[SUGGESTION] Advanced testing/Separate fabrication phase

[nats]

In the present game I assume the way you have designed it is that the r&d includes for research, design, testing and fabrication? I wonder if it might aid gameplay to separate some of these elements or make them more detailed?

What about having an option for advanced ground tests. Shouldnt products be able to be tested on the ground for longer or to a higher spec in order to improve reliability - by the use of wind tunnels, advanced engine tests and the like? This could be optional but could improve overall reliability, but will also take time, but probably not as much time as an unmanned flight test would. There maybe chance of critical failures such as things blowing up but these might not ahve so much of a time effect as failures during actual flight tests.! Also possibly you can assign some of your astronauts to help tests along or your better r&d people to provide bonuses to the testing outcome, but with a risk that the astronaut etc could be injured or killed. There could be associated events to create positives and nagatives that might have a knock on effect on timing or reliability, that could set you back (causing you to rush manufacture) or put you ahead allowing you to carry out further tests with chain effects that improve reliability of subsequent tests. And most importantly carrying out these ground tests could avoid the need for so many time intensive unmanned flight tests themselves so saving time in the long run?

A potential for separation from r&d is the fabrication phase. I think there is room for this to possibly be separated from r&d so that, between the research and assembly phases, you have to actually assign people and time to build the rockets somewhere. Its an area that could be possibly rushed (along with research and development) to make up lost time with possible consequences -also a potential area for cutting corners like using cheaper materials or offloading some of the construction to partner companies. And its an area that could have its own events such as labour strikes, cheap materials, shoddy workmanship, mistaking metric for imperial measurements - you know the kind of thing! This could also lead to a new kind of personnel and even a new building > mechanical engineers and the fabrication shop.

I dont know whether making these items more compex is likely to give more intersting gameplay or just make the whole procedure more labourious? I tend to think that the more variation in choice the bettter a game can be as long as it doesnt all get too unwieldy, there is definitely a balance to be had there. I think its definitely a shame that you dont see the rockets actually being tested and constructed.

But then again could these items both be done with events? Perhaps the process of r&d could be split into phases first with research events, then testing events and finally end with construction events? But is this perhaps missing out on some interesting player choice for making up lost time or delays. Dunno.

[Nacho84]

Hello nats,

We'll give some thought to this but, for the moment, I'm a little bit reluctant to introduce such a massive change. It would require an extensive redesign of the UI and, at this point of the development process, I'd rather focus on getting more fundamental gameplay mechanics in, such as the rocket/payloads mix-and-match and random events, and improving the existing UI.

Cheers,

[nats]

Hello nats,

We'll give some thought to this but, for the moment, I'm a little bit reluctant to introduce such a massive change. It would require an extensive redesign of the UI and, at this point of the development process, I'd rather focus on getting more fundamental gameplay mechanics in, such as the rocket/payloads mix-and-match and random events, and improving the existing UI.

Cheers,

Events would be great - hopefully not entirely randomised though

[SirEdward1]

What about allowing us to interact with the assembly of the rockets in vehicle assembly building,which would give us, i.e. the player a better understanding of the process in the case of failures after launch, which could open a chance to allow us to put some of the people better suited from R&D on the review of the failure, which could help do a better job to keep the failure from occurring.

[nats]

What about allowing us to interact with the assembly of the rockets in vehicle assembly building,which would give us, i.e. the player a better understanding of the process in the case of failures after launch, which could open a chance to allow us to put some of the people better suited from R&D on the review of the failure, which could help do a better job to keep the failure from occurring.

At the moment I struggle to see what use having the VAB is at all to be honest other than upgrading it will allow you to go to the moon I suppose. I feel the whole thing about being able to assemble the project from the VAB feels a little bit contrived. I mean what is the point in scheduling a mission but not assembling it? That would only make sense if you had to schedule a mission a few seasons before you could assemble it. I think that whole process of R&D, scheduling, assembling and launching could do with a little more structure.

In my opinion the R&D should be gotten out of the way first plus associated events and possibly optional advanced testing of components to allow you to 'step over' later testing missions that use the same components. You should also be able to choose an option to rush the whole mission (all phases) which could halve the time taken for all phases but would result in increased chance of negative events like lowered morale, mistakes in design, errors during fabrication, etc.

Then you start the fabrication phase which might not be necessary for missions that use repeat components - or might need only slight modifications in subsequent missions so would take up less time- but might result in higher chance of negative events. If fabricating the first components of a mission string though, the fabrication will take some time, possibly a couple of seasons during which time you need to assign engineers and a building - with associated events.

Whilst you are doing the fabrication you should be training the astronauts for that mission which could be like basic training - sending them off for a few seasons, again with associated events. Training astronauts for a later mission in the same string might be able to be sped up in later stages with possible increased chance of events.

Only after fabrication and training has been completed can you then schedule the mission which will take say one season whilst you assemble the components (which essentially means 'set them aside') and that includes reservation of the launch pad and the use of the VAB - so no other missions can be assembled at the same time (but they can be scheduled). This stage cant be rushed.

Once you have assembled the mission succesfully and have the green light on the launch schedule, you only then can 'launch the mission'.

That is the kind of progression I would love to see in the game myself. It would increase complexity with more needed gameplay, and it adds player choice - whether to speed up stages and add a greater chance of negative events etc or whether to take you time and do it properly. And it adds the need for the player to think ahead and schedule/train before they can assemble a mission. Also it requires full use of the VAB etc so once a launch is scheduled no other missions of that type can be scheduled again making players have to plan things ahead. But you might be able to carry out disimilar missions at the same time for example space probes and space plane missions that both dont require use of the VAB (maybe).

But I know its only probably wishful thinking here Ignatio if you dont have the time to do this you dont have the time! But I feel the screens and process are almost there with a little bit of tinkering it could be made to work - and would adding a fabrication stage be all that much work?

..... maybe in an expansion after release possibly ???? (one can always hope, lol !)