Community interest in Gas planet 2

[LethalDose]

A second gas planet (GP2) was mentioned in a post from NovaSilisko in June last year. Eeloo (which I think was added in Dec 2012), was intended to be GP2's innermost moon.

Eeloo's in the game, but GP2 still isn't. I'm worried that GP2 may be getting swept under the rug like some other features that shall not be named.

I'm curious what level of interest the community currently has in seeing GP2 (or another gas giant) added to the stock game. It's something I'm interested in seeing, and I'd like to demonstrate that the community-at-large still has an interest in the planet as well.

So, if you'd like, provide an answer to the poll, and share your thoughts on why you'd like to see GP2 added to the game.

I'm not expecting dev responses to this post, but it would be appreciated if they could weight in on whether or not GP2 or other planets are being considered for release.

Edited March 30, 2014 by LethalDose

[sal_vager]

Squad still want to do outer planets, but wants a solid discovery mechanic in place before they return to this idea, the ARM asteroid discovery mechanic may be a very early version of this

But like with all things in a project like this, there's lots* the devs want to do and only so many hours in a day to code and stuff, so many features will be delayed, they just need more time.

Edited March 30, 2014 by sal_vager
*misspelled

[PetahSchwetah]

[deleted]

Edited January 14 by PetahSchwetah

[Rakaydos]

Was GP2 the one with the 80+ degree inclination, including the orbits of all moons? That would be an interesting challange to reach and orbit... (and return home from)

[LethalDose]

Squad still want to do outer planets, but wants a solid discovery mechanic in place before they return to this idea, the ARM asteroid discovery mechanic may be a very early version of this

But like with all things in a project like this, there's lost the devs want to do and only so many hours in a day to code and stuff, so many features will be delayed, they just need more time.

Wow, lots of information right there.

I'm not wild about the inclusion of a discovery mechanic for planets (discussed over here), but I don't have nearly as much trouble with it as I have with some of the other choices SQUAD is making about game development. Can you provide any links regarding SQUAD's decision to include a discovery mechanic?

Like I said above, I haven't seen any official mention of GP2 or other new planets since June of last year and since other features have been ignored into so-close-to-cancelation-there's-no-real-difference, it's reasonable to be concerned about this, too.

Like you point out, there's only so much time to code, and the game has to come out at some point. The point of polls like this is to draw SQUAD's attention to a feature that (hopefully) the community wants and influence SQUAD's priorities.

Anyway, thanks for your prompt response.

[FITorion]

More planets of any and all sorts are wanted.

Makeovers of existing planets to give them interesting places to visit is also wanted. volcanoes... flowing rivers... caves... gysers... moving floating ice rafts... all sorts of new challenges and wonders to explore.

More Easter egg like things which give clues to ... not really a story but to past lore and events. KSP doesn't need a campaign for you to play through but little clues sprinkled throughout the system to be uncovered would be a welcome thing.

[spyker92]

Still want to see it, still think itll be a valuable addition at this point, especially after all the mods that came out with silly planet additions.

Only problem is adding it when so few planets have biomes and stuff right now though. There's not alot of things to "explore" on any of the planets barring a half dozen Easter eggs. And biomes are limited to the kerbin system. Need more Easter Eggs and need more biomes overall before we add the gas giant #2.

Big patch that finishes all the biomes to a rough set + adds the 2nd gas giant with 2-3 moons? + Eeloo? I'd love it.

[regex]

Would be neat to have a full solar system in KSP. Another two gas giants, another rocky or icy planet, an asteroid belt (procedurally generated like the ARM asteroids, of course), trojan asteroids, centaurs, TNOs (not sure what you'd call them in KSP, maybe TGP2Os?), etc...

That's my $0.02 anyway, I want the full meal deal, not just GP2.

[IrRedemption]

In my Opinion another planet shouldn't be implemented just yet. Career mode and other major additions to the game should be a top Priority for squad. But yes it would be nice to have another planet in the Kerbol System for more exploration finding new eastereggs and Etc.

[LethalDose]

Would be neat to have a full solar system in KSP. Another two gas giants, another rocky or icy planet, an asteroid belt (procedurally generated like the ARM asteroids, of course), trojan asteroids, centaurs, TNOs (not sure what you'd call them in KSP, maybe TGP2Os?), etc...

That's my $0.02 anyway, I want the full meal deal, not just GP2.

IMO, at this point, I think another gas giant with a system of satellites would be a fine stopping point for the planetary additions. Really, the most interesting part of Jool isn't Jool itself but it's satellites (yes yes, and the Kraken). GP2 would add a new set of satellites and gas giant, but I don't know how many more gas giant/satellite combinations we'd need after that.

If Neptune and Uranus analogs would add something new and interesting, I'd be all for them, but I don't need 8 planets in the Kerbol system because there are 8 planets in the Solar system. A terrestrial planet with several moons could be interesting, but it'd have to be different than the Kerbin system.

And yes, I'd love to see asteroids discover-able in regions that mimic asteroids in the Solar system, specifically Jool trojans (both camps) and near Dres objects, but that is another topic for another thread.

EDIT: Also thanks for participation, everyone. 50 responses so far.

[KvickFlygarn87]

Before they add new planets I would like them to add the observatory. where the astronomers have to discover the planets. When planets are first discovered, you should not know much about them, to discover more you should fund research and send probes etc.

Well, you might wanna consider the fact that we knew about all the planets a long time before the space technology field started thriving.

[bigdad84]

There was a picture of the early design of Gas Planet 2 around here somewhere... IIRC.

