[0.23] Crowd-sourced Science Logs: SCIENCE NEEDS YOU!

[Outlander4]

I've read through the entire thread up to now, and there is one pressing question I do have to ask before contributing.

Which English is the one being used? < ...... > I ask as mixing the various styles of English can result in some odd dissonances if you have one message pop up in American spelling, and another show up in British spelling.

It's not set in stone; at least two proofreaders use British spelling; others use American one. If the entry is sound, the original spelling is conserved; if changes are made or entry is re-written from scratch, proofreader uses his/her preferred spelling, so there are entries using both British and American spelling. Dissonance is not that big, and is preferable to starting the flame war about spelling. Metric system is used universally, though, because it's used in KSP.

The only guideline I can give is to avoid using local slang/dialect, as it makes everybody freak out.

Edited January 2, 2014 by Outlander4

[Outlander4]

Is there any chance of a more serious version coming out?

Honestly, KSP left the realm of 'whackiness' a long time ago. The only things that are still references to that are the part descriptions for the original parts, ie: the 'trash can full o boom' for the SRB.

Getting EVA reports of 'WHEEEEE' and thinking of potatoes kind of ruin the immersion.

There are plenty of more serious entries in there; unfortunately, for most people it's easier to write something silly/funny than something serious/scientific due to the lack of normal science in KSP and little available information about planetary composition, structure, atmosphere etc.

So there are plenty of 'whackiness' in the file. On the other hand, reports not totally unlike 'WHEEE!' were present in the real world (Yuri Gagarin's 'Let's go!' which actually was 'Let's ride!', or 'I'm feeling good').

[codepants]

The whole point of a crowdsourced project is that it is what the "community" wants it to be. There might be entries you don't like, there might be entries I don't like, but barring those that are inappropriate or downright distasteful, that's what happens when you crowdsource things. Call it a sociology experiment if you want. I think it would have been less interesting if everybody had written in the same English and had the exact same sense of humor (even if it was a lack of one).

You are correct that the changes can be abrupt and ruin sense of immersion. I'm not sure what to do about that; I didn't think of it when I started the project. If you are willing to make a "certain" version (X-English and X-Humor) that is consistent, I am willing to host it. Until someone does that, it is what it is. We have more than 2,000 entries now, so at least for my time, it's not worth it.

Basically, it's a mod. You like it or you don't. I understand both perspectives and don't take offense either way.

EDIT: Also, if there is one in particular you don't like ("WHAAAAAA"), you can always comment on it. I am usually pretty receptive to specific comments... and much more likely to make a change if you have found it for me. )

DOUBLE EDIT: It would actually be pretty simple to have players indicate silly or serious and put them in different files. If you feel inclined enough to sort through and separate them I will foot the coding side and add the field in the form.

Edited January 3, 2014 by codepants

[FoxKit]

Which English is the one being used? I'm Canadian, so I use the Canadian spellings and idioms (e.g. "colour", "neighbour", "centre", "realise", "travelled", "controllable", "going to college" is not the same as "going to university", my final exams were supervised by an "invigilator" not a "proctor", metric is the preferred measurement system...), as opposed to the American, or British spellings (yes, Canadian English spellings are much like the British ones, but some of them are close to the American ones; e.g. we use "tire" and "gasoline" instead of "tyre" and "petrol", but use "cheque" instead of "check"). Canadian spelling seems to get everyone confused, and melts the faces off of both British and American proofreaders.

The SQUAD entries use American spellings and vernacular, so I try to keep that consistent as much as possible in my edits, even though I personally use British English.

Is there any chance of a more serious version coming out?

Honestly, KSP left the realm of 'whackiness' a long time ago. The only things that are still references to that are the part descriptions for the original parts, ie: the 'trash can full o boom' for the SRB.

Getting EVA reports of 'WHEEEEE' and thinking of potatoes kind of ruin the immersion.

Here's an example of some of SQUAD's original science logs:

JoolInSpace = The computer gave an odd report no matter how many times we sent the request. Open the sample bay doors... "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't let you do that" was the only reply. The doors did open very promptly when we opened the fusebox panel. Very curious.

EelooInSpace = You search the sky for other nearby planets, you think Eeloo must be lonely out here by itself. Maybe we should pay it a visit and cheer it up a bit.

DunaSrfLanded = After much testing, you determine that red sand castles are plausible.

I don't think much of our crowdsourced logs are too much sillier than 2001: a Space Odyssey references and extra-planetary sand castles. There is still plenty of 'wackiness' being added to the game, and while some of the entries in the crowdsourced file are humorous, I don't know why they'd be that much more 'immersion-breaking' than the default files.

That said, you can always go in and edit the entries on your own file as much as you like. n.n

Edited January 7, 2014 by FoxKit

[codepants]

I recently edited the script a bit (okay, I just added " =" to line 70) and the problem with generic biomes (Mun, Kerbal, Eeloo) *should* be fixed. Still testing it but with luck those will make a return shortly.

- - -

Any interest in having a published file of the rejected submissions? This could be completely automated and would allow users to see if their log was rejected or not (currently they have to search in the file for their approved log; this way, they'd search through the spreadsheet for their rejected log). The kicker is that I can also add a "reason" column, but I'm not going to do that without a majority vote from my moderators. I don't want them to feel pressured to have a "good" reason to reject any entries -- we are playing it better safe than sorry, after all.

Thoughts? Seeking input from both users and moderators here.

[Lithium-7]

I've got a few submissions.

First, a Mystery Goo addition:

default = You cannot grasp the true form of the Goo.

That might be a bit too obscure, though. I'm not quite sure of the exact definition of "really obscure", seems a bit too subjective to me.

