Is save breaking possible post-release?

[Travisfv]

What I want to know is everyone's opinions on whether squad can break saves post 1.0 release. Especially with career mode requiring more time and effort, will squad be hurting its player base if they were to break saves on a new release.

Unlike in alpha and beta where a broken save is expected (by reasonable people), a full release is supposed to come with an almost guarantee that breaking saves is no longer going to be an issue.

Therefore, will we ever seen such sweeping reforms as aero and changing entire part catalogues, or are those days gone?

[sal_vager]

Squad has already wrote code to update previous release saves to the newer version, it's been working pretty well for several releases so far, but as always, back up your saves just in case.

So the answer to "Is save breaking possible post-release?" is "Squad have already worked to prevent that"

[goldenpsp]

What I want to know is everyone's opinions on whether squad can break saves post 1.0 release. Especially with career mode requiring more time and effort, will squad be hurting its player base if they were to break saves on a new release.

Unlike in alpha and beta where a broken save is expected (by reasonable people), a full release is supposed to come with an almost guarantee that breaking saves is no longer going to be an issue.

Therefore, will we ever seen such sweeping reforms as aero and changing entire part catalogues, or are those days gone?

I guess I would need more clarification. For the most part it has seemed like even in Alpha/Beta the updates weren't completely "save breaking" in stock. Yes aero reforms could make your designed not as effective etc, but it doesn't "break the save" .

Most save breaking issues I have seen have been modded games.

[r4pt0r]

Once you cross that 1.0 threshold I would hope there would be no broken saves. That's why I'm still playing ksp, all the previous updates I stopped after a week since I expect alpha and beta updates to break saves.

[Hanuman]

I figure I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Beyond that, I trust SQUAD not to derail their player's experience of the game without a sufficient reason. I mean come on.

[katateochi]

I'd guess that future updates will be fairly unlikely to break 1.0.x saves, but I'm not so sure about craft. 1.0.2 broke some 1.0 craft (well didn't break them, they could still be loaded, but it made enough of a change to stop some of them from being viable craft). That might happen again.

[Majorjim!]

Oh yes.. For the simple reason that KSP is so unstable now that it will spontaneously corrupt saves..

I have had two corrupted since v1.0.

many, many ;.;s

Edited May 10, 2015 by Majorjim

[Travisfv]

Oh yes.. For the simple reason that KSP is so unstable now that it will spontaneously corrupt saves..

I have had two corrupted since v1.0.

many, many ;.;s

I too have had 3 career games crash on me. What I've learned is to not fire any kerbals I rescue that I don't want. I simply send them into orbit to... Do... Science? Yeah, that's it, science.

[Pecan]

In the short term I wouldn't expect breaks but longer-term (KSP 2.0) you wouldn't expect any game to maintain saves indefinitely. After all, that's one of the main reasons for calling a new release a whole new version.

[magnemoe]

I'd guess that future updates will be fairly unlikely to break 1.0.x saves, but I'm not so sure about craft. 1.0.2 broke some 1.0 craft (well didn't break them, they could still be loaded, but it made enough of a change to stop some of them from being viable craft). That might happen again.

Yes, we might get more tweaking with aerodynamic and reentry heat. This might make some crafts not working as expected.

Mods is the second issue, some mods might stop working until updated.

[pincushionman]

I would hope there's nothing technical that would render a save unplayable at this pont, but as others have mentioned part balancing might break crafts and is still wuite possible. Also, tech tree changes potentially throw your career game for a loop. But hopefully the whole "each save can have its own tech tree" thing (did I read thst right?) would mitigate that.

[Starwhip]

I think that Squad certainly should take every precaution not to break saves.

However, games eaten by the kraken are to be expected.

[Robotengineer]

I would expect the U5 update to break saves. Considering how susceptible to corruption saves already are, it probably won't make that much difference. (Whether my own save corruption is do to excessive modding, I'm not sure.)

[Fel]

I guess I would need more clarification. For the most part it has seemed like even in Alpha/Beta the updates weren't completely "save breaking" in stock. Yes aero reforms could make your designed not as effective etc, but it doesn't "break the save" .

Most save breaking issues I have seen have been modded games.

You're a year younger than I; SQUAD had a few older updates that explicitly stated that they would "Break Saves" as in the old saves would not work under the newer code. As sal_vager stated, SQUAD wrote some code to prevent this common form of breaking saves.

Of course, part re-balancing may, or may not, be acceptable. In games such as Diablo, it is acceptable to completely and utterly break a build with an update (well, not without a bunch of whining but still). However the scope of time investment is a bit different, and Diablo tends to be more multiplayer than single player.

It's a grey area, squad should do their best to not do anything to break saves... but likely are going to have to while fixing aspects such as aero.

[Tw1]

I would expect the U5 update to break saves. Considering how susceptible to corruption saves already are, it probably won't make that much difference. (Whether my own save corruption is do to excessive modding, I'm not sure.)

Saves may corrupt, they may get bogged up full of errors, but they can be a lot tougher than people think.

Only if they need to change stuff in the format, do old saves become unusable. Plus, even when something does change, converters can be made.

I still have an old save going. Sometimes things break, but so far it has been possible to make things work again.

[Kegereneku]

I actually hope they make save-breaking change... I will not stand the Tech-tree in career mods.

[Frybert]

I think that Squad certainly should take every precaution not to break saves.

However, games eaten by the kraken are to be expected.

Were you around for The Great Retraction? That was hilarious!

[keeper]

I was under the impression games after v1 should be updatable, when you add mods is where things get all hairy.

I updated a week ago, done a few flights and going to be keeping it strictly stock for a good while.

I SURE HOPE THOSE STARTING AGAIN DAYS ARE GONE.

[Gerandar]

I think that Squad certainly should take every precaution not to break saves.

However, games eaten by the kraken are to be expected.

They really shouldnt be expected its a finished product if the game still bugs out and corrupts saves randomly that screams incomplete and squad dropped the ball yet again.

[X-SR71]

I haven't had saves corrupted. In any case I save in different named slots from time to time just in case.

I did have things disappearing on loading, though, and that's in 1.0.2. I tried to load from the tracking station a satellite which was due to intercept Eve. Upon loading, KSP went crazy - it quickly showed the sun, then the galaxy skybox. No satellite. I went back to the space center, the satellite was completely gone from the tracking station. No sign of it.

I do use Kerbal Engineer buts thats my only mod. Only stock parts.

[RocketPilot573]

Squad has said multiple times that save breaking was allowed before since it was not 1.0 yet, but now it is 1.0....

[NecroBones]

My suspicion is that they'll avoid truly breaking a save, but future balance tweaks might make a vehicle's capabilities change enough that it can't complete its mission. That will likely always be a danger. But hopefully that will be minimized, and really only apply if a vehicle is taking advantage of a part that is slightly overpowered and yet barely has enough TWR or delta-V to accomplish its goals.

[Starwhip]

They really shouldnt be expected its a finished product if the game still bugs out and corrupts saves randomly that screams incomplete and squad dropped the ball yet again.

I've yet to play a game that didn't randomly corrupt saves at some point. Though in this case, it is rather severe, and should possibly be looked into.

In my experience it corrupts all games at once when it decides to go, so for that reason I never get too attached to my Career games.

And anyways, KSP is by no means a "finished project", it is simply scope-complete.

[WeirdCulture]

save breaking in a long progression game is absolutely intolerable. But I am afraid that only "stock only" will be compatible

[Merinsan]

I fully expect Squad will not make changes that make saves break.

However, I would not be surprised if new features/tweaks make a save useless, or mean you really need to start a new save to get the benefit of that change. This is especially true of career saves.