OK, I hope this is legal...

[kiwi1960]

I don't seem to post much anymore... I saw the already suggested sticky, and the what not to suggest sticky, and now, I'm sort of too afraid to post this in case I get told off...

so to hell with it... this has bugged me since it happened.

I stopped playing KSP for a time, then came back to it, a new game, all was going well till...

Bill, Bob and Jeb smashed into Kerbal... killed instantly... for some reason, I didn't laugh like I did in the old days, in fact, I felt sad... those poor brave Kerbals... forever a part of kerbal... literally... well, the clones are not the same... I felt a great loss in my life...

and then I saw it... and I got angry... the flag was not at half mast.

OK, so its a minor thing... but if a kerbal is killed, ANY Kerbal... the flag should fly at half mast for at least a day... right?

and if you wanted to make it more heartfelt... maybe a cut scene where you see the flag being lowered while the Last Post (or Taps) is played... and if you wanted to milk it for all its worth, you could have a back view of a woman crying while hugging two Kerbal children.... and maybe a fly over with jets in formation and one leaves formation like the USAF does in real life (I forget what that is called now...)

And then finish it off with the Kerbal National Anthem... (what fools are we?)

Well.... ok..... maybe just the flag at half mast.... it will be enough for now as a mark of respect for those poor brave idiots in their flying machines....

Edited March 8, 2014 by kiwi1960

[Clockwork13]

Interesting idea, but I don't think hardly anyone would notice it.

[Helix935]

hmm i like this idea altough it should be allowed to be turned off and on as many people maybe annoyed after a while

[Mitchz95]

A cutscene might be overkill, but I wouldn't be opposed to a halfmast for the rest of the day. As long as it's not shoved in the player's face.

[vexx32]

Interesting idea, though I don't think the devs would have it high on the priorities list, really.

[vger]

In the Kerbal world though would it really be a flag, or a pair of soiled undies (to commemorate what happened in the command module just before the catastrophic failure)?

Sadly now I'm just hypothesizing what a proper Kerbal death ceremony would actually be like. Given the nature of the typical space program, I think they have a complex theology. The highest level of Heaven (which involves an infinite supply of snacks) is reserved for those who are strapped to a few tons of fuel just before dying in an epic explosion.

[Legendary Emu]

A cutscene might be overkill (no pun intended) but I think the flag at half mast thing is a good idea. What came to mind right now is some kind of thing that you get a part every time someone dies that is the body/ashes/mush of the Kerbal died and you can put him as a memorial somewhere in space. Maybe a grand tour probe for when Jebediah dies (you monster) if you felt it right.

[Superfluous J]

I think it'd be a nice touch.

...for some time in Beta.

[AlamoVampire]

and maybe a fly over with jets in formation and one leaves formation like the USAF does in real life (I forget what that is called now...)

snipped the rest of your post for this. It is called The Missing Man Formation. Here is a video of the USAF Thunderbirds performing this as TAPS sounds out in the background.

and yeah, a flag at half staff would be a nice thing to have when a Kerbal dies.

[RSwordsman]

I like the idea of the flag flying at half mast, but isn't it a little somber for KSP's usually slightly goofy tone? I do like to roleplay but feel like Kerbal deaths are bad enough already without having serious memorial ceremonies.

[Kasuha]

It sure would be awkward if you had flag at half pole to commemorate Kerbal's death and found him riding the very next rocket.

So I think IF it should only be implemented, then only in permadeath mode, which is now off by default.

[kiwi1960]

I agree with most of those that agreed with me....

The only suggestion was the flag at half mast for the day, it wouldn't be in your face, you would see the flag at half mast when you went to launch another rocket, or took off in a plane, or flew over the base....

The rest, with the mother and two kids was just padding to make it a more fun post...

and I agree.... if they wear orange suits, they get nothing... they knew the risks... its the others who should be remembered...

BTW, thanks for the video, Mister Vampire, brings a tear to my eye...

[Dunbaratu]

Or perhaps a memorial followed by a quick cutscene for a few seconds of a kerbal in a green goo vat of something and a nameplate outside the apparatus saying "Jebadiah Kerman Clone incubating...." To explain away why there's another one a few days later.

[vger]

You know, the first time I found the monolith near the KSP, I thought it was a memorial that had automatically been erected someplace where I had crashed a manned rocket.

[sal_vager]

For some players it'd always be at half mast...

Bug report, the flag was at the top of the pole when I started but now it's always half way, fix this squad!

[AwesumnisRawr188]

a green goo vat of something and a nameplate outside the apparatus saying "Jebadiah Kerman Clone incubating...." To explain away why there's another one a few days later.

This!

This is more uplifting than the video with the woman and kids. I think this is perfect! We could have a video that shows the crash site, then it swooshes over the flag at half mast and finally ends by going into the Cloning Building and showing this. It'd be perfect and not so depressing!

[regex]

I think it'd be a nice touch.

...for some time in Beta.

Or never. This is something I wouldn't really notice and it's kind of a joke if you don't have permadeath enabled.

[DaRocketCat]

Yeah.....mine would always be at half mast. They just come and go .

[jwenting]

best way to honour the fallen is to redouble your efforts to get done what they tried dying to achieve, not to have pointless ceremonies.

[Sirrobert]

I think it'd be best if they give us the option to put the flag on half mast when we want to, and back.

Just right click on the thing and change it or something.

A cutscene of any kind would get very annoying very fast, especially if you are messing around with a new airplane design that keeps crashing (starting a cutscene each time before you can go back to SPH), or something like that

[coolitic]

Pointless. Takes out all the fun of killing kerbals.

[Miro Beero]

id rather there be a way to go get the dead body for scientific research points.

[AlamoVampire]

Pointless. Takes out all the fun of killing kerbals.

you. are. a. MONSTER.

Kerbals lives are sacred, I for one try everything possible to NOT kill them.

[kiwi1960]

I have to admit.... I once took a dislike to a Kerbal because of his name, and the way he always smiled at me...

lets say he didn't last long, if there was a dangerous plane or rocket to test, he would always be my first choice...

I think he lasted three missions... I tried hard to keep him alive, honest I did....

[Outlander4]

It's a very good idea; it's attention to detail that makes games awesome. It should be put in at some point!