Jump to content

Devnote Tuesdays: The Info-Packed Edition

SQUAD

By SQUAD
in KSP1 The Daily Kerbal

 Share

Recommended Posts

Linear

Linear

Posted
Posted
I haven't been paying attention here, so if there's some clarification somewhere...? Because the YouTube Affiliate program is the exact opposite of "support[ing] those creating content." It is taking a share of those content producers' meager profits in exchange for the privilege of continuing to produce that content.

I'm not one of those content producers, but that can only cause a reduction in content. (Hello Nintendo.)

An affiliate program, it could be completely different to others you have seen. I don't think Squad are interested in making a few dollars from youtubers/streamers, more effort than it's worth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Justin Kerbice

Justin Kerbice

Posted
Posted

For the first time, I guess, I'm almost agree with Harvester, except this point:

Of course, we have to to make sure we add enough content to show our new systems in function (imagine building yourself a top-notch gaming PC and having no games to play), but for a lot of areas, the amount of content we have added so far is symbolic at best. In some cases, like Biomes, it's actually the minimum needed to make sure the system is able to function, and scale as more content is added onto it later.

The critical issue with this is people consider game as usable and playable RIGHT NOW, they expect things which don't have been added yet and they're disappointed, angry, then they probably drop the game for another one.

Example: the current career mode - WHAT's the point of add it with a drafty (I hope) tech tree which looks like to be carved on stone for good, people start, play career, they have no guide, no tutorial, inconsistencies in career, they get bored by the system itself: gather science point, buy stuffes to gather more point and continue until tech tree is full.

You disagree, right, but think first of this simple and realistic example:

A new people get aware of KSP due to the heat related to a new update, he/she use to play games on Steam, buy KSP, don't pay so much attention to launcher/main game screen (especially "community" links), try to figure out how to have fun with it in a new game, new career maybe. Failed quite a lot, go back and see scenario & tutorial thing. Learn how to do basic things, but still have a lot's of question and doubts, and still launch KSP without paying attention to this "community" link and even the wiki.

This new player don't know how to build efficient rocket to go to a given body, don't know too much about dV and required amount, don't know so much about orbital manoeuvres, don't know how to reach a body, without mentioning how to build a plane and enjoy it.

After some time, he/she will be frustrated and/or bored and he/she left to something which have more fun.

(Even if he/she come to the forum, he/she will ask for the same thousand time asked basic things; a FAQ may be added to stock game.)

And all this because of what ? Lack of scenarii/tutorials mostly.

No need to use again the more than rotten argument of "this game is still in dev state", on a 2-3 months final release window, it will be ok, in a 2-3 years window, sorry it's not. In such a long time, many players will come and go, leaving the KSP SOI just because the "gravity" is not strong enough for little things. Too bad.

Even if scenarii internal will change in the future, it will not be such a drama to modify them I guess. And I repeat what I have wrote before, making a contest of scenarri creation by providing all needed info on how to make proper ones can seriously reduce effort needed on Squad team as well as giving people the big opportunity to add content to their loved game (like the logo contest).

As long as content creation process is perfectly designed and documented, it will "only" need some "content designers", like parts, it does not need to add/modify main game code (unless bug/lack is highlighted by new content) and it can greatly improve game experience, especially for new players.

To Squad: later may be too late ! Don't forget.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LadyAthena

LadyAthena

Posted
Posted

I'm glad to hear Squad is being so diligent and hard on themselves when it comes to the budget, and contract system. Having played a few mods which add currency and contracts, I have to say it was more annoying, and a headache than it was worth. Of course those were from people modding who were not putting in nearly the amount of time, (or knowledge) Squad is.

Being a Campaign player myself, I like the feeling of unlocking and exploring gradually as I push myself, and really dislike the open sandbox style. So for players like me the currency and budget system could really make or break this game for me. It's a massive game changer, something which could make or break the game if implemented poorly, and something which could ultimately kill the enjoyment of any new player. I've seen other companies take something as important, and game changing and not give it the attention it needs and they end up killing their own game. So I'm very psyched to see Squad is giving it the undue attention it rightly deserves (and needs).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LadyAthena

LadyAthena

Posted
Posted
For the first time, I guess, I'm almost agree with Harvester, except this point:

The critical issue with this is people consider game as usable and playable RIGHT NOW, they expect things which don't have been added yet and they're disappointed, angry, then they probably drop the game for another one.

Example: the current career mode - WHAT's the point of add it with a drafty (I hope) tech tree which looks like to be carved on stone for good, people start, play career, they have no guide, no tutorial, inconsistencies in career, they get bored by the system itself: gather science point, buy stuffes to gather more point and continue until tech tree is full.

