to Squad, future development, money and releases; shut up and take my money ;)

[thaflya]

Hello everyone,

i am a very big Fan of KSP since the Alpha. I have played this game hundreds of hours and I know there will be plenty more of hours I will play in the future.

Well, this game got released quite time ago. 99% of the people who are interested in the game have bought this game. Nevertheless Squad is still developing the game and adding new content aswell as improving the code and the game mechanics. And I love Squad for doing this!

I hope that Squad keeps developing and polishing the game also in the future. And here comes in what worries me. Squad dont earn much money now cause the majority of players allready bought the game, so the development must stop sooner or later, and I am afraid that it is sooner.

So I write this post to ask Squad for something like a DLC or Addon or Standalone-Addon. Something I can pay for and throw my money at Squad (I dont like to donate, I want to Invest).

I made many thoughts what can be done or released which won't upset or split the community and the loyal fans of this game. So it came to my mind that there is kinda big fanbase for the SuperRealism mods. Mods which change the Solar System to our real one, change sizes of planets, distances; isp, trust, size and weight of parts to real Human Earth parameter for example. So maybe Squad can releas a Full Realism (as far it is possible with the engine) overhaul Version of the game. Me, and I guess many of the players would like to buy such a game. So Squad would get some money, and imho they deserve it after this long time of developing and good work. On the other hand this kind of release won't upset the owners of the normal KSP, cause they wont miss anything in the game which stays the way they love it.

I write all this cause money is neccessary for any future devlopment of the game. And I don't want that this development ends for as long as possible.

I am interested in commands and thoughts of the community.

[mythic_fci]

DLC's already planned to be added at some stage. I highly dislike the idea of DLC myself, however. When you pay for a game, you're supposed to be paying for everything it offers, instead of having to buy seperate packs to enhance functionality. Also, it might cause issues for crafts that claim to be "pure stock" when in fact they use DLC parts which may be unavaliable to others. I'd prefer a "donate" button for those who want to give more money to Squad.

[EladDv]

I too think it's a good thing for squad to release a DLC or a standalone version , I don't think they should do it just yet. In my mind ksp is not yet complete and they should work on a DLC at least after a major overhaul to the visuals, career mode and science system, oh and multiplayer too.

[cantab]

Squad dont earn much money now cause the majority of players allready bought the game, so the development must stop sooner or later, and I am afraid that it is sooner.

This is why there are the console ports.

As I see it KSP has good expansion pack potential. Something big and significant that adds real new gameplay and visuals, upping the system requirements over the base game if need be.

There's less potential for DLC in its usual a bit here and a bit there sense, because most small things will already be done by mods. Though the console side of things might be more receptive to that if mods on console aren't possible.

I feel though that even with Unity 5, KSP is held back somewhat by its engine. I don't want to see Squad working on KSP forever, I want to see their new ideas and also see a KSP 2 running on an engine designed for the task.

[Frozen_Heart]

I support the idea of DLC, as long as its properly done.

Its a shame companies such as EA have ruined the idea of it, with microtransactions, day one DLC, and generally only bringing out half the game and expecting you to buy the rest again.

Things such as base building, 5m parts, future tech, and other star systems would be good examples. Things that don't fit in the base game and a lot of players wouldn't want, but many do want.

[Vanamonde]

Squad has no intention of issuing DLCs, guys. There was a controversy a while back, so they've been clear about it since.

[Streetwind]

There's an easy way to throw money at Squad: buy additional KSP copies.

You can then give these copies away to friends and try to infect them with Space Fever, or even do something silly like a raffle/giveaway on the social media of your choice. Generates extra publicity for the game and makes the winners happy. Though I suppose you'd need a minimum amount of followers for that to make sense.

[herbal space program]

For my part, I think they should do a handful of things to enhance playability of the existing game, like some sort of basic multiplayer mode, some sort of additional content for the existing planets, especially in the context of career mode, and then pretty much call it done. After that, they can always add little free expansions to keep everybody excited, consisting of maybe a handful of new parts or some easter eggs. I know that they have to implement the new physics engine, but after that I think they should also stop messing around with the fundamental parameters of how things work.

