What do you HATE about KSP?

[SmallFatFetus]

I'm not saying KSP has good sound design, but that "deep bass" is a bit of a fiction. Much of it comes from doppler effect. The shuttle is, within a few seconds, moving away from the microphone fast enough to shift everything lower. In KSP the camera follows the craft and so shouldn't experiance the same low notes.

Possibly, but it should sound like a launch. The powerful, roaring low end is what people think a launch sounds like, scientifically correct or not. And it would sound amazing in KSP.

[wumpus]

Am I the only one with a burning hate for the user interface?

The thing routinely tears my rocket apart instead of building it. If it doesn't tear pieces off instead of adding adding struts, it abitrarily decides which struts to add with symmetry and refuses to add the rest. Speaking of symmetry, why in the world are you locked into a certain symmetry after adding a single piece to your rocket? It can be "fixed" by re-adding most parts, but since struts are "add once" you can't do it for them.

The rest of the stuff, non-existant QA (I got an email back claiming that "MK16 parachutes work at the 1000m setting". REALLY? Did you try it on windows like the bug report specifically stated? I *know* it works on Linux. Why you ship wildly different revisions is Squad's issue, but if they want to do so they need to test and debug *all* of them (I feel sorry for the OSX guys)). The career mode (shouldn't it have a warning for experts only? You only have to understand minutiae like adjusting parachute opening on mission 1 or Jeb dies). And of course the wonderful crashes (I've hit a low-crash lul, hope it continues). All of this I can live with, but the UI was the one thing on the list that I felt had to go before 1.0 (.0,.1,.2.,.3,.4,.5...) was ready for go.

[Azimech]

Wumpus, make a video of what happens, there might be an easy workaround if we see what the problem is. Yes, the editor has some quirks but once you know them, you can build very fast without problems.

[Lord Aurelius]

I wouldn't go so far as to say I HATE anything about this game (if I truly hated it I would have long since abandoned it and wouldn't even bother with the forums anymore), but there are definitely some major things that disappoint and frustrate me.

The devs are sitting on top of a mountain of potential that has only partially been realized, but the whole premature 1.0 release and pushing for the PS4 before the game is really even done have really disappointed me. What we have now is still an early access beta product that still needs a lot of work, but has the potential to be something truly great.

Specifically, these are main frustrations with the current state of the game:

Bugs (memory leaks in particular)

Poor balance and progression (most of the values still feel like placeholders, tech tree is still a mess)

Very unpolished presentation (compare the textures of the new parts compared to the old ones, GUI in general, poor audio effects)

Career mode doesn't feel well thought out and ultimately is just a grind to unlock the tech tree (contracts, strategies and astronaut training are ultimately meaningless, once you have a satellite you can get risk-free funds, strategies are a joke, training is pointless since probe cores give all the pilot benefits and science is easy to come by, especially with the lab)

Science system needs an overhaul (a points system for science doesn't really make any sense, especially when these points are used to unlock the tech tree)

Planets are quite boring in general with few exceptions

Lack of EVA interactivity and things to do with bases/rovers

Overall, I don't hate the game, but I am frustrated with the developers and their lack of respect for what 1.0 actually means in terms of software development. The current state of the game is fine for an early access title, but not for anything I would be proud to call 1.0.

[Monger]

I hate the loading times. I would play KSP a lot more, if initial loading time were shorter, and jumping from one building or scene to another would not feel that non-fluent.

What I really love about small games is that I can jump in and out of them in a hurry, so I can easily do that between coming home from work and having dinner. With KSP, this is not as easily possible.

[daniel l.]

Nothing about ksp, But how the devs deliberately ignored the communitys wishes as to how the game should be and added a crapload of stuff we didnt even need while ignoring stuff that they could've done easily and seriousely improved the game (Clouds, Better Skybox,New space centers, Improved Graphics, and all those new planets that were suggested but abandoned.) The devs destroyed there own mod hosting service to leech off of another one that is hopelessly impractical, And they abandoned a dev cycle that could've at least promised a stable complete game for going straight to .90 and then to top it all off, Skipping the last 10 releases that could've at least prepared the game for 1.0 in favor of an instant jump! Now we have a so called "Complete" game that is really still an alpha lacking in every feature we'd been dreaming of since 0.7.3 and loaded to the top with stuff we didnt want, Thanks SQUAD!

