Scientist Traits Questions

[jBar]

I'm trying to optimize the science I receive from each mission with regards to Kerbal scientists, so:

1. I've noticed that when a scientist is on board a ship, the science that can be transmitted is shown in a yellow font, why? What bonus does this show?

2. Do multiple scientists on a mission stack science return?

3. Does the bonus apply only to RETURNED missions or from science that is transmitted as well?

4. When a spaceship/science is returned, does the Kerbal scientist give a science bonus from their previous level or to the one that they were just promoted to when their XP increased during the same return mission?

I can't seem to see understand how this all works together.

[thereaverofdarkness]

I can't figure out scientists. I don't get any transmits in yellow font, and the scientists seem to have no effect on my science return.

[Geschosskopf]

As I understand things, a scientists gives a 5% bonus per level to all science things you do with the ship he's on.

For transmissions, this seems to increase the transmission cap (for an experiment that has a cap) 5%/level above the normal 40% cap. This bonus stacks with the 15% bonus you get with a Mobile Lab, so a 1st level scientist on a lab would let you transmit 60% of the experiment's value instead of the default 40%. IOW, with transmissions of experiments that have transmission caps, the value of the experiment itself doesn't change, you're just able to transmit more of the base value. So, if you have a 5th level scientist in a Mobile Lab, you can transmit 100% of the value of all experiments and never have to return anything. There doesn't appear to be any effect at all on transmissions of crew and EVA reports, which don't have transmission caps. As with the Mobile Lab, transmitting such reports with a scientist doesn't appear to increase the value of the report.

For returned experiments, having a scientist aboard increases the actual value of the experiment by 5%/level. IOW, if an experiment was worth 100 points returned, having a 1st level scientist in the ship will give you 105 points. This isn't a big difference so you're unlikely to notice this happening. I mean, your mission has to return 20 experiments to get 100 extra points from a 1st-level scientist, and by the time you're capable of running such missions, 100 extra points is chump change anyway.

I do not believe that having multiple scientists on the same ship will stack. I think only the most proficient one will count. Not sure of this, though.

[thereaverofdarkness]

It says in their data that they give +100% return ( which seems rather high) however I was seeing values that looked like the default return. I could have mistaken a +100% value for being default, but a +5% bonus would have been obvious as it wouldn't be a round number.

I never returned the samples home, but I didn't see any bonuses on-site when I collected them with a scientist.

[Geschosskopf]

It says in their data that they give +100% return ( which seems rather high) however I was seeing values that looked like the default return. I could have mistaken a +100% value for being default, but a +5% bonus would have been obvious as it wouldn't be a round number.

The game is a bit misleading there. "+100%" effectively means "+0%". 100% is what you normally get, and a 0-level scientist as no effect on this. "+105%" means "+5%", available with a 1st-level scientist.

I never returned the samples home, but I didn't see any bonuses on-site when I collected them with a scientist.

All scientists do for transmitting is increase the amount above the default 40% cap of the base 100% return value you can transmit. If an experimet is worth 100 points returned and has a transmission cap, then normally you can only get 40 points for transmitting it (even if you have to transmit it more than once, it still adds up to 40 points). If you have a 1st-level scientist aboard, you can transmit 45 points in total over 1 or multipe transmissions. Same general thing as having a Mobile Lab, which (without any scientists) would allow you to transmit up to 55 points.

[jBar]

Thanks for the replies. That makes much more sense. However, I feel like this only applies in theory. I've seen similar questions on different threads and I haven't seen anyone notice any difference in science return or transmission value. I'm starting to think it is a bug unless someone can give a personal experience with the numbers to show that scientists do indeed give a bonus. I've done many tests with scientists and non-scientists and science is always the same for transmitting, recovering, etc. no matter what I do.

[furrykef]

I just checked and scientists still have no effect on recovering parts or vessels as of 1.0.5. I tested this by using a cheat code to give Bob Kerman max experience and having him test the SC-9001 Science Jr. on the launch pad in a brand new career, then recovering the vessel with him in it. It yields exactly the same amount of science as having Jebediah Kerman do it.

Either scientists need to boost science on vessel/part recovery, or the "Vessel Science Return" and "Part Science Return" stats (seen when mousing over Bob in the Astronaut Complex) should be removed or renamed. As things stand, it's very misleading.

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Also, there is no bonus for transmitting the data as opposed to recovering it on Kerbin, but it looks like there should be. Doing this experiment with Jeb shows "Transmit: +1.6 science" in gray; doing it with level 5 Bob shows "Decent Analysis: +1.6 science" in green. The different wording and green color makes it look like I'm getting a bonus, but I'm not.