Kerbal Text Program

[Pecan]

This project does not yet have Squad's permission so may never be published; however -

It has been mentioned before and I thought I'd finally do it. Kerbal Text Program is an Interactive Fiction (IF) story, like the old-style 'text adventures', Collosal Cavern, Zork, et al.

So far the features are planned to be (depending on Squad):

• Locations consist of KSC main areas, a couple of other Kerbin places, 'sky', 'space' and the surface of other planets & moons (so spaceflight will 'just' consist of going to space, then to destination)
  
• Travel based on the player's vehicle rating: on foot, ground, flight-capable, spaceworthy.
  
• ...and the availability of snacks!
  
• An automated and moderately detailed sequence of events for (space)plane take-offs and landings, rocket launches and recovery.
  
• ...based on (random background events) and a timetable of scheduled missions
  
• ...which the player can edit to add, reschedule or scrub missons and assign crews (not yet implemented)
  
• ...and the results of which are partially random, based on reliability of vehicles, which itself changes according to the player's actions.
  
• A (simple) system for building spaceplanes and single-stack, multi-stage rockets (not yet implemented)
  
• Ranks: clerk, mechanic, launch mechanic, engineer, pilot, astronaut and senior astronaut (win)
  
• Promotion based on completing certain tasks in the current rank.
  

The 'tasks' to be completed will, in the nature of IF, require a bit of thinking about and manipulating of obscure objects but the whole thing should be fairly easy to play (if I've got it right).

There are several ways to 'win' by becoming a senior astronaut, from sneaking on-board a spaceflight as a senior astronaut (and surviving), to ordering the parts for your own rocket, building it, putting it on the schedule of missions and crewing it (and surviving). Exactly how you do those things I'm obviously not going to give away.

Anyone want to see anything else in there?

[Sputnik's Revenge]

Sounds like a great idea! mybe random events could happen? (i.e. kraken, broken wheel, etc.)

[Pecan]

Yes, random faults do occur; the reliability of a vehicle is a percentage based on how often it has flown before, the assumption being that there are 'teething troubles' with new vehicles. At launch that may result in failing pre-launch checks, engine failure, other undefined 'failure to launch' or an explosion. If the launch succeeds a similar process applies in-flight, with solar panel, landing leg and other external faults being favoured because they encourage the player to spacewalk :-) Broken wheels are unlikely to feature much because other planets/moons are only a single location, just to say 'been there, done that, got the space helmet', so no rovers (well, there IS one, but it's just in KSC).

If/when the player is a mechanic or engineer the reliability of a vehicle is adjusted according to how well they perform their launch-preparation tasks. In-flight, prior experience as a mechanic/engineer affects repair chance - craftsmen fix things faster. Incidentally; experience as an astronaut affects deltaV use and flight-time - more experienced pilots fly more efficiently. (Ooops, just realised I haven't coded the deltaV equations yet - that's why the rocket-building is limited to serial-staging btw, because it makes it easier to calculate deltaV).

[Geschosskopf]

KTP>"You are standing on a truncated pyramidal mount of concrete with gratings on top. From the mound, a concrete road with huge tracks runs west about 200m to the cyclopean doors of a huge, tall building. To your left is a group of 3 large dish antennae. To your right is a flagpole and a water tower. In the distance behind the huge building in front of you are various other buildings, what looks like a large hangar, and a control tower."

>go w and open door and go in

KTP>"You have entered the huge building, which is called the VAB. It's totally hollow inside with the ceiling almost too far away to see. Dozens of Kerbals in various types of attire scurry aimlessly around you, while recklessly operated heavy vehicles zoom across the floor at high speed, sometimes running over Kerbals. The north and south walls are covered with many platforms large enough for the vehicles to drive on, which they sometimes do via the two elevators on each of these walls. Much of the south wall is obscured by an enormous flag."

>build rocket

KTP>"You have neither the tools nor the expertise."

>build rocket

KTP>"A large explosion occurs. You are dead. I said you had neither the tools nor the expertise."

KTP> "You are standing on a truncated pyramidal mount of concrete....."

[Pecan]

Pretty much that, yes, except that I've added a few bits to avoid the micro-management hassle of old-style IF. So doors are considered open and all you'd have to type is 'w', or 'enter VAB' if you preferred.

Except during launch 'lockdown' (T-5m - T+2), when doors are closed and locked. People are prevented from walking into the launch zone by Security (they're the ones wearing red shirts, outside ... oops).

While simple, the rocket-building is a bit more detailed than that. "Put LV-T30 under FL-T800", "Put 'Payload' on 'Launch Vehicle'" (<- named components or 'sub-assemblies'), that sort of thing. There are no construction explosions, lack of tools/experience would result in a rocket with a base 10% chance to succeed (am I too generous?). Erm, the technical terms I've chosen for making improvements to (or reducing the performance of) something are buff and nerf - so for instance, post-assembly you might "Buff 'Firework' with electric drill" or, indeed "Nerf 'Deathstar' with hammer"! Do buff/nerf sound right or should I use a different pair of verbs?