[Guest]

I hate corrupted files. I mean after many hours making a rocket... tadaa, the SPH/VAB doesn't work with that file loaded, the gui gets darker and nothing appears in the menu.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Guest

[Sharpy]

What really makes me angry at times is the little quirks of VAB/SPH that really make life difficult:

So, you wanted to move something up the staging sequence? Let me detach the part that was behind the icon!

The wings need to be adjusted by ten centimeters back? Let me flip the left wing 180 degrees and point across the middle of the plane

You want to detach that strut? It's somewhere in there, find the right pixel or two to hover over. If your mouse twitches by a pixel, you'll detach the carefully placed part it was attached to.

Want the lab module in SPH? Let's place it with exit towards the ground! (in VAB the exit faces the back wall. It's on the opposite side as the logo!)

Want to attach wheels? Let's turn them 90 degrees. Oh, found the right axis to attach them? Fine, you have your rover that drives backwards when you press forward! You should have attached that wheel to the LEFT side of the vehicle, and let the system mirror it on the RIGHT side! (and no, there are no visual hints which way is "forward" for a wheel).

If you want to stick that one part between two parts with symmetry, let me infect it with symmetry and place 8 copies of it all around. Oh, that one part was the whole launch stage: asparagus with thrust plate, 17 largest engines attached to the huge Kerbodyne tanks? Let's freeze for fifteen seconds to show you how eight copies of it look like. You wanted it in eight copies around the cockpit, right?

And vice versa, you wanted to move that Vernor engine a little back? Well, now you don't have the one on the other side anymore.

So, two bicouplers on the back of the plane, rocket engines outside, jet engines inside... that's mirror geometry, right? A mirror through the middle, jets near the mirror, rockets farther? Nope, that's Radial. But if you attach wings to that, and then wheels to the wings, one of the wheels will point upwards.

You wanted to set a new root part? Let me grab the whole craft and flip it upside down for you.

So you finally found the axis of rotation and are ready to attach that part? It doesn't want to attach to the node, floating right through it. Oh, "ALT" to the rescue! You press Alt. The part surely would snap again... once you rotate it to the right alignment!

and don't get me started on camera and moving the parts...

Are you sure you want to attach the engine to the node on the tank in front of the camera? Because I believe you should attach it to the shelves in the back of VAB. Or the floor. Or the left wall. Or the shelves on the other side. You want to look at it from a distance, okay, it's still by the far wall. Oh, clever, you stuck it into the VAB floor halfway and turned 90 degrees? Now it's on the floor right under where you wanted it, now just to carefully lift it to that node right above... GOTCHA! Wall of shelves again!!!

Nope, you can't look at that side of your craft. Can't zoom that far. So what that you're not even halfway through VAB? Better move your craft within the camera range. No, I've got a better idea. Let's move it into the wall of shelves!

The "Translate" control in SPH (drag with middle mouse button to move(translate) camera horizontally into any direction) is what seriously makes me build a lot of rocket designs there, simply because VAB camera drives me to despair.

---

you wanted to move the whole craft left, and moved it onto the parts list? Let's erase it whole. Nope, ctrl-Z doesn't work. It's as if you pressed "New" except without prompting to save.

Edited June 29, 2015 by Sharpy

[waterlubber]

1.0 onward. Crashes all the time. Hinders doing anything the stock game doesn't like. Seriously, I can't switch vessels in map mode until I exit to space center, view the tracking center, etc. That's stupid. The aerodynamic model and reentry heat doesn't let you have any fun, for "realisms" sake even though the planet is made of unobtanium.

