[REPORTED] - Non-critical failure mission continuation
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 11:56 pm
As it is now, a non-critical failure ends a mission at any given point. I think that in most cases it should not be so, at least the manned missions should continue until the mission returns to earth, or ends in a catastrophic failure.
Example: A gemini docking mission fails at the docking phase. This should not end the mission, but the craft should proceed with re-entry, splashdown etc. Why? Well, to make sure the astronauts get back alive. Because a partial failure should not preclude the possibility of a catastrophic failure at a later step. It will add both tension and realism.
Soyuz 1 mission is a great RL example of this. The original mission plan included redezvous and docking with soyuz 2 in orbit. However Soyuz 1 encountered a solar planel glitch (in game terms a set failure) and Soyuz 2 was unable to launch due to a sudden brake of bad weather (a "failure at countdown" of sorts by game terms).
Still, Souyz 1 would experience a malfunction of the parachute system, that made the reentry module crash into earth and killed Vladimir Komarov, the pilot (catastrophic failure by game terms).
Moreover I think taht with certain partial failures, the player should be allowed to make a decisionwether to continue the partially-failed mission to achive some secondary goal, or wether the mission should be instantly aborted and the craft be sent back to earth.
Example: A docking and EVA gemini mission fails at the docking phase. The player should be given a choice wether to attempt the EVA or wether to abort the mission then and there and send the craft back to earth without attempting EVA.
Example: A gemini docking mission fails at the docking phase. This should not end the mission, but the craft should proceed with re-entry, splashdown etc. Why? Well, to make sure the astronauts get back alive. Because a partial failure should not preclude the possibility of a catastrophic failure at a later step. It will add both tension and realism.
Soyuz 1 mission is a great RL example of this. The original mission plan included redezvous and docking with soyuz 2 in orbit. However Soyuz 1 encountered a solar planel glitch (in game terms a set failure) and Soyuz 2 was unable to launch due to a sudden brake of bad weather (a "failure at countdown" of sorts by game terms).
Still, Souyz 1 would experience a malfunction of the parachute system, that made the reentry module crash into earth and killed Vladimir Komarov, the pilot (catastrophic failure by game terms).
Moreover I think taht with certain partial failures, the player should be allowed to make a decisionwether to continue the partially-failed mission to achive some secondary goal, or wether the mission should be instantly aborted and the craft be sent back to earth.
Example: A docking and EVA gemini mission fails at the docking phase. The player should be given a choice wether to attempt the EVA or wether to abort the mission then and there and send the craft back to earth without attempting EVA.