[Suggestion] - L1-LOK-Zond-soyuz goal overlap

[Sabratha]

I think the way we currently model the relationships between the Zond 5, L1 lunar flyby and the LOK-L3 programs is inherently flawed and doesn't correspond to history.

These were complimentary programs based on almost the same technology. The soviet leadership saw these as stepping stones to the ultimate moon landing. The lunar bioflight was supposed to pave the way for human missions. L1 in turn was created as a lightweight version of the lunar soyuz mission, capable of being sent by smaller rockets than the N1. These were all milestones on the same path.

In the game currently this is not so. Zond 5 does not really help the lunar missions in any way (other than tech transfer to soyuz). What is worse, the L1 and L3 programs are actually competitors in game. It currently makes very little sense to open and fly L1 missions, since they do not count twoards L3-LOK goals and just take up resources and time needed for the LOK-L3.

My suggestion would be to implement these as having interchangable goals to a point.
1) Zond 5 should count as an "unmanned lunar flyby test" for souyz technology (both for L1 and L3).
2) L1 unmanned flyby should count as a "unmanned lunar flyby test" goal for L3.
3) L1 manned lunar flyby should count as a "manned lunar flyby" goal for L3.

In effect, implementing this would finally give sense to flying L1 missions. Opening and completing the L1 missions should help the soviet player shorten his L3 track, not prolong or compete with it.

PS - suggestion added to Asana.
In the same manner, I feel that soyuz technology should share earth suborbital and orbital manned flight goals. The technology is relaly similar, I don't think that after making soyuz and L1 earth orbital flights an L3 orbital flight should be needed and incur a penalty if not flown.

I think currently in-game the soviet player has too many soyuz technology programs that do not share goals and thus are mostly redundant with regards to one another.

Suggestion also in Asana.

[Nacho84]

Hello Sabratha,

Many thanks for the comments. I'll drop you an e-mail to discuss all this stuff during the week. It's all doable, we just need to make the right changes in the database.

Cheers,

[stratochief66]

I look forward to this cleanup, it will definitely help these Soviet parts flow better together

[Nacho84]

Hello guys,

I have implemented Sabratha's suggestions into the game database. Now the experience gained for any Soyuz spacecraft regarding suborbital and orbital flights will be applicable to the rest. I have also unified the goals for lunar flybys for the 'Lunar Soyuz' programs (i.e., Soyuz 7K-LOK, Soyuz 7K-L1 and Zond 5). You'll get all this in the next update.

Cheers,