0.24 contract briefing text

[Paul Kingtiger]

I'd be interested to know what people think about the briefing text in the contact screen. Reading it in screen shots it reminds me of auto generated text in spam email.

All the preview videos I've seen has the reviewer saying they don't read it, or just to ignore it.

I get that it's like that deliberately as a joke on the way Kerbals talk. But if you need to be told that it is a joke and not bad translation or that reviewers are saying to ignore it, it might be a joke best avoided.

[Talavar]

It is generated Text. It says Absolutely NOTHING. But it does it so well! lol

[Superfluous J]

The ones I did read were amusing. I didn't read many.

However, they could put most anything in those texts and I wouldn't read it. It's all about the stats anyway. I also don't read part descriptions.

[r4pt0r]

I also don't read part descriptions.

oh man but the fluff text is some of what gives the game character

The RoveMax Model 3 was developed in total secrecy by Kerbal Motion's R&D team over the course of a year and a half. When it was finally revealed to the company's chairman, he stared in shock, screamed 'WHY', and subsequently dropped dead on the spot.

 Kerbal Motion LCC

i lol everytime. hopefully the contracts are similarly funny.

[Paul Kingtiger]

I didn't realize it was procedurally generated! That's why it looks exactly like spam text

Hopefully it's something that can be modded.

[Caelib]

I'm glad it's auto-generated because most people wouldn't read it anyway ... it wouldn't be time-well-spent for them to create something meaningful for procedurally-generated contracts.

[ArmchairGravy]

It reminds me of advertising for Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong.

[Worst at Video Games NA]

The small stuff has always been the little extra flair that makes this game amazing to me. I love the little details.

[LameLefty]

It reminds me of advertising for Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong.

SNOW CRASH FTW, baby.

[Captain_Brian]

I read it all in every clip I could. It is HORRIBLE for the most part at least.

That being said, I think if you reduce it to just a single sentence and cleaned up the procedural generation logic, it could actually be pretty good. I might actually make a mod to clean it up after I get my fill of the new contract system.

[Robotengineer]

You could do it with pictures, similar to the ribbons achievements. Then you could have a special badge area showing the contracts that you have completed.

[problemecium]

"Contract text, when prefacing a contract introduction, or providing details on such, where that which is heretofore referred to by its nomenclature in an empirical fashion has a denotation connotatively relevant to its delineated idiosyncrasies, having been developed in overt secrecy, provides neither a lack nor overabundance of what may or may not count as informative jargon in the context of semi-illegible lexicon, depending on its relative synergy with the main text, except in cases where that which is true fails to avoid settling into a state of non-verifiability."

Now add more boosters.

[Tommygun]

The main advantage of it being procedurally generated is that you never run out of contracts.

I rather have new oddly worded contracts than the same ones repeated over and over.

[EtherDragon]

"Contract text, when prefacing a contract introduction, or providing details on such, where that which is heretofore referred to by its nomenclature in an empirical fashion has a denotation connotatively relevant to its delineated idiosyncrasies, having been developed in overt secrecy, provides neither a lack nor overabundance of what may or may not count as informative jargon in the context of semi-illegible lexicon, depending on its relative synergy with the main text, except in cases where that which is true fails to avoid settling into a state of non-verifiability."

Now add more boosters.

Very well said!

I tend to agree to the relevant parts, but disagree, where appropriate, to the irrelevant, possibly meaningless, sections in the text. Unless I have missed some apparent meaning, which is not impossible, in which case, I agree.

[Paul Kingtiger]

I don't think you need unique text for every contract though. Each contract has a location, of which there are a very limited number, and one or more objectives, of which there are a limited pool.

From that you can create a small number of text blocks, with spaces to insert your location and objectives. For example (coloured to emphasis moveable blocks).

R&D corporation has decided to expand Kerbal kind's knowledge of Duna by contacting your space agency to send a mission into Orbit and from there Land on the the surface. Additionally you should conduct tests of the RD-45 in orbit around Duna. This mission must include a crew of at least 3 Kerbals.

And so on, you get the idea. With this you could build up a library of missions and text, which could be added to in later releases.

[DMagic]

However, they could put most anything in those texts and I wouldn't read it. It's all about the stats anyway. I also don't read part descriptions.

I'm just going to cover my eyes and ears and pretend not to see or hear these comments.

[Crown]

In my point of view the generated contract descriptions reflect the way many contracts (aka Terms Of Service) are written. It's funny to read that text and I can't resist of thinking "Yep, that sounds like the EULA I read yesterday".

I think it's a way of making fun of the "outside world" in generating text that looks good and sounds good but means nothing at all. And realising that is funny because next time you will read a contract, you will think "that sounds like a Kerbal contract" and then you are happy

[Sigma117]

My guess is that they've deliberately left it rough to work on more important features for now. Have a loose framework in for later updates.

[Apollyon]

Very well said!

