Coming soon (TM) : Kerbal Pilots actually flying our rockets!

[Vallius]

I was just browsing the Kerbal Reddit and found the following link:

Maxmaps confirms that Kerbals will soon be able to help pilot.

How will this impact gameplay? What are the pros and cons of such a major change?

Will this be playing out as a full autopilot, help landing or taking off, or just doing scheduled burns?

[sal_vager]

How do you expect us to answer this when it's not released to us yet?

[Vallius]

Good point. Obviously, we don't know all the details. I was just curious about how people feel, knowing that this is on the way to stock KSP.

[Capt Snuggler]

hopefully the player will get to play a role in training the kerbal pilots.

[Giggleplex777]

Maybe they are programmable like kOS. Kerbal bots would be cool.

[razark]

I've been wanting the Kerbals to be able to act as pilots. I'd like to see them carry out maneuver nodes and hold attitude (or heading/speed/altitude in planes) to the best of their ability.

THERE IS INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR A MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION.

Since when has the internet let that stop a discussion?

Edited December 3, 2014 by razark

[Laie]

People had lots of ideas how this might work when the topic of skill first came up. Browse this forum for anything with "skill" in the title -- it can't be more than two pages back. I took part then, but have no inclination to do it all over again.

THERE IS INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR A MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION. Maybe after today's devnotes or the next squadcast, but not yet.

[Voidryder]

I only fly with Bob.

[arkie87]

I only fly with Bob.

I thought Jeb was better? Or maybe it was Munfrin...

[Bill Phil]

Jim and Rozon are the best ones...

[Superfluous J]

What I've wanted since the very first time I launched the same ship twice is to be able to have a Kerbal do it for me, for a slight penalty. With Kerbal Skill that penalty could be based on their piloting skill.

Essentially, I launch a ship and dock it to my space station. The game notes how much fuel is left in it. From now on, assuming I want to launch that exact ship to that exact location, any Kerbal can do it for a little (or a lot if they suck) more fuel than I was able to do it for. No simulations. No autopilot. Just "Supply my space station please" and suddenly your money is deducted and the ship is docked with the fuel the game says is left. If the Kerbal sucks enough, the game won't let you launch because he'd run out of fuel.

And of course I could launch it again myself to try to do better, and that would be the new "best launch."

Edited December 3, 2014 by 5thHorseman

[arkie87]

What I've wanted since the very first time I launched the same ship twice is to be able to have a Kerbal do it for me, for a slight penalty. With Kerbal Skill that penalty could be based on their piloting skill.

Essentially, I launch a ship and dock it to my space station. The game notes how much fuel is left in it. From now on, assuming I want to launch that exact ship to that exact location, any Kerbal can do it for a little (or a lot if they suck) more fuel than I was able to do it for. No simulations. No autopilot. Just "Supply my space station please" and suddenly your money is deducted and the ship is docked with the fuel the game says is left. If the Kerbal sucks enough, the game won't let you launch because he'd run out of fuel.

And of course I could launch it again myself to try to do better, and that would be the new "best launch."

I think they can and should make it more complicated than that.

One thing that Kerbal Space Program has been lacking is the last word of its title: program. Having Kerbals actually pilot your crafts would bring a welcome change of focus in the game from "build and fly" to "build and manage" (hence the "program" part) as I think most seasoned pilots enjoy designing new craft and planning missions more than actually performing the maneuvers and waiting for transfer windows etc... (exception: spaceplanes)

However, with regard to having stuff done automatically and instantly (like establishing a trade route) with pre-determined results and penalties based on kerbal skill etc... (as you suggested)-- while it might add in the "program" feel too, the devs would be forgoing an opportunity to enhance the Kerbally-ness of the game: just imagine watching the little green monsters flying your maneuver nodes and performing landings in real time, and, undoubtedly, messing it up dearly.

Edit: i am not opposed to the ability to establish automated "trade routes" to perform routine actions that you have already manually performed (i actually love this idea); i just think the kerbals should actually fly the missions, rather than it being done instantly with predetermined results and penalties. I want to watch them mess up due to lack of skill on difficult maneuvers...

Edited December 3, 2014 by arkie87

[arkie87]

I think they can and should make it more complicated than that.

One thing that Kerbal Space Program has been lacking is the last word of its title: program. Having Kerbals actually pilot your crafts would bring a welcome change of focus in the game from "build and fly" to "build and manage" (hence the "program" part) as I think most seasoned pilots enjoy designing new craft and planning missions more than actually performing the maneuvers and waiting for transfer windows etc... (exception: spaceplanes)

However, with regard to having stuff done automatically and instantly (like establishing a trade route) with pre-determined results and penalties based on kerbal skill etc... (as you suggested)-- while it might add in the "program" feel too, the devs would be forgoing an opportunity to enhance the Kerbally-ness of the game: just imagine watching the little green monsters flying your maneuver nodes and performing landings in real time, and, undoubtedly, messing it up dearly.

Edit: i am not opposed to the ability to establish automated "trade routes" to perform routine actions that you have already manually performed (i actually love this idea); i just think the kerbals should actually fly the missions, rather than it being done instantly with predetermined results and penalties. I want to watch them mess up due to lack of skill on difficult maneuvers...

To elaborate: it would be cook if piloting skill came in a few levels and kerbals could level up as pilots:

Level 1: perform maneuver nodes

Level 2: perfect execution of maneuver nodes; simple docking

Level 3: moderate docking; simple landing

Level 4: complex docking; moderate landing

or something like this, etc....

Using a level 1 kerbal to attempt a docking or landing might (read: will) result in him smacking into your space station or tipping over on landing... (assuming you let him pilot and dont override/pilot yourself)

The way this would be implemented is via the math already present in the autopilot: as far as i know, MechJeb (as well as FAR's autopilot) uses a PID controller to stablize the craft. PID controllers need finely tuned coefficients to fly craft well so that they dont overcorrect and become unstable; if you make some of these coefficients too large or small, it will not perform well.

Thus, these coefficients can be modified behind the scenes based on kerbal skill...

What do you guys think?

[Laie]

So, we've been given this:

A skilled pilot can keep the craft pointed towards pro-/retrograde and so on. Will certainly come in handy.

However, I think any discussion about auto-launch is out of bounds. Baseless. It has entertainment value at best.

[arkie87]

So, we've been given this:

https://i.imgur.com/UYdC6Yj.png

A skilled pilot can keep the craft pointed towards pro-/retrograde and so on. Will certainly come in handy.

However, I think any discussion about auto-launch is out of bounds. Baseless. It has entertainment value at best.

The devs have explicitly stated that auto-launch/perform maneuvers is out of the question.

However, MechJeb could integrate pilot skill into autopilot function based on what i suggested above?