Patches/Expansions, Gameplay, and 1.05

[KerikBalm]

A lot of people complain when a KSP update (1.0, 1.02, 1.04, and now 1.05) makes something not work that used to work.

However, this happens all the time in games, even very polished games.

Consider Starcraft/Starcraft2 - there was patch after patch tweaking gameplay balance, making strategies that used to work stop working.

Then there were expansions that fundamentally changed the way some units worked. The basic idea is that the gameplay is improved, something was likely overpowered and a change was needed to make an overall improvement to gameplay (although "improved" is subjective).

So, I'm not a priori opposed to any changes that result in my craft not working anymore (although I will use it an excuse to .cfg file edit to get around a change, since this game has much more persistance than starcraft games, for example).

I don't mind too much that this craft no longer works:

As you can see... even in 1.04, the rear wings were approaching the limit of their heat tolerance... I've concluded that there is simply no way to get this craft back down from orbit in 1.05 now... those 1200K tolerance wings will not survive reentry, not even with a large etroburn bringing my speed below 1,600 m/s, not with as shallow of a rentry as I can possibly do... they just won't survive kerbin reentry (I .cfg file edited it back to KSC, and have retired the design).

Fine, I will adapt, and use parts intended for spaceplanes, with 2400K heat tolerance.

Reentry heating is more relevant for gameplay, I consider this a gameplay change, and possibly for the better... the FAT-455 wings have a role that overlaps with the goliath now I guess.

My design can now deal with much higher temperatures -still need to test reentry, but the lowest heat tolerance is now 2000 instead of 1200 - it should work now

The buoyance changes, and new aero parts:

I love them!

People may say that it loses focus on space... but one of the "space" challenges I've had before is the challenge of how to get something to another planet.

Getting this to duna was quite a challenge... how does one space that? no free atachment node, and lots of aerodynamic surface to screw up a rocket launch...

Now, I've got little Juno spaceplanes to space, which should be fun on laythe,

I'm working on sub designs... for laythe... those will surely be a challenge to space... and sub designs for Eve? probably going to have to use a 3.75m heat shield and a fairing to get them to even survive rentry... a huge spaceing challenge... awesome...

but my biggest complaint: the ISRU changes.....

Not the addition of small ISRU with heating and concentration drawbacks... but the heating changes to the big drills and ISRU.

Why?

What purpose does this serve? All you have to do is slap on a pair of radiators... the added weight is rather inconsequential.

There's no design challenge here, all it does is break old designs and drive up part count.

Designs that are often sent very far away, that take a long time to get there, and aren't as easily replaced as something that only goes to LKO

What does this mechanic add to the gameplay?

Why was this change made? I just don't understand the logic behind it?

What am I supposed to do? .cfg file edit on some radiators to my Duna ISRU?

Such .cfg file editing is a pain, and again, I don't see the point....

[RoverDude]

Answered this for you in another thread would just add that we intentionally made sure your existing bits would still work sans radiators, but at, obviously, a lower efficiency. And your ISRU actually got a buff to compensate.