Tweakable Lab

[Mode7]

Let me start off by saying that I was at work during most of the stream for Kerbalkon so if something like this was mentioned I didn't hear it and I haven't been able to find it in the forums or on reddit.

Ok, The new lab module is going to allow us to get more science from our transmissions. That's really great and it is going to be the first time that there is a reason to have a station besides refueling and a few other very specific uses. The one failing I see here is that this is a one size fits all solution. The removes the need to build a complex station, it keeps us at skylab levels of complexity. I'd like to encourage ISS levels of complexity.

What about a specialized lab? Use tweakable settings or make the separate parts so that we can launch labs that specialize in one field of science and get a bigger percentage of our total science. Maybe there are certain science points thatcan ONLY be earned through such a lab.

For example, I could launch a weather lab. This lab could only improve results from certain sensors, lets say thermometer, barometer, and atmo-samlper but it would improve them beyond what a normal lab could. Then I would have a reason to launch more labs, house more crew, and collect more energy which would lead to a use for larger space stations.

[LethalDose]

I don't see how to increase the complexity of the lab without also increasing the complexity of the science system. However, I'm totally for this. I've previously described previously described a system that uses 3 types of science, and could, in turn, require 2-3 types of labs/facilities.

Actually, one way you could do it without changing the science is by implementing job ratings for individual kerbals, e.g. a gravioli readout could only be pre-processed in a lab that has a kerbal a physicist rating of 2 or higher.

I'd be curious to hear other ideas, too.

[Murph]

A simplistic approach might be to allow the lab bonuses to stack. So, a single lab module might give, e.g., 10% bonus. Two modules, 20%. Three, 40%. Etc. It would probably need to be capped or have diminishing returns, I guess. So maybe: 1  10%, 2  15%, 3  18%, etc.

I'm all for having different types of modules as well. A stacking bonus just seemed like a good thing to throw into the discussion.

Skill levels for the crew, that sounds like a cool thing too. Some sort of training facilities at KSC, give them more attributes than just courage and stupidity, build on the attributes with a combination of training and experience.

The 0.23 labs look do like a cool step in the right direction. We just need more/bigger/better in the long term.

[SiliconPyro]

That makes a lot of sense. Maybe additional modules could be added to the lab that's coming in 0.23 and would each require one additional Kerbal to crew them. So a full station ends up including the main lab and three more modules with whatever it takes to power it all, plus five total Kerbals for a full crew. A lab shouldn't just increase transmitted value though. It should increase the base value of an experiment because it's happening in a better facility in microgravity. So if you get a full lab up and running, you could repeat previous experiments, but with better results because of better equipment.