The Daily Kerbal

[FITorion]

http://kerbaldevteam.tumblr.com/post/65574326046/the-daily-kerbal-first-edition

Well since the KSP weekly thread got locked for going "Off topic" when we posted links to this... I take that to mean The Daily Kerbal is seen as a separate and distinct thing. So... Lets have a thread to discuss this new thing.

Will it in fact be daily? What sort of content will it focus on? Since this one contained content that normally appears in the KSP weekly... what will happen to KSP weekly? Will it stay the same or will the dev update section be gone or change or be replaced with something else?

[CrazedGunman502]

Ooo. I'll keep an eye on this.

[regex]

Will it in fact be daily?

No

What sort of content will it focus on?

Everything and nothing at all.

Since this one contained content that normally appears in the KSP weekly... what will happen to KSP weekly?

It'll still show up, just with content that has already been in the Daily.

Will it stay the same or will the dev update section be gone or change or be replaced with something else?

Don't know.

[Luis]

No

Everything and nothing at all.

It'll still show up, just with content that has already been in the Daily.

Don't know.

Have you got any basis for these assertions? Maxmaps has said that the Daily will be Monday to Friday, that each day will focus on a different area and that it will in fact replace the Weekly.

[FITorion]

He did? Where?

[KerbMav]

Here.

Cannot believe it - first there is allout war because the weekly is not coming and then I have trouble finding a thread about the most wonderful and important things?

http://kerbaldevteam.tumblr.com/post/65574326046/the-daily-kerbal-first-edition

Science reworking Felipe described sound so right!

Chad being upgrading modules - does that mean a big .23 mod rework will be needed?

Jim additions to the R&D make me all bouncy!

Is Daniel just making another cute video or integrating some new animations into the game?

And to read about performance increases is always giving me a koner.

Edited October 31, 2013 by KerbMav

[FITorion]

Ah! I kept refreshing the main forum page expecting there to be an article to pop up... and checking their twitter to see if there was any announcement there... I never scrolled down to see the blogs section...

And yeah it seems .23 will be a further refinement of R&D and we'll get more of those performance enhancements they've been working on. Maybe there will be a few other creature comforts thrown in there to. I don't think we'll be getting the money or missions systems in .23

[OrtwinS]

In Maxmaps blog someone mentioned 'Summary Saturdays', for those who want a weekly fix .

I think the Daily is a VERY ambitious project. It can be done if you have one man focused on the job. It's good they don't bother the game devs too often, just once a week like we're used to.

I'm not sure though if the community can produce enough quality material to keep all categories filled. Something like 'Modding Mondays' might quickly turn into: "He guys, this plugin/mod is nice, check it out here: [link]".

[FITorion]

I wonder what Mu meant by "enables the fabled ‘tweekables’"

Does that mean tweekables will be in .23 or that they'll be ready to be added at some later date?

It sure would be nice to be able to start with the landing legs down... or the brakes on... or empty tanks in the payload section... or rover wheel engines disabled so they aren't sucking up juice during accent...

[greg12]

I miss the comments under the Daily Kerbal.

[Pulstar]

The lab and carrying around experiments sound very nice. This is probably how they want to make space stations useful, get samples on the surface from Biome X, return them to orbit, put them in the lab. Not only does it solve the problem of space stations but also gives more incentives for return missions, really great idea.

I wonder what Mu meant by "enables the fabled ‘tweekables’"

Does that mean tweekables will be in .23 or that they'll be ready to be added at some later date?

My guess is they want to have them in .23 if possible since this feature has been put off for a while, probably one of the things HarvesteR vaguely referenced as being planned for 0.23 in that bigsushi interview.

[Superfluous J]

I'm not sure though if the community can produce enough quality material to keep all categories filled. Something like 'Modding Mondays' might quickly turn into: "He guys, this plugin/mod is nice, check it out here: [link]".

I'm not concerned. They essentially had "Modding Tuesdays" and never seemed to run out of mods to talk about. In fact, my favorite mods seem to continually get overlooked for other mods. This daily thing seems to just be the weekly split into 5 parts.

I miss the comments under the Daily Kerbal.

So much this.

[AmpsterMan]

This daily thing seems to just be the weekly split into 5 parts.

My thoughts exactly. It shouldn't be much more work than itt currently is, yet it will keep thirsts satiated through out the week.

Should be interesting to see how it works.

[lazarus1024]

The lab and carrying around experiments sound very nice. This is probably how they want to make space stations useful, get samples on the surface from Biome X, return them to orbit, put them in the lab. Not only does it solve the problem of space stations but also gives more incentives for return missions, really great idea.

My guess is they want to have them in .23 if possible since this feature has been put off for a while, probably one of the things HarvesteR vaguely referenced as being planned for 0.23 in that bigsushi interview.

My hope with this is, if you are transfering an experiment to a lab module, that it'll free up the science container, instead of rendering it "used". I do like the idea that some science containers are only usable once, and once you transmit, it is "game over". However, there should be some method to "recondition" those modules. For example, if you have or dock with a ship/station that has a lab module, then you can reuse it.

Just a thought on that.

Also...NICE!

Sounds like a very nice and worthwhile upgrade to research and science is a coming.

I do wonder if this is the .23 release, or if it'll be a .22.1 release. Based on where it sounds like they might be, it sounds like a .22.1 release. That or .23 will be a short turn around, or they are getting the research and science tweaking and balancing done first and then will be adding more content to make for the full .23 release.

