What is your "Near release ritual"?

[Alshain]

So I've notice before each EA/Beta release and now this one too I have a set of rituals I go through. First, I back up my old game out of the Steam folder. Then I make a list of mods I want to use for the upcoming version, so I don't forget any. What do you like to do when a release is immanent?

[Renegrade]

I tidy up my Steam version - clear out any mods or such that might have crept in. I normally only play the Store version, but the Store is absolutely hammered on release day, so I play the Steam one (I own both heh) for the first few days, and then switch to the Store one after the Store recovers.

I play pure stock at first, just to see how Squad's vision works without glasses. I think they've finally seen the 'E' on the chart and are moving to the next line

[Daze]

Delete KSP and stop playing for about 2 weeks

[Parkaboy]

After the hype starts building up with all the details, videos and screenshots showing up online, I get a new urge to start playing again. By this time I've been bored with my career game for some time, and probably haven't touched it for a few weeks. I fight this urge, because I don't remember what I was doing in my old save and I don't want to start a new one with an update coming up soon. I end up firing up a new career save anyway, and two days later the update is released and I scrap it and start over.

[Norcalplanner]

Don't start any new big missions. Finish up any outstanding loose ends. Then sit down and figure out what mods I'm going to use and what tasks I'm going to set for myself with my new career. One of the big things I'm planning to do in the next version is make an honest-to-goodness surface colony. Not a big ship that lands in one piece, but a modular colony that has to be assembled on the surface with no inherent movement ability. And to make sure that I get paid to do this, I'm going to use contract configurator and the appropriate contract pack.

No actual mechanics need to be done - I have 8 separate installs, and never run the game out of the default steam location. The only downside (which may actually be a good thing) is that steam doesn't let me know how many hours I've really played.

Edited April 18, 2015 by Norcalplanner

[Frybert]

Swear at steam every time something updates that isn't KSP.

[Alshain]

After the hype starts building up with all the details, videos and screenshots showing up online, I get a new urge to start playing again. By this time I've been bored with my career game for some time, and probably haven't touched it for a few weeks. I fight this urge, because I don't remember what I was doing in my old save and I don't want to start a new one with an update coming up soon. I end up firing up a new career save anyway, and two days later the update is released and I scrap it and start over.

Then by all means, start a new Career... do it now!

Yeah I forgot, one of my rituals is similar, I usually start building craft in sandbox rather than pick up my last career. This time however, I've been playing the career right up until.. now... so I didn't have to.

[worir4]

I kill all my kerbals i have left then i burn my PC then i go buy a new one. Fresh start, eh?

[jarmund]

I give up on my savegames. I stop playing it with any planning whatsoever, and start testing stuff that I've avoided for the sake of Health&Safety issues. I also launch it to test various other things that I come up with in my head. Apart from that, I stop playing altogether, seeing as my saves will most likely break with the upgrade.

It should be noted that earlier updates I've played all the way through the upgrade, but they weren't as likely to break saves as this upcoming update.

[Superfluous J]

For me it's a mad rush to finish what I started, which usually fails and I end up playing the old version a few days/weeks into when the new version comes out. Or I upgrade and then everything tends to go to pot.

[Deutherius]

My usual checklist would be something like:

1. Forget that the current version even exists
   
2. Try hard not to think about the new release, because you have important work to do
   
3. Think about the release anyway
   
4. Spend all day on the KSP forum instead of working
   
5. Daydream about all the awesome designs that will be possible after the new release
   
6. Remember all the important work that you had to do and panic
   
7. Pull a few all-nighters to catch up with work
   
8. Get superhyped when the game gets finally released
   
9. Ignore sleep deficit and play the new release until you pass out
   
10. Wonder why KSP always gets released when you have the most work to do
    
11. Sacrifice the souls of the innocent to SQUAD anyway for making such an awesome game
    

Unless it gets released before I finish my work... Then I'm screwed.

[zxczxczbfg]

Usually I just wait until my mods update.

EDIT: I decided to change my routine. All my off-planet Kerbals are coming home for a hero's welcome.

Edited April 27, 2015 by zxczxczbfg

[helaeon]

I start removing parts from my ships that I really like that I don't think will survive into the new version (mod hasn't been updated in a while, or i don't think i'll be adding back in).

Also finish up any missions I have outstanding. Right now I'm good there.

Always start KSP with a fresh install and save on a new version.

[klgraham1013]

I go through all the major / popular mods which have been released for said version and download them all. I have a massive collection for 0.24.2.

[SelectHalfling0]

Not play, so I really want to play when the update comes out.

[Fearlessjames118]

First,I stop playing KSP in general. Then,I prepare my self by coming up with rocket designs (that probably won't work.) Then I play the new update!

[Wallygator]

I do nothing different really. I keep playing as and when I want. Then when the new version comes out, I see if my saves convert directly. If they do, I continue. If they don't, I copy the shop designs to a temp and then I delete the save - and start over with a new career... Which I soon get bored with once again due to the fracking grindest and I once again devolve (evolve perhaps) back into a sandbox...

[LordFerret]

Being I don't have Steam and have no need to rely on it (thank God), the only two things I do are: 1) Make notes on all my ships (which I do as I build them) as to what's what - staging, action keys, purpose, operational quirks, etc. 2) When the new release/update comes out, I just move the current install folder and put the new in place ... I'll worry about moving my ships/save-game over later, if that's even possible.

[Whirligig Girl]

Business as usual except with driving the HypeTrain and such!

[LABHOUSE]

Usually I just wait until my mods update.

That.

[Mitchz95]

I usually bring all my Kerbals home first. Beyond that, not much. I usually hold off playing the new version until a month or so after it's released.

This time, I think I'll launch a starship out of the Kerbol System to mark the launch of 1.0. Preferably with some improvised fireworks.

[Robotengineer]

I generally stop playing for a little while before release. After release hits, I move my previous version installs into the folder of old installs and then add the version number of that installs name, i.e Modded_KSP becomes Modded_KSP_0.24.

[AbhChallenger]

Usually it is just stop playing for a week or two for mods to update. However this time I think I am going to let KSP reinstall completely from Steam.

I had been thinking about just playing other games until whatever version got Unity 5. However, with those performance improvements. I likely will play 1.0 a great deal.

[Dman979]

I slaughter a few goats, spread their blood on the Mac, and wait for the Kraken to appear.

[EladDv]

well this time i am doing something new- i have decided to make my first honest to god colony project but it uses stock wing fairings so i will have to update it once it comes out which will actually save me about 100 parts. other than that i would have to see what the balancing would be and will have to build my planes again probably