stationary surface bases on other planets and their uses

[jman508]

what are the advantages over time of having stationary bases on other planets?

I'm looking at this problem from a vanilla save so yeah.

i know fuel would be useful but once you do the science stuff in that one area the surface base becomes useless (or does it?)

you could use it as a "training base" as well but I'm looking for practical uses for stationary surface bases on other planets.

Edited January 13, 2015 by jman508
got my answer

[viktor19]

Well, you can use them as starting points for exploring other parts of the surface. What I'm trying to say is: when you have a base you just need some vehicle to explore the surface and refuel in base and you don't need to make several expensive launches

[MacroNova]

Gameplay wise, there really isn't one. The only conceivable use would be to have a Kerbal live in it so he could plant flags for contracts. Maybe you could use it as a resupply station for when you revisit a particular biome with more advanced scientific instruments. Of course, there is more than enough science scattered around the Kerbolar system that this isn't really worth it.

In real life, you'd want an outpost so you could study a particular area over time and do experiments that have a non-instantaneous duration, neither of which are concerns in KSP.

[jman508]

yeah i guess i could strand a "prisoner" from some random prison on a moon or something so he can eternally plant flags for the rest of time

[Van Disaster]

I leave kerbals at places I need to KAS connect things, like mining sites or offworld launchpads, so they need somewhere to handle their lifesupport needs. For stock, not sure there's an actual point other than "because", really. Stock is not very good at giving you anything more than instant things to do when you've got somewhere.

[Greenfire32]

Unfortunately, offworld bases suffer the same fate as satellites. There's really no reason to have them other than..."because."

It would be nice if stock would include mapping for satellites and maybe make bases gradually unlock the ability to build colonies and even include new launchpad locations. It would be awesome if I could actually build things on Laythe instead of just, "we made it...yaaaay..."

But around here, "dreams," are often confused with, "there's a mod for that," so...grains of salt and all.

[jman508]

i don't think "just because" is a good enough reason because I'm trying to save up the 3 million needed to buy the lvl 3 research building and I'm already cash strapped after part of my lifter stage managed to hit my freaking VAB. but yeah there aren't any actual reason that pay off enough, and fast enough.

[Slam_Jones]

In vanilla KSP, there's really no reason other than contract completion or RP purposes.

Personally, I use MKS and TAC. This makes it so every colony will require some sort of upkeep, or have a purpose.

For the past few days, I've been working on getting a functioning colony going on Mun. This includes drills, refineries, factories, farms, etc. My only goals are sustainability, and having off-world launchpads for further colonization.

[jman508]

just wondering but would it be possible (as in not going to crash my save) if i downloaded TAC in the middle of a career save?

[Norpo]

just wondering but would it be possible (as in not going to crash my save) if i downloaded TAC in the middle of a career save?

Uh, I think it would be possible, but I think your kerbals would all die if they were all on missions (no life support tanks pre-installed)

I don't know for sure, though.

[Wabbit]

If you're farming biome science on a certain planet/moon, you can use it as a resupply and crew switching base to fuel or recharge your rover, and to reset the experiments if it has a lab.

[Hodo]

Off world bases are pretty pointless stock, but if you have Kethane or Kerbonite with TAC Life support and KAS they become QUITE useful. If you are exploring the Jool system you may want to setup a base on Laythe for a refueling and resupply point for the rest of the system. I have even had a base on the Mun for a while there that was nothing more than a command station for Remote Tech 2 and a 3 satellite in sync around the mun for communications with anything outside of the Kerbin SOI.

[jman508]

i don't have manned missions happening right now and ill check if i do just incase and if so ill land it.

but the capsules have some amounts of life support on them?

- - - Updated - - -

yeah i got my answer so I'm gonna mark this as answered.

[MacroNova]

If you're farming biome science on a certain planet/moon, you can use it as a resupply and crew switching base to fuel or recharge your rover, and to reset the experiments if it has a lab.

Isn't it much more efficient to launch to orbit and rendezvous with an orbital station, than do a sub-orbital hop and landing for that? With the orbital station, it's one landing and one launch per biome. With the surface outpost, each biome you explore requires two sub orbital hops and two landings (one out, and one back).

Edited January 14, 2015 by MacroNova

[FlyingPete]

I have some Kerbals now living on Eve I've provided a rover and a couple of planes so they can go exploring. Since i've never been there, actually it's me doing the exploring.

