Devnote Tuesdays: The Really Hot Edition

[Wjolcz]

Now all I need is dV and TWR readout in the VAB right by those engineer reports and Ill be playing stock forever after.

Another thing that could be added (which is prob not going to happen in this update) are launch windows. How I see it: you go to the tracking station and it basically says something like "The launch window for Jool is available." And it would go from red, through green and red again. That red-green-red transition would happen during the time period is most efficient for the transfer. Red - good but not very efficient, Green - the best time for the transfer.

EDIT: It would show in the contracts-like window in the right upper corner of the tracking station screen.

Nothing fancy but would be very useful. Hope my idea is clear enough to understand

Anyway, the update is looking very interesting. Cant wait for it!

Edited January 28, 2015 by Veeltch

[DunaRocketeer]

As for clouds, we've heard nothing yet.

Oh I do hope clouds will be in 1.0, I think the game will look finished then

[Wjolcz]

Oh I do hope clouds will be in 1.0, I think the game will look finished then

I really hope they will be optional. That would kinda kill my computer if there's no optimisations before clouds happen.

[michaelsteele3]

No need for the deadly re-entry mod anymore!

[Kibble]

Wow big update. Kinda sad that we live in a society where characters need to have an exaggerated overtly feminine appearance to be believable as female though.

[Alshain]

I really hope they will be optional. That would kinda kill my computer if there's no optimisations before clouds happen.

I would imagine they would add settings like that to the graphics settings as most games do. KSP already has a pretty large graphics configuration screen so there would be no reason to think you couldn't turn them off if they did get added.

I would be more concerned with ensuring they were easily moddable textures. There already so many great cloud texture packs for EVE, I'd hate to see them go away.

[chrisb2e9]

I really hope they will be optional. That would kinda kill my computer if there's no optimisations before clouds happen.

Well you don't have a lot to worry about. Considering how the developers of the game have said nothing about adding clouds.

I'm looking forwards to the update, I just wonder how many months away it is. It seems pretty obvious that Squad isn't going to roll out this one with known bugs.

[Wabbit]

Make sure re-entry heat can be toggled in either Debug Menu or at the difficulty select screen at the start.

[NecroBones]

<p><strong>Ted (Ted):</strong><span> It’s been a nice and busy week here. I’ve spent today coming up with nicknames for all of the engines we have in-game so that it’s a tad easier for people to refer to each engine - no more “the big bell-shaped one from the ARM updateâ€Â. They’re pretty catchy I should think and I’ve implemented them this afternoon.</span></p>

This alone makes me very happy.

[biohazard15]

It seems pretty obvious that Squad isn't going to roll out this one with known bugs.

Sadly, there is 99.9% probability that there will be some game-breaking bugs on release (like radial decoupler bug, for example).

That would happen simply because authors (any authors) tend to overlook some flaws in their creations.

[FleetAdmiralJ]

a new re-entry heat system...

Reentry heat is in, as you have probably already read

WHAT WHAT WHAAAAAAT

In any case, I still feel like we're quite a ways out from getting this update since you're still working on it, then it needs the full QA treatment, THEN experimentals, and then it being 1.0 I'm sure you want to go through with an extra-fine toothed comb. So I'm happy it's coming along but kinda sad that it'll probably be in the tune of months and not weeks that we'll see this

- - - Updated - - -

Sadly, there is 99.9% probability that there will be some game-breaking bugs on release (like radial decoupler bug, for example).

That would happen simply because authors (any authors) tend to overlook some flaws in their creations.

It's also what the QA and Experimental teams are there for. They are literally there to act as Alpha/Beta testers for each release.

Now, it's still up to the developers to decide what new/outstanding bugs are worth fixing on each release, but feedback from each team should also educate them on how game breaking the bugs are.

For example, one of the bugs I always run into is the fact that I can't place nodes after I complete a burn sometimes. It's a bug I run into often. But it's a bug that is very easy to get around (going to the space center and coming back, EVAing a Kerbal, or quicksaving and quickloading all fix the problem). So while it's annoying, there are other bugs that might be more severe that should be/are higher on their priority list to fix. I would love a fix to that bug eventually, but I understand them putting off fixing bugs that might be annoying but not particularly game impacting such as that one.

