Sufface samples

[possum]

Surface samples should have to be returned for full science value, not transmitted until they become worthless. A picture or verbal description is valuable info, but nothing replaces the real thing. Samples should take a major deduction in science value when transmitted and have a cap for how much science can be gained from transmitting, unless Kerbals have some means of transmitting the rock back to Kerbin. With how rudimentary rockets are staring the career mode I do not see them being able to beam up rocks. Therefore I think the most science that can be gained from transmitting data about sample should be limited to 50% with the remainder having to come from returning samples to be annualized.

[boolybooly]

I agree, samples should act like bags of rocks. You can send a photo from the capsule or a materials analysis report if you have the component materials bay on the ship, you could have other tech like an xray bay or something. But transmissions should not add up to as much value as the sample itself and the value of retrieved samples should be high to make it worth retrieving.

I am thinking there will come a time when samples can also be sold or auctioned for money to finance more missions.

I think there needs to be some buffing of capsules as these are the means of transporting samples and currently you cannot put two samples from the same spot into a Mk1 capsule but you can put two samples, each from different places into the same capsule. The space in the capsule should act like physical space, put what you want in there. I am still trying to understand how its supposed to work and how the more advanced capsules should be balanced to give more capability, currently there isnt any they just weigh a lot, should be balanced but IMHO the Mk1 capsule logic doesnt make sense so I am assuming its a WIP and currently not working as intended.