How to make science more interesting *HEAR ME OUT :P*

[Javster]

I had an idea to make science more interesting than a simple box with a number and a bar. Some kind of animation (maybe interactive?) showing a close-up of the experiment, so instead of getting "The goo shakes as the craft moves" you'll actually see the goo shake as the craft moves! You could also add Kerbals talking in the background.

Here are a few examples I can think of:

Surface sample: camera switches to 1st person view, it moves as the Kerbal picks up a rock and looks at it, while turning it around in its hands.

Crew report: Kerbal stares out of window and writes things down on a clipboard

For the original 4 instruments, the Kerbal would look at it and write a number on a clipboard

I think that this probably won't be done until the end of development, but it would make science way more interesting in my honest opinion. It might get boring to see the same animations over and over again, so they might be randomised, or turned into an almost-minigame on the first few readings, where you would play as the Kerbal for a brief moment and click a few switches to get your reading.

[r4pt0r]

that would not be good all the time, as i do SCIENCE! sometimes right before landing, on decent. i get the science at <15 meters and again when landed.

[Javster]

I guess it would make it less "cheaty", or at least realistic, because anything more than a simple thermometer reading would take more than a few seconds.

Maybe that would give a use for multiple Kerbals! Your scientist would do all the experiments while you pilot the ship.

[Superfluous J]

I would prefer not having hundreds of cut scenes added to the game. First off, it would take a fairly significant chunk of programming and video editing time. Secondly, after the 3rd one or so most players would be looking for a "skip the cut scenes" mod. I know I would.

[Tangle]

Agreed with against.

[Sky_walker]

I'm not sure if adding tons of rather elaborate 2D animations is such a great idea, but as for taking time to perform experiments - that's certainly a good idea.

[Seshins]

with science being a bit ....empty.... adding a bit of meat to the act of gaining particular science would be a good thing. Not all science, sensors etc on ships could still be instant/near instant, but EVA type ground sampling could be a bit more interesting.

[Javster]

So far, the arguments for and against are:

FOR

Science is empty and could be expanded.

Experiments should take time.

AGAINST

Would get boring.

CPU-intensive.

[Dwight_js]

I would like to see animations, but not in a cut-scene format. For surface samples the Kerbal should reach down and pick something up, for EVA report the Kerbal should look around a bit, and maybe jot something down on a wrist mounted note-pad, and so on.

The idea of seeing the experiment's results is intriguing on a certain level, but I don't like it just for the sake of having a visualization. If you had to actually note your observation, and making the correct observation affected the amount of science you got, that might be interesting. So if the goo is wobbling, and you mark down that it is bouncing, you get less science because you're bad at making observations. But then you have to ask yourself what this game should really be about, and is this just too much fine detail.

Personally I'm hoping for more scenarios in which to run experiments, and more elaborate set ups for the experiments - like an impactor, where you set up seismic equipment on the surface, maybe a multispectral camera aimed at the impact site, then crash a probe at a precise location to gain data.

[Superfluous J]

Personally I'm hoping for more scenarios in which to run experiments, and more elaborate set ups for the experiments - like an impactor, where you set up seismic equipment on the surface, maybe a multispectral camera aimed at the impact site, then crash a probe at a precise location to gain data.

This is what I want as well. I know a mod (Interstellar perhaps?) has just that impactor experiment with a seismometer on the surface. The seismometer does not work until you hit the planet with something which I think is super cool. This sort of "active science" is something I think the game needs badly.

Essentially, right now it's all observational. I (and you, from what you described) want experimental science.

[Javster]

This is what I want as well. I know a mod (Interstellar perhaps?) has just that impactor experiment with a seismometer on the surface. The seismometer does not work until you hit the planet with something which I think is super cool. This sort of "active science" is something I think the game needs badly.

Essentially, right now it's all observational. I (and you, from what you described) want experimental science.

That's true, we do need it. Setting up an experiment on the Mun for example, and letting the next mission get the results!

[Everten P.]

What if we made it so that those planet stats and descriptions change as you preform science and a calculator that helps plan flights by using equations and that tutorial kerbal tells you how to use equations to make the game almost an educational game and you can test aerodynamics in a chamber that you can control and make the atmodynamics better like if a planet is made out of certain gases they react in different ways than acting like normal air in different colors. Maybe add things like rocket engine an motor testing by adding an interactive system for adding procedural engines like you pay money for a company in game to design a new part and your rep. can grow with those companies like maybe jeb's junkyard is better at building gas guzzlers and the company that made ion engines can make bigger ion engines and xenon gas chambers. I know that these would take up a lot of CPU but that shouldn't affect the flight aspects because it just means a new part.

[Darkstar616]

What if we made it so that those planet stats and descriptions change as you preform science and a calculator that helps plan flights by using equations and that tutorial kerbal tells you how to use equations to make the game almost an educational game and you can test aerodynamics in a chamber that you can control and make the atmodynamics better like if a planet is made out of certain gases they react in different ways than acting like normal air in different colors. Maybe add things like rocket engine an motor testing by adding an interactive system for adding procedural engines like you pay money for a company in game to design a new part and your rep. can grow with those companies like maybe jeb's junkyard is better at building gas guzzlers and the company that made ion engines can make bigger ion engines and xenon gas chambers. I know that these would take up a lot of CPU but that shouldn't affect the flight aspects because it just means a new part.

Seems like too much work on Squads behalf.

Experiments with stages would be cool if the results were satisfying, it would also give a much greater purpose for manned piloting. Perhaps a science unlock could provide robot arm parts for stuff like this http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/2011/11/MSLonmars.jpg should the need for unmanned experiments arise.