[peachoftree]

I hate it when real crews sneak on to your tourist crafts

[Xyphos]

1. Isn't multi-threaded
   
2. Buggy 64-bit
   
3. Memory Leaks and Crashes
   
4. Lack of Size3 parts - batteries, reaction wheels, RCS tanks, docking ports, etc.
   
5. Mk3 cargo bay doors don't slide open, and often get clipped inside other parts; how unrealistic
   
6. Needs size2 Rapier Engines, I'm tired of spamming size1's on Mk3 planes.
   
7. Needs Vernor Quad or stronger RCS Quad blocks
   
8. Needs Size2 SRBs, to reduce part count of larger rockets.
   

[Sylandro]

That the only limit is your imagination.

[Megan]

That the only limit is your imagination.

...and, y'know, ~3.5 megabytes.

[Triop]

What I hate about KSP ?

It forces me to use mods for competing challenges done in this forum

Edit: Still don't use them, and I can't blame KSP for it, it's not their fault...

Edited June 29, 2015 by Triop

[Skylid]

The fact that 64 bit isn't stable for Windows yet, I can't use any visual mods without it crashing after a while. Not that it matters because my computer only has 4GB of RAM anyways. I need to upgrade it soon.

I also dislike how the Engineer's Report doesn't have dV/TWR readouts but that might happen in 1.1.

Dude, I'm still running ksp on my 8 year old pc. 2 gigs only, yet I can still get acceptable frame rates 28-50 even with 200 part ships. How? I don't know. It is also a vista POS so

[Tourist]

As a starting point I'd say I'd rather focus on the positive, than a negative. Hate is a strong word, with only negative connotations. So with that stated, what I think could be improved is;

More purpose for space stations. They are part the way there with the science bonus, but also perhaps ongoing bonuses to rep and budget by keeping engineers and pilots around. Maybe have the bonus diminish over time as the Kerbals get fatigued and need to be switched out (ie maintaine missions). Could be augmented by specific maintenance contracts. (this could also apply to bases).

A big, expensive, and scientifically extensive "endgame" project which would required the collection of science, money and rep after the tech tree is completed. Almost like a Wonder in civilisation.

Connected to the above two points, complex contracts. Such that multiple launch's, components needs to be sent, and conditions met. For instance, televise the Mun landing. Conditions, have TV satellites in orbit around Kerbin and Mun, test launch vehicles, land at specific place. Place flag. Return. etc.

[blackice504]

1. Isn't multi-threaded The dev and everyone wanted unity Engine so they have it and that does not support multi-core and only just recently supported 64bit a tech that's been out since 1994 and been mainstream since 2003
   
2. Buggy 64-bit Same as above They fools at unity trick people into using there ....ty .... pore game engine with ........, but what they don't tell dev's is it has no support for modern tech.
   
3. Memory Leaks and Crashes << yes i have noticed ksp seems to consume ram even when its not doing anything. devs really need to look at that.
   
4. Lack of Size3 parts - batteries, reaction wheels, RCS tanks, docking ports, etc. <<<< tweakscale
   
5. Mk3 cargo bay doors don't slide open, and often get clipped inside other parts; how unrealistic <<< yeah agree they should have spent more time making things solid, float, ect.
   
6. Needs size2 Rapier Engines, I'm tired of spamming size1's on Mk3 planes. <<<< tweakscale
   
7. Needs Vernor Quad or stronger RCS Quad blocks <<<< tweakscale
   
8. Needs Size2 SRBs, to reduce part count of larger rockets. <<< tweakscale it will save you ram as you do not need multiple models.
   

Tweakscale is a mode that gives you a UI to adjust the size of things this is something that should be in the game as it saves on parts thus saving ram for a game that has such limited resources "Unity" it should be done already, Thanks to Modders.

gimped Nvidia PhysX support, not only is it running in software mode CPU, it only runs on a single thread Because Unity is Single Thread. <<<< crazy for a game that has heavy physX use.

Unity the best way to limit your game.

Lets hope they drop the PS4 [bleep] and just get Unity 5 at leased that has native 64bit......

Seriously why the hell would you want to play a game like this on PS4 or Xbox or any other console......, you can't mod the game so your stuck with boring stock parts and very limited plane parts some parts don't even match each other ect, besides pc prices been so low now days its .... easy to make a pc for a similar price then your not limited by corp BS.

besides it would be easier to port a game that's more complete then porting something that is only half complete so i have no idea what the dev's are thinking or maybe funds are getting low and if that is the case they should maybe let people know.

