Kerbal professions and bespoke science parts please

[devout pivot]

I miss the KSP1 concept of kerbals having specific jobs and science parts having specific jobs. Please give this back. It makes the game more interesting and adds real consequences to a launch. As it is now, I can throw any old kerbal into space and I don't have to care if it was Jeb or Bill. They both are experts at everything.

I want to launch Bob to Duna in a single person craft and realize as I'm entering orbit that he's gonna be really difficult to land and I really should have brought Val...

[shell tree]

Having dedicated crew members for different jobs makes larger missions more reasonable too. 2 Kerbals to run the orbital lab vs 2 Scientists to run the lab, 2 Engineers to maintain the life support and gravity ring, and a Pilot of course. Maybe even more specialised roles for big missions, like Botanists, Medics, Mining Engineers, Builders, Snack Specialists, and Crew/Party Managers?

[toxic hare]

This! I understand making science more streamlined, not having 10 small science parts that gameplay wise are the same and having QOL on doing science (that is a great change) but reducing complexity that has meaning and gameplay implications is literally reducing gameplay.

[shell tree]

That's not entirely true. The new science parts can't just be slapped on every tiny probe for free anymore, like the original experiments could (with the exception of the Science Jr.).

The streamlining does open up the pool to new kinds of science though, like observational science (scanning planets/orbits with telescopes), or impact science (listening to a crashing craft with another landed craft, so Kerbal!). Perhaps this might be explored with colonies?