[1.0.5] Snacks! Kerbal simplified life support v0.3.5

[tgruetzm]

Snacks is a Kerbal simplification of life support. I've always like the idea of playing with life support, but it always ended up to be tedious and all the extra parts are just too much sometimes. So I created Snacks to fill the casual life support gap. The main goals of this mod are one resource(snacks) and no new parts. Kerbals and the agency are penalized when snacks run out. Kerbals will not die from lack of snacks, they simply get very grumpy, perform poorly and your reputation will go down.

Main Functionality:

-Snacks are added as a resource to every module that can carry crew 50 snacks per capacity.

-Snack capacity of non-command modules is 200 snacks for each capacity. Some modules may have more or less depending on built in snack compartments, or lack of space! The idea is that non-command modules are the main means to transport snacks.

-Kerbals randomly consume snacks on average every 6 hours, 1 snack each time. This averages to 1 snack per Kerbin day or 4 snacks per Earth day. You cannot predict with certainty how many will be required for a given mission. There are a few extra twists here as well.

Some Kerbals, especially courageous ones may sneak an extra snack at snack time, others may forget to eat if their stupidity is to high.

-Kerbals on EVA take 1 snack with them. This should be enough for about 1 Kerbin days. Plan accordingly.

-If you deprive a Kerbal of snacks, the next time he attempts to eat snacks, your reputation will go down. Each subsequent time the Kerbal is deprived your reputation decreases. Reputation decrease is based on your current reputation. If you are a reputable space agency, your reputation will drop faster than a less reputable agency.

Latest Release:

-Snack production. Snacks can now be produced via the Lab module with the Snack Cultivator. Ore and lots of electricity are required inputs to produce the necessary hydrogen, carbon and oxygen from the Ore to create deliciously bland snacks.

-Snacks per meal now increased to 1(was .5). I felt snack consumption was a bit low previously. This essentially doubles the rate of consumption, but now snacks can be created from Ore, so it should still allow long duration missions.

-Snacks are now massless! It's either that or I'd have to increase the density significantly to balance out the Ore->Snack conversion.

 

 

License:

This project requires module manager(provided in the release). Module Manager License

All code is released under the MIT license. Snacks License

Download:

https://github.com/tgruetzm/Snacks/releases/tag/v0.3.5alpha

Optional Mods/Snack parts

-ctn created some nifty snack packs

Snack Packs

Whyren created a mod to grow and store extra snacks

Whyren's Snack Parts

MKS Support

Roverdude created an awesome ez-snack oven.

EZ-Snack Oven

Universal Storage

Universal Storage config

Bugs?

Please if you find any issues please report them here: https://github.com/tgruetzm/Snacks/issues

Planned features:

-Additional interesting penalties for hungry Kerbals: temporarily removing kerbal abilities

-Contracts to resupply vessels that get low on snacks.

Edited January 22, 2016 by tgruetzm

[Rassa Farlander]

This looks intriguing! Ill have to give it a go soon

[jlcarneiro]

Hey! I liked this premise a lot: simples enough and, more importantly, KERBAL enough!

[Renegrade]

Wow.. that's incredibly silly.

So that means it's a perfect fit for KSP, and I like the idea of simplified life support I'll give it a shot

[JeffersonFlight]

Awesome, the perfect solution of a modest player. Well done

[Matt_Sharkey]

Great idea. I'll add this to my list to try out soon. I'm just getting into the modding part of KSP, and I think this will fit in nicely.

[RoverDude]

This is a nifty mod

[veryinky]

-Snack capacity of non-command modules is 200 snacks for each capacity. Some modules may have more or less depending on built in snack compartments, or lack of space!

The idea is that non-command modules are the main means to transport snacks. I expect two hitchhikers and a command module would support a crew of 3 on a manned round trip mission to duna.

Like the idea, though 2 year long missions with return to Jool would be difficult. 15 hitchhiker cans for a crew of 3? Maybe some kind of snack recycler?

