Add a reason to care about who you get a part from.

[noahtech]

What if buying parts from certain manufacturers cost you reputation points (because they build the parts in sweat shops), and other gain you reputation points (because they're environmentally friendly)? Also you could have the reputations of the companies change over time (just as companies can change directions in real life)?

[FishInferno]

I like this idea, I like it alot

[Tex]

Ooh, this sounds like an interesting concept.

I also think that different parts from different companies would also have different costs and other things going for them, such as one engine weighing more than the other but having a better TWR, or one being more powerful at the cost of more reputation or some other weird value.

[noahtech]

I like this idea, I like it alot

Really?!?

[Captain Sierra]

What if buying parts from certain manufacturers cost you reputation points (because they build the parts in sweat shops), and other gain you reputation points (because they're environmentally friendly)? Also you could have the reputations of the companies change over time (just as companies can change directions in real life)?

I approve. I'd also argue for reputation bonuses/penalties for using certain equipment in certain situations (firing NTRs on the pad is a big nono)

[noahtech]

I almost didn't post this because I thought that it'd either make the game too difficult (it's already pretty difficult, I mean "Kerbals can't do EVA without an upgrade." Really???) or too easy (I don't even know what reputation is/does so I usually just ignore it). Then I figured they might just balance out.

[tater]

Not a good idea, IMO. Right now, pretty much the only difference in parts is size, it's not like there is competition among 1.25m engine companies, and you have a few to choose from in each thrust/Isp range. If there were multiple choices for ~200 kN engine manufacturers, then it might have some meaning.

A variant would not be parts, but contracts. Perhaps by taking contracts from one company, its competitor might be less likely to use you? Or another company pays a lot because they are hated, and working for them hits rep. That makes more sense to me.

[Alshain]

A variant would not be parts, but contracts. Perhaps by taking contracts from one company, its competitor might be less likely to use you? Or another company pays a lot because they are hated, and working for them hits rep. That makes more sense to me.

So basically an XCOM type system. I don't know about that, the contracts are pretty random, why would I care? Some other company would give me the same exact contract.

[Superfluous J]

How about if doing contracts for a certain company raises your rep with them at the cost of rep from other companies? So the total average rep from all companies is a flat 0, but if you do 10 Rockmax contracts in a row your rep with them goes up to - say - 100 while everybody else drops 10 (assuming there are 10 other companies).

Then the cost of parts can go down when you have higher rep, or up when you have lower rep.

[tater]

So basically an XCOM type system. I don't know about that, the contracts are pretty random, why would I care? Some other company would give me the same exact contract.

The contracts right now are entirely screwy anyway. FP added some good new contracts (that still need a lot of work, IMO), but the stock contracts are mostly bad. They should separate commercial contracts vs "missions" that are dreamed up by Linus and Werner Kerman ("Explore the Mun," the survey other planets (or temp, seismic, etc), etc). Then perhaps the satellite contracts could follow those guidelines.

The base idea is OK, but there are not enough parts to be concerned about this. Think about it, I want to make a decent size rocket, but the only company making big tanks I get penalized for buying from?

[samjohnson]

You could instead get a discount on the products from a certain manufacturer for using them lots, similar to bulk buying.

So, if you buy

1-5 parts you get a 10% reduction

6-12 = 20% off

13-50 = 30% off

50-100 = 35% off

100+ = 40% off

These numbers may be to higher a discount but this could be balanced depending on difficulty?

You could also include rep in this, if you have good rep, you get better discounts, 26% off instead of 20%? As to weather or not you include individual manufactures reps in this is up to squad, (that is, if they even plan on doing anything like this) This would add even more reason to get a better rep.

Sam

[tater]

Except, again, there is only 1 company making a given part.

[Tuareg]

Except, again, there is only 1 company making a given part.

this. while the idea is good, there is simply no competition because different companies are selling entirely different things...