Once you're there, it becomes a cheap, instant way to complete the 'plant a flag on X' contracts. If you position the base near several biomes you can use the base as a ..er.. base from which to send a rover.

[WuphonsReach]

MKS/OKS, TAC Life Support, Remote Tech, Karbonite, etc. are very good at giving you reasons to maintain a satellite network and surface/orbital bases.

It's one of the failings of stock KSP, you need mods to:

- Give a purpose to satellites / probes (Remote Tech)

- Give a purpose to EVAs (KAS / Dang It!)

- Give a purpose to orbit/surface bases (Karbonite, MKS/OKS)

- Give a purpose to the passage of time (KCT)

[HeroBrian_333]

With KSP 1.2, you could use surface bases as a tracking station and/or mining outpost.

[Spricigo]

1 hour ago, HeroBrian_333 said:

With KSP 1.2, you could use surface bases as a tracking station and/or mining outpost.

Thank you for sharing. But I doubt the people that posted in the thread 2years ago are still interested.

[Geschosskopf]

On 1/12/2015 at 11:18 AM, jman508 said:

what are the advantages over time of having stationary bases on other planets?

I'm looking at this problem from a vanilla save so yeah.

i know fuel would be useful but once you do the science stuff in that one area the surface base becomes useless (or does it?)

you could use it as a "training base" as well but I'm looking for practical uses for stationary surface bases on other planets.

If you're playing in stock, the only practical benefit of a base is to make fuel, but you have to have a need for that fuel.  And that depends on your playstyle.  If you're only purpose is to "beat" the game by unlocking the tech tree, then you're right, bases have no value after you've exhausted the local science because you're no longer interested in that planet.  HOWEVER, if you're purpose is to actually explore, to found colonies on other worlds, or otherwise fulfill your space-related dreams, then obviously bases have a roleplaying value after you've gotten all the local science.

In a "all I care about is the science" game, a Mun refueling base is very useful to allow 1 lander to hop to all Mun biomes.  But it's also possible to build the ISRU stuff into the (much bigger) lander so you don't need a base at all.  In such games, Minmus bases have no point---a small lander with 3000m/s once it reaches Minmus orbit can hit every biome and return easily all by itself.  When you get to Duna, having a refueling base on Ike helps lets you reuse the Duna lander to hit all the biomes.  Or you could do hit the biomes with a rover and skip refueling.

In other types of games, you're trying to explore/exploit for their own sakes, and bases are a necessary part of this.  At least outside the Kerbin system.  There are many who go to a lot of trouble setting up a refueling system based on Minmus to power their interplanetary stuff, but I find this more trouble than it's worth.  Personal taste.  By the point in even a career game when you can afford to do big interplanetary expeditions anyway, and a substantial Minmus refueling infrastructure, you're also rich enough just to launch from Kerbin with more fuel aboard.  Then you can devote more of your playing time to seeing other planets instead of hauling fuel around in Kerbin's SOI.

 

[Ty Tan Tu]

On 1/12/2015 at 10:07 AM, jman508 said:

yeah i guess i could strand a "prisoner" from some random prison on a moon or something so he can eternally plant flags for the rest of time

I think a maximum security prison for Jebediah Kerbin on the island in the middle of the big crater on Eve might be an advantage over time of having stationary bases on another planet.

Besides building permanent stations can be fun. Building a self sustaining permanent base on a planet that takes into account food, water, oxygen, power and waste is a challenge. It is game in it's own. It becomes a bit more like SimCity where you spend your time managing resources. Am I producing enough ore to keep my fuel cell running during the long nights in the long run? Is it lights out for my Kerbins? Can I afford to slow down the greenhouse food production?

[Tyko]

Parking a lab and scientists on the surface enables the lab to generate more science. You can totally build a science ground station with a crew and a rover (or a biome hopper). send the rover to collect science (even if you've already returned a copy to the KSC) bring it back to the station, process in the lab and PROFIT

You might need some basic ore processing ability to keep your hopper and other landers fueled. Once the lab has completed it's work the base you could continue to mine ore to send up to a refueling station.

Long story short, you certainly don't need planetary bases, but they are fun to build and they do offer some in-game value.

Edited October 31, 2017 by Tyko