[tgruetzm]

Extremely long duration missions may be challenging and this is a first pass, there will be tweaking needed but it shouldn't take 15 hitchhikers for a 3 man Jool mission. Isn't a round trip to Jool about 7 Kerbin years? 3000 days so 3000 days * 1/2 snack/day * 3 Kerbals = 4500 snacks(5.5 hitchhiker modules). I would like to at some point be able to "generate" snacks, but I'm not sure at the moment how I feel about a snack greenhouse. Maybe they grow plants and convert them to snacks with lots of electric charge.

Edited August 17, 2014 by tgruetzm

[Skyro]

Yeah, it would be easier to just create a part or something that would either store or generate snacks, although I personally like this and would be fine with a snack storage of some kind; not making it too tedious.

[passinglurker]

Extremely long duration missions may be challenging and this is a first pass, there will be tweaking needed but it shouldn't take 15 hitchhikers for a 3 man Jool mission. Isn't a round trip to Jool about 7 Kerbin years? 3000 days so 3000 days * 1/2 snack/day * 3 Kerbals = 4500 snacks(5.5 hitchhiker modules). I would like to at some point be able to "generate" snacks, but I'm not sure at the moment how I feel about a snack greenhouse. Maybe they grow plants and convert them to snacks with lots of electric charge.

When you decide how you want to implement that the mobile lab would make the perfect stock part to add snack generation functionality to.

also what do you think of giving the obscure and under used probodyne rovemate part snack storage?

Yeah, it would be easier to just create a part or something that would either store or generate snacks, although I personally like this and would be fine with a snack storage of some kind; not making it too tedious.

The idea of this mod is to try to keep things simple by not adding and bloating the parts list with an array of snack fuel tanks, and this has the elegant side effect of making you give your kerbals enough room to stretch their legs on long trips. That being said there is nothing stopping you from expanding it with your own mod that adds snack fuel tanks or space fridges or whatever. There are also plenty of mods out there that add extra crew cans of different sizes and capacities if you just feel you need more than the hitch hiker, but don't want to go all out with a new mod. Edited August 17, 2014 by passinglurker

[biohazard15]

This mod needs two parts:

- Snack container to store and transport snacks properly. If you don't want to model it (or you lack the skills) - just use stock RCS tanks with recolored textures.

- KAS snack container to supply land bases. Also, you should add snacks to EVA-X from Universal Storage.

[tgruetzm]

I really like the idea of the mobile lab being the snack generator. I'm not sure exactly how it would function though. I need to think of a good premise for how snacks can be created. I wouldn't want snack generation to completely replace having to supply snacks. I think a generator would only extend the duration you can go without resupply.

I added 2 snacks to the external command seat to allow extended duration rover missions.

[passinglurker]

This mod needs two parts:

- Snack container to store and transport snacks properly. If you don't want to model it (or you lack the skills) - just use stock RCS tanks with recolored textures.

- KAS snack container to supply land bases. Also, you should add snacks to EVA-X from Universal Storage.

What is wrong with using a hitchhiker? The mod crams extra snacks into non-command pods like the hitchhiker and other crew cans added by other mods(200 snacks per crew capacity vs. 50 for command pods) the snacks them selves are really light(imo they should be weightless but thats another can of worms) so the high dry mass shouldn't be a big problem. This is an elegant solution that not only doesn't bloat the part catalog but makes you add living space for your kerbals for long trips.

I really like the idea of the mobile lab being the snack generator. I'm not sure exactly how it would function though. I need to think of a good premise for how snacks can be created. I wouldn't want snack generation to completely replace having to supply snacks. I think a generator would only extend the duration you can go without resupply.

I added 2 snacks to the external command seat to allow extended duration rover missions.

how about turning surface samples into snacks? or the snack generator only working when on the surface of a planet or attached to an asteroid? the idea being the snack generator needs a source of soil

As for rover snacks adding it to the rovemate is just a thought for people what want longer rover trips that fall in between using a command seat and a command pod. Epic circumnavigation drives tend to take a while .