You disagree, right, but think first of this simple and realistic example:

A new people get aware of KSP due to the heat related to a new update, he/she use to play games on Steam, buy KSP, don't pay so much attention to launcher/main game screen (especially "community" links), try to figure out how to have fun with it in a new game, new career maybe. Failed quite a lot, go back and see scenario & tutorial thing. Learn how to do basic things, but still have a lot's of question and doubts, and still launch KSP without paying attention to this "community" link and even the wiki.

This new player don't know how to build efficient rocket to go to a given body, don't know too much about dV and required amount, don't know so much about orbital manoeuvres, don't know how to reach a body, without mentioning how to build a plane and enjoy it.

After some time, he/she will be frustrated and/or bored and he/she left to something which have more fun.

(Even if he/she come to the forum, he/she will ask for the same thousand time asked basic things; a FAQ may be added to stock game.)

And all this because of what ? Lack of scenarii/tutorials mostly.

No need to use again the more than rotten argument of "this game is still in dev state", on a 2-3 months final release window, it will be ok, in a 2-3 years window, sorry it's not. In such a long time, many players will come and go, leaving the KSP SOI just because the "gravity" is not strong enough for little things. Too bad.

Even if scenarii internal will change in the future, it will not be such a drama to modify them I guess. And I repeat what I have wrote before, making a contest of scenarri creation by providing all needed info on how to make proper ones can seriously reduce effort needed on Squad team as well as giving people the big opportunity to add content to their loved game (like the logo contest).

As long as content creation process is perfectly designed and documented, it will "only" need some "content designers", like parts, it does not need to add/modify main game code (unless bug/lack is highlighted by new content) and it can greatly improve game experience, especially for new players.

To Squad: later may be too late ! Don't forget.

Later is never too late in gaming, if done right. I've seen games in closed beta for 4 years, and when they released, they were mega hits. I've also seen the same done and they were mega fails. It all depends on how its done.

Players who buy games, and not pay attention to the links, the steam store, or look into what they are purchasing, refuse to learn the game, and then drop it, honestly are not the type of people Squad should be focusing on "keeping happy." These people are what I call "Drifters". They drift from one game to another just because its "new", but refuse to learn about the game, or its state before buying and playing.

Most games FAIL by trying to keep these particular players. It's true. I've seen many games that altered their development majorly to keep these drifters happy, only to find the drifters still drifted away, and their loyal fan base got pushed out of the picture, and were forced to leave because the game turned into something it wasn't supposed to be. They also ended up rushing development, just like you're asking Squad to do with your post, or so the underlying comment seems to be. This also creates a shoddy, and unbalanced, half baked game-play, and game in general. THIS IS NOT GOOD.

Squad is doing it right. Yes it takes a long time, but so what? Drifters care only about time, and "gimme gimme gimme now" mentality, and forget, or can't figure out, that if you want quality, it's going to take time. KSP is still in its infancy, and if built slowly, and properly, can turn into one of the best games ever developed. Period. That's if, Squad continues with how they are doing it.. Slow, but efficient, and calculated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Alewx

Alewx

Posted
Posted
Later is never too late in gaming, if done right. I've seen games in closed beta for 4 years, and when they released, they were mega hits. I've also seen the same done and they were mega fails. It all depends on how its done.

Players who buy games, and not pay attention to the links, the steam store, or look into what they are purchasing, refuse to learn the game, and then drop it, honestly are not the type of people Squad should be focusing on "keeping happy." These people are what I call "Drifters". They drift from one game to another just because its "new", but refuse to learn about the game, or its state before buying and playing.

Most games FAIL by trying to keep these particular players. It's true. I've seen many games that altered their development majorly to keep these drifters happy, only to find the drifters still drifted away, and their loyal fan base got pushed out of the picture, and were forced to leave because the game turned into something it wasn't supposed to be. They also ended up rushing development, just like you're asking Squad to do with your post, or so the underlying comment seems to be. This also creates a shoddy, and unbalanced, half baked game-play, and game in general. THIS IS NOT GOOD.

Squad is doing it right. Yes it takes a long time, but so what? Drifters care only about time, and "gimme gimme gimme now" mentality, and forget, or can't figure out, that if you want quality, it's going to take time. KSP is still in its infancy, and if built slowly, and properly, can turn into one of the best games ever developed. Period. That's if, Squad continues with how they are doing it.. Slow, but efficient, and calculated.

Best Example is Command & Conquer.

So I think currently the way squad is doing it is the right one, although I would like to see more community interaction, the reports are good, and a BIG BIG Thank you for Rowsdower for convinging the team to give more info in the devblog. But what I would

like to see is more surveys. Analysing data is one thing but really questioning the community is another. Most data driven developments do not really get on the human factors.

This is not a complain or a demand, I just would like it to see this level of developer-community interaction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TMS

TMS

Posted
Posted
<p><span><strong>Anthony (Rowsdower):</strong>Speaking of which, I’m also pleased that I’ll be able to talk about what <a href="http://i.imgur.com/kDOluZS.jpg"><strong>THIS</strong></a> is very soon.<br/></span></p>

My money's on...

