PS4 Announcement Discussion

[softweir]

Personally, I am very pleased to see that even more people will now have the opportunity to play some form of KSP. Why? It looks like Squad will be getting money for very little extra work: Flying Tiger are doing the hard work of porting the game, and Squad will get dosh for licensing the game to them. (Though we don't know the exact details, so my exact wording may not be legally appropriate.)

This is only good for KSP. More money means more resources for development. While we can be sure Squad are in a healthy financial state, there is no such thing as too much cash when it comes to the long-term development and support of a game.

will the pc version get nerfed to conform to console limitations

Why should it? True, there are companies that are obsessed with a unified look-and-feel for their games across all platforms, but they do the development of ALL ports in-house and a unified look-and-feel simplifies their codebase. Flying Tiger are doing the development for the PS4, and Squad aren't bound by FT's decisions about any nerfing. While there is obviously some feedback - especially as regards the switch to Unity 5 - that doesn't tie Squad to chopping anything off KSP.

EDIT: Worth reading This Short Q&A.

Edited June 17, 2015 by softweir

[katateochi]

well...hmmm...was not expecting this. My first response is a knee-jerk reaction that I'm very concerned because I really don't like what console gaming has done to PC gaming. BUT (with another cup of tea and some reflection) what I don't like about the console impact on PC gaming are things like button-mash boss fights and scripted player movements, which actually don't apply to KSP at all.

I am still concerned that a move towards console support will result in a simpler control set a and overall dumbing down of the game. But so long as the console version doesn't require that the PC version is altered to fit the console then I'm ok with it. So long as the PC version's interface is still designed around mouse+keyboard and not changed to be a console interface that is then mapped to M&K controls then it should be ok.

My worry about the game being made simpler is not so much for the flight control (I can see how that would work ok as it is on a controller), I'm more worried about the building interface. I'm struggling to see how the current building interface will be enjoyable on a controller and that worries me that it will get simplified and more constrained. But I'm not a console player (at all) so maybe I'm not seeing how that will work. So long as we can still be as free in craft building as we are now to put things exactly where we want and make utterly insane designs then I'm ok.

So lets look at the positives.

KSP is has a lot that is still quite broken and lots of work that still needs to be done, bringing in another potential market means more money for Squad (or Deported or whoever holds the leash now) and that means more incentive to continue development. I had been worried that the early access program had possibly already saturated the market and so it wouldn't be as viable to continue development for as long as we'd like to see, but this changes that.

More players, more minds to the community is always a good thing.

A more demanding platform and audience. Because of the limitations of console hardware (vs a well spec'd gaming rig) there will be a pressure to improve the game's performance. The console audience will also be less forgiving of bugs because they won't have the "just-add-mod" fixes we have available (as far as I understand it). So there will also be pressure to deal with more of the current issues.

So, pros and cons, but so long as the PC version isn't cut down in anyway to fit the console version, then it's mostly pros.

My main remaining (slightly resentful) issue is that right now due to the stuttering issues (known GC problem) and very poor performance with craft of 300+ parts I'm not enjoying KSP anything like as much as I used to so I'm feeling generally miffed and the annoyed part of me feels how dare they spend time on expanding the client base when the current one still has issues (but the more rational part of me realises that it's a 3rd party doing the console work so.....carry on).

[r4pt0r]

Between the touchpad and the gyroscope, the PS4 controller could manage I think, given a competent port team.

Imagine placing struts or something with this:

[worir4]

Between the touchpad and the gyroscope, the PS4 controller could manage I think, given a competent port team.

Imagine placing struts or something with this:

I can imagine the smashed TV screens caused by the frustration of placing parts, i mean i find it difficult sometimes with a mouse.

[boxman]

It's just speculation to think that 1.0 was "rushed," given their previous release schedule of something new every 4 months or so. Each and every release, early access or the one Beta, players wished for more bug fixing and features and testing. It's then another leap of speculation that it was "rushed" because Sony asked for it by a certain date. Sony announces the game should be available next year, I think if Sony was so demanding, it would have been announced today for holiday delivery, not some unspecified date in 2016. A Holiday 2015 release would be the fastest way to build on free advertising, from E3 news reports.

Sure it was rushed.. The fact that they did not even go through beta phase proves that.

You dont just release a major new build and go straight to release without beta testing it first.

The final release also lacked features that had previously been confirmed as well.

[r4pt0r]

I can imagine the smashed TV screens caused by the frustration of placing parts, i mean i find it difficult sometimes with a mouse.

pull L2 to undo placement

My worry is this sketchy flash-game dev-team squad seems to have picked off craigslist. Not only are they porting a complex game, they have no experience dealing with consoles judging by their website.

