[WIP] Stratagem - Developing New Strategies - DEV RELEASE 1

[CaptRobau]

Release Thread

Stratagem

Overview

This mod adds new strategies to the game using the existing strategy framework and in the future might also touch the existing strategies, if balancing is necessary. Below you can find the developmental releases. At the moment the game adds the following strategies:

Reliable Technology (Finances)

Reduces launch costs but raises the costs of purchasing parts in the tech tree (after unlocking a tech node you now have to individually purchase parts on moderate difficulty and above). This is basically the Soviet approach: instead of constantly striving for the latest technology, you just slowly build on existing designs.

Cutting-Edge Research (Science)

Reduces research costs but raises launch costs. The opposite of Reliable Technology. This is more akin to the American approach of building a wide array of different designs, each with a different purpose.

Mass-Produced Parts (Operations)

Instead of focusing on re-usability, money is saved by building simple rockets that just get something into space and get thrown away. The opposite of the stock strategy Recovery Transponders.

Developmental Releases

DISCLAIMER: Developmental releases are experimental and can be unbalanced, buggy and generally not perfect. So keep that into account. Constructive criticism is welcome though.

Developmental Release 1

License

All rights are reserved. If I haven't been to this thread for a month, the mod will revert to the public domain. Once I get out of developmental releases, I'll change the license to something more user-friendly.

Edited October 17, 2014 by CaptRobau

[BudgetHedgehog]

I approve of/endorse this post/message/service.

[gmbigg]

Don't forget that spending money to research parts can be disabled at the start of a new save.

If the option is off, then Reliable Technology will have no downside, and Cutting-Edge Research will basically be useless. The same also applies when there's no parts available to research.

Those two would probably cause some balance issues unless they're changed in some way.

Mass-Produced Parts, though, seems like an interesting idea.

From my understanding, it reduces launch costs, but also lowers recovery value, which should make it best for building stations/bases.

Personally, I'd love to see a strategy that increases the recovery value of resources only; the idea being that mods that let you extract resources from other planets (i.e. Kethane or Karbonite) provide bonus income for recovering them.

Unfortunately, I don't know if that's even possible right now.

[CaptRobau]

Released the first developmental version. Get it in the OP.

Don't forget that spending money to research parts can be disabled at the start of a new save.

If the option is off, then Reliable Technology will have no downside, and Cutting-Edge Research will basically be useless. The same also applies when there's no parts available to research.

Those two would probably cause some balance issues unless they're changed in some way.

Mass-Produced Parts, though, seems like an interesting idea.

From my understanding, it reduces launch costs, but also lowers recovery value, which should make it best for building stations/bases.

Personally, I'd love to see a strategy that increases the recovery value of resources only; the idea being that mods that let you extract resources from other planets (i.e. Kethane or Karbonite) provide bonus income for recovering them.

Unfortunately, I don't know if that's even possible right now.

Most of the strategies will have those issues when playing on Normal, Easy or a Custom Very Easy. Strategies aren't really needed on those levels (unless you're really bad). The game (and thus this mod) is geared more towards Moderate and above. The ideas of Reliable Technology and Cutting-Edge Research (and to an extent neither is stock Aggressive Negotiations ) are simply not compatible with finishing the tech tree. Can't do a lot about that at the moment.

If your final suggestion is possible, it's not something that's apparent from the stock strategies (which I've used as an example of what can be done).

I think I might have found a nice strategy for Public Relations, which will make all departments symmetrical again:

Local Interests (placeholder name)

The opposite of Aggressive Negotiation, it increases Launch Costs and R&D in exchange for Reputation. It simulates politicans bowing to local/lobbying interests and pushing through a deal that's not as cheap but will result in their popularity increasing.

Edited October 9, 2014 by CaptRobau

[CaptRobau]

I've been coming up with some interesting (not yet implemented) strategies today. Time will tell if they're even possible (have tested a few things, but I've yet to find the correct terms to use as there's zero documentation):

These are possible according to the stock strategies, except for the contract failure costs as those aren't in stock. I'd imagine they'd be in, but I haven't found a way to get that working. Need more documentation Squad!

Payday Loan (Finances)

Get increased contract advances, in exchange for lower rewards and higher failure costs

Advance Waiver (Finances)

Get increased contract rewards, in exchange for lower advances and higher failure costs

Penalty Insurance (Finances)

Get decreased failure costs, in exchange for lower advances and rewards

These are only theoretical at this point

Televised Missions

Every launch, all of Kerbin's press is invited to watch. If it goes well, the papers, blogs and news shows will laud the space agency's accomplishments (lots of reputation added). If the launch fails it'll be a national tragedy (lots of reputation lost). Basically the US approach to the space race. Anyone can watch, but there's downsides to that if things go wrong. The implementation of this needs to be investigated. I might be able to do it on the deaths of Kerbals, or on a failed contract. Each has it's advantages and possible ways to exploit it, so if it's possible it'll need some extra thinking. Same goes for the next one.

Propaganda Press Release

Kerbin gets nothing but a propaganda press release with each missions. If something goes right, people will only get a limited view of the accomplishment (little reputation added). But if it goes wrong, at least few will know as one can cover it up (little reputation lost).

[Nori]

Looks very nice! Was wondering how long it'd be till someone added more strategies.

[Parkaboy]

Very good! Can't wait until we know more about the values that can be changed via strategies. It would be great to have one that improved the thrust and/or ISP in the nuclear engines, at a cost in reputation. Or maybe one that made the Lab Module give a better bonus on transmitted data, at a high funds cost. Stuff like that could be useful in late stages of career.

[theonegalen]

Downloaded, haven't used them yet, but I'll let you know how they are when I need them.

[Jim Meillente]

Hello,

This sounds very interesting! I'll be following this mods development and look forward to future updates! If I may make a suggestion could you please integrate KSP-AVC: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/79745-0-25-0-KSP-AVC-Add-on-Version-Checker-Plugin-1-1-4-3-MiniAVC-KSP-AVC-Online soon so everyone will know right away when updates occur?

Thank You

[CaptRobau]

The first release version of Stratagem has gone live. Go to the thread.

Changelog

1.0

-Added Local Supplier Preference strategy

-Redid groupCategories to create mutual exclusions

-Rebalanced the values to match stock