Xrsseq8.png

Yeah, yeah... no memes.

Thanks for the updates. Harv's post cleared up (and confirmed) a few things. The reddit thread ballooned more than I'd really expected, but I'm glad it brought common undercurrents to the surface.

Onwards and upwards!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Whirligig Girl

Whirligig Girl

Posted
Posted

I'm thinking it's for the contest Rows hinted at.

The Career-Mode Space Center. WOW, that U.I.

working Mission Control!

Program Elapsed Time (Universal Time) next to Timewarp

At the top: Money (and a weird symbol that seems to represent it, like the $ sign to USD) Reputation (The Star): It seems to be a sort of slider that goes from disrespect to respect. Science! seems to be represented by the classic science symbol, the Rutherford Atom. What are the two buttons to the side of it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Justin Kerbice

Justin Kerbice

Posted
Posted
Later is never too late in gaming, if done right. I've seen games in closed beta for 4 years, and when they released, they were mega hits. I've also seen the same done and they were mega fails. It all depends on how its done.

Players who buy games, and not pay attention to the links, the steam store, or look into what they are purchasing, refuse to learn the game, and then drop it, honestly are not the type of people Squad should be focusing on "keeping happy." These people are what I call "Drifters". They drift from one game to another just because its "new", but refuse to learn about the game, or its state before buying and playing.

Most games FAIL by trying to keep these particular players. It's true. I've seen many games that altered their development majorly to keep these drifters happy, only to find the drifters still drifted away, and their loyal fan base got pushed out of the picture, and were forced to leave because the game turned into something it wasn't supposed to be. They also ended up rushing development, just like you're asking Squad to do with your post, or so the underlying comment seems to be. This also creates a shoddy, and unbalanced, half baked game-play, and game in general. THIS IS NOT GOOD.

Good point LadyAthena, if only we could pack all together those drifters and let them feed the star (or for real put all of them into the Mars something manned mission, bye bye and loot as much as you can on this dry frozen desert :P)

Unfortunately, when people made a company (and too many people seems to forget Squad is a marketing company as I saw somewhere, so I think KSP is not their primary concern and that's might explain dev time, but I may be wrong) and a business around a game, they don't have so much freedom any more and they have to keep their business alive, or it's game over ! Many companies died along the way in the video game history, even the strongest of a time. AFAIK Codemasters is one of the oldest companies, I remember their crazy BMX simulator on Amstrad (it's really fit kerbal's style), but since a while, their games are just crap. And Ocean & Imagine (which have released major hits) as well as smaller good companies like The Bitmap Brothers or Bullfrog are gone.

Squad is doing it right. Yes it takes a long time, but so what? Drifters care only about time, and "gimme gimme gimme now" mentality, and forget, or can't figure out, that if you want quality, it's going to take time. KSP is still in its infancy, and if built slowly, and properly, can turn into one of the best games ever developed. Period. That's if, Squad continues with how they are doing it.. Slow, but efficient, and calculated.

Looking at threads "the new x.xx update" drifters are there already and in force, too bad. seeing these threads on every single updates, and worth between and people talk about their fantasy is just ridiculous (some of them already made the 0.25 updates and I guess they're sure it will be like they imagine !).

They want ARM very fast as soon as it has been unveiled, then they all complaint about issues !

I don't think they doing so right as you think, 0.23.5 has too much issues for so few things added and parts are not that's good (tex not aligned for new fuel tanks for example, wrong icon position for two new engines).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Caelib

Caelib

Posted
Posted

Thank you Squad for listening to the community and reacting appropriately with more update info! I know myself and many others really appreciate you all taking the time out of the development crunch to provide this to us!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Torham234

Torham234

Posted
Posted
<p><strong>Hugo (The Intern): </strong><span>This has been a fun week. Lots of things going on. I mainly worked on continuing the work on some parts within the game and started the process of selecting and planning visual improvements on some of the existing pieces. Also there have been a lot of challenging and exciting moments trying to get the little surprise to work. I’m confident that it will bring many new fun opportunities for the users to create inside the game. </span></p>

Hell yes, the advanced cockpit is getting a proper internal space !!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pulstar

Pulstar

Posted
Posted
Hell yes, the advanced cockpit is getting a proper internal space !!

Not sure where you got anything about that IVA specifically from that. Though we do know that the parts Hugo is/will be working on remaking are the old spaceplane parts (everything else got improved models already in the past year or so) so proper cockpit IVAs are likely, every other crewed part has one after all.

I'm more excited at the prospect of a proper stock 3-man cockpit and new wing parts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Random Tank

Random Tank

Posted
Posted
The surprise is not IVAs. It's small and goofy, so don't get yourselves caught up in a tizzy.

Oh, its not IVA's? Such a disappointment... I don't care now, better IVA's was the only thing in my life that truly had value, and now it been ruined... Thanks guys

:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...