It could be fun if done properly, and as a mostly stock player I don't even care if there is no mod support.

[stibbons]

The fact that they did not even go through beta phase

[citation needed]

[theend3r]

Maybe they'll finally add clouds since the PS4 version can't be modded.

[montyben101]

Crap. Not too keen on giving it to peasants. They are too bitchy

[Red Iron Crown]

Crap. Not too keen on giving it to peasants. They are too bitchy

Yes, the PC gamers in this thread and the Devnote thread have been the very model of civility and politeness.

[r4pt0r]

Crap. Not too keen on giving it to peasants. They are too bitchy

You are the one generalizing. I happen to greatly enjoy playing on both my PC and my PS4.

[montyben101]

That is nothing, have you not seen some of the flame wars in other forums full of console gamers.

[r4pt0r]

That is nothing, have you not seen some of the flame wars in other forums full of console gamers.

and those a-hole PC elitists, just terrible.

[theend3r]

You are the one generalizing. I happen to greatly enjoy playing on both my PC and my PS4.

I also enjoy playing strategies, shooters and other more control-complex games on PC and playing racing, fighting and HnS games on consoles.

I probably wouldn't try to play a fighting game on a PC or a strategy on a console though.

[Linear]

Just saw this on r/pcmasterrace:

You have to say it's funny.

[sal_vager]

Just saw this on r/pcmasterrace: http://i.imgur.com/a3ddXdA.png

You have to say it's funny.

I actually quite like that, any modders interested in making it?

[r4pt0r]

I also enjoy playing strategies, shooters and other more control-complex games on PC and playing racing, fighting and HnS games on consoles.

I probably wouldn't try to play a fighting game on a PC or a strategy on a console though.

Oh no doubt each has something they are better at, but that just gives an opportunity for devs to try to improve, to achieve whats not been done before.

I've put over 60 hours into Toribash, a PC fighting game, and quite a lot of time into Civ4 and Tropico5 on consoles.

Dismissing something out of hand because of the system it happens to release on is just ignorance. And attacking others for their choice in gaming system is also ignorant. We play for fun, it doesnt matter what system we have fun on.

I hope PS4 KSP is fun.

[Linear]

I actually quite like that, any modders interested in making it?

I'll have to wait from an official message from Squad asking me...

[montyben101]

Not trying to be an elitist but how will it run on a ps4? It will probably lag at about 200 parts! Will they just limit the amount of parts you can place??

[sal_vager]

Not trying to be an elitist but how will it run on a ps4? It will probably lag at about 200 parts! Will they just limit the amount of parts you can place??

Supposedly it's fine, though I expect UI issues with a pad.

No dev time lost thanks to the kind people at Flying Tiger, who have shown us fantastic progress with getting the game working on the PS4. Also they've been great to work with as well, as Unity 5 was something both studios could work on at the same time and it really, really increased the speed at which we progressed through that project.

Worry not, 1.0.3 is still being worked on and you shouldn't have to wait much longer for it.

Edit: And you'd be amazed at how well the DS4 works with the game. We certainly were ourselves.

[r4pt0r]

Not trying to be an elitist but how will it run on a ps4? It will probably lag at about 200 parts! Will they just limit the amount of parts you can place??

we dont know yet, but here is a PS4 demo from 2 years ago:

Thats quite a physics load. obviously its just a tech demo, but with optimization who knows whats possible now days?

[RAINCRAFTER]

I have lost 2/3 of all hope in Squad.

[Superfluous J]

The fact that they did not even go through beta phase

[citation needed]

0.90 was supposed to be the first beta release, but it couldn't have been as they added major features in it. So, assuming no new features were added in 0.91 it would have been the beta release. But they didn't release a 0.91, they released 1.0 without ever having gone through (traditional) beta.

Now, 1.0 also had several new features so it could be argued (and I do actually argue) that KSP - in spite of its version numbering - is actually still in alpha.

[sal_vager]

Also don't forget that thanks to the Linux KSP version we'll be able to play KSP on Steamboxes, I'd like to try KSP with a Steam controller.

[Superfluous J]

I have lost 2/3 of all hope in Squad.

I still have hope, but I will never ever again expect any actual good news whenever they say they have great news. If RoverDude wasn't contracting and was instead a full time Squad employee, I'd have more faith that his hinted-at feature was an oil painting he made of Jeb on the Mun, than the actual bit of coding that (because he's not Squad) I instead think he's done.