I personally be happy to give some more money towards dev if that is the case, or they could do a merchandise run as well. "who would not want a little Kerbal figurine, or a model rocket, or even just a shirt or something if money is the issue.

One last note i really do think that KSP should look at some of the popular mods and implement ones that save there ass, Tweakscale been one, raster prop monitor, b9.

think of this scenario the new 1.04 has scan sats ect that would work perfectly with raster prop monitor especially docking cam's plus the other addon's to raster prop monitor, KAS and KIS add more game play mechanics. "building on other planets and more EVA stuff".

But that been said the leased they can do is fix the flaws of the game which is mostly unity related but they wanted unity so they got unity.....

For the most part i do enjoy the game and i only give criticism because i want the game to be better so please kidz remember that.

Edited June 29, 2015 by technicalfool
Why is that not in the word filter already?

[Sobriquet]

What really makes me angry at times is the little quirks of VAB/SPH that really make life difficult:

So, you wanted to move something up the staging sequence? Let me detach the part that was behind the icon!

The wings need to be adjusted by ten centimeters back? Let me flip the left wing 180 degrees and point across the middle of the plane

You want to detach that strut? It's somewhere in there, find the right pixel or two to hover over. If your mouse twitches by a pixel, you'll detach the carefully placed part it was attached to.

Want the lab module in VAB? Let's place it with exit towards the ground!

Want to attach wheels? Let's turn them 90 degrees. Oh, found the right axis to attach them? Fine, you have your rover that drives backwards when you press forward! You should have attached that wheel to the LEFT side of the vehicle, and let the system mirror it on the RIGHT side! (and no, there are no visual hints which way is "forward" for a wheel).

If you want to stick that one part between two parts with symmetry, let me infect it with symmetry and place 8 copies of it all around. Oh, that one part was the whole launch stage: asparagus with thrust plate, 17 largest engines attached to the huge Kerbodyne tanks? Let's freeze for fifteen seconds to show you how eight copies of it look like. You wanted it in eight copies around the cockpit, right?

And vice versa, you wanted to move that Vernor engine a little back? Well, now you don't have the one on the other side anymore.

So, two bicouplers on the back of the plane, rocket engines outside, jet engines inside... that's mirror geometry, right? A mirror through the middle, jets near the mirror, rockets farther? Nope, that's Radial. But if you attach wings to that, and then wheels to the wings, one of the wheels will point upwards.

You wanted to set a new root part? Let me grab the whole craft and flip it upside down for you.

So you finally found the axis of rotation and are ready to attach that part? It doesn't want to attach to the node, floating right through it. Oh, "ALT" to the rescue! You press Alt. The part surely would snap again... once you rotate it to the right alignment!

and don't get me started on camera and moving the parts...

Are you sure you want to attach the engine to the node on the tank in front of the camera? Because I believe you should attach it to the shelves in the back of VAB. Or the floor. Or the left wall. Or the shelves on the other side. You want to look at it from a distance, okay, it's still by the far wall. Oh, clever, you stuck it into the VAB floor halfway and turned 90 degrees? Now it's on the floor right under where you wanted it, now just to carefully lift it to that node right above... GOTCHA! Wall of shelves again!!!

Nope, you can't look at that side of your craft. Can't zoom that far. So what that you're not even halfway through VAB? Better move your craft within the camera range. No, I've got a better idea. Let's move it into the wall of shelves!

The "Translate" control in SPH (drag with middle mouse button to move(translate) camera horizontally into any direction) in SPH is what seriously makes me build a lot of rocket designs in SPH, simply because VAB camera drives me to despair.

---

you wanted to move the whole craft left, and moved it onto the parts list? Let's erase it whole. Nope, ctrl-Z doesn't work. It's as if you pressed "New" except without prompting to save.

Signed.

Sometimes somebody's words mirror (radially ) your own. An actual lol occured.

[steve_v]

The bugs, man, the bugs.

Launch a multi-module orbital assembly project, dock the last section and: the heating goes berzerk, everything explodes.

