Squadcast September 8th: 1.2 Experimentals Unveiled!

[AlphaMensae]

Today's Squadcast with @NathanKell, @Arsonide and @KasperVld at last had an Experimentals build of 1.2 (1.1.99.1431 to be exact ).

I won't describe the whole thing here, just a few comments and screenshots; resolution is mine, not KSP's.

New loading screen:

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

New option in the general settings:  Ease In Gravity, which from what NathanKell briefly said, sounds like the physics-loading easing that KJR does.

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

CommNet settings, if it is enabled from the Difficulty Options screen:

Spoiler

 

 

 

Some of the new antennas, plus an example of the level of KerbNet functionality on a probe core:

Spoiler

 

CommNet has changed, no longer is all of Kerbin an antenna (seriously?  ), thanks to @Mu there are now three equidistant ground stations on Kerbin--actual objects too:

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

Another new feature:  Now you can focus the camera on any part via the right-click menu ("Aim Camera"), i.e. Camera Focus Changer is now stock   This is an example of aiming the camera at the big dish antenna:

Spoiler

 

Edited September 9, 2016 by Laguna

[Superfluous J]

10 minutes ago, Laguna said:

CommNet has changed, no longer is all of Kerbin an antenna (seriously?  ), thanks to @Mu there are now three equidistant ground stations on Kerbin--actual objects too:

Really? Wow that's a big change. So if I'm reading this right in LKO it's going to be pretty easy to lose sight of a ground station, especially as your orbit gets more polar.

If I ever have time, I may watch this one. Like in the old days.

[Kerbart]

16 minutes ago, 5thHorseman said:

If I ever have time, I may watch this one. Like in the old days.

It's fake. If you look at the screen shots you will see orbit lines. Orbits. Them ain't Squad members. They can't orbit if their life depends on it...

[nightingale]

8 minutes ago, Kerbart said:

It's fake. If you look at the screen shots you will see orbit lines. Orbits. Them ain't Squad members. They can't orbit if their life depends on it...

Are you saying that someone with a long history of involvement in RSS would have difficulty getting into orbit of puny Kerbin? 

[legoclone09]

Wow. It looks amazing! And I saw in the difficulty screenshot it said part upgrades. Makes me start thinking...

[Temeter]

44 minutes ago, legoclone09 said:

Wow. It looks amazing! And I saw in the difficulty screenshot it said part upgrades. Makes me start thinking...

Yeah, that's definitly interesting. Has to affect part performance, if it's relevant to sandbox...

Very interesting. Also not unfitting, especially playing RO really makes you think about how rocket engines continually improve and develope over their lifespan...

Edited September 9, 2016 by Temeter

[legoclone09]

3 minutes ago, Temeter said:

Yeah, that's definitly interesting. Have to affect part performance, if it's relevant to sandbox...

Very interesting. Also not unfitting, especially playing RO really makes you think about how rocket engines continually improve and develope over their lifespan...

Yeah.

 

Wait. What if those engines are early and parts are upgraded with new models and such as the tech tree goes on? That would be cool.

[Temeter]

Just now, legoclone09 said:

Wait. What if those engines are early and parts are upgraded with new models and such as the tech tree goes on? That would be cool.

I doubt it. Those are 2 completely different artstyles, so it would look really weird to go from one to another.

[Francois424]

Quote

CommNet has changed, no longer is all of Kerbin an antenna (seriously?  ), thanks to @Mu there are now three equidistant ground stations on Kerbin--actual objects too:

This is bad news for me.  I like having Remote tech, but I always mod a couple antenna stations so that Kerbin acts as a single antenna.
However with three it's like half of what I do usually.  Looks like I might need a high-orbit antenna to relay the signal and that's all.  Not so bad afterall.

[Alshain]

Good change on the on the Ground Stations!  Not sure if 3 is enough, but we can try it in pre-release test and give feedback then. (unless the intent was to require a Kerbin relay network, but that would seem to be an extreme change of direction).  In the end though, I think they may need one on each pole and then 3 + KSC around the equator.

I see an Auto-Hide NavBall on map in the settings!  1 less mod I need to have.

Edited September 9, 2016 by Alshain

[Superfluous J]

59 minutes ago, legoclone09 said:

Wow. It looks amazing! And I saw in the difficulty screenshot it said part upgrades. Makes me start thinking...

Also Kerbal Experience applying immediately. Yet another unneeded mod

Though engine upgrades could totally screw up my new contract pack. I'll be very interested in seeing this public Experimental build when it's released.