I do wonder in subsequent releases if career saves will always be reset, or if it'll preserve progress.

[KerbMav]

I do like the idea that some science containers are only usable once, and once you transmit, it is "game over". However, there should be some method to "recondition" those modules. For example, if you have or dock with a ship/station that has a lab module, then you can reuse it.

A world of yes!

[AndrewBCrisp]

Re: Lab Modules. Oh yes. WANT!

Re: use-once science modules. Since I didn't see a reference to what modules would be use-once, I'm guessing that this would apply to the Mystery Goo container and the SC-9001 science lab. Both employ materials whose conditions "change" once exposed to a new environment, so if you're removing data from them for maximum science output, that probably entails taking out the Goo or materials and shipping them back to a suitable lab for analysis. To "reset" the module afterward means you need "unchanged" Goo or materials, and those would need to be shuttled up from Kerbin.

Presumably, this should be a less massive option than just shipping up a fresh MG Container or SC-9001, so one could have a permanent satellite or planetside research "station". Should be interesting to see how they implement it.

[lazarus1024]

I do also hope that there are at least a handful of science experiments where transmitting them has the same value as returning it, and transmitting can produce the same final amount of science as returning it.

I'd actually prefer crew reports and EVA reports to be slightly less than 100% with transmissions (like 90%) simply becase you can debrief the kerbal in more detail later than you could in a written/verbal/video report.

Some things though, like temperature, gravity, acceleration, etc sensors shouldn't have any difference in value between a transmitted oberservation and returning it. Mystery goo, science lab, surface samples should all have much higher return values than transmision values. Also, with mystery goo and science lab being one time use would also be nice. I also like that there is a limit on how much science you can get transmitting with somethings.

Again, I hope some experiments are changed to be 100% transmision value (like temp, gravity, etc) as it makes no sense that they aren't now. Some should stay unlimited use. Some should be one shot use for that module...possibly being able to recondition with a science lab (because you analyze the experiment with the science lab, and then reload the experiment module) and anything with less than 100% transmission value should have a limit on how much science it can earn you, lower than return value science (say being able to earn 400 science with transmissions of soil samples from a spot on the Mun maybe, but a limit of 600 for return missions, so you could get the 400 science from a bunch of transmissions, but it would still leave 200 science on the table that you could get with a return mission or three down the road).

[lazarus1024]

Oh and I LOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEE the EVA pickups of science experiments from modules.

It'll allow recovery from crashed ships and it also makes surface science a lot "better" with landed missions. Send a lander with a lab module and use it as a base camp with a rover. Return the rover and have your Kerbal hop off, grab the experiments and then board the lander and transmit the data back. Hop out and jump on your rover again to take off somewhere else to do some more science.

On orbit, build a space station with it and you can launch and retrieve probes, or even have a kerbal on board the station who EVAs to retrieve science experiments from probes so you don't have to worry about redocking with the space station.

Love, love love love love love love.

PS It would also be neat to have Kerbals on EVA be able to both grab the science out of a module AND be able to somehow recondition the module to be able to do science again for those modules that have a one use limit.

[FITorion]

Re: Lab Modules. Oh yes. WANT!

Re: use-once science modules. Since I didn't see a reference to what modules would be use-once, I'm guessing that this would apply to the Mystery Goo container and the SC-9001 science lab. Both employ materials whose conditions "change" once exposed to a new environment, so if you're removing data from them for maximum science output, that probably entails taking out the Goo or materials and shipping them back to a suitable lab for analysis. To "reset" the module afterward means you need "unchanged" Goo or materials, and those would need to be shuttled up from Kerbin.

Presumably, this should be a less massive option than just shipping up a fresh MG Container or SC-9001, so one could have a permanent satellite or planetside research "station". Should be interesting to see how they implement it.

While I'd like it if there was a less massive "lab supplies" part or something to refresh the used parts... I think shipping up whole new goos and mat labs will be the way it's done.

I have already made in my game a "science package" subassebly composed of 1 mat lab, 2 goos, temp, pressure, gravioli, and seismograph with 2 docking ports. I can attach this to my lander and have that go down and do the science and then shuttle it back up to be transferred to the Kerbin return ship. The only problem was the inability to transfer the reports and samples stored within the pod. Fortunately that's changing.

[PDCWolf]

It already made some mistakes. I'll hope they get fixed on today's daily. It's like a mini weekly and weeklies were already small enough.

[Motokid600]

Pardon if I sound ill informed. Are the weeklys no more? Or just this one?

[Deadpangod3]

A daily Kerbal thingy appeared on the forums o.o

[Leatherneck]

Re: Lab Modules. Oh yes. WANT!

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

Re: use-once science modules. Since I didn't see a reference to what modules would be use-once, I'm guessing that this would apply to the Mystery Goo container and the SC-9001 science lab. Both employ materials whose conditions "change" once exposed to a new environment, so if you're removing data from them for maximum science output, that probably entails taking out the Goo or materials and shipping them back to a suitable lab for analysis. To "reset" the module afterward means you need "unchanged" Goo or materials, and those would need to be shuttled up from Kerbin.

Honestly, I think this would encourage more Space Stations/Bases (for newer players and those that haven't tried yet), or at the very least more Space Station/Base interactions than just an orbiting gas station (which I assume is what people basically use them for now). One of the "experimental" stations I have up is modular but I'd love to send probes back to it with materials, swap science modules, refuel it, and send it back out. (Or something like that.)