Things Kerbals should be able to do.

[Whirligig Girl]

-Many more things are breakable, and Engineers can fix them!

-Level 4 engineers Place Struts in flight/space/orbit/landed.

-Breakable Claw

--Repairable for level 4 engineer

-Breakable Batteries

--Repairable for level 1 engineer

-Repairable Solar Panels

--OX-STAT is breakable

--OX-STAT, and the small extendable solar panels are for level 2 engineer.

-0.625m and 1.25m engines are breakable

--0.625m engines can be repaired by level 3 engineer

--1.25m engines can be repaired by level 4 engineer

--LV-N can be repaired by level 5 engineer

-Kerbal EVA suits are breakable, resulting in a loss of jetpack control. Level 3 engineers can both refuel and repair the suit. (This also would make bouncing Kerbals not OP)

-Level 5 Engineers can also deploy a small exploration rover, assuming the Field Science tech has been unlocked.

-Scientists have different unique science experiments, which one is chosen is based on a hash of their name so it seems random. Scientists change which experiments they can do as they level up, but they have higher science values as they level up. If you want all the science, then take scientists of different levels.

-Level 1:

--Surface Analysis Report (Not about the dirt, more about the landscape)

--Atmosphere Sample (Can be done in space too, to get a sample of pure vacuum)

--Bio-reading Report (Experiment done through the capsule right click menu, it monitors the Kerbal's lifesigns in a situation.)

-Level 2:

--Rock Sample (Pick up a rock and store it in your bag to bring home. Basically a beefy surface sample.)

--Atmosphere Sample

--Expose Living Sample (Open a container of bacteria or something and record what happens to it.)

-Level 3:

--MSEP (Munar Surface Experiment Package, it does a plethora of studies, and is deployed on the surface, but the science is only given after the Kerbal who planted the package is recovered from Kerbin.)

--Throw a Glider (A little spaceplane can test the interactions between wind, gravity, and atmospheric pressure. It must be picked back up to gather the data)

--Mix Goo Samples (Allows you to mix two goo samples from different situations into one pod, so that the interaction of goo from different situations can be studied.

-Level 4:

--Stellar Wind Experiment (Measure the effects of The Sun's wind. It's basically a different shaped, non-customizable flag)

--Boulder Sampling (Go Minecrafting! Okay, not really, just use a pick/mattock to collect a sample of the Surface Scatter rocks.)

--Seismic Equipment and Explosive. (A seismic scanner that can be planted, and an explosive which can be used to detonate and activate seismic activities nearby. Also works with crashing things into the surface. But Explosions are cool

-Level 5:

--Deploy Science Probe Rover (This, like the engineer's crewed rover, is a little rover equipped with some of it's own experiments that can drive around for about a minute at a time before needing a recharge)

---Drill Deep Sample Core (Rover will drill deep into the rocks and study the deeper layers of the regolith of a planet/moon.

---Barometer, Thermometer, Accellerometer, and Gravioli Detector

---Chem-study laser (The rover shoots a laser beam to analyze the vapor that comes off of the material)

---Can crash, but also be repaired by engineers!

--Any of the Tier 4 or Tier 3 Experiments as well, in addition.

Pilots can do more than just hold steady now. Just barely.

-Level 3:

--Increased jetpack thrust, fuel, and turn speed, because they can handle the pack better.

--Hold craft steady upwards (Directly away from planet surface)

--Hold craft steady downwards. (Directly towards planet surface)

--Point at Maneuver Node.

--Point at Normal, Antinormal,

-Level 4:

--Hold craft steady at horizon. Yaw left and right on the horizon is allowed still, but it will keep on the horizon. Great for spaceplanes!

-Level 5:

--Execute Manuever Node.

--Fly into Orbit (Must be with a proven design, because it works by simply repeating everything you did already.)

Space Tourists barely count as crew. They have NO piloting ability (I.e, they do not provide control to a command module or seat, can not use EVA pack) But they can be very profitable to launch into orbit! You get them from contracts.

Level 1: Nothing at all.

Level 2: EVA Report.

Level 5: Can finally use EVA pack, but does not automatically balance thrust, so rotation is not automatically stopped.

[_Augustus_]

Love it!

I want this stuff too xD

[spinomonkey]

I like the idea of space tourism. That in itself has some serious potential...

[thereaverofdarkness]

Space tourists shouldn't gain experience. They should be approximately useless as crew.

