New Contract Types: Satellites

[MattW93]

Hey everyone,

Been playing .24 since the day it came out and overall I'm very pleased with the way the Career mode is shaping up. I think it would be really cool if there was a wider variety of contracts in the future, and one idea I had was inspired by the priorities of real-life space agencies today:

Satellites are big business for space programs and corporations, and it would be really cool for Kerbal corporations to pay the player's agency to put satellites, orbital stations, etc. into orbit around Kerbin, the Mün or other celestial bodies. The requirements might center around including certain parts, putting them at a certain orbital distance, or leaving them up for a certain amount of time. Not only would these contracts give added incentive to develop space, they would also result in less empty space around Kerbin, especially in career mode when money is tight and launching craft just for kicks doesn't always make sense financially.

[Leicontis]

There are mechanics already in place that could work well for this: Add "payload" parts that don't show up in the tech tree, and thus are only available as "experimental" parts when you're doing a related mission. These "payloads" would be various satellites and scientific experiments, which the player has to deliver to a certain location/orbit (and bring back to Kerbin safely, in the case of experiments).

Another contract idea: Space tourism. A "passenger" kerbonaut that you have to carry up to space, but doesn't contribute to the control of the ship.

[covi2955]

I love this idea, of satellites as a job. I think it would be cool if you got a monthly payment for "upkeep" on some of them. Say something happens to the satellite or it needs an upgrade and you'll have so many days to fix/upgrade it before you loose the monthly funding because you're not doing your job.

[OrbitusII]

This could be cool, I support it!

[goduranus]

Dock and refuel satellites/stations would be a good mission.

[Wanderfound]

Dock and refuel satellites/stations would be a good mission.

"Skylab's orbit is decaying! Go up and restabilise it before it burns up in atmosphere!"

[SolNG]

I think there is at least one mod along this line, but I would still prefer to see it added to the stock game. It would add more depth and purpose.

[UberFuber]

"Skylab's orbit is decaying! Go up and restabilise it before it burns up in atmosphere!"

Considering that there's no orbit decay, perhaps a difference phrasing?

"Scientist working on Skylab is getting a bit bored of the scenery."

Mission: Adjust Skylab orbit to 150,000m ~ 200,000m.

[BlackAdder128]

I've seen this elsewhere and suggested it, myself. So I would definitely second this notion as the primary thing to add to the contract list.

[Mr Shifty]

[thread=43645]Mission Controller 2[/thread] has satellite delivery missions, satellite repair missions, and ComSat network establishment missions, all integrated into the stock Contracts interface.

[BlackAdder128]

[thread=43645]Mission Controller 2[/thread] has satellite delivery missions, satellite repair missions, and ComSat network establishment missions, all integrated into the stock Contracts interface.

Combined with the contract filtering mechanism you mentioned in another thread, this might be quite interesting. Last time I played Mission Controller, you lost cash and reputation with a revert-to-VAB. Do you know if that's true with Mission Controller 2?

[Mr Shifty]

Combined with the contract filtering mechanism you mentioned in another thread, this might be quite interesting. Last time I played Mission Controller, you lost cash and reputation with a revert-to-VAB. Do you know if that's true with Mission Controller 2?

It's optional. There's a big red Revert button on your (stock) toolbar that will let you revert for a cost, but the standard revert mechanism works as well.

[Javster]

There are mechanics already in place that could work well for this: Add "payload" parts that don't show up in the tech tree, and thus are only available as "experimental" parts when you're doing a related mission. These "payloads" would be various satellites and scientific experiments, which the player has to deliver to a certain location/orbit (and bring back to Kerbin safely, in the case of experiments).

Another contract idea: Space tourism. A "passenger" kerbonaut that you have to carry up to space, but doesn't contribute to the control of the ship.

Maybe not no control, only limited? I assume a passenger would do some training before going to space.

[Wanderfound]

Considering that there's no orbit decay, perhaps a difference phrasing?

"Scientist working on Skylab is getting a bit bored of the scenery."

Mission: Adjust Skylab orbit to 150,000m ~ 200,000m.

That also works, but I was thinking of something that was generated with a periapsis of 65,000m or so. Slow aerobraking.

I'd like there to be some missions with a sense of urgency to them.

[UberFuber]

That also works, but I was thinking of something that was generated with a periapsis of 65,000m or so. Slow aerobraking.

I'd like there to be some missions with a sense of urgency to them.

Current "On the rail" system means that unless the object is loaded (I think it's 2~3 km), it'll orbit indefinitely, even if the periapsis is within the atmosphere.

So as long as you don't get within 2~3 km of it, it will never experience aerobraking.

[ynotc18]

Sat missions are an absolute must. Without these there is no real point to probes. Sats, as I believe an other use pointed out, are big business and have the most impact on everyday life of real people. I.E. google maps and gps and communications IRL.

I think it would be cool to need to set up ground communication centers and com satellites in order for you to be able to transmit data other wise you need to have a kerbal bring it back/probe reentry with his green klip board.

3 sats in geyosync would do the trick. (note: geyosync is hard to do so more stats a lower similar orbit would be easier)

Also a mapping mission should be needed to be completed before a maned mission to a planet or moon such that an "age of empires style fog of war" was removed as you mapped more of the surface and then found interesting thing to go investigate with rovers and eventually kerbals thus a ramp up of tech in any one place. This would also have an impact on the amount of stuff like life support and suitability you need to bring with you for any extended mission with our little kerbal friends. This would cause eventual rockets to have a heavier payload for kerbal flights thus more expensive than flights with probaty probes.

This would give an reason to use polar orbits, higher angled orbits and geyosync.

Also more sciencey things to do with probes/sats in general

Last thought wide field camera w/ less detail but more coverage that will find SOME/FEW science things to get then a closer camera that finds ALL science things to look at/do with some of the science things only kerbalable (able to be done by a living breathing kerbal) so that this game isn;t all rover missions with one or 2 exceptions.

[stellarator]

I have another idea

Have you ever heard of the auction of one of the Lunokhod? The Lunokhod, if you did not know, was a Soviet rover sent to the Moon. was bought by an American citizen and now it owns.

The idea would be to do something similar, when a mission has landed, or has been completed, to sell the ship or probe station to a company and can recover some of the investment in the construction of it.

[Capt Snuggler]

id like to have the contract payloads in the sub assembly list, highlighted with blue txt or something.

also, once the payloads have been deployed and the contract completed, the satellite should become and NPC object. the player should loose direct control of the satellite/station. it should still be tracked in map view.

NPC space stations could be visited and docked with but not controlled directly.

you should also be able to tamper with NPC craft, (knocking them off orbit, destroying them, etc) but your budget and reputation would take a hit.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Capt Snuggler