I tend to agree to the relevant parts, but disagree, where appropriate, to the irrelevant, possibly meaningless, sections in the text. Unless I have missed some apparent meaning, which is not impossible, in which case, I agree.

LOL!

Well I must say I love reading ship-part and planet descriptions and I fully expected some contract descriptions that told me a little about WHY i am doing what I'm doing. I don't see why the missions can't be procedurally generated forever and the game just selects from a "bag" of text descriptions that matches basic mission type (test part, recsue Kerbal, etc). You could write up 20 or so descriptions per mission type and let the game pick one randomly (perhaps not picking any which have already been used within the same game) and stick it to the procedurally generated mission.

That's what I thought they were going to do. Pretty much all the generated descriptions say the same basic thing anyway, just in a slightly different arrangement.

I'm pretty disappointed in the previewed mission descriptions, but still happy with everything els I'm seeing with the update. I do hope this whole thing is a placeholder for something more later *crosses fingers* .

[SyberSmoke]

I don't think you need unique text for every contract though. Each contract has a location, of which there are a very limited number, and one or more objectives, of which there are a limited pool.

From that you can create a small number of text blocks, with spaces to insert your location and objectives. For example (coloured to emphasis moveable blocks).

R&D corporation has decided to expand Kerbal kind's knowledge of Duna by contacting your space agency to send a mission into Orbit and from there Land on the the surface. Additionally you should conduct tests of the RD-45 in orbit around Duna. This mission must include a crew of at least 3 Kerbals.

And so on, you get the idea. With this you could build up a library of missions and text, which could be added to in later releases.

I had to make "and from there" a conditional to the text block as there could be no additional step once in orbit. Text blocks are good, but there needs to be room to add in conditionals or additional steps from a single step block.

On a personal note, The contracts are interesting, but I am wondering if a multiple step contract could be done. Like having the contract have "Depending on the outcome of the mission, this contract may be amended with additional opportunities." That way that mission to Duna to rescue Kerbal X could have a bonus if conditions are right. Like:

"With the rescue of Wonderwise Kermin from the Orbit of Duna, Company X would like to request an addition to the contract. A location on Duna has been observed from your orbit that we would like to investigate. This would require landing on the surface and investigating the marked location. This is contingent on your fuel reserves and craft capabilities. Declining this contract will not harm your previous contract."

[EtherDragon]

LOL!

Well I must say I love reading ship-part and planet descriptions and I fully expected some contract descriptions that told me a little about WHY i am doing what I'm doing. I don't see why the missions can't be procedurally generated forever and the game just selects from a "bag" of text descriptions that matches basic mission type (test part, recsue Kerbal, etc). You could write up 20 or so descriptions per mission type and let the game pick one randomly (perhaps not picking any which have already been used within the same game) and stick it to the procedurally generated mission.

That's what I thought they were going to do. Pretty much all the generated descriptions say the same basic thing anyway, just in a slightly different arrangement.

I'm pretty disappointed in the previewed mission descriptions, but still happy with everything els I'm seeing with the update. I do hope this whole thing is a placeholder for something more later *crosses fingers* .

I think it's most likely that this is V.1 of random/procedural mission texts. As with many other features introduced earlier, they will be refined as time goes on. They very well may end up being much more meaningful, even if generated randomly.

Squad could certainly put in place-holders for "who," "what," "where," "when," "why," and "how." Put in a bunch of sub-templates that fill in the blanks for "who," "what," "where," and "when," but leave the "why" and "how" as complete double-talk.

Example Template:

#WHY

To accomplish this, the research division at #WHO requires immediate data gathered by #WHEN. Launch and test the #WHAT #WHERE.

... and then go on to the rest of the summary.

[Boamere]

Yeah the procedural text on the briefings are crud... I was expecting the same great humour that was in the part descriptions, but all I got was some random text that makes my head hurt when I try to read It XD

[Boamere]

I think it's most likely that this is V.1 of random/procedural mission texts. As with many other features introduced earlier, they will be refined as time goes on. They very well may end up being much more meaningful, even if generated randomly.

Squad could certainly put in place-holders for "who," "what," "where," "when," "why," and "how." Put in a bunch of sub-templates that fill in the blanks for "who," "what," "where," and "when," but leave the "why" and "how" as complete double-talk.

Example Template:

... and then go on to the rest of the summary.

This is a good Idea, one I'd like to see implemented, as well as my Idea of a noise ("cha-ching" ) when getting money/completing a contract and a profit indicator, but as far as I know there's no way the devs are going to see the communities Ideas :/

[Lheim]

It's a small complaint.

Personally I'd be fine with nonsense or with reasonable-if-humorous sentences, but as it is it hits a kind of mind-twisting uncanny valley of english.

[PTNLemay]

oh man but the fluff text is some of what gives the game character

Agreed, I suspect the briefings they have at the moment are place-holders until they can come up with something better (at least on par with the humor and wit of the parts descriptions). As is the briefs aren't of much use. Trying to derive any sense from them starts to make my head hurt after a while.