A few crew reports:

KerbinInSpace = You stare out the window in deep thought, and ponder the answer to the Ultimate Question... before being rudely interrupted by Mission Control.

SunInSpaceLow = You ask Mission Control why they put you so close to Kerbol. They respond, "Science isn't about WHY. It's about WHY NOT." You can only wonder what that's supposed to mean.

SunInSpaceHigh = You suddenly realize that you forgot to bring your towel.

SunInSpaceHigh = You gaze into open space, and you just can't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.

EVA reports:

KerbinFlyingLow = Mission Control assures you, "Don't Panic".

KerbinInSpaceLow = You can not get that song out of your head. You sing to yourself, "Boom de yada, boom de yada..."

KerbinInSpace = "If you’re hearing this, it means you’re taking a long time on this spacewalk. The lab boys say that might be a fear reaction."

KerbinInSpaceHigh = Staring down at tiny Kerbin, it strikes you as a planet that looks mostly harmless.

MinmusSrfLanded = You trip, and are momentarily distracted by a pebble floating by. For a second you think you're flying, but then it turns out it's just Minmus' low gravity.

EveSrfLanded = You wonder when that cake you ordered will come...

MunSrfLanded = You see a helmet not unlike yours bouncing by...

Finally, a Materials Study entry.

default = Inside, you see what appears to be a small, glowing yellow squidlike creature... fascinating.

[pizzaoverhead]

DOUBLE EDIT: It would actually be pretty simple to have players indicate silly or serious and put them in different files. If you feel inclined enough to sort through and separate them I will foot the coding side and add the field in the form.

A "references to popular culture" file would be useful too if you're going that route.

[cardgame]

Considering pop culture references are in the stock game, I don't think that would be useful at all.

[Outlander4]

I've got a few submissions <...>

It's always exciting to have new entries, but please re-post them into the system using link to the submission page in the first post of the thread (if you haven't done so already).

Edited January 12, 2014 by Outlander4

[FlamingPotatoes]

Ive put stuff in like :

MinmusInSpaceHigh- It looks so small, and delicious.

VallInSpace- It looks like Minmus, but bubblegum flavor...

SrfLandedMoho (materials bay) Some of the Ice cream has melted, oh and some of the metals.

[codepants]

We are currently behind on logs (~75 pending) but will be having a moderating party on Sunday, so if you've been waiting for a verdict expect it on Monday.

During said party we (myself and the mods) will likely discuss implementing another spreadsheet for results (eg rejected, approved, etc). No promises there, but at least know it will likely move forward.

[Trueborn]

I have a request from the Crowd-sourced Science community. I just released a plugin that adds custom biomes to the rest of the solar system. This means that there are potentially a lot more results to be had for Science. I would like your help in adding to the science logs for these new biomes. The good news is, extra results won't negatively impact players who don't use the CustomBiomes mod, so there wouldn't need to be multiple versions of the ScienceDefs files. Below is a link to the new biomes that I have created. Thanks for your support!

Download biome list.

[Sylandro]

Can i join?

[codepants]

Can i join?

Define "join."

If you mean "submit posts," absolutely. If you mean "be a moderator," then see application instructions in the OP.

To the two posters on the last page who included their submissions in their post: Please see the submission instructions.

[elkar]

Anyone else having problem with opening that file? Google docs keep telling me that file is unavaible and reload doesnt help.

Edit: for some reason it doesnt work in google chrome ironically. but it does in explorer. %|

Edited January 19, 2014 by elkar

[SSM_Aero]

How do you download this mod?????? Somebody help!

[Trueborn]

It isn't a mod so much as a replacement for your ScienceDefs.cfg file. That's all there is in the download. Its on the first page, though it isn't super visible. Just above the "This will only work if everyone participates" bit.

[codepants]

It isn't a mod so much as a replacement for your ScienceDefs.cfg file. That's all there is in the download. Its on the first page, though it isn't super visible. Just above the "This will only work if everyone participates" bit.

Heh, sorry, I'm one for comprehensive OPs. I hate going through 20 pages of thread to find out something relevant, so I try and cram it all in there. If anyone can recommend a way to make the OP more accessible, I'm all ears.

[Outlander4]

I got ill, so I'll take a leave for a week or so.

[Poryy]

I ported my custom science logs for my planets to the crowd-sourced log. Do I have permission to distribute my planet's logs bundled with the old version of this on my thread?

[codepants]

I ported my custom science logs for my planets to the crowd-sourced log. Do I have permission to distribute my planet's logs bundled with the old version of this on my thread?

Yes, if you reference this thread, including a link, and acknowledge that your version won't have our updates unless you pull from us (not good or bad, just something to know -- not that we're getting a lot of submissions right now).

Thanks for asking.

[codepants]

Removing SunInSpaceLow because yes, we know it's "hot." If you come up with something original, feel free to PM me about it.

[Beeburgers]

I accidentally added a few to Vall and Pol Crew Reports Surface Landing in the add on biomes when I meant them to be in vanilla KSP. How would I go about fixing that?

[codepants]

I accidentally added a few to Vall and Pol Crew Reports Surface Landing in the add on biomes when I meant them to be in vanilla KSP. How would I go about fixing that?

You can either PM me the entries (as accurately as you remember them) and what biomes they *should* be, or you can resubmit them for the vanilla biomes and we'll reject the originals. Either way, do it quick. ;o)

FYI to all, Google Docs is throwing an error saying it's "unavailable" when the script is executed. I will periodically execute the script manually until the problem goes away. For now, expect file updates weekly instead of daily.

[Taki117]

If I might make a small suggestion: Make the download BIGGER! (It's kinda easy to miss)