Squadcast Summary (2015-04-11) - Arrangement Of S.H.I.E.L.Ds Edition!

[Hcube]

Will the ore contents in an asteroid be limited or will it be infinite?

Please be infinite... Gas Stations...

As it was said before, it would break the game, but i'm pretty sure they will still contain enough ore to make a fuel station... Not infinite, but comparing the size of your average small Mk1 spaceship with class-B or class-C asteroid (or so, whatever), i presume that you should be able to refuel quite a few times !

[cantab]

Asteroids have finite, well-defined masses. That naturally puts an upper limit on how much ore can be extracted from one. Even if a big E class was entirely ore, 3,000 tons isn't that much, you could use that much fuel in a handful of sensibly sized Kerbin launches.

[PlonioFludrasco]

I'm the only one that doesn't dislike the yellow stripe?

[mythbusters844]

Thanks for the summary. Overall I'm quite happy with what Max has said and shown, and the fairings do look pretty cool . Except one thing...

Tier 0 buildings (the Barn) - you recall they're being redesigned to a higher standard? Well, it's such a big redesign that, not 100% sure but, it maaaaay be that they don't appear in 1.0. If that's the case, they'll be in the update after 1.0 for sure.

No way. Absolutely no way. This is why we can't go straight to 1.0.

I'm the only one that doesn't dislike the yellow stripe?

IMO it fits in with the game's art style but is unrealistic.

[Superfluous J]

This is why we can't go straight to 1.0.

I really seriously doubt that 1.0 has been entirely ready for weeks but they're just tweaking the barn.

[tater]

It boggles the mind that anyone thinks the barn is worth, well, any labor at all given how cruddy career is. Those of us that play career will see the barn for, what, 2-3 launches? If the artist doing the barn could otherwise make a spacecraft part, or make destinations look better, every second spent on the barn is wasted, IMO.

[Wjolcz]

I'm the only one that doesn't dislike the yellow stripe?

Nope. Could be moved up or to the bottom of the fairing, though.

[Superfluous J]

It boggles the mind that anyone thinks the barn is worth, well, any labor at all given how cruddy career is. Those of us that play career will see the barn for, what, 2-3 launches? If the artist doing the barn could otherwise make a spacecraft part, or make destinations look better, every second spent on the barn is wasted, IMO.

While I agree with that, it's just more of a reason to have left it alone and in the game instead of the entire forum going bat-guano-crazy over it.

I'm hoping for a mod that unlinks buildings from their tiers so I can have a tier-5 barn.

[RobotsAndSpaceships]

Those fairings look really bad.

[Motokid600]

Really bad? Really? Lol c'mon if it weren't for the yellow stripe they look just like procedural fairings. Which imo don't look all that bad. Stick a mission flag on one and it'll look great.

Edited April 11, 2015 by Motokid600

[Bill Phil]

Really bad? Really? Lol c'mon if it weren't for the yellow stripe they look just like procedural fairings. Which imo don't look all that bad.

I think he means that they're a really bad shape... But the yellow stripe needs to be optional.

[r4pt0r]

yeah, sharp angles dont exactly bring to mind smooth airflow. hope there is a more rounded option

[Motokid600]

Has Squad mentioned anything along the lines of Firespitters texture swapping with the UI? That's the best thing we could hope for.

[Superfluous J]

I think he means that they're a really bad shape... But the yellow stripe needs to be optional.

yeah, sharp angles dont exactly bring to mind smooth airflow. hope there is a more rounded option

They SPECIFICALLY made THOSE fairings crazy to demonstrate the freedom you have as a player to make them any way you want. I don't even need to have watched this episode to know that.

Do either of you honestly believe that you're going to be forced to use fairings shaped even REMOTELY like those?

I understand not being happy with Squad's decisions, but if you really truly believe that they are complete, incompetent dunderheads to force fairings to look like fancy goblets from some 1997 RPG or something, then... I just don't know, really.

[Norpo]

...Do either of you honestly believe that you're going to be forced to use fairings shaped even REMOTELY like those...

I think they were referring more to the (rather pointed) end of it, as opposed to the transitions in the actual fairing. The tip of the fairing looks extremely pointed, as opposed to a real one:

The tip of this fairing looks a LOT more rounded than the one in-game:

EDIT: Also, the Procedural Fairings mod had their fairings rounded as well.

Edited April 11, 2015 by Norpo

[GusTurbo]

IMO it fits in with the game's art style but is unrealistic.

Why is it unrealistic? You can paint anything you want on a fairing.

Also, the Atlas V has a rather pointy fairing.

[r4pt0r]

oh, good point. I thought those fairings were from a 1.0 video or something.

even the 'caps' on the top of the fairings are pointy. like cmon guys.

[Renegrade]

Also, the Atlas V has a rather pointy fairing.

She's got a pointy nose! A witch! A witch!!!