Edited August 17, 2014 by passinglurker

[tgruetzm]

What is wrong with using a hitchhiker? The mod crams extra snacks into non-command pods like the hitchhiker and other crew cans added by other mods(200 snacks per crew capacity vs. 50 for command pods) the snacks them selves are really light(imo they should be weightless but thats another can of worms) so the high dry mass shouldn't be a big problem. This is an elegant solution that not only doesn't bloat the part catalog but makes you add living space for your kerbals for long trips.

This is exactly my reasoning. This is designed to be a simple solution to the problem(the mod's premise is simple, adding parts that sole purpose is to store snacks is not IMO). I always bring extra crew compartments on long duration missions so kerbals have room to move around. This mod enforces that by requiring extra crew capacity in order to store snacks.

I'm warming up to the idea of removing the mass on snacks

[Woopert]

Great mod, when (if they do) SQUAD implements life support this is how they should do it. I don't like to see Kerbals die, and this is a good way to sort of "sugar coat" the dangers of spaceflight.

[biohazard15]

What is wrong with using a hitchhiker? The mod crams extra snacks into non-command pods like the hitchhiker and other crew cans added by other mods(200 snacks per crew capacity vs. 50 for command pods) the snacks them selves are really light(imo they should be weightless but thats another can of worms) so the high dry mass shouldn't be a big problem. This is an elegant solution that not only doesn't bloat the part catalog but makes you add living space for your kerbals for long trips.

a) Hitchhiker and pods are big, heavy and expensive

Using them for unmanned supply vessels is kinda strange

c) There is still a problem with delivering snacks to landbases (which can be solved by aforementioned KAS container)

[tgruetzm]

How about turning surface samples into snacks? or the snack generator only working when on the surface of a planet or attached to an asteroid? the idea being the snack generator needs a source of soil

As for rover snacks adding it to the rovemate is just a thought for people what want longer rover trips that fall in between using a command seat and a command pod. Epic circumnavigation drives tend to take a while .

passinglurker, I should give you have the credit for this mod. You keep churning out great ideas. I absolutely love the idea of surface samples being required to generate snacks. It fits the requirement of being simple, yet makes you do something to get snacks(IE no infinite supply without some effort). One surface sample can only generate so many snacks. I love it.

Edited August 17, 2014 by tgruetzm

[tgruetzm]

a) Hitchhiker and pods are big, heavy and expensive

Using them for unmanned supply vessels is kinda strange

c) There is still a problem with delivering snacks to landbases (which can be solved by aforementioned KAS container)

a) life support is big, heavy and expensive

b)I see a hitch hiker being very similar to an ISS resupply vessel.

c)You may have a concern here. I do see re-supplying land bases may be a bit tricky with hitchhikers, but at least it makes you expand your base yearly

[sal_vager]

This would make the generated Kerbal rescue missions a pain for any planet or moon beyond the Kerbin/Mun/Minmus area, the plugin would have to know the difference between those Kerbals and your own, or be prepared for a huge rep hit.

How about if Kerbals just slept when out of snacks? Like a probe becomes unresponsive if out of electric charge a Kerbal would become uncontrollable, and you could wake a Kerbal by bringing him snacks.

[passinglurker]

a) Hitchhiker and pods are big, heavy and expensive

Using them for unmanned supply vessels is kinda strange

c) There is still a problem with delivering snacks to landbases (which can be solved by aforementioned KAS container)

A) not really compared to 3.75 meter parts sure they used to be big but you can't really say that anymore and the kerbonov kn2 cockpit mod adds a 1.25 meter crew can if you want a smaller size to work with, no even with snacks with mass a hitchhiker is still lighter than a rockmax x200-16 and the snacks it delivers will likely last longer than that fuel, and finally no you are just wrong suck it up career mode gives you stupid amounts of money nothing is too expensive.

*looks at dragon, cygnus, ATV, H-II, and progress all of which have life support capabilities and pressure vessels* naw not really

C) use pipes if you are already using KAS, also mobile labs generating snack while landed could fix that

passinglurker, I should give you have the credit for this mod. You keep churning out great ideas. I absolutely love the idea of surface samples being required to generate snacks. It fits the requirement of being simple, yet makes you do something to get snacks(IE no infinite supply without some effort). One surface sample can only generate so many snacks. I love it.

