KSP Weekly: That Pale Blue Dot

[SQUAD]

Welcome to KSP Weekly, everyone! The US election day hangover is still around, but here at the KSP HQ we continue to work hard to build upon this game that has brought so many people together, regardless of race, nationality, gender, religion and political orientation. Without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s news about all things Kerbal!

On the QA front, the past week has been taken up with writing more test cases for various aspects of gameplay. This has involved reviewing past reports to gauge where oversights can be avoided. Part performance testing has also been reviewed.

Furthermore, there was also some Test Team management tasks, reviewing Test processes and looking for ways to improve things. Preparing Test Case summary reports and reviewing the QA volunteer team members. Other activities by the QA team have included helping the devs with the part collider review, and other reported public bugs.

For example, on the bugs front we seem to have finally found the root cause and a solution for the OS-X Sierra permissions issue.

But that’s not all, we ran into a rather annoying issue, where we would keep seeing graphical corruption while playing KSP and we could not track it down, until one of the glitches stayed visible long enough to see what it was and it was the Steam notifications of friends coming online or playing a game that they were trying to draw on top of KSP.

Some of us also had a blast with KSP and a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, which we got to test a bug but found it’s working perfectly for many airplanes.

On the development trenches we have been prioritising some bugs to fix next on the list, getting involved with the new team members and helping out in general.

For instance, some of the bugs we fixed include that Kerbals can no longer get duplicated names when hired (or generated in contracts) and some other around the resource system that slipped through.

Additionally, we fixed a bug where fairings kept disappearing when applying settings in-game, as well as one where the terrain textures on the R&D Building looked weird and another where the part action PopUps got stuck on screen when selecting the Astronaut Complex at the SPH or VAB.

We also worked on a new feature to get the default keyboard bindings based on the keyboard layout.

Furthermore, we’re keeping up the hard work on the localization process this week; this included adding display names for the resources (bonus side effect: LiquidFuel is now Liquid Fuel in all the UIs).

On to the art side, we’ve been working on the workflow and various art assets, including some work for our future projects and finishing up the biome maps - specifically, saving Dres for last.  

Likewise, the work on the colliders continues. Developers and Artist are working hand in hand on how to optimize the colliders for some stock parts in the game, and fixing small details about them.

The art department is also working on some designs for merchandise, including T-shirts and Patches, which we will be able to show you very soon.

Like most of you have noticed, our team has been continuously growing and this week we would like to introduce you to our new Game Designer, Rob Shaer (Robbonaut).

Rob lives in the UK with his wife, 2 boys, and a dog (Stan-Lee). Robbonaut has been in the Games Industry 14 years primarily as a Designer but he has dabbled in many aspects of game development over the years. Rob recently worked on Carmageddon: Reincarnation and the digital versions of Magic the Gathering. Going back a few years, some of his other titles include Burnout 3, Sid Meier’s Pirates!, Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice, Motorstorm: Arctic Edge, and Little Deviants. We are really excited to have him in the team and we are sure that his expertise will enrich KSP in many ways. Here are some words Rob wanted to share with us:

“I’m looking forward to getting stuck in with the team, meeting you all and I’m extremely honored and excited to be working on such a great game.”

We also wanted to share this awesome picture that @anth12, the Ultimate Bug Hunter, sent us with his reward. Learn more about the contest here.

Now let’s forget about all the hate-mongering we’ve been exposed to and just like Carl Sagan reminded us once:  

“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives(…) Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light (…) The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else (…) There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”

That’s it for this week. Be sure to join us on our official forums, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Stay tuned for more exciting and upcoming news!

Happy Launchings!

[Galileo]

Cool stuff!

[klesh]

Slightly beefier this week, which is nice.  Thank you for that.   The lack of information pertaining to remedying the disasterous state of the console versions of KSP is continually disappointing.  

[HafCoJoe]

Welcome aboard @Robbonaut! Looking forwards to what your guidance brings  I do wish there was news on an art pass though.

Edited November 15, 2016 by Avera9eJoe

[Kerbal Kommander]

Excellent, I enjoyed this dev note Friday more than recent Fridays.  The details are appreciated!  Keep up the great work team.

[legoclone09]

Awesome! Can't wait for everything!

[0111narwhalz]

"Saving Dres for last..."

Uh oh.

