My farewell to Kerbal Space Program

[Bloody_looser]

Farewell, Felipe, and best of luck. Thank you.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Bloody_looser

[Cydonian Monk]

I'll join with the others in saying thank you, you'll be missed, and good luck in whatever comes next. Cheers.

[KerrMü]

Dear Felipe

Thank you for your vision and all the hard work. With KSP you´ve created something inspiring, something creative and beautiful. For me it is simply the most awesome game I have ever played. I will always remember the sheer joy I felt after my first succesful munlanding and on many other occasions.

I wish you all the best for your future plans, and be sure I´m very curious what your next project will be.

Lastly: Please don´t take this too serious, but hey man, this is for you

Thanks (sniff)

https://kerbalx.com/herrmue/Harvester

Edited May 31, 2016 by KerrMü
craft file added

[Frank_G]

@KerrMü NOW LAUNCH IT!

[TinfoilChef]

HarvesteR I have to admit this comes as something of a surprise but, as many have pointed out, not an unrealistic development.  Like many others I kinda just assumed that you'd always be there, always tweaking and adding on to this amazing creation that is KSP.

I almost said that I don't know you but really, I do, because I've spent a LOT of time with your game.  I cannot do like many and say how many hours of fun and learning that I've gotten out of KSP because I got 0.13.3 after some viewers kept telling me how great it was and that I should check it out.  Two weeks later I made my best $18 game investment ever when I bought KSP at 0.16, long before the bean counting of hours on Steam first began.

So instead of saying farewell to a stranger I'll say "Fly Safe" to a friend.

o7

[Scoh]

I've been playing ksp since .18 and lurking the forums since shortly after. I've read this forum every day and never felt like I had anything to say that would warrant my creating an account until this topic was posted. 

You and the ksp team have created a new understanding of orbital mechanics for an entire generation and brought space exploration back into the forefront of many many people's minds like the space race did long ago.

I am sad to see you go Felipe but hope you tackle your next great idea with the drive you gave this one. I teach economics at the high school level and hold your story up as a shining example of entrepreneurship and how ideas change companies and economies. 

Best of luck to you,

scoh

[Violent Jeb]

You will be missed, good luck on whatever happens next

[r4pt0r]

“A man’s worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions.” 
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations


Moving on to bigger and better things, huh? A great man indeed. Good luck with your future endeavors, and thank you for what you have given us all.

[StrandedonEarth]

Wow. Oh wow. I certainly didn't expect this, so I'm shocked. But I understand the reasoning, since for everything there is a season. May you always keep the pointy side up and the flamey side down

Thank you, Felipe, for creating this marvelous more-than-a-game, that allows me to indulge my inner engineer and inner astronaut. I've played it for two and a half years now and there's always a new challenge. It is good to know that the rest of the troop will continue to...

[Dman979]

Dear @HarvesteR,

When I was growing up I wanted to be an astronaut, just like every other little kid. As the years went by, I moved on to other things, like cooking and history.
In the fall of my 10th grade year, I discovered KSP. I was hooked instantly, to the detriment of my chemistry class. I realized that space and space-related fields would be a career that I would greatly enjoy. I set my sights on being an astronaut again, this time with some serious interest.
I didn’t get very far, though because to be an astronaut, you need to have almost perfect health. I don’t, I have a bleeding disorder that is similar to hemophilia. Don't worry, it's nothing serious.
When I find something that I am interested in, like most young people, I do everything within my power to be involved with it and to submerse myself into learning as much as I can. Although I had to adjust my childhood dreams of being an astronaut, I’ve found a way to overcome my problems and still be involved in space. Astronauts need a way to get to space, and engineers design and build the launch systems to get them there and back again. Because of you, I'm going to Penn State to study Aerospace Engineering this fall.
I can honestly say that you've influenced one of the biggest decisions I've made in my life, and for that, I'm thankful.
Best of luck, Harv, with everything you do.

Sincerely,

Dman979

[Guest]

I'm very sad to hear this, maybe not quite as sad as the T.J. Oshie girl, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ5FE72bewI

but still very sad. Also excited though. Can't wait to see what's next for Harvester, and for KSP.

 

[Tiberion]

Best wishes to you sir. This little game really make an impact, in many ways. You have inspired countless people to learn more about space and science, you were a beacon of hope to small game developers and an example of how to do things right with regards to your fans and community.

Personally, not only did it rekindle a love for "space" but it pushed me to learn new things so I could mod. There are other games where I thought "Hmm.. I would like to change this, or add that." But you made KSP open enough and easy enough to get even a neophyte started, and once you get started, you are hooked. Thousands of hours played and many, many more spent modeling and editing config files... You certainly made it easy to answer the question "What is your favorite video game?"

Its been amazing to watch this grow and evolve over the years, and even just being a community member and player gives me a sense of pride. Thank you. Can't wait to see what is next for you.

[Kevin Kyle]

Thank you for all the joy you have brought to my life. I wish you all the best for your future.

[Malah]

Thanks for all this time past for us. We have learned so many things by your efforts, not only on the space and the astronomy, for KSP I've learned developing on csharp, I've learned how to manage and support a project. THANKS HarvesteR.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Malah

[Bezzier]

We'll be sorry to see you go, @HarvesteR. It's an amazing game.

