RPG Ideas

[ZeroG]

So, I've noticed a trend in the way I play KSP recently. I noticed somebody mention how many Kerbals they'd lost over the course of a career playthrough, and I thought, "Yeah, I've returned a surface sample from every surface except Eve and Jool in one playthrough without loosing a Kerbal!" Then I realized... every time I land, I quicksave before trying, then quickload if something goes wrong, so it's not really fair to say I haven't lost any. In fact, by doing it that way, I've mostly eliminated the need for rescue missions, which can be entertaining.

However, I'd rather not completely forbid myself from using quicksaves. The Tylo mission was agonizing enough already - I can see repeating it once if there's a disaster, but not as many times as I quickloaded when I tried it. So, I've been thinking, maybe there's a way to compromise, so that I can't always quickload. Way back in the day, I used to play a little Battletech (the tabletop RPG that Mechwarrior and other games are based on); I was thinking maybe there could be a dice-roll mechanic to offset ease of access to quickloading. So, for quickloads, I would use a set of rules to determine a dice roll that must be successful to load; otherwise, no loading, and deal with the consequences. Would anyone else be interested in such a system? Here's some ideas I've come up with so far.

The roll should be largely based on the Kerbal's "luck"; if we wanted to make a more traditional roleplay system, that could even be a stat in and of itself. So, the various modifiers may have to do with how the circumstances affect the Kerbal's luck at that moment. Also, I think the reason for the quickload should make a difference, as well as some other factors. I'll base this on 2d6, since that's what I'm nostalgic for .

Also, I'm counting "revert" as the same thing as "quickload". Here are the following reasons I can think of why you might quickload, and their base rolls:

1. Any roll for an unmanned ship: 9

2. Kerbal(s) die on attempted landing (non-atmosphere body): 7

3. Kerbal(s) die on attempted landing (atmosphere body): 9

4. Kerbal(s) are stranded after landing (broken rocket, not enough fuel, etc.): 5

5. Kerbal(s) die due to operator error (accidental staging, rocket pointing the wrong way, etc.): 4

6. Kerbal(s) are stranded in space but alive (mistimed burn, operator error, etc.): 6

7. Kerbal(s) die while lifting off from Kerbin on rocket which has worked in the past: 4

8. Kerbal(s) die while lifting off from Kerbin in untested rocket (not due to operator error): 7

9. Your manned ship has pulled a non-optimal maneuver you'd like to try again: 5

10. Kerbal(s) die while landing plane (non-parachute, horizontal landing): 4

11. Kerbal(s) die while lifting off from non-Kerbin body: 6

If anyone can think of other reasons you might quickload/revert, please chime in. I generally figure other circumstances won't require a roll. Also, notice I'm using a "testing" mechanic here for circumstances 7 and 8; to me, that means I've flown this exact rocket before and it worked. I usually play a sandbox game and a career game, where sandbox is treated like my testbed (I wouldn't enforce these rules there), and career is "for-real". If I pull a craft file that I've tested in a sandbox save to a career save, I consider that valid testing. I think Kerbals may respawn in certain circumstances; obviously, I'd forbid usage of respawned Kerbals if they've died. For modifiers, I was thinking of using a system like Fallout 3 or Skyrim's "perks", except they won't necessarily be helpful. Each will have a name and modifier:

Luck of the Kerbals: For circumstances 2 and 3, all Kerbals have a bank of "luck" to optionally draw from; at first, this modifier is -5. Each time you invoke this modifier, you draw from the luck pool, so you must keep track of how many times you've invoked it since the beginning of the save. Use the following lookup table:

[table=width: 500, class: grid, align: center]

[tr]

[td]Invocations (including current one)[/td]

[td]Modifier[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td]1[/td]

[td]-5[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td]2-3[/td]

[td]-4[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td]3-4[/td]

[td]-3[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td]5-6[/td]

[td]-2[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td]7-8[/td]

[td]-1[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td]9+[/td]

[td]0[/td]

[/tr]

[/table]

Hot Shot: If the craft is a plane and Bill Kermin is on-board, -1 (player discretion on what counts as a "plane")

Living Legend: If Jebediah Kermin is on-board and the craft is not a plane, -1

MOAR ROCKETS: Big rockets are considered lucky; for circumstances 2 and 3, if there is any rocket nozzle attached with thrust greater than 120 kN, -2 (does not have to be working, just attached at time of incident)

The Kraken: Jool's Mun Bop is unlucky; +1 if within Bop's SOI

More like BlechJeb: Usage of MechJeb is unlucky; +1 if MechJeb has been used for anything except information since launch from Kerbin

Manual Override: If MechJeb is currently in use at time of quickload for anything other than information, +1 (stacks with "More like BlechJeb")

Tempting Fate: If there are any Kerbals in external command seats while in atmosphere, +1

Yay for Aerodynamics: If there are any Kerbals hanging on to ladders etc. while in atmosphere, +2 (does not stack with "Tempting Fate")

Purple Power: Eve's atmosphere is tricky; the celestrial powers that be have granted -3 while in Eve's atmosphere to compensate

Finally, I consider a few other mods worth mentioning; dying from burning up in atmosphere using deadly reentry should count as circumstance 3 (I haven't used Deadly Reentry, but with decent testing death is easily avoidable, right?). Also, I'm aware of life support mods; I figure if you're quickloading because you realized your Kerbal is going to die from lack of oxygen, etc., or they have in fact already died, that should be a base 8 to reload.

Anyway, thoughts on that? Suggestions? More modifications? Are there maybe other places a dice-roll mechanic might be useful in KSP?

[I_Killed_Jeb]

I'm sorry but this sounds like a really overthought solution to a problem that doesn't exist

[Krevsin]

I'm sorry but this sounds like a really overthought solution to a problem that doesn't exist

NASA would be proud.

[impwarhamer]

this sounds like a cool way of doing things.

so basically, you figure out which situation your in, then minus 5 from the base and roll if you can quick load or not?

[Krevsin]

I'm with impwarhammer here, this sounds like a great concept that could work well in community games.