Can we talk about Life Support?

[Capt Snuggler]

12 hours ago, Arugela said:

 

Jokes aside. You do realize games are defined by what you have to do in them. The more game means more items defining it. which is by definition restictions... That is the entirety of what a game is. So the more we figure out the more game we get!! 8d In fact the less game the simpler the mechanics and amount of things invovled. That is less game. So I am the one trying to get more game. 8)

So, MORE GAME!! ><

sorry, I have no idea what your talking about. I am arguing for more restrictions/challenge. in the form of life support requirements for crewed missions. please read the thread before derailing it.

If games are defined by what you have to do in them, surely having to plan for life support requirements in your mission adds to the game. traveling to Duna (and beyond) should be a completely different prospect from traveling to Mun. At the moment in KSP the only difference is the Δv. There is nothing more to it. and thats fine for probes but sending a living crew should require something extra.

1 hour ago, tseitsei89 said:

Simpler and easier mechanics dont mean better and/or more game. They mean simpler and easier game.

And to me challenge is what makes the game fun. So yeah MORE FUN GAME!!

EXACTLY!

more challenge = more sense of achievement = more fun = more game

#more game, not less!

[Arugela]

 

4 hours ago, tseitsei89 said:

Simpler and easier mechanics dont mean better and/or more game. They mean simpler and easier game.

And to me challenge is what makes the game fun. So yeah MORE FUN GAME!!

Isn't that what I said?

Either way. Back to the topic. ><

What if we had modes for different kerbals. One being plant. one animal, one mineral. It fits with the three types currently in game. Until you count tourist of course. Maybe they are Snacks. Snacks consist of all three in reality. and heavy amounts of them. so when the passengers go missing you know what happened.

My original comment was a bit of a joke btw. But it could add to the subject. they should probably add more than two things and let people choose on game.

Edited January 15, 2017 by Arugela

[Magzimum]

I still think that life support should have 2 different units: Air (oxygen) and snacks. The reason they should be separate is that air can be recycled rather easily, with small units and low mass, relatively early in the tech-tree (let's say around the same time as your first solar panel). Renewable snacks should be much later in the game: While oxygen has been generated in space for decades, the first lettuce that was actually edible was only grown in 2015. 

I don't think this will make the game more complicated. All crewed parts should have some basic life support in them, so that you can support Kerbals for several days/weeks/months without needing any additional parts. This means you can get to LKO, Mun and perhaps even Minmus without new parts (although the Mk1 capsule shouldn't be sufficient for Minmus, in my opinion). But once you're ready to build stations or send crewed missions to planets, you are probably ready for a little additional learning curve. 

[Arugela]

The Higher learning curve after LKO would be nice. It would be more realistic. And it would add a bit to the game. I got really bored after going to minimus and other places. It's too easy and really boring. Plus it would give alot more to build into vessels. Especially SSTO's.

[Pthigrivi]

On 1/12/2017 at 6:16 AM, 5thHorseman said:

It's an argument for better resource management tools before more resources. Life Support requires more resources unless Kerbals are going to eat rocket fuel, so I think it is a bad thing to develop right now. Not "not great" or "could be better." It's BAD. It will just add more cruft.

Incidentally, I've never installed a Life Support mod I liked. Some I liked better than others, and some I tolerated longer, but all of them got the boot eventually. I'm not even sure I'd use a stock Life Support system.

Granted, I never really liked FAR or RemoteTech yet think Squad nailed the stock versions of those mods, and even though it adds another resource type I like the stock ISRU system better than I liked the various mod options. So there's hope yet, I suppose.

Have you used USI lately? Its gotten really great in the last few updates.

Sorry to dredge up from way back a month ago. I've been away a while.

Edited February 12, 2017 by Pthigrivi

[Superfluous J]

30 minutes ago, Pthigrivi said:

Have you used USI lately?

I haven't played KSP lately

But specifically USI, no. I've not tried it since... some time around 1.0's release. I remember having it and the new atmo at the same time, and not using it for very long though I'll freely admit I don't remember what in particular I did or didn't like about it.

[Tyko]

On 2/12/2017 at 1:55 PM, Pthigrivi said:

Have you used USI lately? Its gotten really great in the last few updates.

Sorry to dredge up from way back a month ago. I've been away a while.

Yea, USI-LS has gotten really good with the most recent patches. The improved Life Support Status UI is my fav.

[Ryu Gemini]

My view on it: 

Life support should be stock, but also a difficulty option (like Kerbal G limits or part G force limits). 

Life support would be a somewhat automatic aspect, treated like a resource.  Each crewable part would have a set amount of it, and it would decrease based on the number of kerbals on the ship.  When on EVA, you would have a set amount as well, automatically refreshed upon entering a vessel like your EVA RCS (this would not effect the vessel you entered for simplicity sake, even if its potentially a little cheaty)

-Some research nodes could be added which grant passive effects, causing all parts with life support to now possess significant additional amounts of it.  Upgrading the astronaut center now would increase the amount of EVA life support in addition to allowing EVA/flag planting and stuff like that. 

-Very early on, the capsules would have about 1-3 days of life support per kerbals worth of occupancy limit.  A few research upgrades throughout the tree would increase this passively, such that with all upgrades unlocked the capsule by itself might be able to support its kerbals for up to a month. 

-Some parts can help too.  A "living quarters" type part can add a fairly large amount of life support.  A plant-growing part can add a small amount of life support regen so long as it has a little bit of power and is exposed to sunlight. 

-Life support would not be used while below certain altitudes on Kerbin and Laythe, naturally.  Unless you are underwater.  And of course, it isn't used if there are no kerbals aboard. 

 

 

And of course, if food is ever its own stand-alone resource, I demand that it be called "Snacks."

.

[Cmdr Hawkeyez]

hi

 

 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2018 by Cmdr Hawkeyez