[0.23][WIP][Plugin]Science Redefined

[Rhidian]

Science Redefined v.0.5 [WIP]

Because Science is what Careers are based off of

Author: Rhidian

License: All Rights Reserved (will likely change when this is no longer a WIP)

Description:

Science Redefined is a mod that changes (somewhat slightly) the mechanics of how Science is obtained.

The plugin itself changes a few things about Science

1) Science Decay is no more. Instead of each successive Science report being worth less and less, the science value of each report is constant up until the Science cap for the particular experiment/biome is reached

2) The Mobile Science Lab now passively increases the data amount (and therefore the scientific value) collected by experiments. So instead of collecting 40 science worth of data, you could be collecting 60 instead

(Untested so far): The science cap for experiments/biomes should be increasing as you progress through the scientific part of the tech tree.

The config file in this mod is meant to be used with ModuleManager to increase the Science Data cap across the board, allowing experiments to be repeated more times before hitting the wall. Combined with the above plugin changes, the mod aims to make gathering science easier and less boring.

As this is a WIP (and a first release of the code at that), there are major balance changes that needs to be made. Additionally, compatibility with other mods is unknown at the moment, but since this mod extends and adds functionality to the ModuleScienceExperiment class, any other mods that change that could have a conflict.

Version 0.5 Changes: Removed Science Decay for experiments

See the difference between these two pictures taken within the same career mode by successive flights?

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Download Link (Source code is included in the ZIP)

Please feel free to suggest ideas on how to make the Science system better.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Rhidian

[acc]

sounds realy interesting.

how do you breake the one time limitation for experiments?

a suggestion: i personaly think there is a function missing, to transfer science data between docked pods, whitout EVA. but maybe this is more a suggestion for ship manifest (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/62270) i posted it there too.

i use a lot of science part mods, like station science, surface sample collector, scanSat, and so on. maybe it would be more interesting to let the experiments one-time-limited, but add a "cleaning part", that contains a limited amount of "cleaning kits". so you need to supplie your research stations/bases/whatever.

so the lab is no more needed to clean experiment parts, but can contain the clean function and storage for cleaning kits too.

Edited January 22, 2014 by acc

[Rhidian]

Experiments are still One-time deals (unless you use the Mobile Science Lab of course) per recovery. What I mean by the limitation is the value "science cap" that all experiments have, which says how much data you can ultimately collect. For example, normally you collect 100% of the science cap value (5 Mbits) when doing a crew report and earn the full science value. However, subsequent crew reports, even though they collect 5 Mbits, don't provide any Science, since the cap has already been reached.

Increasing the cap lets you repeat the experiment more in the long run is what I meant. Additionally, my mod should be increasing the Cap further depending on what Science nodes you have researched up to, giving even more of a reason to go back to locations previously visited to obtain more science. That, and my plugin boosts the awesomeness of the Science Lab, making it worthwhile to lug up into orbit and use when collecting experiment data (note: the passive data boost only applies when the experiment is and the Lab are on the same vessel; you can't process the data later to increase the data size... Unless I add that in).

[123nick]

i heard that FScience allows you to move science from expirments to any storage object. try it, its awesome.

[acc]

Rhidian: ah, i understand. thats pretty cool too

123nick: thank you

[Rhidian]

Updated to version 0.5. The big change? No more Science Decay. Each successive report will be worth just as much as the last, as the two pictures in the original post can attest.