Robotengineer Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 (edited) One of the things I have noticed when playing KSP is the lack of a main 'signature' aesthetic. This will/could hurt the game in 1.0 because most people expect a continuous aesthetic in which all of the individual parts* compliment each other to make a good looking game.The parts are all over the quality spectrum, as well as not having a definite tech level style. Porkjet's SP parts are futuristic and smooth, while many of the other parts are either have a very retro/homemade (like the batteries, some fuel tanks), and others are so-so, (pods, landers, structural elements). This is possibly the most troubling as it is the part of the game that the player spends the most time with, either building with the parts or flying the crafts they built with them.The Space Centre's are also not at an even quality. The first tier's of career mode Space Centre's have an over all low quality, contrasted by the final tier/sandbox Space Centre. The buildings are the second most important aspect of the game, and having discordant styles and quality between tiers and buildings can, IMO, tract from the immersion of the game.The UI/Building interiors are the most congruent to me, for the majority of UI's they use the same color scheme, buttons and interactions. While the current state the UI is good, there is some room for improvement. UI's are important for one of the most obvious reasons, they are what the player uses to interact with the game.Realism vs LOLsoKerbalism, if KSP does get an art upgrade, there is the question of whether it should have a more realistic look or a 'Kerbal' look.This thread is not a 'oh I hate the way this part looks!' thread, or another barn thread. It is a discussion thread intended to produce ideas for improving the aesthetic of KSP, and finding a community consensus on what aesthetic KSP should have .*Read: Parts of the whole aesthetic, not rocket parts in this instance, otherwise referring to rocket parts. Edited March 13, 2015 by Robotengineer Gave a better title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daze Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I totally quote OP.Imho Squad has to look forward for a "stock style" similar to the one introduced by PorkJet in this last upgrades, it's more fitted for a space exploration game where you can basically explore with manned ships ALL the Kerbol system, the old "oil drums" of Rockomax series seems very "old", not only by them style, but even in a graphic way, so (imo another time) they need absolutely an overhaul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Phil Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I think it's good to have tech specific styles... But then each one is upgraded in style for each new tech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Following the example set by bac9 for the quality of the space center would be a good start. As for parts, I can totally get behind the Porkjet aesthetic but they could use a little more color. There are at least two retexture/reimagining mods that I know of for stock parts, and the textures are much cleaner, fitting in with the Porkjet aesthetic.The UI is the most unified part but it also just feels sort of clunky and unresponsive, maybe because certain scenes aren't actually scenes but are overlays for the space center which means the ocean is rendering (in fact, let me just say that fixing ocean rendering would make the whole game feel snappier, not just the UI). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nothingSpecial Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Well, there is already KSP style, it's just divided in different substyles: 1.25 tanks, 2.5 tanks, inline RCS, surface RCS (engines including), spaceplanes, batteries, 2.5 spacecraft and everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robotengineer Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 I agree that the PorkParts are a bit monotone. A good example of a mod that is what I would like stock parts to look like would be Tantares. IMO, Tantares is the best stockalike pack out there, the textures have the PorkParts look without being monotone, the models are good, not too greebly, all in all a great pack. A great model for a future redo of the stock parts, again, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tater Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Agree 100%. I have to say I have little interest in the clunky looking stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Scruffy Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 hmmm... seems like content comes with interest charged on devs these days... everything that has been created once must be redone at some point and then again at some point later and..... Honestly: I might be an aestetics buffon, but i dont quite see the issue, here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klgraham1013 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 hmmm... seems like content comes with interest charged on devs these days... everything that has been created once must be redone at some point and then again at some point later and..... Honestly: I might be an aestetics buffon, but i dont quite see the issue, here.I'm not sure where you're getting the notion that models need to be redone again and again.- - - Updated - - -Well, there is already KSP style, it's just divided in different substyles: 1.25 tanks, 2.5 tanks, inline RCS, surface RCS (engines including), spaceplanes, batteries, 2.5 spacecraft and everything else.So, you're saying there isn't a defined KSP style then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basic.syntax Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Differences in rocket part art styles are handled in the guise of different Kerbal manufacturers for different lines of parts. I think Squad is well aware of art differences, witness the collaboration with NASA bringing SLS-inspired parts to the Kerbal space program. The Mk2 & Mk3-to-other adapter parts have helped bridge the styles. I would not mind if the 1.25 & 2.5 size parts were reworked (they have to keep the orange tank, it's a signature piece) but I don't ask that they be changed.I agree that some models and textures could use polish, but, I think the strongly rumored "1.1" update, using Unity 5 tools, is a better (and more likely) time for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nothingSpecial Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) - - - Updated - - -So, you're saying there isn't a defined KSP style then? No. What I'm saying is that there are several defined styles in stock. I would like to see possibility for player to extend one of them for the whole rocket - but not to lost them. But the style is already there, and a destinctive one. FASA and BobCat's Historical Pack are not stockalike - they don't feel stock. Taurus and SXT are stockalike - they fit stock perfectly. Porkjet (both plane parts and habitat parts) is weird case - his parts were almost stockalike, good with stock yet destinctive, and now they are stock.I agree that the PorkParts are a bit monotone. A good example of a mod that is what I would like stock parts to look like would be Tantares. IMO, Tantares is the best stockalike pack out there, the textures have the PorkParts look without being monotone, the models are good, not too greebly, all in all a great pack. A great model for a future redo of the stock parts, again, IMO.I would disagree. The main chunk of Tantares - capsules, cargo and spacecraft propulsion modules, to be precise - stands out compared to stock. I do like Tantares, but not for style. Tantares style is stuck in middle between realistic proportions and modularity, and the overall stye of parts are distinctively shaped.If I asked to choose between "stock goes all Porkjet" and "stock goes all Tantares", I'd like to choose neither, and if not neither - then Porkjet. Maybe with much more color accent (like currently on RCS fuselages, but more distinctive ones), but totally not Tantares. It just don't feel the same.On the other hand, I do would like to see both Porkjet style and Tantares style in stock. They both look good with the parts that I put in "everything else" category earlier, Porkjet-style parts look good with 2.5 spacecraft and 1.25 launchers and Tantares-style parts can be a nice set of it's own worth. Edited March 13, 2015 by nothingSpecial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tw1 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Differences in rocket part art styles are handled in the guise of different Kerbal manufacturers for different lines of parts.Agreed. I like that there are different styles of parts, you can combine them for different styles of craft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wjolcz Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Yes, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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