Does the KSC need more life?

[glen.mack]

While admittedly not an immediate concern, I find wandering around the KSC, the place seems dead, not like a live active space program is happening there...

Do you think it needs more life? Not like a hive of intense activity, but the odd Kerbonaut wandering and maybe a rover or two driving round? I put together a short mock-up of what I think it might look like.

[Ikaneko]

The video dosn't work. Other than that, I agree. We need signs of life outside the VAB/SPH!

[montyben101]

I agree but the kerbals that wonder round should not wear space suits

[bombo1]

Thumbs up for this idea

[Ikaneko]

Monty, keep in mind it's a mock-up.

Anyway, the suggestion could be a feature like ground scatter i.e toggleable in settings.

[r4pt0r]

anytime you are testing or launching no one should be outside. its a saftey thing.

[Panzerbeard]

I'd like to see a little more activity in the KSC and world in general, yeah. They can be entirely cosmetic and non-interactable, that's fine, but it'd go a long way towards making Kerbin feel more less desolate.

[Guest]

I would like some more life in the KSC, too. They could run between the buildings, but they should not interact in any way.

[lajoswinkler]

Gooey octopus like guys from one of Squad videos chilling on shores, running away when a Kerbal approaches. I'd like to see that.

[Willbl3pic]

I would definatley say yes.

[dryer_lint]

You've forgotten that "during launch days, Kerbals evacuate not only the launch pad, but literally the entire KSC"

It does need more life though. Maybe some lights in windows turning on and off, or some trucks driving around?

[Sovnheim]

I totally agree with the suggestion.

It may even be possible to use the sprites from VAB / SPH and put one or two outside. That would make the KSC look more natural, I agree.

You've forgotten that "during launch days, Kerbals evacuate not only the launch pad, but literally the entire KSC"

It does need more life though. Maybe some lights in windows turning on and off, or some trucks driving around?

Well, my kerbals have an unhealthy disregard for safety regulations, so I don't really care that the KSC is deserted or not during launch days.

[LABHOUSE]

Well which do you spend more time at kerbin or in space?

But yeah just make them not be in spacesuits and maybe let the admin kerbals walk sometimes on the sidewalks though.

[Rainbow-Dashie]

I'd always thought that the KSP complex needed sheep wondering around.... I have absolutely no idea why sheep... just one day, taking a look at the space center, and thought "Needs More Sheep", and the rational part of my brain just went, "Sure, that makes sense for some reason, sheep."

[hellion13]

On the space center screen you could use slightly altered animations/paths from the VAB/SPH, outside that I imagine it gets a little difficult and i agree frankly its not much of an issue...just a neat idea.

Maybe have special Bill, Jeb and Bob versions that disappear when being used or dead.

Edited October 11, 2014 by hellion13
completed the thought after i posted.....

[lajoswinkler]

Imagine a goofy Kerbal forgetting to go away from the launch pad, so that when you go to launch something, you've got like 10% chance of seeing it running away and yelling gibberish. KSP really lacks these in-game jokes.

[CalculusWarrior]

Lack (fine creator of LackLuster Labs) has created a mod called KSC++, which does add a lot of extra service roads and buildings to the game, as well as trucks driving around. (and a train, of the non-hype variety)

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/24906-WIP-LLL-Lack-Luster-Labs-LLL-12-2-10MAY2014-SXT-16-5-28JUN2014-KSC-v2

[Ikaneko]

Hey, we could finally get the mad cat lady shack at the end of the runway (in-joke)

[tater]

Given that I hit launch, an possibly warp to have a window for a rendezvous, and people would not be at the launch pad during a launch, it's incredibly low on things I care about. If it dropped my frame rate by 0.00001 fps, I'd turn it off.

[nine_iron]

One Word- Open Top Tour Bus!!!

[problemecium]

Technically I would vote no, but I picked yes because I would be in favor of adding some, even if it doesn't NEED it. Just a couple moving trucks or Kerbal ghosts like the VAB has would satisfy me.

...actually, now that I remember it: if we could walk a Kerbal up to the door of a building and click the door to switch to that building's scene (e.g. walk into the VAB and switch to the editor), I think it would help a lot with immersion. Perhaps additionally Kerbals that have walked into a building can be hidden from the world and listed in the Complex and Tracking Station as "in R&D" (or whatever building applies).

Edited October 11, 2014 by parameciumkid

[Wallace]

I think is should be an option in graphics, the same way that surface scatter is, so you click it on, and pick the density. lowest one, you get maybe 1 truck at a time going round.

Having the same lil guys as in the VAB/SPH, engineers, trucks, etc would be best, and having them have no physics, the same as surface scatter would eliminate a lot of problems. They could have a simple AI to just turn down a different road if the player comes towards them to stop any weird clipping through moments.

[Dispatcher]

I like the idea of NPC/ ambient life forms and sounds being included with the game. It would be nice to have birdlike things in the air and fishlike things in and on the water, as long as its not too much for most computers to handle. So it would be best to make this optional via settings. Nice video BTW.

[bitbucket]

It would go a long way just to have a few KSC personnel walking around between buildings.

[Blind Dead McJones]

I always assumed that the reason there's nobody around is because technically any time you are doing something around KSC, it's because you're supposed to be launching a rocket. In real life, all the area around the launchpad is blocked off for quite some distance.