Kerbals being more petlike

[Wabbit]

or just make them blink.

edit: give them some kind of radio and have them dance on spacecraft.

KDT: Kerbal Dancing Time. This needs to be a thing.

[pandaman]

idle animationso would add a nice touch, it gets my vote. Could also use a 'pose for photo' option where all kerbals turn towards the camera and grin.

[DerpenWolf]

I would really like seeing something to add more character to kerbals implemented! At the moment even with the new rep system kerbals don't really feel that personal. However if you don't want to bring bob because he keeps eating bill and jeb's snacks then that's much more fun!

A few more traits for kerbals could be Curiosity (do they wander off and look at shiny rock? Maybe they make a big discovery/extra science?) and Clumsiness (Jeb dropped the goo sample again)

Edited February 9, 2015 by DerpenWolf

[Wabbit]

I would really like seeing something to add more character to kerbals implemented! At the moment even with the new rep system kerbals don't really feel that personal. However if you don't want to bring bob because he keeps eating bill and jeb's snacks then that's much more fun!

A few more traits for kerbals could be Curiosity (do they wander off and look at shiny rock? Maybe they make a big discovery/extra science?) and Clumsiness (Jeb dropped the goo sample again)

These are great ideas!

Also, I still want Kerbal Dancing Time!

[Wabbit]

I would really like seeing something to add more character to kerbals implemented! At the moment even with the new rep system kerbals don't really feel that personal. However if you don't want to bring bob because he keeps eating bill and jeb's snacks then that's much more fun!

A few more traits for kerbals could be Curiosity (do they wander off and look at shiny rock? Maybe they make a big discovery/extra science?) and Clumsiness (Jeb dropped the goo sample again)

(Jeb gets knocked over by opening the flag the wrong way and into his head)

[CaLVin-K]

- Different faces as rynak suggested (of course in graphics options you can make all look the same to save framerate).

As long as there isn't any physics involved in the facial expressions I think you can take advantage of multi threading (unity multithreads, it just dent multithread physics) so i don't see this being a performance issue

[MemoByte]

For the idle movement, I have an idea..,

A script that executes every 30-45-60 seconds. It will consist of moving in a random direction, for a random distance (limited 5-20 meters). And they can also use ladders, will crawl around on crafts, and maybe be attracted to anomalies, interesting areas or other kerbals.

Another option would to be not making this automatic, but having an option under the kerbal's MOUSE2 menu, there could be an option for "chill out" This would mean that they are in free roam mode, and will kinda walk around, take stuff in, talk with other kerbals. Maybe, either in mission reports or in a seperate kerbal-specific menu there could be a log of what they did. (i.e. 13:04 Bill Kerman picked up a rather odd rock. He spent a while studying it, then tossed it away to go do something else.)

Tl:dr

Kerbals move around randomly every once in a while and go towards cool stuff

As for running from a near death escape or explosion/crash, maybe something where they throw their hands up in the air, make the "absolute terror" expression while waddling around in circles. Humorous, and KSP-like. If they have more courage, or BadS=true, they should walk away from the explosion slowly like an action hero.

Maybe IVA portraits will have changed since the last time you were controlling the craft. (I.E. The kerbal is checking screens and pushing buttons, but you leave for a while and come back and they're napping.)

Some of these may be a bit tall of an order, but they would bring so much more awesomeness and immersion to the game. As it is, I already imagine all my kerbals having certain personalities and traits. This would give the game so much more character.

- - - Updated - - -

I wouldn't even dare to think what would happen if jeb had a mind of his own. Imagine this: You take jeb to your Duna colony, put him on free-roam, grab a bag of popcorn and when you come back you discover jeb has murdered your entire colony by kamikaze flying your transfer ship into the base