[cantab]

Well, you might wanna consider the fact that we knew about all the planets a long time before the space technology field started thriving.

Except we didn't. We knew all the planets existed, but not much about them. Many things we're now familiar with, like the extreme heat on Venus or that the Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a giant storm, were first discovered by space probes. Even the far side of the Moon was not just unknown but unknowable without sending a spacecraft past it to have a look.

[vger]

Except we didn't. We knew all the planets existed, but not much about them. Many things we're now familiar with, like the extreme heat on Venus or that the Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a giant storm, were first discovered by space probes. Even the far side of the Moon was not just unknown but unknowable without sending a spacecraft past it to have a look.

Aye, this is one of those things I would have liked to learn with science components. As it is now we can look at the Wiki and learn everything we can. But it'd be cool if statistics about planets started showing up in the science records as we recorded them. Gravity, atmo pressure, chemical composition, and so on.

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

I dont want to turn down everybodies Enthusiasm about GP2 because I also love the Idea of going further out.

ALSO. What I have seen about the Performance of the new Rocket Parts coming with .23.5 we can now reach any Planet without any hassle at all.

But of course I can also understand that Squad is not implementing any celestial bodies at all because the Planets like they are right now are fine. Even too good when you look at the amount of Biomes you have inside Kerbins SOI.

So the devs have a super-solid base to work on something different like ARM-Pack for example or to push on with contracts, R&D and the probably how Money will be treated in a further update. Perhaps even the Multiplayer.

I think GP2 is a long way out but we can play Mohole-Golf with Asteroids pretty soon

[vger]

I dont want to turn down everybodies Enthusiasm about GP2 because I also love the Idea of going further out. ALSO. What I have seen about the Performance of the new Rocket Parts coming with .23.5 we can now reach any Planet without any hassle at all.

I was already somewhat concerned about that. From what I was seeing in vids, it looked like ARM was going to turn the game into uber easy-mode.

It all depends on where in the tech tree those parts wind up too though. If they're near the end, it might be irrelevant. In the current build, I can already see being able to pull off an all-purpose ship that can go anywhere it wants ((and I haven't even finished the tech tree yet))

The stats on the parts might be getting tweaked yet too though, so who knows. There's still a lot of decimal places to go through before 1.0...

Still, I'd like more challenges that come from BEING there, rather than just GETTING there.

[Astronomer]

Frankly, I'd be willing to give up all the current bodies for procedurally generated planets and/or solar systems.

[merendel]

Except we didn't. We knew all the planets existed, but not much about them. Many things we're now familiar with, like the extreme heat on Venus or that the Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a giant storm, were first discovered by space probes. Even the far side of the Moon was not just unknown but unknowable without sending a spacecraft past it to have a look.

Theres a difference between not knowing specific details like exact topogrophy on the far side of the moon or exactly what was causing the great red spot and not knowing about them altogeather. The guy who wanted the observitory and discovery tied it to the asteroid discovery mechanic in his post. That implies that kerbals should not only be ignorant of some details but of its very existance. There's no good reason that a saturn analog wouldnt be known along with a good number of its larger moons. Ancient astronomers were at least aware of the planets out to saturn and the moons started to be discovered in the 1600's or so as I recall. The location and orbits of the planets and moons would be known long before a race had the tech to send objects out there.

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

Frankly, I'd be willing to give up all the current bodies for procedurally generated planets and/or solar systems.

What Idea... did you just... put into my head Oo

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

Actually, Tanuki asked Mu for me on the last Squadcast about the Titan analog he mentioned last year.

In order to have a tweak for the existing Planets with atmospheres.

You can find it here at 42:45min http://www.twitch.tv/ksptv/b/515120378

[Skyler4856]

Perhaps the image in the tracking station would be obscure, and vague, and a probe would enhance the image.

[Rassa Farlander]

I think the addition of another gas planet would be a nice addition, more things to explore would be great. Although I understand holding off for a little bit while other stuff is worked on. KSP lacks endgame material, having more to explore would help with that a bit.

I also think eeloo should be moved out and left as the outer most body, I dont think it should be a moon. Let a new gas giant have its own moons

[vger]

That implies that kerbals should not only be ignorant of some details but of its very existance. There's no good reason that a saturn analog wouldnt be known along with a good number of its larger moons. Ancient astronomers were at least aware of the planets out to saturn and the moons started to be discovered in the 1600's or so as I recall. The location and orbits of the planets and moons would be known long before a race had the tech to send objects out there.

I wouldn't mind there being an end-game planet of sorts though. A Nemesis of sorts, not that it's actually a threat to anything. But some large body out beyond the kuipur belt that only gets discovered after certain conditions are met, such as landing on all the worlds.

Though, the idea isn't entirely far-fetched for moons. We're still discovering more around the gas giants these days.

[J.Random]

I don't think it's the time to add more of the same content we already have. Atmospheric model needs to be redone first. Even Jool doesn't seem to look/work properly right now (pressure damage, anyone?).

[vger]

What Idea... did you just... put into my head Oo

They've already said they won't allow procedural star systems because they want the community to have common ground to talk about the worlds they visit.

Of course... if someone wants to develop a mod for it...

I don't think it's the time to add more of the same content we already have. Atmospheric model needs to be redone first. Even Jool doesn't seem to look/work properly right now (pressure damage, anyone?).

Not to mention wind...

But having the planets to mess with gives us more opportunity to provide feedback to the devs about how we think it should behave.

Edited March 30, 2014 by vger