Stefano Balzarotti

Cloud should be an option, I and most users don't like to be always online to play. Tracking legal copies I don't know if it's feasible because I don't know how they manage licenses and accounts. They should create a database and link cloud accounts and that requires a key (maybe the email??) to correlate them but I don't know if they have enough data to do. But if they can provide some cloud services like cloud backup only to legal copies would be a great feature. There are many options to do, probably using a steam or google account is the easy way to implement. But I agree that is no a good idea to force users into particular cloud solution. I prefer Squad creates a custom account/cloud system, they can share the same account for cloud and this forum and maybe for other future services like a mod marketplace, etc... I approve your suggestion, I prefer to have also a cloud solution. Cloud in fact is a client-server infrastructure, the word "cloud" today is common used because in this days the server is no more a physical server machine, but often hides a complex network infrastructure. lol maybe 90' or '80', in the 60' internet was not even born, unless you mean the mainframe-terminal architecture...

If you sync files with a cloud storage doesn't means the connection is required to play, your saves are still available offline. I know, I've already my backup system, but why I need to waste my time for managing save files, this a game not a job, and we are in 2017, cloud exist to simplify the life. clouds is not an obsession, cloud has provided an easier way to handle many things, the drop in the cost of storage and datacenter management, the increase of global bandwidth has decreed the success of the cloud. this is game and there people that plays to only to have fun without understanding orbital mechanics. I use git for many things, I am a developer , I already have GFS backup system for my pc and other devices, but the question is, why I should prefer an hard way to a easy way to manage things? If you want to limit this game only to nerds, why wasting time to developing a launcher screen and a setting menu? the game can still be played if launched from terminal, and you can setup your configuration editing files... Developing a basic system to sync files does not cost more than two days of development, there are many ready good library that works with unity, and server are cheap today. Requiring an account and checking the license server side is the only way to monitor the piracy. You can't stop piracy, developing a DRM system is only a waste of time, but giving an added value to legal copies is the only way to combat piracy, and this can be done only with a cloud service. I tried the pirated copy, and I can tell you there is no difference with the original, I bought this game because I love it and I want support the development, but there are users who do not think the same way. What's your problem? if you take so much privacy probably you should not even have an account on this forum. And in any case cloud should be a feature not a requirement, the game should also work offline, so I you don't want be tracked, simply you should avoid to setup an account.

I mentioned SteamCloud because there many users asking for that, personally I prefer a custom cloud backup that works on any distribution of the game. I love this idea, but an integrated cloud is easier and nicer to see. I already have an auto-backup solution with Acronis on external disk, but it's not the same as a cloud solution. With cloud you can implement auto-syncing among devices with zero configuration (except for login). It can also be used to track legal copies of the game.

I suggest to add support for cloud savegames. Steamcloud is an option, but not everyone use steam, but It should be not hard to implement from scratch. You can use google cloud API or other services if you don't want setup a server. I know I can create a symlink and sync manually with onedrive, dropbox, etc... but this way is tricky for many users. And it's very bad when you lose months of playing.

I have not taken it, because I haven't completed the challenge yet, the Pe was at 26160 km, but the Ap was at over 13 Gm Now I'm trying with a new design, with this vessel actually I reached a 59793274 m Pe Screenshots here:https://1drv.ms/f/s!Av6a1kvwLlQrjc41Tp1DJsuf9xntNA I've taken the screenshot at 181425 km because is the minimum altitude that I can reach with time warp, (the radiators doesn't works with time warp enabled) so the vessel explode with time warp. I need some hours to reach the Pe, hoping that the new vessel is able to resist to heat . I've also uploaded my craft design, so maybe you can test and improve it. UPDATE 1: This vessel design doesn't works, most parts are exploded at ~145000 km, but some parts of vessel are survived, I'll take a screenshot when i reach the minimum point. UPDATE 2: Other explosions at 103000 km, now the vessel is uncontrollable, but some parts still survive. UPDATE 3: The vessel has exploded at 76514 km UPDATE 4: I'm developing a new kind of vessel able to survive to heat withouts any problems. Currently it's in test, (I'm using debug menu to set orbit), because it takes a long times to launch and reach the orbit without time warp. The current vessel is able to survive at 25880 km without problems, you can see the screen-shot polar5.jpg, some parts begins to explode at ~23000 km, full explosion at 18613 km. I plan to use this vessel as a part of a larger one assembled on Moho orbit.

Put a satellite in stable orbit of Gilly, the satellite pass few cm above the tallest mountain. Send a rover on the top of mountain, and then bum! This can be done to any planet without atmosphere, but I think is easier on Gilly due to uneven surface and low gravity.

I was able to achieve a Pe at 26160 km in polar orbit, the vessel survive the heat thanks to radiators and I still have lots of xenon to slow down the orbit. But I have a serious problem with solar panels, if I deploy them, they explode, If I don't deploy I am unable to deploy the ion engines and after some time I run out of energy, so radiators stop working and the vessel explodes. For now I can keep myself in orbit for few time with solar panel retracted thanks to radioisotope generator, but the energy provided is not enough to maintain radiators on, nor to turn on engines. I'll try again, maybe a smaller solar panel is easier to protect from heat , and since there is a very high solar radiation I think a very tiny solar panel can provide enough energy.

Achieve the orbit it's possible, with lots of ion engines I got very close before running out fuel, I'll try again because I'm sure with an efficient design it's possible. Turn back I don't know if it's possible, but probably with a titanic vessel and lots of fuel you can try.

Achieve a stable orbit outside atmosphere it's impossible, but I was able to achieve an unstable orbit inside atmosphere. Probably with enough speed and aerodynamic it's possible to maintain the orbit for many years. Otherwise, you have to use a cheat, or you have taken advantage of a game glitch. A my idea it's to use stack decoupler propulsion, apart from the fact that I don't know if it's possible, I'll broke the rules.

For this challenge, you must put a vessel into Kerbol (sun) stable Polar Orbit, between 26160 km and 1500 km. RULES: No mods are allowed, except for informative mods that doesn't provide a real advantage. Only stock parts allowed No tricks like infinite fuel, disabling heat, edit cfg, etc, are allowed There are limits in cost, parts or stages, you can even assemble your vessel in space if you want. The vessel must be able to transmit data, so it should be able to generate power and it should have an antenna If you want, you can use a refuel station or mine resources, if you believe that it is necessary. OPTIONAL (I do not know if they are possible) : You must turn back to Kerbin, to recover some scientific data You have to carry a crew of 3 Kerbin (a Pilot, a scientist and an engineer) and transmit a crew report from Kerbol Recover all parts of vessel, except for consumable parts (like parachutes, heat shield, stack decoupler, fuel ...)

Why not an engine that burns atmospheric tholins and carry the oxidizer?

Can you switch the current physic engine model to use graphs instead of trees, with the purpose to support multiple attachment points? Actually with current tree model it's impossible to create a strong rigid vessel with a complex multiple parts structure. It's possible to reinforce the structure with "Struct Connector", but this is a trick, and a connector is weak to strong forces, it's really bad to see wobbling the parts simply because you can't connect them together.