[Redneck]

 

1 hour ago, SQUAD said:

Now let’s forget about all the hate-mongering we’ve been exposed to and just like Carl Sagan reminded us once:  

“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives(…) Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light (…) The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else (…) There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”

Redneck puts down pitchfork and surrenders peacefully to the KSP gods 

Quote

“What is given to you is what is needed; what you want, requires giving up what you don't need.” 
― George Alexiou

 

[passinglurker]

Well this is soul crushing. Ksp desperately needs a long over due art and balance pass but every week all I see is wasting the artists time trying to patch old parts and make real life merchandise.

 

Why can't you just finish the game like you were supposed to?

[kBob]

Maybe you can market KSP thus: "A calm peaceful place where little green people are a-political and just want you to send them into space on top of highly explosive rockets."  You might sell some copies to people looking to escape from politics for awhile...I know in very recent days that's the main reason I've been playing KSP..so far away that you can't even see the Sol system.

[Errol]

When do we get to hear about progress on an official release of the (?porkjet) rocket parts update?

Edited November 12, 2016 by Errol

[problemecium]

AMEN! I was actually thinking the exact same thing the other day whilst digesting the implications of the election results.

Rulers both good and crappy will come and go, as they have for all of history, and as have every war, natural disaster, controversy, beloved celebrity, despised villain, revolutionary thinker, and inspirational artist.

And since you guys (understandably) left it out of the OP, here's a relevant and very good rendition of the full speech (starting about five minutes in... this video was longer than I remembered xD ):

 

Edited November 12, 2016 by parameciumkid
opps

[Maars]

I must say, these new 'devnotes' are quite simply, rubbish.  They might as well be hastily scrawled with pencil onto a napkin.  Ambiguous, non descript one-liners that seem to inform yet do nothing of the sort.  What happened to you Squad, where did you go?

 

 

 

 

Edited November 12, 2016 by Maars

[KSK]

6 hours ago, passinglurker said:

Well this is soul crushing. Ksp desperately needs a long over due art and balance pass but every week all I see is wasting the artists time trying to patch old parts and make real life merchandise.

Depends how you interpret things I guess.
 

Quote

 

"On to the art side, we’ve been working on the workflow and various art assets, including some work for our future projects and finishing up the biome maps - specifically, saving Dres for last.  

Likewise, the work on the colliders continues. Developers and Artist are working hand in hand on how to optimize the colliders for some stock parts in the game, and fixing small details about them."

 

Emphasis added. Not all stock parts need an art pass (IMO), at least not right now. The spaceplane parts are pretty nice and stuff like the struts and solar panels could stay much the same. Optimistically, Squad could be fixing colliders on say, the spaceplane cargo bays whilst working on art assets for a rocket part art pass. Not saying that's what's happening but it would also be consistent with those notes.

Time will tell I guess.

[passinglurker]

39 minutes ago, KSK said:

Depends how you interpret things I guess.
 

Emphasis added. Not all stock parts need an art pass (IMO), at least not right now. The spaceplane parts are pretty nice and stuff like the struts and solar panels could stay much the same. Optimistically, Squad could be fixing colliders on say, the spaceplane cargo bays whilst working on art assets for a rocket part art pass. Not saying that's what's happening but it would also be consistent with those notes.

Time will tell I guess.

If that's the case they can cut the double speak and come out and say it plainly already. it's been 4 weeks and we still know precious little about squads "future plans" or even the core theme for the 1.3 update despite them telling us that they would make things clear in "coming weeks" weeks ago! How many weeks do they expect to be able to string us along for? The honey moon is over now where are the results!?

And honestly this lack of commitment is absolutely infuriating because the next step in development is so painfully obvious. The last smudge of early access dirt ksp needs to polish off. the art and balance update! They shouldn't need weeks of meetings, tests, assesments, hirings and planning to commit to the rocket revamp because no two ways about it this is what they should be doing if they want to keep this communities support.

I for one am not going to buy any merch or expansions without a clear and genuine promise in writing to make the rocket revamp. Who is with me?

[Benoit Hage]

I just wanted to state that despite not being a console user, I find this situation for them strongly unfair. The game is almost in the stores since half a year now and since that time, all console customers are left in the complete blind. I think as a PC user, they deserve my support.

Why is Squad so quiet about this? Haven't we, as a community, proved more than once that we're a "IT-oriented" enough to grasp the concept of the difficulty that Squad and Flying Tiger are having?

Wouldn't it be more efficient to include the best of us in the process? Especially during Q&A testing? Hasn't the PC version totally improved once Squad hired some top class modders from the community for 1.2? Why should it be any different with console users?

