researching optional upgrades for older technology at higher tier levels, possible?

[Fylas]

So you could actually save on some future parts and reduce the total amount of parts on a craft with that in one go, whoopee I'd love that

[Tweeker]

I think also you could tune the engines to their intended uses for example:

lvt-37 base : ground isp 300, Vacuum isp 380

lvt-37 Ground tuned : ground isp 320, Vacuum isp 360

lvt-37 Space tuned : ground isp 280, Vacuum isp 400

[Fylas]

specific tunings for in atmospheric use would be nice XD maybe even tune some air intakes so that they have much lower efficiency but in return pump the oxygen into high compression storage tanks for later use. XD

[Capt Snuggler]

I think also you could tune the engines to their intended uses for example:

lvt-37 base : ground isp 300, Vacuum isp 380

lvt-37 Ground tuned : ground isp 320, Vacuum isp 360

lvt-37 Space tuned : ground isp 280, Vacuum isp 400

that's quite and elegant solution. i like.

[Fylas]

looks like this whole tuning and upgrade thing has quite some nice potential <3 :3

[KASASpace]

my view is that you do this:

1. Right click "upgrade-able" part that you want to upgrade

2. Select "upgrades" in the tweakables

3. a menu pops up

4. there are two "folders", one for upgrades that can be applied, and one for research-able upgrades.

5. You click on the upgrades you want (limit depends on tier, like 2 upgrades for that LV-909 on that rocket)

or

6. You research an upgrade, they become available as you go and cost a small amount of science and money (10 science, 50 space-bucks)

Any thoughts?

[Fylas]

my view is that you do this:

1. Right click "upgrade-able" part that you want to upgrade

2. Select "upgrades" in the tweakables

3. a menu pops up

4. there are two "folders", one for upgrades that can be applied, and one for research-able upgrades.

5. You click on the upgrades you want (limit depends on tier, like 2 upgrades for that LV-909 on that rocket)

or

6. You research an upgrade, they become available as you go and cost a small amount of science and money (10 science, 50 space-bucks)

Any thoughts?

So this way the upgrades are pretty much integrated in the possible performance as a set change that needs to be unlocked separately but essentially code wise is just an extension of the mechanics that allows tweaking of parts and save the setting in the craft file?

[Tweeker]

I gave this a try, editing the config file for an lv-t45 to reflect some of the ideas, 3 different tunings, gimbal, no gimbal etc. It made a small, but noticeable difference in gameplay, and I found the variation to be quite interesting.

I think this would be a great way to add a lot of variety to the parts pool, with out to much extra complication, or bloating the game excessively.

[Raptor9]

Wow, Fylas. You thought of the same thing I did, just five months earlier. I didn't want to list all of what I had written down, so I started a discussion thread here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/81956-Career-Mode-Research-Unlocking-Parts-vs-Unlocking-Upgrades

Kudos for beating me to it though, lol.

[allmhuran]

the problem squad has with this, as stated during kerbalkon, is that they like the community the game has, and this would round tyne ship exchange, as everyone would suddenly have very different engines all with the same name in the filesystem. its the same thing really with the radomized solar systems.

Yes, I believe this is the stated objection. But I don't agree that it's a rational objection.

The shareability of ships already depends on which stage of career mode each player is in, because one player may be using parts that another player doesn't have available, so adding part upgrades makes no difference to players sharing ships between careers. As far as shareability is concerned, there is absolutely no difference between "upgrades that are unavailable because you haven't unlocked them" and "parts that are unavailable because you haven't unlocked them".

If you want to help out another player who is having trouble with their design, or try out another player's ship, regardless of what stage they are at in career mode vs what stage you are at, then you load up their ship in sandbox, where all parts and upgrades would be available, just like you have to do now.

Edited June 4, 2014 by allmhuran

[Dodgey]

I don't think that is an issue. Unless your are downloading the craft to use directly in your career game why wouldn't you use sandbox for testing? Also the problem isn't just not having the parts unlocked or the upgrades unlocked. It's not being able to identify what the pays ate by just looking at them.

Edited June 4, 2014 by Dodgey

[KaBob]

I think it's unrealistic to not have upgrades for parts and I don't really see the issue with sharing because the tech tree causes the exact same issues especially because they are surely going to keep adding more and more parts to unlock. All they have to do is store the upgrades being used as a sort of tweakable and have the VAB tell people when they don't have the right stuff unlocked (but give them the option of using the lesser part, until they do). You could even have the parts look visually upgraded, for example maybe the upgraded parts use a different alloy that is a slightly different color.

The main thing is you wouldn't want to provide too many upgrades, one or two per part at most. I think a logical set of upgrades would perhaps be one that gives a 5% decrease in weight combined with a 5% increase in durability (better alloy) and then an upgrade that gives a reasonable increase in whatever the part is designed to do. So for an engine, maybe a 5% increase in thrust. Nothing major but a nice little boost for people who have a ton of science and nothing to spend it on.

[Ricardo79]

That should be lenghten the game 2x-3x even more. Very Nice Idea

Even if you not (or not just) "researched it" throught science but you have to buy them as well or just paying for it to a company.