Then they should really take a step back and decide how they want to move the game forward. Once they’ve got a clear vision, I think they should set it forth and then offer everybody the chance to re-up to stay on board. I know I’d gladly cough up significantly more than the 20 bucks I had to the first time around to keep them at work making the game bigger and better. I guess like Streetwind suggested I can buy a copy for the Xbox too, although I don’t think I’d actually play in there.

[I_Killed_Jeb]

I would pay for DLCs like having the kerbalizer feature integrated into stock

[RocketPropelledGiraffe]

I think DLC and microtransactions are the original sin of 21st century gaming.

Give me a complete, fully-fledged add-on and I will gladly pay good money for it. Especially if it comes with a nice theme:

35-40 bucks for KSP: Humans on Duna!, or KSP: Explore the Oort Cloud, or KSP: Generation Ships to Kerbin 2? Any time, count me in!

5$ for 10 new spaceplane parts? No thank you.

I really hope Squad will go the first route...

[Curveball Anders]

There's an easy way to throw money at Squad: buy additional KSP copies.

You can then give these copies away to friends and try to infect them with Space Fever

This is the method I've been using, works well on kids

[rdwulfe]

I think DLC and microtransactions are the original sin of 21st century gaming.

Give me a complete, fully-fledged add-on and I will gladly pay good money for it. Especially if it comes with a nice theme:

35-40 bucks for KSP: Humans on Duna!, or KSP: Explore the Oort Cloud, or KSP: Generation Ships to Kerbin 2? Any time, count me in!

5$ for 10 new spaceplane parts? No thank you.

I really hope Squad will go the first route...

I'm completely with you here, RPGiraffe. I'd even consider multiplayer to be an expansion, considering how much of an overhaul I know it'd take to produce, many changes under the hood of the game that was not designed for it. Hopefully something much more stable and wonky than DarkMultiplayer (which I love, let's face it, but Squad's version should not be so bolted-on.)

I'd also not mind paying for a huge expansion (something that adds A LOT of content. Not a few additional parts. New gameplay modes. New destinations. Maybe even a Mission Control that interacts with the multiplayer to allow people to all control aspects of one company... or modes that allow us to be in separate companies concurrently. Yeah. I'd like that.)

Anyway. Rambling. I too do not mind paying for real expansions, but DLCs are.... meh.

[TMS]

Squad has no intention of issuing DLCs, guys. There was a controversy a while back, so they've been clear about it since.

Not really.

The only clarity was that people who bought the game before a certain date (April 30th, 2013) would have all future DLC packs (referred to as 'expansions') for free. Anybody who purchased after that date will have to pay for any DLC.

This was committed to as a means of capitulating to the people who felt they were being hard done by, after Felipe made an off the cuff remark about content (or what some people regarded as core content) being potentially put into a future DLC package.

I assume this was relatively easy to commit to if Squad (as they indicated at the time) genuinely had no plans for DLC. In effect they were giving away nothing more than a hypothetical, non-existent DLC for free.

I wonder if their plans are still the same? Doubt it. So many of those plans have changed over the last few years.

Anyway, the forum announcement has died (naturally) and all that's left is the comments, so you'll need to rely on Reddit (naturally) to get information about this.

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/1c5zmi/official_statement_on_expansions_dlc_and_the/

[Renegrade]

I guess like Streetwind suggested I can buy a copy for the Xbox too, although I don’t think I’d actually play in there.

I think he meant more copies on Steam or such. I've bought additional copies myself to distribute to friends via Steam (although I personally prefer the Store edition of KSP, I don't think it offers gifting capabilities, does it?).

[Xavven]

Developers need to put food on the table just like the rest of us. That said, I'm with RocketPropelledGiraffe. While microtransactions have been show to be hugely profitable, I personally hate that payment model. When Squad needs more money, I hope they start working on KSP 2 (not a patch but a sequel).

A sequel lets you make what would otherwise be largely game-breaking changes. Perhaps Squad could use a different game engine and build something bigger and better with a larger development staff. We could finally get planets with axial tilt. Perhaps KSP 2 would have a bigger focus on colonization (I watched The Martian a few weeks ago, heheh).

