What are you looking forward to the most?

[Shuttle]

I personally would like to see engine construction implemented into the game. It seems to me that adding this feature will make the game much more interesting.

A am also waiting for a better physical model (aerodynamics, maybe vibration, deformation) and optimization.

[kerbomatic]

Right now I'm looking forward to those flags & plaques because we know they're coming. And really, isn't planting flags what exploration is all about? In that context, I would enjoy having to send mapping missions to places to get a detailed view so perhaps my vote would go there. All in all, I am really enjoying the sandbox setting so I have to concur with Tex_NL's post about not creating a resource-gathering RTS. However, having to worry about life-support makes perfect sense to me. I had Bob orbiting the Mun for several days by himself after he got out of a doomed and horribly flawed spacecraft (noob mistakes with RCS ports and fuel capacity...) while a rescue party was mounted back on Kerbin by Jeb & Bill - but it was a bit of a stretch of the imagination.

[Rastaman]

Resources and life support.

[lyndonguitar]

I picked graphics and speed optimization, the other features, mods can do it if ever it won't be in the final game, but graphics and speed optimization, only the developers can improve it

[Dunbaratu]

I voted "something else" because you didn't include "more science parts" in the list. I want the probes I launch to actually *do* something. I'm looking forward to the idea of a fog of war, where you have to launch probes to find out data about the far planets.

[SecondGuessing]

At the moment I'd like more optimisation. I'm far more into the building and design aspect of KSP than the exploration and a faster game would mean I can builder bigger and more intricate designs. I'd also really like to see more graphs and things: charts on data you've collected from planets, delta v, more specific catastrophic failure information, etc.

[Xenophobe]

I voted "something else" because you didn't include "more science parts" in the list. I want the probes I launch to actually *do* something. I'm looking forward to the idea of a fog of war, where you have to launch probes to find out data about the far planets.

Right now I know everything relevant about each Celestial body from the wiki. Unmanned probes and landers would have more of a purpose if you sent them places to gather data about atmospheric densities, height, survey potential landing areas, gravity, rotational periods, etc from scientific exploration. Then follow up with more ambitious missions as your understanding of planetary specifics increased (your fog of war).

But with only one vote I cast it for resource mining. That will personally push me to much more ambitious endeavors then I'm currently focused on.

[Gabe]

I like them all except the resources. I agree with those who worry about resources turning the game into an RTS grind.

If I had to choose one it would be better aerodynamics, maybe just because I was one of the suckers using nose cones when I first started playing.

I would really like the extra planning for re-entry, heat shields, aerobraking and the need for fairings sometimes not just for an OCD issue.

[Itsdavyjones]

I can only chose one? not fair, since i want to chose all

[firegeek83]

Since I can only choose 1 option I opt not to vote. I am looking for pretty much all of the above.

But one of them stands out a bit more then all the others: resource mining. I look forward to that with both anticipation and fear. Anticipation speaks for itself, it finally gives you a reason to actually go somewhere. But I truly fear it could possibly ruin the entire concept of KSP and turn it into a glorified gather-refine-build-gather-refine-build RTS. And be honest; the entire RTS concept had it's glory days in the mid 90's with Dune 2, Warcraft 1 & 2 and the first Command & Conquer. So I ay to Squad: Please, please, PLEASE don't turn this awesome game into yet another RTS!

It seems a lot of us don't want KSP shifting into another space based RTS (myself included), but perhaps you could receive the whole resources addition as it is: another level of gameplay that the devs decided to implement for those of us who want to try our hand at mining. While not everyone will care for resources one way or another, there are enough who do (33% so far). If the resources turn out to be more hassle than they're worth, don't use it. Look at spaceplanes; not everyone cares for it, but the option is still there in case you decide to try it out. I'd rather have the option to try resource mining, then to not have it.

[Loocas]

Yeah, it is hard to choose just one. But I chose speed optimizations. My PC can run KSP fairly well especially since I added a extra 2gb of RAM but it still is fairly slow (not laggy at least ) when I, for example get close to my 4 vessel space station. I doubt that this way I could build at least a medium and efficient resource mining facility in any planet.

[Kromey]

I had to choose only one, so I put down resource mining because it will finally give off-world bases a real purpose, and hopefully that will motivate me to stop messing around with silly little satellites and finally start constructing some real bases!!

However, I'm also really looking forward to aerodynamics, because gal durnit I want to put nose cones on my rockets without handicapping them!! (I still put nose cones on anyway, because they just look better, it just means I need more fuel than I would without.)

And FLAGS! OMG YES!!!

And discovery. It's all well and good that we have the planets we have, but it kind of sucks that no matter where I go, I know someone else has gotten there before me. What I'm really hoping for with that is not fully pre-generated planets that you just discover and they're the same as the planets everyone else has already discovered; I want procedurally-generated, truly unique planets, so that when I set my Kerbals' feet on one and plant my flag, I know that I'm truly the first to touch that soil!

[Tw1]

It's all well and good that we have the planets we have, but it kind of sucks that no matter where I go, I know someone else has gotten there before me.

I like to imagine each save is its own little universe, one of infinite identical(ish) ones. So maybe you are still the first to reach each planet.

