Exposing Kerbals to environment

[lajoswinkler]

We had an opportunity to see one of the Kerbals opening and removing his helmet on the Mün in one of Squad's videos.

Would it be cool for them to be able to remove their helmets? They could walk around bare headed on Kerbin and Laythe, breathing oxygen, maybe getting slightly different hue or saturation of their skin on Laythe because of 0.8 atm.

Opening the helmet in vacuum should result in outgassing, helmet popping out (its status becomes debris), and Kerbal panicking until he starts looking something like this. Slight bloating would be ok, too.

(I've decreased the saturation of the skin, removed the irises, but I didn't bother with removing the helmet in image editor, it would take too much time to reconstruct the jaw by hand)

If they do it on Eve, they flop around a bit and then fall to the ground. Their skin becomes darker and shrinks a bit.

In the depths of Jool, they carbonize and shrivel a lot.

What are the benefits? Opening the helmet on Laythe could result in a bigger boost in science points and courage than doing that on Kerbin.

The rest is just for fun.

What do you think?

Once the Kerbals become more than just ragdolls, and start actually doing on EVA something as they already do in IVA, this could be a cool part of the game.

[Ravenchant]

This seems a bit...dunno, cruel? Especially once they become more than ragdolls.

[lajoswinkler]

Have you ever seen this channel?

www.youtube.com/user/Danny2462

Cruelty is one thing, gore is another. Cruelty depends on the imagination of the user. You can see what Danny2462 has done with seemingly benign contraptions.

As for the gore, this is really not serious. Personally, I really wouldn't like if you could chop them to bloody pieces - I prefer they turn to cloud of (presumably) spores on impact. But this is something different. I think it makes them more human (in the absence of a better word).

I would implement the impossibility of staying alive during EVA in all extremely hostile environments (Eve, Jool, Moho) with standard suits. If you want to go to Eve, use a special suit or stay in the ship. See, there's an opportunity for using money.

Edited January 16, 2014 by lajoswinkler

[Ravenchant]

Danny2462 is awesome, no doubt about it

While an option to remove helmets on Kerbin and possibly Laythe would be nice, a button that amounts to "commit suicide" everywhere else sounds too easy to mis-click, at the very least. Maybe a confirmation window in the style of "Warning: performing this action can result in death of the crew member and can't be undone" could be put in?

Aside from that...the more flavour text, the better!

Edit: It would open up a whole range of possibilities, though:

newby Kerbonaut - "So, why am I here again?"

veteran Kerbonaut - "Oh, for... biology research."

newby Kerbonaut - "But I know nothing about biology. Besides, we already have enough scientists on board."

veteran Kerbonaut - "Mwahahaha"

Edited January 16, 2014 by Ravenchant

[MC.STEEL]

It is cruel but but it would suit some peoples role play.

Like the komunists refered to cosmonaughts somewhat as "live resources".

[GluttonyReaper]

Perhaps, instead of leaving the kerbal body in orbit, they could just explode into dust like normal, just leaving the helmet as debris? Y'know, for consistencies sake.

[lajoswinkler]

Danny2462 is awesome, no doubt about it

While an option to remove helmets on Kerbin and possibly Laythe would be nice, a button that amounts to "commit suicide" everywhere else sounds too easy to mis-click, at the very least. Maybe a confirmation window in the style of "Warning: performing this action can result in death of the crew member and can't be undone" could be put in?

Aside from that...the more flavour text, the better!

Edit: It would open up a whole range of possibilities, though:

newby Kerbonaut - "So, why am I here again?"

veteran Kerbonaut - "Oh, for... biology research."

newby Kerbonaut - "But I know nothing about biology. Besides, we already have enough scientists on board."

veteran Kerbonaut - "Mwahahaha"

A confirmation dialog would be great.

In fact, they don't have to die instantly in less hostile environments like vacuum. Opening the helmet for a few seconds and then closing it could increase their courage, and if that ever becomes important, it would prepare them for tough missions. Just a thought...

Perhaps, instead of leaving the kerbal body in orbit, they could just explode into dust like normal, just leaving the helmet as debris? Y'know, for consistencies sake.

Helmet and a suit. Not a bad idea although Kerbal corpses would be great for making movies.

Edited January 16, 2014 by lajoswinkler

[GluttonyReaper]

In fact, they don't have to die instantly in less hostile environments like vacuum. Opening the helmet for a few seconds and then closing it could increase their courage, and if that ever becomes important, it would prepare them for tough missions. Just a thought...

"Hey guys, watch this!" *takes off helmet while on EVA*

That would be entertaining.

[Mitchz95]

I dunno about removing helmets during EVA, but IVA might be a nice roleplay tool. It would be interesting to have an "explosive decompression" mechanic: if a manned part is hit just above impact tolerance, the Kerbals inside will be blown into space. If they're wearing their helmets they're not injured, and can use their EVA packs to slow themselves down, but if they're not, they die within seconds and are then classified as debris. No gore is needed; all they need is a splayed out posture and maybe some X's over their eyes.

If it happens on Kerbin or Laythe they just shrug it off and can stand up again, like they currently do if they fall down hard.

[lajoswinkler]

Explosive decompression, I like it.

X over eyes might be taken as a reference to drug usage, I'd rather see just white surfaces, like here. (42:00)

[Stargate525]

I'll second the idea of poofing the body, but leaving the helmet. It seems sufficiently in keeping with the goofiness. Especially if they're on ground.

[boomerdog2000]

Not particularly fond of a suicide button personally. I would assume beings that are intelligent enough to land on other planetary bodies would know enough to not take their helmets off in hard vacuum.

[Dooz]

Not fond of them being corpses in orbit or gore how about after 3 seconds of without helmet in space vacuum They pop or this environment is not breathable message planets with oxygen flag in atmosphere would suit me better

[Mitchz95]

Not fond of them being corpses in orbit or gore

I guess it would be a bit morbid for this kind of game ... though it would be kind of hilarious to see a dead Kerbal take out a space station in orbit.

how about after 3 seconds of without helmet in space vacuum They pop or this environment is not breathable message planets with oxygen flag in atmosphere would suit me better

I like the former better than the latter. Even if it's not really scientifically accurate.

[lajoswinkler]

Not particularly fond of a suicide button personally. I would assume beings that are intelligent enough to land on other planetary bodies would know enough to not take their helmets off in hard vacuum.

Intelligent enough? There are Kerbals!

If you think of it, recovering a dead Kerbal could be a nice mission. Either you could grab him with a robotic arm, or use other Kerbal to put him in a cargo bay.

If that's too morbid (I don't think it is), they could just poof and leave behind an empty suit+helmet.

[boomerdog2000]

Intelligent enough? There are Kerbals!

For all we know his friend convinced him to put his helmet back on, then they went helmet bowling on the mun. And now I want helmet bowling.