Launch rocket, clear atmosphere, stage fairings: something goes horribly wrong, everything explodes.

Enough. waiting until bugs fixed.

[Sharpy]

Signed.

Sometimes somebody's words mirror (radially ) your own. An actual lol occured.

Well, lost a big craft to the wall of shelves once.

I quickly tested the bare bones setup on the launchpad, with OKTO as the root part. Of course it was upside-down. it really needs some visual hints of "up" and "front"...

So, back to VAB. Building the craft, a really big thing. Then I recall the OKTO is still upside-down. So I detach the rest of the craft and move it to a side, then flip the OKTO.

I try to bring the craft back, but in the process the OKTO moved somewhere towards the shelves and the transparent craft refuses to move there. I pick the OKTO and start wiggling it around trying to bring it closer to the center, increasingly desperate as it tries to explore all corners of the VAB but absolutely refuses to move towards the center. Since the ship is in ghost state, I can't even pick a new root part and bring a new OKTO. In my increasingly desperate attempts an errant click makes me let go of the OKTO. It's somewhere... up, by the ceiling, in the back of the shelves.

I try to find it. Nada. In good ten minutes of looking I spot its shadow on the floor, by the lift in the back of VAB. Moving bogus parts and observing their shadow I locate the line on which OKTO resides, along the shelves.

Half a hour later I must leave. I save the craft and quit the game. After I load it, there's no craft. There's just the OKTO somewhere in the shelves. I'm not sure - maybe I still have the .craft file, I could post it for a "Where's Waldo" style game of "Where's OKTO?".

(yep, I realize "save as subassembly" might have saved the day; sorry I didn't think of it back then.)

--- In case devs are reading this - what could be done:

1. A dererministic control of moving the held part closer/farther. it can be that when "zooming" it moves with the camera, so if you want to look up close, you must drop it first.

2. There is no Zoom. There is only Rotate and Translate, including Translate Forward and Back. And there are no constraints other than VAB size. You can rotate to any angle, and translate to any location.

Edited June 29, 2015 by Sharpy

[includao]

Unity, bugs, lack of 64 bits support, good sometimes poor mod support, unity and of course unity.

[Streetwind]

Watching the community act increasingly rude and entitled with every new release...

[Snark]

Honestly, it's hard for me to find anything to hate about a game that I spent $30ish for that has kept me blissfully entertained for over a year, more than 1000 hours, to the exclusion of all other games, and I still eagerly play it every chance I get. It's pretty darn hard to beat that in terms of value for money.

Are there rough edges and things that occasionally frustrate me? Sure. However, I'm inclined to cut Squad a fair amount of slack here. They're a small indie studio and they're not working with a $50M budget. There are only a finite amount of developer-hours available each month, and there's simply no way for them to do everything that needs doing. All development is going to be an exercise in tradeoffs. Spend time making one thing better, and you sacrifice the opportunity to work on something else.

Virtually every annoying thing that somebody has mentioned on this thread, is something that I've encountered now or again, and agree with them that it's annoying... but the alternative is "what would they have had to give up if they had spent the time to fix that thing." I haven't observed anything yet that indicates to me that the folks at Squad are either dumb or uncaring. The mere fact that they've built a game that has hooked enough people to passionately fuel this thread is a testament to their accomplishment.

So if you see something annoying in the game, by all means raise it in the forums! That's exactly the sort of visibility that Squad needs so that they know what's paining the players most, so that they can focus their efforts. Just don't take it personally that it happened, or that it doesn't get fixed right away. Every single patch that has come out in the last year has added something interesting, and they've been great about that.

As for my personal pet peeves (hadda get that in somewhere) ...

- The game really needs some decent way to connect/dock things that are on the surface. Building a surface base is a major space exploration thing, and it's incredibly difficult/frustrating in stock KSP. Yes, it's possible with mods like KAS, but it shouldn't be necessary to mod to be able to do this. My hope is that they have their eye on this and just haven't gotten around to it. I guess 1.1 is all about Unity, but pretty please could we have this in 1.2, Squad?

- The Claw. The kraken. 'Nuff said.

[Starwaster]

I hate hate.

[foxkill2342]

The negative community.