[WinkAllKerb'']

this

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/237811/500_games_launched_per_day_on_iOS_last_year_and_other_digital_sales_facts.php

& that

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouroboros

even doing it's best none could buy all game from all platform not even speaking about dlc ... that tend to make the ouroboros even worst ....

[thaflya]

I dont say they should add content through a dlc. I am no fan of micro payment dlc like the well known horse armor for example, in fact I hate them. But there are 1000 of other ways too release something that enhance the KSP experience and gives us the possibility to pay for.

Well, long story short, keep developing KSP, and if u need money, give us the chance to pay for something.

[Fiddlestyx]

I thought Squad was actually an marketing company or something, and as such KSP is not their main source of income.

Also, if you want to support KSP buy extra copies and give them away, that's what I did.

Edit: Here is a good read, http://www.polygon.com/features/2014/1/27/5338438/kerbal-space-program

Edited November 15, 2015 by Fiddlestyx

[TMS]

Squad are not short of money.

Over 1 million steam sales alone, unknown number of direct sales, small scale staffing, and the possibility of multi-platform commerce.

Even accounting for heavy taxes, Valve's cut and staffing costs (albeit at Mexican rates)... they're not exactly living on ramen.

[oglommi]

I hate DLC. I'd rather see a KSP 2.0.

[Streetwind]

I thought Squad was actually an marketing company or something, and as such KSP is not their main source of income.

The way I understood it, Squad was conceived as an "idea factory" of sorts. They wanted to get a team together, build some initial capital, and then do something on which everyone agreed that they wanted to go there.

The marketing/event stuff, that was the process of building capital. Developing KSP wasn't initially thought to be the company's future, but I imagine it helped a lot - probably to the point of no longer having to do the marketing stuff. Though admittedly I know nothing about what Squad is doing beyond publishing the game. They must have other employees, doing other things outside of KSP's team, but I couldn't tell you what it is.

Source: http://www.polygon.com/features/2014/1/27/5338438/kerbal-space-program

"[Marketing] was never our passion," says Ezequiel Ayarza, the other cofounder of Squad. "Not ever." (...)

"Ever since the beginning of the company," he says, "it was always us trying to find new, exciting things for our clients. But also new ways out of the marketing business."

[Tourist]

Squad has no intention of issuing DLCs, guys. There was a controversy a while back, so they've been clear about it since.

As noted above, they Squad has already scotched the idea of DLC. Although personally I have no objection to DLC per see... so long as the fullfill the role expansion packs used to, back in the dark ages of gaming when the internet was in its infancy. I don't like the way modern gaming is going with DLC and microtransactions gating off stuff, you by all rights have already paid for.

Again, even thought its purely hypothetical, I'd be ok (and would buy the heck out of) things like, different systems, specific "campaigns", etc.

I think Squads strategy to keep this ship moving along is the Console ports.... and you know what, its worked on me, I'll buy it just to see what its like. I'm sure many others will too.

Also, and I know its a way down the track, but I'd love to see Squad build on what they have learnt from this game, and see what they come up with next. I hope it's still in the space genre.

[Coyote27]

[quote name='FCISuperGuy'] I'd prefer a "donate" button for those who want to give more money to Squad.[/QUOTE]

Bay12 seems to be doing respectably well relying ONLY on a donate button.

[ModZero]

[quote name='Coyote27']Bay12 seems to be doing respectably well relying ONLY on a donate button.[/QUOTE]

You can find their reports [URL="http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153856.0"]here[/URL], 5-6k$ in a month (for two people!) is a "good" result for them, and that's a considerable improvement over what I remember from the last time I checked. Part of that is even mine, but while that's fine for an enthusiast or two living in a not-too-expensive place, KSP couldn't be made on that budget.

[Tourist]

[quote name='FCISuperGuy'].... I'd prefer a "donate" button for those who want to give more money to Squad.[/QUOTE]

Not sure about this one, its not like their a kick-starter, Youtuber or a charity. They are a business, a moderately successful one at that. They make money by selling things (and there is nothing wrong with that).

It just seems a little perverse. Imagine going into a local bakery, giving them a tenner because you liked the harm and cheese roll bought and paid for last last week, then walk out without taking any more harm and cheese rolls (I'm hungry).