Long term science experiments

[dudester28]

By this, I mean that in order to get the science, the experiment would be carried out over a long period of time.

For example, would it be possible to have a satellite be mapping Kerbin or any other planet/moon for a long period of time? Then, at the end of the mapping you would obtain a fairly significant amount of science.

Obviously, mapping wouldn't be the only experiment of this type. What do you guys think of this?

[louddifference]

i think it would be a good idea to add something like this but it would need to be well balenced.

[Andrew Hansen]

I like your example of mapping a planet. I don't think it would be good to have, for example a big space station that gathers science perpetually over time. This could be exploited by timewarp.

But I really like what you said. Mapping could be a goal for a far-future version of KSP, but other long-term experiments (like the effects of zero G on kerbals after 30 days) could be quite easy to implement soon.

[KvickFlygarn87]

The devs have said they won't add long-term science due to players warping to get the science.

[Leatherneck]

The devs have said they won't add long-term science due to players warping to get the science.

Which is too bad, considering that if you're spamming Science, aren't you kind of just playing Sandbox?

[johannestaas]

I really like this idea. Seconded

[Jhonny007]

The devs have said they won't add long-term science due to players warping to get the science.

But if they add things like life support, money and other things, you may be forced to do other things then just timewarp. Maybe if you timewarp too much your kerbals die or you run out of money and lose.

[ravener]

how about a station being more like a platform to do science on? you bring experiments up and recieve some science for it over a few kerbin days. you unlock more experiments as you progress thrugh the game. this makes a station useful as you can launch experiments to it as you unlock them.

to encurage large stations you would get more science fore each scientist and each science module there (with less extra science for each one, but never zero).

long term science is not the main source of science, more like an aditional source that needs some maintaince to keep on rolling.

Edited October 28, 2013 by ravener

[sidew]

Something like the good old game "Project Space Station": http://www.mobygames.com/game/project-space-station

[Epthelyn]

But if they add things like life support, money and other things, you may be forced to do other things then just timewarp. Maybe if you timewarp too much your kerbals die or you run out of money and lose.

In order for long-distance missions to exist in a game where life support is required, there must be some way to generate the 'materials' used by the life support system. If you managed to create a craft capable of sustaining the crew indefinitely then you could warp forever without worrying about deaths.

Or you could just use a probe...

Maybe LTSEs could just ignore timewarp and progress in real time, even when the game is running at 100,000x. If it's not possible to run multiple things at different warp speeds then the science gained should scale down with timewarp (i.e. 1x science at 1x warp, 1/5x science and 5x warp etc.)