[Farex]

THank you for this game that connects people, teaches us complex things with ease and fun.

 

When you start your next project let us know so we can look after you again.

 

 

A hearty farewell to you, my fine sire.

 

Edited May 30, 2016 by Farex

[Snark]

Thank you, @HarvesteR, for the most incredible game I've ever played-- and that's a lot of years.

Thank you for the years of passion and dedication that it took to make it happen.

I'm a pretty verbose person, and sometimes even eloquent... but words fail me now.  So I'll just say:  thank you, and best wishes for wherever your inspiration and talents take you next.

 

[pandaman]

Well....  I was expecting Modding Monday.

@HarvesteR, Thanks for one of the greatest phenomenons the century,  sad to see you go,  but life goes on.

Are you stepping away from KSP development completely, or will you still have a 'finger in the fuel tank' as a 'consultant' or another capacity?

I can certainly understand the desire for new pastures after all this time dedicated to one project, so good luck in whatever you do next.

[theJesuit]

Thank you Felipe (@HarvesteR) for this game, and the last five years of your life in creating and developing it for so many of us.

Thank you for holding your ground against adversity in even getting the project off the ground in the first place!

I hope and pray that you find an endeavour worthy of your skills and talent that is as life giving to you as KSP is for all of us.

Peace.

[Tourist]

Thanks HarvesteR. 

Your idea has entertained so so many people.  

When you come up with your next idea, make sure you come here and tell us about it. I think there a  number of people here willing take a chance on you again.

All the best. 

Tourist. 

[Giggleplex777]

Farewell @HarvesteR! Thanks this incredible game!

[Joshwoo70]

uh! now!? oh well.

rembered the times where the aerodynamic was like um... soup! and the little kerbals that I usually hyperedit into space...

Good times.

Fair well my friend. o7

[HafCoJoe]

6 hours ago, HarvesteR said:

Hi,

There’s no good way to ease into news like this, so here it is: I’m stepping down as Lead Developer of KSP.

For the last five and a half years, I put all my work, my thoughts and my time into KSP. I’ve watched it grow from this little unassuming idea for a 2D game in which you’d put together rocket parts to see how high you could get, into a complete spaceflight simulator, a space agency tycoon, a planetarium of truly astronomical scale, a home for little green men and their space program, a Kerbal space program.

KSP has become far more than the game I imagined half a decade ago. When we first set out to take on this project, I could not have expected anything even remotely close to what it ended up becoming. To say KSP surpassed my every expectation would be, at best, a colossal understatement.

There was a time, years ago, when any single design decision of mine had the power to drastically change the direction of the project. There was the danger that by even moving ahead on development of one area instead of another, the entire feel of the game, the intent it carried, could be morphed into something else. There was a fine line we needed to stay on, lest we let the project slip and become something other than what we intended. That is no longer the case, and that’s a very good thing. It means that conceptually, the game is complete.

This isn’t to say KSP’s development is complete, however. Far from it. Plans for KSP reach far into the future, and there are enough ideas to keep us all going for years. The console versions are coming up, there are new updates in development, the list goes on. For myself, however, I desperately need to have something new, to create more than one game in my life.

I need to make one thing perfectly clear: development on KSP will continue as always. No features, upgrades, bugfixes or anything of the sort are being discontinued because of my leaving.

This I say with absolute confidence, because I have complete trust in every member of the KSP team, and I know they are fully capable of handling anything that comes their way.

The KSP team deserves more praise than I can give them. This is a band of outstanding people, all brilliant and excellent at what they do, never tiring, never doing anything less than their best. I’m very proud of what we have accomplished together. It’s something I’ll carry with me for ever. I also know beyond any question that KSP would not have become what it is without every single one of them. I am forever grateful and in awe of all the work they put in.

And of course, I must give all my thanks to the founders at Squad, Ezequiel and Adrian, who took this wild leap of faith with me, putting their unconditional trust in me without ever requiring any failsafes or guarantees of success. We all know games are a notoriously risky proposition in the best of times, and they nonetheless extended their full support to me, at a time when none could tell what lay ahead.

Lastly, but most certainly not least, I have to thank every single one of you, the community, our players, kerbalnauts, space enthusiasts, reckless rocket engineers, our friends. All of you, who like us, believed in our weird little game and supported us throughout the years with your ever-inspired ideas, your unparalleled willingness to help, your relentless honesty and your unfailing loyalty. I cannot thank you enough for all of it, and I can only hope I am so lucky to see you again in whatever comes next.

This isn’t goodbye. It’s just farewell for now. In the meantime, however, I hope you all enjoy playing KSP as much as I enjoyed being part of its making.

Signing off,

Felipe Falanghe, aka HarvesteR

;~; I'm sure it must be for a good reason though. You'll be missed  So long, @HarvesteR

[tater]

Best wishes, @HarvesteR and thanks for the many hours of enjoyment that I didn't pay nearly enough for, it would have been a bargain at 10 times the price or more.

[TopHeavy11]

@HarvesteR, I know that when KSP needs you most, you shall be our Dues Ex Machina. But for now, farewell, and Godspeed on your next game. <:')

Edited May 30, 2016 by TopHeavy11