[Vaporo]

I don't like you scientist-leveling system. A scientist should be able to perform all the lower quality experiments just as well (and better than) lower-level scientists. As your scientists level up, you would be forced to fire the high-level ones because they can't do the lower-level experiments (which would likely make up half of the science you could get in a trip) and would just be sitting around taking up salaries and space in the Astronaut Complex. I would like a reason to bring along multiple scientists, though.

I don't like the random report capabilities, either. Too much unnecessary unpredictability. Maybe it could be something like a "specialization" system. A specialized geologist gets the maximum science points from surface samples and seismic scans, a specialized chemist would get the most value out of the Mystery Goo and Material Bays, etc.

And no, tourists shouldn't count as crew. They should have zero capabilities and zero reasons to come along other than completing contracts. Maybe they can provide basic control of a spacecraft if the pilot is unavailable (read, died in a horrible disaster), but other than that they should have no functionality.

[klgraham1013]

Things Kerbals should be able to do? Can they climb over a ledge at the top of a ladder yet?

[mattinoz]

love It...

Would suggest either level 2 & 4 space tourists could be engineers for third party companies?

Contract would be to put engineer in stable matching orbit with one of their satellites for some period of repairs.

[Grumman]

I like the Space Tourist suggestion. I think you only need three different levels, though, and have different contracts spawn different levels:

Level 1: No EVA, no piloting. He's just a millionaire paying you to take him up on a joyride.

Level 2: EVA, no piloting. He paid for the deluxe package, and wants to do a spacewalk too, or even a munwalk.

Level 3: Engineer, EVA, no piloting. He's not just some tourist, he's got a job to do. Get him to a satellite so he can calibrate or repair it.

[Pthigrivi]

Yeah I like aspects of this list. I do like the idea that engines could break like wheels on a rough landing but not be completely destroyed, possibly also upon overheat. To me you could add some more fundamental abilities and condense the list a great deal. Im not sure Im crazy about the deployable probes. These should really be things you should have to build.

Things Id like to see:

Pilots:

- SAS

- Current hold vector settings

- Hold angle to horizon

- Maintain Position options XYZ, Maintain Velocity

- More precise flight data

- Projected flight path with drag factored in

Engineer:

- Current repair/repack options, + repairing engines at higher levels

- Delta V, COM, COL, COT visible in flight

- Enable fuel transfer, and later advanced fuel transfer options ala TAC Fuel Balancer. Also could be great for space planes if engineers could continuously maintain COM by moving fuel around.

- KAS style in flight placement of small parts, eg struts, fuel lines, small solar panels, etc.

- Must have high level engineer to operate mining and processing rigs.

Scientist

- Take surface sample

- Take EVA temperature, seismic, pressure, gravity and atmospheric readings. (this should replace current magic science bonuses)

- Perform core-sample experiment

- Place impactor seismometer

- Collect Data from science modules. Higher levels can "collect all data" from a command pod without going on EVA.

- Collect Bio Sample (Id still like to be able to find bacterial or small life forms on other planets.)

- Must have mid-level scientist(s) to operate science lab

Edited December 30, 2014 by Pthigrivi

[Carmoldu]

Yeah I like aspects of this list. I do like the idea that engines could break like wheels on a rough landing but not be completely destroyed, possibly also upon overheat. To me you could add some more fundamental abilities and condense the list a great deal. Im not sure Im crazy about the deployable probes. These should really be things you should have to build.

Things Id like to see:

Pilots:

- SAS

- Current hold vector settings

- Hold angle to horizon

- Maintain Position options XYZ, Maintain Velocity

- More precise flight data

- Projected flight path with drag factored in

Engineer:

- Current repair/repack options, + repairing engines at higher levels

- Delta V, COM, COL, COT visible in flight

- Enable fuel transfer, and later advanced fuel transfer options ala TAC Fuel Balancer. Also could be great for space planes if engineers could continuously maintain COM by moving fuel around.

- KAS style in flight placement of small parts, eg struts, fuel lines, small solar panels, etc.

- Must have high level engineer to operate mining and processing rigs.

Scientist

- Take surface sample

- Take EVA temperature, seismic, pressure, gravity and atmospheric readings. (this should replace current magic science bonuses)

- Perform core-sample experiment

- Place impactor seismometer

- Collect Data from science modules. Higher levels can "collect all data" from a command pod without going on EVA.

- Collect Bio Sample (Id still like to be able to find bacterial or small life forms on other planets.)

- Must have mid-level scientist(s) to operate science lab

I prefer this than what GregroxMun proposed. I would also add rover auto-piloting skills for high level engineers. That would be soooo useful!