me. To be able to turn about a large craft, you need large and heavy reaction wheels. You wouldn't have any room left in the capsule for life support with those in there. You now have to use the reaction wheel components to use electricity to turn your craft.

The start of the tech tree makes the most logical layout, but other things that seem to be needed early would empty out the later tech branches. So I didn't move them from where they seem to fit the description of the nodes they were in. I-Beams and Wheels are some of the things that come to mind. But there are not many early nodes to put those in and it would empty the later nodes and have no reward for the player to invest in those later nodes. So I thought it best to just leave them there.

Anyway, give it a play test and let me know what needs moving.

Download Link for SCS.zip

[NathanKell]

Hey, cool!

Bothersome, have you tried ModuleManager? It's a must-have for doing what you're doing.

You can just write, in one big CFG:

@PART[partname]
{
	@TechRequired = newTechToBeRequired
	@entryCost = newEntryCost
}

for each part. Where partname is the second half of the "name = " line in the part cfg.

Regarding planes. I've actually found planes--well-designed planes, that is--to be quite easy to fly with FAR. Far (heh) easier than stock! And if it actually looks like a plane, and you keep CoM at or slightly ahead of CoL, then it probably is well designed. But ideally I'd have the Firespitter parts be the first plane parts, and only MUCH later do you get access to spaceplane parts.

Regarding experimentation early. I said early I was going to work on a clone of the RemoteTech SPU that let you do science but not control your rocket. It works. This means you can build rockets with no probe core, only a "science core" that lets you stage, perform action groups, and right-click to do and transmit science. This effectively simulates the early, uncontrollable satellites (and, indeed, early--and later--uncontrollabe spin-stabilized upper stages).

[philonius]

This is a great idea, I've been looking for a combination of mods and tweaks that does what you're trying to do, but haven't really found anything yet (early days in 0.22 still)

One thing that's been a hallmark of real life spaceprograms is that the designs they came up with were determined by the previous rocketry work that was done by that country, to save time, money and effort. So they might make first stages based on ICBMs, and slap a second stage on top based on an smaller rocket design, to end up with their orbital launcher. In KSP however, you're always free to use whatever parts you have available in whatever combination. While we can't change that, we might use the tech tree to encourage similar behaviour.

One idea might be to have many parallel choices in the tech tree, where a particular engine development leads to followup engines that are more capable. Instead of unlocking all tier one rocket engines, you pick a family and base your rocket designs on the path you've chosen. This might require the techtree to assume you have some modpacks installed, to provide more choice. In this way, you'd end up with a techtree with many more, smaller nodes. Instead of a generic 'advanced rocketry' node, you might even have nodes that are just 'Mainsail Engine Development' , and yield just that part. This would give players a choice, to either develop a big powerful engine, or save the resources and cluster some smaller engines, even though that provides lesser performance.

Another realism aspect would be that in real life, you can't just build a bunch of solid fuel rockets, do ~science~ and then start flying heavy liquid fueled boosters. You need experience in a technology before it can be developed further. Would it be possible to have the tech tree use multiple resources to unlock nodes? Could we, for example, have flights with tier 1 LF engines yield 'Engineering Experience - Liquid Engines' , which is required to unlock 2.5m liquid engines, and similarly for other categories of parts? Additionally, you might include credits as a required resource, for those that have the mission controller mod.

These suggestions entail some more thorough reworking of the tech tree though, and I'm not sure how expansive you want to make this effort.

Edited October 22, 2013 by philonius

[Bizz Keryear]

In the final game there should be an ultra-realistic option... (There are enough mods around which do that.)

Beginning of the Tech Tree, over the size of the Solar System and Celestial Bodies, the data and behavior of parts, the used fuel and oxidizer, life support and many more.

The modders show that it isn't impossible to do so and it will be a great fun for experienced players.

But it should only be an option, since new players would be frustrated.

[Splasher -ART Inc-]

Okay, so here is my take on a realistic Tech Tree:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/73376-ART-Aesthetic-Realistic-TechTree-Mod-RELEASE

Give it a try!