Comms satallits boost science.

[Comrade Jenkens]

At the moment putting satellites around bodies is mainly aesthetic. However what if they could be used to boost the signal of science radioed back?

Having a satellite round both the target body and back at Kerbin (both of which have to be on the correct side of the planet) would allow greater science return and make it more meaningful to set up a relay system. Implemented like this it would be a non essential thing so newer players would not have to use it if they didn't want to and could just send science like we do currently.

[CaptainKipard]

Having a satellite round both the target body and back at Kerbin (both of which have to be on the correct side of the planet) would allow greater science return...

...Because...

[Amaroq]

Because the signal can't get back to Kerbin otherwise. Clearly!

Shouldn't this thread be "Why isn't RemoteTech2 stock?"

[Capt Snuggler]

I think this is a good way to do it. the signal is always received but degrades over distance, lowering the science gain.

relay satellites help minimize the signal degradation by shortening the transmission distance.

the more I think about it the more I love it.

If you cant be bothered with relay sats then do data return missions or just accept there is transmission degradation (like there is already).

the more I think about it the more I love it.

[Comrade Jenkens]

Because the signal can't get back to Kerbin otherwise. Clearly!

Shouldn't this thread be "Why isn't RemoteTech2 stock?"

In remote tech the comms sats are needed to even control probes further away. That's not what I'm suggesting as it would make it too inaccessible. This is a simple boost in science return from using them but if players wish its not essential.

[CaptainKipard]

Can you show that NASA is having significant trouble relaying information from other planets?

Guys don't forget that making games artificially difficult is rarely popular. Things like FAR or DRE are reasonable. Signal delay is reasonable.

Inventing trouble with transmissions or some magical property of antennae that allow them to add to the sum total of information, is just silly.

Comrade Jenkens why aren't you making an argument? All you're doing is saying "it should be like this".

Why??

Make your case.

[andrew123]

Of course, it would be hilarious to have randomized crash landings due to incorrect unit conversions. "Cough, NASA, couch".

only 111 posts to go until the mark of the devil.

[Capt Snuggler]

Of course, it would be hilarious to have randomized crash landings due to incorrect unit conversions. "Cough, NASA, couch".

only 111 posts to go until the mark of the devil.

can you make the next 111 posts more relevant to the topic then? (apologies if this is some how relevant but i'm too stupid to notice)

Can you show that NASA is having significant trouble relaying information from other planets?

Guys don't forget that making games artificially difficult is rarely popular. Things like FAR or DRE are reasonable. Signal delay is reasonable.

Inventing trouble with transmissions or some magical property of antennae that allow them to add to the sum total of information, is just silly.

Comrade Jenkens why aren't you making an argument? All you're doing is saying "it should be like this".

Why??

Make your case.

here's the best case I can find.

For NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers, the indirect way is the best way -- using relay satellites that orbit Mars.

Each rover has a high-gain microwave antenna that can transmit scientific data directly to Earth, but more often than not uses a low-gain UHF antenna to transmit the data to either Mars Odyssey or Mars Global Surveyor, spacecraft in orbit above Mars.

"This transfer of data is much more efficient because the orbiters have much bigger solar arrays and bigger antennas, so they're not so much energy- and bandwidth-constrained as the rovers are," Jet Propulsion Laboratory telecom engineer Andrea Barbieri said. Think of it as a low-power cell phone talking to a nearby transmitter tower, which has far more power. Using spacecraft in orbit, the relays can transmit data 10 times faster than the direct link.

full article here: How the Mars Rovers Phone Home

also its an excuse to launch more rockets and build more complex missions! and its optional.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Capt Snuggler

[InfinityArch]

IMHO, remotetech should be stock, albeit with a few modifications to make it approachable to more casual users;

1. Remove signal delay and just focus on whether or not something is in contact.

2. Mission control an omnidirectional antenna with a starting range of about 90,000 km (out to the edge of kerbin's SOI), which can be upgraded for a sizable cost with the appropriate technologies researched; any object with line of site to Mission Control within the range of its onboard antenna can receive commands from it. The player can purchase (I'd assume this would be after money comes into play) additional ground based transmitters elsewhere on kerbin to increase the coverage and upgrade them in the same fashion, though you'd need at least some communication satellites to get coverage across the entire surface of kerbin.

[CaptainKipard]

full article here: How the Mars Rovers Phone Home

This doesn't address what I said.

1. Remove signal delay and just focus on whether or not something is in contact.

...No. Make it optional. Come on, be objective.