I'm pretty sure that if Squad announced that the console version needs to be totally remade and that this process will take at least another 6 months, the majority of the console users would approve it, and would do their best to be helpful to accelerate the completion.

I never had a company, nor was I ever involved in the some form management, but I however think that the best relation between producer and customer is one based on trust. Remember Squad, this community is your friend and wants you to succeed in your every undertakings. If you trust us enough to tell us what is wrong, be certain that no one in this community will judge you for that.

 

PS: I wish a warm welcome to the new devs. Illuminate us!

[Streetwind]

Welcome to the team, Robbonaut Don't let the community eat you!

[HoloYolo]

A new member and Sagan. What a KSP weekly. Nice one!

[Caelib]

While I do appreciate the update of information, I think it is critical for Squad to provide details of what is coming for the next release.  Given all of the staffing changes, the future of KSP is unknown to the community and interest in the game seems to have diminished quite a bit (the forums and reddit have the lowest activity I've seen since 0.20).

[TheDestroyer111]

13 hours ago, klesh said:

Slightly beefier this week, which is nice.  Thank you for that.   The lack of information pertaining to remedying the disasterous state of the console versions of KSP is continually disappointing.  

Don't forget that the console versions were from the beggining made to be disasterous ones compared to PC versions 

[WhereAmI]

10 hours ago, Errol said:

When do we get to hear about progress on an official release of the (?porkjet) rocket parts update?

This.

[passinglurker]

anyone else notice that these threads are a lot slower than they used to be? gee I wonder why that is?

(You aren't giving us anything to be excited about squad. Talk about the console problems and tell us that 1.3 is going to be the rocket revamp update already you are on thin ice with most of the community and are in no position to get away with being a tease)

[pandaman]

Great update this week, thanks.  Fridays seems a more logical day for a weekly review too.

A couple of things come to my mind reading the responses on this thread. ..

Firstly, as a PC only player, I do fully understand the situation and annoyance felt by the console players.  I know there may well be no new developments or information to share on this matter, but I fail to see why it gets no mention at all.  The console players do have a genuine issue and understandably feel ignored, so surely a few lines that at least remind them they are not forgotten wouldn't hurt.

Second.  For all those asking for what's going to be in the next release, but until things get more finalised any details could be changed for any number of reasons.  And even a list of what they want to include can get misunderstood.  Some people get the words 'want', 'plan' and 'future' confused with 'will', 'promise' and 'now' far too easily.  I'm curious too, but I don't want my expectations falsely raised, that just leads to disappointment. .

[passinglurker]

48 minutes ago, pandaman said:

Second.  For all those asking for what's going to be in the next release, but until things get more finalised any details could be changed for any number of reasons.  And even a list of what they want to include can get misunderstood.  Some people get the words 'want', 'plan' and 'future' confused with 'will', 'promise' and 'now' far too easily.  I'm curious too, but I don't want my expectations falsely raised, that just leads to disappointment. .

I'm not buying it what ksp NEEDS is clear it should be a no brainer to overhaul the old rocket parts other wise they will have a very dissatisfied community on their hands.

the only other things I've seen people be as eager for is a dv read out (important but small not something to make the theme of an update) and multiplayer (only wanted by others for war mods and is an even bigger undertaking to implement than the rocket revamp).

So in short the next step is obvious they shouldn't need more time for planning than they have already been given and they should just commit to replacing the old parts already.

Edited November 12, 2016 by passinglurker

[Adelaar]

Given the nature of the above comments, I'd like to leave this here: Obviously a lot of things have changed at KSP HQ, and a lot of people have left. Now, we all know that most companies (and that includes Squad) aren't very open about internal matters, so that we don't hear all that much about that isn't strange either. What Squad needs to do is bring the KSP team up to strength again (which at the moment itobviously isn't) and then start to work on what they think is best for the game, mixed with what the community is best. As of now, this probably isn't possible due to internal problems so give Squad some time, let them do the small bugfixes and other problems first, let them work themselves back to full strength and as a community, let's not moan too much about it. Squad themselves aren't probably reading this, but the dev's (what's left of them) probably are, and they are most like as unhappy (or even unhappier) with the whole thing as we are. So, give them a break, let them recover and when the development ball starts rolling again, let the community requests flood in.

On a side note, it's always good to be critical, and to suggest what you feel is essential, but to bash into Squad's non-communicative nature time and time again is probably not helping.