Science rewards for mission highlights.

[Drunkrobot]

Neil Armstrong and Dave Scott, inside their Gemini 8 capsule, in March 1966, set out to do what many people once regarded as physically impossible-rendezvous and dock with another object in space. They caught up with the Agena Target Vehicle, successfully joined with it, then promptly detached and made an emergency landing on Earth when they discovered their spacecraft was trying to kill them.

This will be the second most impressive thing they will ever do.

A centuries-long process from calculations on the blackboard, to prototyping, developing and final construction of vehicles, to testing in orbit culminated in the joining of two vehicles in space. This ability to join two craft into one has made possible the Moon landings and the space station programs since, producing more knowledge of both the Earth and the Cosmos beyond than the intellectual cost of making orbital rendezvous and docking possible.

This makes the idea of stuffing two guys into a spaceship that could never survive re-entry, then detaching them from the spaceship that can, seem less crazy.

Project Gemini was all about learning new skills. These new skills made the Moon the most well-understood body in existence, other than the Earth. For example a way we never developed docking. That would make Direct Ascen the only possible mission plan. This mean the lander must dedicate more of it's mass towards fuel and engines, leaving less for experiments, tools, cameras and rocks. Result: less science.

Apart from allowing bigger rockets, for father out places, to be possible, and more science instruments to bring with you, how can the game represent the scientific benefit of new abilities?

How about each "special" part (docking ports, for example) has a significant task, or "mission highlight" you must perform written to it? When you successfully perform it (first docking with another craft), some of the science you spent on getting the part is refunded to you. If you spent X amount of science points unlocking rover wheels, you get back 1/4, or 1/2 X points when you land a rover somewhere, and so on.

In real life, mission highlights, like docking to a spacecraft or testing a new spacesuit, were put under scientific analysis (i.e. to make that certain component better). In-game, the player could design a mission that accounts for the highlight, a sort of "mini-tutorial" to that area of the game. A shallower learning curve is a needed thing in this game!

This can also give rookies some incentive to try out some things they have neglected (I'm a rocketman, and I've had no reason to go into planes).

Edited December 17, 2013 by Drunkrobot

[CaptRobau]

Squad has talked about Reputation points for 0.24, which will reward you with points for doing first like above. I don't know how the system compares to yours though.

[404james]

I do like the idea, as I certainly agree that achievements with new capabilities should grant some scientific benefit. One other way it could be done is to have each tech node have tasks that can be performed in lieu of some of the science cost. For instance, if you successfully make an atmospheric flight of a certain duration, and land safely, that could mean less science needed to unlock better aircraft parts.