KSP update effect on modded save game

[Tase]

Is it usually safe to keep the same save between updates (barring major revision changes, like 0.9 to 1.0) ?

Let's say a module is modified, i.e a stock antenna is adapted for RemoteTech (changed/gained properties), and it's being used on one of my crafts. And KSP updates, and changes properties of that antenna, let's say reduced energy drain.

What happens ?

Does the part on the craft stay the same, but every other craft launched with that part after the update uses the updated part ?

Does the part on the craft update nicely (energy drain changes, nothing else messes up) ?

Does the part on the craft revert to the stock updated part, losing it's RemoteTech properties ?

Does the part on the craft become corrupted ?

How are active crafts saved ?

Each craft is a tree of references to parts (commandModule1 connected to largeSASModule connected to ... etc)

Each craft is a tree of part definitions (commandModule { energyDrain : 0.2; energyCapacity: 10; ... } conncted to ... etc)

If I have no active crafts, and I'm in a sandbox game, so I don't need to worry about science tree / contracts, is there anything that can break with a mod/KSP update ? (i.e start sandbox, fly to Mun, plant a flag on the Mun, return to Kerbin, recover vessel)

In other words, is there any data in a save other than crafts/kerbals/debris/flags/date that could be broken ? (an example would be Dwarf Fortress, each "save", aka world, has it's own copy of the game data, or Skyrim, which has a lot of script data in save games)

I'dd like to understand this as to be able to make decisions as to whether keep my save or start a new one when KSP/mods update.

Kind of sucks when I'm done setting up a RemoteTech satellite network, picked a spot on the Mimnus for a base, and bam, update. Do I need to start over ?

PS: I realize that I probably would have needed a new save game for 0.90 -> 1.0, it's a major update, but do I need a new save for 1.0 -> 1.0.1 ? 1.0.1 -> 1.1 ?

[WeirdCulture]

I realize that I probably would have needed a new save game for 0.90 -> 1.0, it's a major update, but do I need a new save for 1.0 -> 1.0.1 ? 1.0.1 -> 1.1 ?

in my opinion the both devs (SQUAD and Mods) should not brake any game after 1.0. This would make long term planing ridiculous

[hab136]

Already-launched ships are not affected by changes to stock parts (or mod parts).

However parts modified through ModuleManager will affect even already-launched ships.

In general you should be able to handle updates just fine, but it's always best to make sure your mods are compliant with the new version before updating. Make backups!

[NathanKell]

1. Whatever a part's stats are when the game finishing loading, that's what stats it will have always, either on new vessels or on saved vessels, except

2. Any data marked persistent will be kept on parts, for example resource quantities (so if you change a part's amount and maxAmount of a resource, that won't change any of that part in ships in your save or in .craft files).

3. The same applies to module data: any data that isn't persistent will use the new values (and any removed modules will be gone, and any new modules will be added), but any persistent data will be loaded from sfs/craft, except

4. If a module changes name (i.e. old antenna module to RT2 antenna module) the old info is lost and the new info is entirely default, so e.g. antennas may return to being not-extended.