[legoclone09]

10 minutes ago, 5thHorseman said:

Also Kerbal Experience applying immediately. Yet another unneeded mod

Though engine upgrades could totally screw up my new contract pack. I'll be very interested in seeing this public Experimental build when it's released.

Yeah, lots of nice QoL features being added. meanwhile in Overwatch

Engine upgrades could break balance a lot, and it's huge and hasn't been announced, so it could be a framework maybe or be something that might be added later.

[passinglurker]

18 minutes ago, legoclone09 said:

Engine upgrades could break balance a lot, and it's huge and hasn't been announced, so it could be a framework maybe or be something that might be added later.

it would solve the expectation that early parts suck and late parts rock while still making all parts relevant and useful in the late game, but they haven't mentioned such a feature so despite the vague picture I'm not gonna get my hopes up.

[legoclone09]

9 minutes ago, passinglurker said:

it would solve the expectation that early parts suck and late parts rock while still making all parts relevant and useful in the late game, but they haven't mentioned such a feature so despite the vague picture I'm not gonna get my hopes up.

Me either, but that would be nice.

[severedsolo]

CommNet looks awesome! Exactly what I want. I feel that RT is too hard, but AR doesn't go far enough. This seems to strike a nice balance.

[Mycroft]

Ohhhhh... I think I'm in love...

[Francois424]

44 minutes ago, legoclone09 said:

Yeah, lots of nice QoL features being added. meanwhile in Overwatch

Engine upgrades could break balance a lot, and it's huge and hasn't been announced, so it could be a framework maybe or be something that might be added later.

I can smell myself modding Ion engines to keep them relevant to my end-game from miles already...
But in all honesty, I can see where they are going with this.  Now suddenly you don't need multiple of same size engines, all that's good for engine number 1 (say thrust) can be added to engine #2 with vectoring.
The only thing is weight.  If more modern version of say, the Mainsail, makes it lighter... It's both good and bad.  Bad because it strips the challenge of lifting off of Eve for example.
But the fact you probably won't need the two 1,25m engine at the beginning (swivel and forgot the other) is a great thing to reduce parts count in the VAB list...  if only by 20% or so.

I love the Kerbal auto-leveling.  I have yet to do my new career save (waiting for 1,2 and most likely my winter vacation, both for obvious reasons) but this is amazing. Wheels/Landing Gears are supposed to be fixed as well I think.
I hope they fix the "aim to prograde/maneuver node/retrograde..." overshooting by like 60 degrees everytime.  In RemoteTech2 back in 0.25 this was already fixed... and is annoying in stock (And would give purpose to pilot levels even more, even in late-game.  You always need to maneuver !)

Now all that's missing from stock is KER and OPM (imho). But 1.2 is really shaping up like a huge update.  Almost as huge as 0.23 was when science games became a thing.

[legoclone09]

Yep, I'm definitely excited, probably more than 1.1 (because I already had a Linux dual boot going, it was mainly convenience). I think next what we need is to have difficulty screen be moddable for parts of a mod, then I personally would say the game is shaping up to a deserving 1.0.

[NoMrBond]

Also, in the advanced difficulty settings, part upgrades

What do you mean part upgrades?

PART UPGRADE SYSTEM

[NathanKell]

1. We have no plans at the moment to make use of upgrades. That is for modding support.

2. Who said there were only three tracking stations? I only mentioned two stations' names on-stream, but I did not say how many there were. That's for you to find out.

[NoMrBond]

Make plans!

[regex]

3 hours ago, Kerbart said:

It's fake. If you look at the screen shots you will see orbit lines. Orbits. Them ain't Squad members. They can't orbit if their life depends on it...

I have @NathanKell on record complaining that stock was "soooooo easy".

This ain't the old fumbling crew of yesteryear.

[Streetwind]

Urge to post "give it to me now" meme despite forum rules, rising...

[severedsolo]

So general question, which I don't remember seeing in devotes etc

One of the things I don't like about stock probes, and do about rt is that ec drain is pretty much nil. Like one panel will power a stock probe no problem.

Will the new dishes/ comm system draw more power?

[eddiew]

Thanks for the synopsis @Laguna 

Focus changer, yes... I love that mod, but it does do some funny things to EVAing kerbals (like not focus them). Hopefully the stock version will handle this.

Still don't know how I feel about CommNet... but I notice the option to require signal for control. I'm ok with needing signal for science transfer, I just don't like being dead in the water and unable to execute burns because of planetary shadows