KSP- longest dev time for a game

[quasarrgames]

HOLD ON THERE! This is NOT, i repeat NOT a criticism of KSP's development speed! This is merely a suggestion:

Since a new version of KSP comes out every 2-4 months, and there are 76(cant find the strikeout tool) MANY more versions of KSP left to create, KSP could possibly be in development for another decade. Maybe more. This would put KSP pretty close to having the longest development time of any game. I am probably wrong about this, but i think Duke Nukem Forever had the longest development time, spending something like 15 years in development.

What if ksp aimed to beat that? What if KSP aimed to become the longest game in development EVER? Aside from a place in the Guinness book of world records gaming edition, it would be a great experience for everyone involved. It would allow KSP to reach its absolute most potential, since the devs could make sure the new features are as functional and fun as possible (to me it seems like the devs are already doing this, which is great!).

It seems like it would just mean increasing the quality of each feature a tiny bit every update, which the devs also already seem to be doing. It would also mean not rushing too much or overstressing over a feature- we want you to have as much fun making the game as we have playing it, devs! I don't think the development process would really get any longer and more sparse if this was the goal, it would just get more fleshed out.

so long story short, by making new features as fleshed out and fun as possible, and by not rushing things too much, ksp could beat the record for longest development time, and fulfill its full potential.

I think the devs should go for this. Am i crazy for saying that? i don't know

Edited June 28, 2014 by quasarrgames

[Redjoker]

I think you misunderstand the version numbering. The version number is not a decimal. For example, 0.10 is not the same as 0.1. The first number for many games is the major release and since ksp is still in development it is major version number 0. The numbers after the decimal indicator the update to the major release. Version 0.24 will be the 24th version of ksp released but, it will likely not be version 24 out of a hundred.

[Justin Kerbice]

How do you know there will be 76 more versions ? Devs usually use version number which can suddenly jump on new major release (kind of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.4b, 0.4c, 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 3.0, ...)

Total dev time doesn't mean 24/7 dev time, I'm pretty DNF was put on hold, paused, etc for years, especially if there was some license issues.

Netkar Pro have also long dev time, 6 years between 1.2 and final 1.3 release, it doesn't mean Kunos Simulazioni have worked very hard for 6 years.

[r4pt0r]

as other posters have said, the numbering isnt how you think it is. squad could just call .26 V1.00 and say the game is done.

[UbioZur]

Since a new version of KSP comes out every 2-4 months, and there are 76(cant find the strikeout tool) MANY more versions of KSP left to create, KSP will probably be in development for another decade. Maybe more. This would put KSP pretty close to having the longest development time of any game. I am probably wrong about this, but i think Duke Nukem Forever had the longest development time, spending something like 15 years in development.

I'll be more than happy if KSP continue to grow and get updated in 15 years with free update! And do we switch to beta at version 1.0?

And more seriously as the other have said, the number mean nothing.

Let's take another well known indy game (not to mention minecraft), let start from the alpha and not all of the before alpha:

Alpha 1.0.1 -> 1.2.6

Beta 1.0 -> 1.8.1

Release 1.0 -> 1.7.10 (and it's in release but still in development!)

A lot of same version number and still very different time and content.

What if ksp aimed to beat that? What if KSP aimed to become the longest game in development EVER? Aside from a place in the Guinness book of world records gaming edition, it would be a great experience for everyone involved. It would allow KSP to reach its absolute most potential, since the devs could make sure the new features are as functional and fun as possible (to me it seems like the devs are already doing this, which is great!).

If that happen, they would have the happiest community behind them.

As of a side note, Gmail was more than 5 years in beta!

[RocketPilot573]

Look at Minecraft....

[jfull]

Honestly, we really don't know when Squad will decide that KSP is complete... I can't imagine it will be more than 2 years before we get to "release" version

[Lheim]

They recently did just say that in a few more updates they'll have 'scope completion', which probably means beta is not so far off.

Yeah, the versioning numbers aren't going to go all the way from .23.5 to 100. They work like a.b.c - a = major release number, b = patch, c = subpatch

Right now we're on 0.23.5, and that goes as many or as few patches as needed until the dev decide it's done and ship a 'Kerbal Space Program 1.0'

[Kasuha]

I don't think KSP devs have any abitions at longest development. There are games that were in development for well over 10 years so KSP would have a LONG way to go even if they were trying.

And there is not anything suggesting how many releases await us till the game is declared "final". The number behind the dot does not have to reach any particular value before the game is released as "1.0". The only thing determining that is whether devs are happy with declaring the game complete.

Besides, there are games presented as "final" with more and worse bugs than KSP has.