Having said that, I rather expect (and hope) that they will do a more thorough round of bug squashing this time. And indeed, their post about going to Beta as well as things they've said afterward suggest that they are.

[Starwaster]

Looking forward to the re-entry heat. I just hope that its not too harsh, otherwise creative designs might be punished.

Though hopefully this will be the end of hitting Kerbin's atmo at 90 degrees coming in from the Mun. I always make my re-entries as gentle as possible even currently.

Reentry heating would have to be incredibly harsh NOT to survive a 90 degree reentry. The heat pulse duration is too short. The danger with an angle that steep is g-force damage to the occupants who would have to be recovered with a sponge.

[Superfluous J]

Wow big update. Kinda sad that we live in a society where characters need to have an exaggerated overtly feminine appearance to be believable as female though.

They're just balancing the "exaggerated overtly masculine" appearance of the current Kerbals.

I put that in quotes because I don't think the current models for Kerbals are "exaggerated" or "overtly," but the pictures I've seen of female Kerbals look just as non-exaggerated and non-overt as the males currently do. Granted, those aren't official pictures but I'm pretty confident that the actual female Kerbals will look a lot like them.

[Frozen_Heart]

Wow big update. Kinda sad that we live in a society where characters need to have an exaggerated overtly feminine appearance to be believable as female though.

Who said anything about an overly feminine appearance?

Also people seem to think that adding them will mean that they can't have anything useful this update as the team will focus on them rather than something major. Apparently aerodynamics, re-entry, resources, and new wing parts don't count as useful things to add?

Edited January 28, 2015 by Frozen_Heart

[Starwhip]

Looking real good, SQUAD. So much hype in so little time!

0.25 to 1.0 in two updates! XD

[jake9039]

I think, another thing that should be worked on is less memory use. my freind bought and downloaded it, and first time it started up it crashed.

[Alshain]

I think, another thing that should be worked on is less memory use. my freind bought and downloaded it, and first time it started up it crashed.

While there is no denying the game needs some optimization, it is a new game and new games need newer computers. Most new computers come with a minimum of 4GB these days, and KSP will run fine on 4GB stock. Upon release I'm sure they will publish minimum system requirements that are accurate to 1.0, but that is hard to do when it keeps changing in Early Access and Beta.

EDIT: Actually they already have published them

https://www.kerbalspaceprogram.com/kspstore/index.php?p=22

Edited January 28, 2015 by Alshain

[jake9039]

what I kinda meant was so we could mod it just a bit more like we could in 0.24(see the rhyme?) that 3.something or other memory limit is evil!(if only 64 bit was more stable)

[Alshain]

Does anyone else feel like Squad is holding something back?

I mean, they are just casually announcing this rather large list coming features in 1.0, but I have this thought in the back of my mind that we haven't been told a really big one yet.

[AccidentalDisassembly]

So, uh... Who's working on optimization and bug fixing? Someone sure needs to.

[meve12]

Does anyone else feel like Squad is holding something back?

I mean, they are just casually announcing this rather large list coming features in 1.0, but I have this thought in the back of my mind that we haven't been told a really big one yet.

They're working on a lot of things, they're probably not working on something really big.(If you don't consider aerodynamics big...)

[Ikaneko]

Yes lads!!!!

Re-entry heat!

I've been looking forward to this since I first bought KSP!

[bdito]

Sounds fantastic! Can't wait.

[FleetAdmiralJ]

Does anyone else feel like Squad is holding something back?

I mean, they are just casually announcing this rather large list coming features in 1.0, but I have this thought in the back of my mind that we haven't been told a really big one yet.

Well there is the experiment they're talking about right? And given that they're still working on things, yes, I expect to hear about more additions before we're done. They usually hold some stuff until the very end or even release.

[CaptainKipard]

Asset loading and handling still hasn't been mentioned anywhere. If that doesn't make it into v1.0. I think I will have made up my mind about Squad.

Right? Fast loading and low memory usage? In v1.0?

LoadOnDemand doesn't work anymore...

Not to take away from all the other nice things that are coming, but seriously.. loading of assets is a fundamental thing isn't it? For v1.0?

Edited January 28, 2015 by Cpt. Kipard