[Bill Phil]

They SPECIFICALLY made THOSE fairings crazy to demonstrate the freedom you have as a player to make them any way you want. I don't even need to have watched this episode to know that.

Do either of you honestly believe that you're going to be forced to use fairings shaped even REMOTELY like those?

I understand not being happy with Squad's decisions, but if you really truly believe that they are complete, incompetent dunderheads to force fairings to look like fancy goblets from some 1997 RPG or something, then... I just don't know, really.

I was referring to the wonky shape. I know that we'll have freedom. Plenty of it, in fact. Using fairings shaped like that doesn't show that much in the way of freedom. Showing a CLIP of it in action would do the trick. Much better, too.

I don't believe they're incompetent, just inexperienced (the two do go together sometimes, but one can be experienced at incompetence, so...). There's nothing really wrong with that. I'm sure they gained lots of valuable experience working on KSP. However, they still have room to improve. Like everybody else in the entire world.

[Superfluous J]

I think they were referring more to the (rather pointed) end of it, as opposed to the transitions in the actual fairing. The tip of the fairing looks extremely pointed, as opposed to a real one:

http://global.kawasaki.com/english/aero/product/space/images/h_2_ph004.jpg

The tip of this fairing looks a LOT more rounded than the one in-game:

http://i.imgur.com/j4X0Q6t.jpg

So you just put the apex point of your player-designed fairing at or near the same height as the point "below" it in the chain. Boom, rounded fairing.

[LostOblivion]

I'm hyped for the fact that they're looking into axial tilt on planets, but am curious as to how they'll do it for existing saves. I would love to see it solved as different solar systems. Being able to pick based on difficulty at the start of a game. They could also do stuff like put the space center on a non-equatorial latitude to make things harder, or to have a generally larger solar system.

[Superfluous J]

I'm hyped for the fact that they're looking into axial tilt on planets, but am curious as to how they'll do it for existing saves. I would love to see it solved as different solar systems. Being able to pick based on difficulty at the start of a game. They could also do stuff like put the space center on a non-equatorial latitude to make things harder, or to have a generally larger solar system.

That's why doing it before (or during) the 1.0 transition is better. If it breaks a save or causes wonkiness, no biggie, you expect that in Alpha erm Beta erm Early Access. Sadly, they'll now have to introduce it in a released game which will break saves when they really shouldn't.

Though it wouldn't be that bad. If you imagine just tilting the entire SOI of a planet or moon, just tilt all orbiting ships along with it. In that case, the only problem is that now, getting to and from those places isn't the same so ships en-route may need correction burns that you weren't expecting (and possibly don't have the fuel for).

[Eric S]

I'm hyped for the fact that they're looking into axial tilt on planets, but am curious as to how they'll do it for existing saves.

I didn't get the impression that they were actively looking into it, it sounded more like they had looked into it and ran into too many problems.

[Hcube]

I think they were referring more to the (rather pointed) end of it, as opposed to the transitions in the actual fairing. The tip of the fairing looks extremely pointed, as opposed to a real one:

The tip of this fairing looks a LOT more rounded than the one in-game:

EDIT: Also, the Procedural Fairings mod had their fairings rounded as well.

The tip of the KSP fairing looks "extremely pointed" : well in this case it's supposed to... You are comparing pineapples with bananas here ! the pic you show portrays a rounded fairing, and maxmap's is supposed to be pointed ! wait till we get to see a rounded one...

BTW, you are mistaken when you say that real fairings aren't pointed : Atlas 5 mostly uses pointed fairings like this.

Unless you are speaking only about the very very tip of the fairing : its somehow round on the Atlas5 too. I'm pretty sure it will be so with KSP's eggshaped fairings

EDIT : it took me so long to write that post (was busy doing something else) that i got ninja'ed SEVERAL times oh well

[Renegrade]

After 1.0 Will Swuad actually have to make an effort to preserve players saves through updates?

Yes! Rest assured that HarvesteR has ALREADY made this effort back in the 0.17 era. He thought about it for eight seconds and shrugged. So you can rest at ease: 1.1 will ABSOLUTELY* be compatible with 1.0 savegame wise**.

* - in this context 'absolutely' means 50/50 chance. Either it is, or it isn't. 1 out of 2 chance either way. Note that in the event that it is compatible, there's no guarantee your ships, science, funds, crew, contracts or other progress will be loaded,

** - unless it isn't compatible with 1.0 savegame wise. Warranty void if user attempts to load any cross-version savegame. Not to be taken internally, and not for children under 25 years of age. Extended use may result in hemorrhoids, cancer, heart failure, and/or death, but at least you'll have full, thick hair! (Disclaimer: In this context, 'may' means 'most assuredly will result in'... full, thick hair not guaranteed. Not to be taken internally..oh wait, I did that part already..)

Anyhow, I'm surprised at how butthurt people are about this pointiness, which is a minor visual thing, vs. the fact that the fairing may forget it's setting if you so much as sneeze on it...