The unknown universe

[xtoro]

Just a small suggestion about the gameplay. When you start out the game, you know everything about all the planets and moons by checking the map, double-clicking on a planet/moon, and reading the info. You can see the gravity, atmospheric density and height, the works.

My suggestion is that when you start off, you can SEE the planets and moons on the map, but you get no info on them. The gravities, atmospheres etc are randomly generated (Within realistic boundaries based on the size and orbits of the body) when you start a new game.

The only way to get this information is to send a probe or a recon team to do some science! Test out how strong the gravity is, how high and how dense the atmosphere is and so on. This way, you can't start a new game knowing that Duna's gravity is "this much" and the atmosphere is "this high" etc etc and it forces you to first go check it out, and THEN build suitable crafts.

I think this would change the way many people play the game. You can no longer say "I need a craft for Tylo" or Duna, or anywhere, because YOUR solar system is different from everyone else's. Imagine you find out that in your game, Tylo has a gravity of 0.4 and an atmosphere, but Duna has NO atmosphere, and a G factor of 1.1. Surprises all around for everyone!

This would also make design become oriented towards different things such as gravities and atmospheres, and less on the planets and moons.

Anyone else think this would be fun to explore a whole new unknown solar system?

[Red Iron Crown]

That is something the devs have said they are not interested in implementing, they want the same solar system with the same planets for all players. I mostly agree with them, as it enables things like delta-V maps to be made and shared by the rocket scientist types, we less mathematically inclined players get to benefit from that.

Sometimes I do miss the feeling of exploring an unknown system, though.

[xtoro]

That's just it, true exploration. That's what I really want, to boldly go where no ksp player has gone before... I'm sure this could be made into a mod, but modding is way beyond me...

[CaptRobau]

That is something the devs have said they are not interested in implementing, they want the same solar system with the same planets for all players. I mostly agree with them, as it enables things like delta-V maps to be made and shared by the rocket scientist types, we less mathematically inclined players get to benefit from that.

Sometimes I do miss the feeling of exploring an unknown system, though.

I've only heard that dev remark in response to procedurally generally generated systems. As in everyone having planets that look completely different and are in quantities and relations to each other that are different from other players. This approach would keep the identities of Duna, Jool, Tylo, etc. but change a few of the specifics so that not every save is identical to the previous one.

This thread made me think about discovery and the unknown and that's put me in the camp of pro-procedural generation. After playing so long, this game has just become far too predictable. It used to be fresh and exciting to venture out there, but now it's just same-old-same-old. The elements of the game that are still dynamic remain fun though. Parts can be fitted together to create infinitely different designs, so that remains fun. Contracts are fun because they also have a lot of combinations. I think (semi-) procedural system would be a great thing.

Imagine starting a new safe, going to the map view and seeing a whole lot of orbits beyond or interspersed between the orbits of the standard planets. You can select them and get some basic info, but the specifics are missing and the planet texture is very blurry. So you send up a telescope to take some better pictures. It improves the quality a bit and you see that the rocky planet has a massive landform at its center. But what is it. You build a probe and send it out there. Once you get there you realize the landform is a giant crater with a solitary peak in its middle. Your probe is out of fuel so you can't investigate it further. So you outfit a manned expedition and send a lander to the peak. On the peak you find a solitary Munolith.

Currently in KSP, such a thing would only be possible once. Either you do it yourself or you have the experience spoiled by a Reddit post. With a procedural system you could have such moments time and time again. Awesome moments couldn't be spoiled (since there would be infinite combinations) and if someone wants to see it for themselves, people could just get the seed number and put that in a box when creating a new save. KSP would not lose any of its cohesion. A good comparison is Minecraft. That has procedurally generated worlds, but those worlds have elements that are recognizable for everyone. Desert temples, villages, etc. are all recognizable even though they're in different places for everyone. Biomes have certain looks and are instantly recognizable and have rules that transcend the procedural nature of every save (grasslands don't have trees, jungles have ocelots in them, etc.) KSP is Minecraft where there's only one level. Its an immense level, but you always start in the same place and nothing ever looks different. Minecraft would still be cool without procedural levels, but the variation allows it to transcend cool and step into awesome.

recognizable situations

[JayCheetah]

That is something the devs have said they are not interested in implementing, they want the same solar system with the same planets for all players. I mostly agree with them, as it enables things like delta-V maps to be made and shared by the rocket scientist types, we less mathematically inclined players get to benefit from that.

Sometimes I do miss the feeling of exploring an unknown system, though.

Partially I can understand that the devs want to have game thats the same for everyone, but people who want more challenges and/or have been playing for a long time, might want to have something completely new to explore.

It does not have to be implemented as mandatory, but as a option.

I would love to fail hard on planets and moons I have not visit 20 times before.