You know what would be really cool for resources?

Mining for substances you can use for Food! Pop them in the processor, a little later out pops things that your Kerbals use for food.

That would be a way to feed them without needing to lug 200 days worth of sandwiches around.

Just a random idea.

Edited May 9, 2013 by Tw1

[Kromey]

I like to imagine each save is its own little universe, one of infinite identical(ish) ones. So maybe you are still the first to reach each planet.

Oh sure, absolutely. That's actually exactly the reason I don't "count" the achievements nor the numerous Kerbal losses in my test save -- that's not the "real world", really little more than a simulation, as far as I'm concerned.

What I mean, though, is that -- at least for me -- the thrill of exploration comes from stepping into the truly unknown. Even if my Kerbals are the first to set foot on my save's Mun, or Laythe, or Eve, etc., none of them are unknown -- I can look up each and every one on the wiki, or for any given body find dozens of Imgur albums of previous missions to and from them. What's really unknown about that?

Now, don't get me wrong, it's still a thrill to reach my own milestones, like first successful landing on Mun (which I promptly tipped and exploded because I spotted an arch a few KM away and had plenty of fuel to hop over there), first successful interplanetary mission (still pending), etc. It's just different from the thrill of striking out into truly unknown territory, y'know? I want to have that in KSP as well. (I know devs have mentioned that other star systems will be procedurally generated and each will be unique, I'm just hoping for the same kind of things a bit closer to home as well. A good mix of well-known and completely unexplored territory.)

[Eric S]

Since the first pass of the resources is all about the various rocket fuels really, and the devs have hinted that real base construction will probably be put off into an expansion, I think KSP even with resource mining won't feel like an RTS. They're maintaining focus on the spirit of the game, just adding options. So yes, if I had to chose one item, I think I'd go with resource mining.

A combination of more science, career mode, and resource mining is what I really want, so that I get a stronger feel of being out there for a reason. I've got to admit that even on some of my best missions, I'll have that moment of "OK, time to take the obligatory PR screen shot, and then stand around pretending to do something meaningful." I'm sure that the game will need some optimization to make all that possible, and as long as we're talking that many options, I'll take the rest while I'm at it, they all look good.

What I'm really hoping for with that is not fully pre-generated planets that you just discover and they're the same as the planets everyone else has already discovered; I want procedurally-generated, truly unique planets, so that when I set my Kerbals' feet on one and plant my flag, I know that I'm truly the first to touch that soil!

So, you want to win a race by being the only person in the race? Crafty! Kidding. I do understand that, though as you might guess by what I said above, it's not my prime motivator. Then again, there's nothing wrong with that being your motivation.

[brusura]

I choosed Resources / mining only because Better graphics / speed optimisation were together. What I really want right now is just speed optimisation

[rhoark]

If Ferram weren't available, I'd say aerodynamics - flight is really the core of the game, so its important to get it right. Ferram is available, though.

Long term I'm looking forward to planet discovery as something to motivate end-game play, but first we need more things to do on existing planets, like resource harvesting.

Career mode will certainly be a game-changer, but considering the difference between that and sandbox has a lot to do with resource management, gotta have harvesting to do it right I think.

Given the above, I voted for resources.

[CalculusWarrior]

I voted for the observatory, as KSP has always been about discovering new places and exploring them. The mission control section and crew tasks tied for second though.

[katateochi]

voted for the graphics/speed optimization, but only cos I want the speed optimization. The graphics are fine, and improving them only would add more overhead for our already smoking computers.

tbh I would like Squad to take a break from adding 'new' things. There is a lot which has been added in the last few updates that I feel needs refining before they move on to the next big thing. Take the fuel transfers and maneuver nodes, both great, but are they done? Fuel transfer limited to tank by tank and only if you keep the menus open (and tanks deep inside a ship are inaccessible), tedious, so I use the TAC fuel balancer mod as you can transfer to multiple tanks at the same time with it. The M-nodes need refining as trying to plot precise interplanetary courses (ie lay in an aerobraking course to Duna while still at Kerbin, so you can send payloads without engines, ie Curiosity) can be very frustrating and fiddly with a mouse, so there's that other mod (name escapes me atm) to fix that. Clearly as mods exist to 'fix' these things, there is a need to actually fix them. Adding more new stuff before clearing up the issues caused by the last lot will only make Squads job harder in the end and I'd rather see fewer, but complete features, rather than a showcase for a bunch of good ideas.

[oggylt]

evryyything :DD

[leax256]

optomization, I don't think graphics are needed right now but opto will help those with slower computers and allow us to build bigger. I would have said resources but for now kethane mod is good enough, plus the addition of recources without opto will be a negitive.

[Loocas]

tbh I would like Squad to take a break from adding 'new' things. There is a lot which has been added in the last few updates that I feel needs refining before they move on to the next big thing. Take the fuel transfers and maneuver nodes, both great, but are they done?

Squad adds new things instead of fixing them because KSP is in alpha stage, which is centered in adding features to the game instead of improving the ones it already has. We can thank Squad for fixing so many bugs on updates, in alpha stage the game only has to be functional.