I'm not sure about making the player constantly run back and forth piling up surface samples as the only way to bake cookies. Its a nice touch and great for topping up the tanks when you are on a solar system wide tour, but using it as the primary means of snack generation would be tedious. Freely generating snacks only while landed would easily solve the base supply problem and landing a mobile lab or dragging an asteroid around with you everywhere ain't easy to begin with. I do think you should keep your snack stretcher idea as well it'd help cut down on hitchhiker spam.

It would be nice for there to be a way to transfer snacks between vessels without docking ports or KAS considering its not wise to completely rely on another mod and the docking ports come frustratingly late in the tree.

This would make the generated Kerbal rescue missions a pain for any planet or moon beyond the Kerbin/Mun/Minmus area, the plugin would have to know the difference between those Kerbals and your own, or be prepared for a huge rep hit.

How about if Kerbals just slept when out of snacks? Like a probe becomes unresponsive if out of electric charge a Kerbal would become uncontrollable, and you could wake a Kerbal by bringing him snacks.

talked about this before in the thread in the development forum. Using snacks as kerbal batteries, and rendering them useless when they run out is just a way of killing the kerbal indirectly, and you can bypass this penalty by just storing them in a hitchhiker can and flying via probe anyway so the penalty doesn't have much bite to it. Edited August 17, 2014 by passinglurker

[biohazard15]

Here is some fridges for your snacks. Made from stock RCS tanks.

DOWNLOAD

Comes in 4 sizes - small, medium, large and radial. Radial fridge is KAS-compatible. All fridges are found under Utility tab.

[passinglurker]

I got it! A way to do snack generation could be to implement a warm up period. basically picture this a kerbal brings a soil sample into the lab be it from an asteroid, the planet below them, or right outside if they are landed, and you right click on the lab and hit a button like "farm snacks" they then start using the sample to grow and farm snacks. A timer will then start to tick down because the snacks will take time to grow so you still need to have enough stored up to last through this "winter" which means a lab equipped base, station, or ship will still need to include storage and living space and maybe even require a small resupply to tide them over. At the end of this warm up period you then click harvest snacks and the lab instantly resupplies all snack storage within the 2km loading range up to a random percentage (some harvests will get you through the next several warm up periods but some won't and the kerbals will either need a resupply or will need to tough it out and cost you rep). Second like you were originally thinking there should also be an alternate snack stretching mode possibly called something like "improve snacks" or "freshen up snacks" I don't know I'm bad with naming things. this mode can not be used by one lab at the same time as farming mode (if you want to push two big heavy labs into space to use both at the same time then more power to you) what is assumed to be happening here is the boys in the lab are spicing up the snacks some how to make them tastier so the kerbals can get by on smaller portions (they obviously don't need them for the calories otherwise they would die of starvation when they run out) this mode would be used to slow how fast kerbals go through the supply of snacks in order to keep the number of repeated parts to a more reasonable number especially when surface samples won't be available.

Here is some fridges for your snacks. Made from stock RCS tanks.

DOWNLOAD

Comes in 4 sizes - small, medium, large and radial. Radial fridge is KAS-compatible. All fridges are found under Utility tab.

Thats the spirit. A bit on the lightweight side considering how light snacks are for my own balance tastes but still making extensions for the mod while keeping the core simple is the right idea.

Edited August 17, 2014 by passinglurker

[DGatsby]

This looks like a really neat mod! Trying it out now!

[biohazard15]

snap

I like the idea of using mobile lab for baking snacks, although my thoughts for it are slightly different: the lab needs surface sample, electricity and a small amount of LF\OX to bake snacks. One sample should be sufficient for 10 snacks (more or less, user can edit amount in config). Baking takes some time (1 Kerbin hour, configurable) and will replenish snacks in mobile lab; you need to transfer them into another pod\fridge manually.