Possible improvements to the science point system

[Poryy]

The science point system is less a full feature than a grind like those found in MMOs. Squad could easily fix it by implementing 1 or 2 small features such as these.

1. Adding value to science found in low Kerbin orbit. This could prevent the tedious experience of flying to every biome before being able to get anywhere else. NASA got massive amounts of data from the first rockets that made it to orbit. The new values should be:

Goo- 30 pnts

EVA report- 16 pnts

Crew report- 12 pnts

Science bay- 45 pnts

Individual instruments- 15 pnts

Spectroscope- 24 pnts

Remember, this is a new frontier!

2. Eliminate repeat science

This is simple. Only allow specific expermints to be done once. You cannot run a Science bay test on metals twice, but you can do a Science bay test on gels after.

3. Variable Science bays

As you prepare your ship for launch, you put a science bay on it. After the bay is placed, you can select a kind of sample for it to carry. You could test metals on Duna, or expose water to Eve's atmosphere! All of the different samples should have different flavor texts, providing endless fun! Different sample types could be unlocked as you progress. For example, at the start the bay could only come with water and gel.

List of samples:

Water

Gel

Electronics

Rocket fuel

Metal

Plastic

Snacks

4. Spectroscope

A new mini science instrument! The spectroscope would be unlocked late-game and analyzes planetary atmospheres and surface composition. It should have a medium-high science return.

Edited November 21, 2013 by Poryy

[Sirrobert]

1: You don't have to visit the Biomes at all. You can easely get to High Kerbin Orbit after low, and than a Mun flyby, than a low Mun flyby, than a landing. Or if you are not ready for a landing yet, flyby Minmis first.

Point is, it's not grindy unless you make it grindy

2: That's coming next patch. No longer being able to get full science out of transmitting, and limited experiments per part

[Poryy]

1: You don't have to visit the Biomes at all. You can easely get to High Kerbin Orbit after low, and than a Mun flyby, than a low Mun flyby, than a landing. Or if you are not ready for a landing yet, flyby Minmis first.

Point is, it's not grindy unless you make it grindy

2: That's coming next patch. No longer being able to get full science out of transmitting, and limited experiments per part

I'm absolutely incapable of makin it to HKO before the 4th tier. I usually get stuck early-game, before I can get to the Mun. I'm not a pro who can max out the tech tree in 5 flights.

[JSD]

Let the whole game system working to Squad please. I don't like it when people paint the whole picture there with names, numbers and everything and then say: This HAS to be this, and that SHOULD be that. Please don't. It's annoying..

[Sirrobert]

I'm absolutely incapable of makin it to HKO before the 4th tier. I usually get stuck early-game, before I can get to the Mun. I'm not a pro who can max out the tech tree in 5 flights.

I find that hard to believe. If you can get into LKO, you can get into HKO. Hell, you don't even need to get into orbit to get to HKO, just burn straigth up until your apoaps is above 250km (or I think the limit is even lower).

Here's you you get from LKO to HKO and than back to the ground: In orbit, point prograde. Burn until apoaps is high enough. At apoaps. point retrograde. Burn until orbit intersects with atmosphere.

Extra cost in deltaV: about 100m/s. Compared to the 4500m/s it takes to get to LKO, I would not exactly call that significant

PS: So that spectroscope is suposed to do what exactly? We already have something that analizes atmosphere, and we already have soil sample to analize the surface. And we are going to have the lab to analize science before you transmit it

[Poryy]

I find that hard to believe. If you can get into LKO, you can get into HKO. Hell, you don't even need to get into orbit to get to HKO, just burn straigth up until your apoaps is above 250km (or I think the limit is even lower).

Here's you you get from LKO to HKO and than back to the ground: In orbit, point prograde. Burn until apoaps is high enough. At apoaps. point retrograde. Burn until orbit intersects with atmosphere.

Extra cost in deltaV: about 100m/s. Compared to the 4500m/s it takes to get to LKO, I would not exactly call that significant

PS: So that spectroscope is suposed to do what exactly? We already have something that analizes atmosphere, and we already have soil sample to analize the surface. And we are going to have the lab to analize science before you transmit it

Tells what materials the planet's atmosphere is made of. All the current thing does is tell pressure.

[Poryy]

Let the whole game system working to Squad please. I don't like it when people paint the whole picture there with names, numbers and everything and then say: This HAS to be this, and that SHOULD be that. Please don't. It's annoying..

If I didn't do that, I would be attacked for making a vague topic.

[thereaverofdarkness]

I'm absolutely incapable of makin it to HKO before the 4th tier. I usually get stuck early-game, before I can get to the Mun. I'm not a pro who can max out the tech tree in 5 flights.

You might be missing some of the more local research options. Try taking soil samples of the launchpad dirt, get some crew and EVA reports from around the space center, and then venture out offshore to test the water and the nearby islands. You can get a lot of research done with what you start with, and a lot more still simply by taking your trusty goo canisters all over the place. Best of all, you can leave the canisters anywhere on Kerbin and recover them for full science value right from the tracking station.

[Poryy]

Any comments on 3?

[thereaverofdarkness]

Any comments on 3?

I have a comment on 3: +1

I also have a suggestion for improvement of the research tree: tools used to collect research points should not be choices you can unlock, but should automatically be granted to you when you have accumulated enough total research points.

If you like this idea, feel free to put it in your main post!

Edited November 22, 2013 by thereaverofdarkness

[Poryy]

I have a comment on 3: +1

I also have a suggestion for improvement of the research tree: tools used to collect research points should not be choices you can unlock, but should automatically be granted to you when you have accumulated enough total research points.

If you like this idea, feel free to put it in your main post!

You mean things like the thermometer an the barometer?