TheTennesseeFireman

Seems that the idea here is that the real problem with KSP1’s tech tree came down to balance and QOL, which… can’t really argue too much with that. I maintain an unlockable science encyclopedia would be a great intangible way to add to the experience, but as far as an actual progression mechanic goes, this all seems sound so far.

1. To see all the things that were promised during development to actually come to fruition. 2. Improved terrain. Game is very inconsistent on this front- big flat areas (Eve, Mun, Tylo) in particular need more texture and/or scatter. I would also like for scatter to have collision. 3. Asteroids, Comets, and other non-planetary bodies to visit. 4. A planet encyclopedia, featuring all the science you have learned so far. I strongly believe science should have some sort of learning component to it, even if the tech tree remains points-based. 5. Proper IVA. 6. Weather systems- these can be mostly cosmetic, but they’d do a lot for worldbuilding, especially as we get into the exoplanets. 7. Cosmetic customization of colonies- with the sheer amount of colonies we’ll be trying to build around the galaxy, it would be nice to be able to give them unique aesthetics. 8. Robotics- essential that this becomes stock sooner rather than later. 9. Exotic objects- Rogue planets, brown dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, and more should all be on the table for interstellar travel. I know some are quite rare, but I just think they’re too exciting and interesting to pass up. 10. For the KSC to gradually evolve into a proper Kerbal city to fly around. And while Kerbin shouldn’t be hyper-developed, it would be nice to see more signs of habitation scattered around the planet.

Appreciate the long list and overall transparency. This is just generally a very tough period of waiting, when the bug list is long, the updates less frequent than hoped for, important systems incomplete or undergoing an overhaul, and the features still far behind KSP1. It’s hard for us on the other side of the screen to see the vision for the final release that you do, so just knowing that you’re working on the same problems that we see, even if you can’t promise an immediate fix, is a good way to keep us on the same page. Lots of games have fallen at this hurdle, so I’m hoping these next couple updates are a strong enough foundation to start layering in more new features and rebuild some of the community excitement.

Truth be told, for a large chunk of the game’s development, I thought this whole thing was total vaporware. The fact that so much of the foundation seems looks pretty creaky right now is a little sad, but given the rocky development path I understand why it is that way. We’re in a pretty critical period right now, and I hope once the release hype/controversy settles down, I hope the devs circle the wagons and open up about about what our realistic expectations for this game should be. Are the high-end specs here to stay? Should we curb our expectations of better graphics for the near future? What kind of timeframe are we looking at for the roadmap? I get that they need to build up hype for this release to hit the numbers they’re looking for, but with all that’s been promised I think it’s time to start managing expectations and keep the community’s good will intact.

For all the stress that’s been aired on this forum and elsewhere over performance, graphics, future expectations, etc, the gameplay loop of actually designing and building rockets seems to be a massive leap forward from KSP1.

On the topic of HYPE, which planet/moon are you most excited to see revamped? Pol’s textures look incredible, and Eve looks like a worthy place to explore now, but there’s always something to be said for the Mun experience in HD.

I voted ice giant (feels odd to not have one of these represented in the Kerbin system) and rogue planet, but I’d be happy with any of these. I don’t personally care too much about keeping to the canon of this “this planet was undiscovered in KSP”, just that it’s a fun place to visit if indeed it is real.

I’m bumping this thread due to new speculative evidence from today’s Mun Arch Easter Egg that there is, in fact, an 8th planet in the Kerbolar System. If the theory holds, what would we like from this planet? It’s going to be pretty far out there. Presumably Glummo is our Saturn analogue, so I’d be surprised if it’s anything too similar. Should it be a Uranus/Neptune analogue? A small terrestrial body like Titan or Pluto? A comet, asteroid, or KBO? Something already revealed in the trailers? A massive rogue planet? Or something even weirder?

Too much talk about a funky little teaser, not enough talk about how incredible this all sounds! Honestly it fixes a problem I didn’t realize I had with KSP1 in that rocket launches sometimes didn’t feel impactful enough for how powerful they were. Absolutely love the time and investment you’ve put into this. Have to wonder what the fancy futuristic engines are going to sound like…

The “footprints won’t be there on day 1” quote I take to be acknowledgement that the graphics aren’t going to necessarily be the final version we see. Just because it’s not in the roadmap doesn’t mean they won’t be looking for optimizations and listening to feedback on what can be improved. Maybe my expectations are too low? I’m basically just hyped to see the game at all. Also it’s possible that they’ve deliberately made the clouds simple on Kerbin itself, given that it is the starter planet and no one wants to do their first launch in a storm.

Right. As fascinating and informative as the history of spaceflight is, this isn’t a game about that. This is a game about the present and future of spaceflight and the possibilities it unlocks. We’re not going to the Moon, we’re going to the the Mun. And that’s just the very tip of the iceberg of the journey this game wants us to take. For experienced players especially, the part of the game that exists before we reach today’s technology level (with our brand new Methalox engines) will be over in the blink of an eye. So if we’re going to standardize (and the thought process there has been well laid out), it makes vastly more sense to go with the fuel source that gives you simpler rocket designs, practical ISRU, and the most balanced stats.

Eve isn’t a direct 1-1 Venus comparison, and it may well have a heavy hydrocarbon concentration in its atmosphere, as methane is after all a powerful GHG. Regardless, how many places do you really need methalox ISRU in the Kerbin system? Kerbin presumably has an unlimited amount, and the availability of resources is meant to be a different challenge from planet to planet. By the time you’ve reached the Jool system, you’ll probably have unlocked liquid hydrogen ISRU on the tech tree and be able to take advantage of that instead.

I’m guessing this is being done with an eye towards the resource system. Methalox makes a lot more sense when it comes to harvesting in situ resources, since you’re far more likely to find methane than kerosene on any given body. And for an average player, the functional difference between Kerolox and Metholox would be so minimal that it’s not worth having a whole extra set of engines for minor performance tuning.

This seems like a really sensible layout. As a layman who was starting out (and is still a relative scrub who hasn’t played in a while), sensible rocket construction was just as big of a hurdle for me as orbital mechanics. Starting with archetypes designed around a basic, balanced fuel type that can get you to space will really help newcomers make sense of what a basic rocket should actually look like.

So this brings up an interesting point that I’m guessing may have been addressed elsewhere, but exactly what aspects of colony gameplay will require Kerbals? I’m too lazy to look up exactly what has been confirmed, but it would appear that autonomous resource gathering missions can be done fully unmanned. Will refineries operate the same way? Presumably you’ll need Kerbals for rocket construction/launches, but orbital construction might be a more efficient choice. And if they’re just there to improve efficiency, that’s not an real incentive in a game with time warp. So what’s the reason we should set up a planetary colony instead of a bunch of drone missions feeding orbital hubs?