Devnote Tuesday: Everyone Pitches In

[SQUAD]

 

 

Hello everyone!

Another week has gone by, signalling another batch of devnotes to be written. QA is ongoing and still focussing on the Unity 5 update, with the QA for new features that are coming in version 1.1 waiting patiently until this part is finished. Progress is being made: last week the developers were exclusively focussed on bugs that would impede the console certification for the game, but this week we’ve finished that part up and are looking at a broader spectrum of issues. Both groups of bugs impact PC versions as well, so they need to be fixed regardless and Flying Tiger have been working alongside us to speed up progress. Console releases are coming closer fast now.

Jim (Romfarer) has fixed a few gnarly issues with the staging functionality, which is great news because staging really needs to work smoothly to ensure an enjoyable gameplay experience. One bug in particular caused an issue where if you had multiple decouplers in a stage they wouldn’t all fire correctly when they were staged. This can be devastating to a mission, and we’re happy to see it working correctly now.

Even Ted, who usually makes sure other people do their work has joined in and tweaked the stiffness on landing legs, and we were not the only ones to have issues with that: a certain rocket manufacturer saw one of the legs on their rocket collapse on landing this week. A real shame, but a great attempt to land on a ship nonetheless. Ted will be attending the iGamer convention in Paris next week, so if you happen to be near there you can drop by!

It’s been non-stop development in QA then, and that’s not even mentioning the future planning that’s going on. So far we’ve fixed 283 bugs and issues in the Unity 5 QA period, and we’re not quite done yet. The seemingly endless retesting of tutorials, crossing i’s and dotting t’s, checking things work and trying (successfully in some cases) to break them has certainly paid dividend, Steve (Squelch) and Mathew (sal_vager) have given invaluable feedback.

What is coming to an end however is the countless hours Nathanael (NathanKell) and Dave (TriggerAu) are spending on the tutorial system. They’ve checked over, revised, or replaced all the tutorials: there are now six introductory tutorials featuring basic, intermediate, and advanced editor usage and flight; there are three Mun tutorials (getting there, landing, and returning), and there are the rest of the existing suite. They’re right to be proud of the result, the changes should prove to be a large improvement in terms of scope, detail and user-friendliness of the tutorials.

Gameplay tweaks are also being made, Brian (Arsonide) for example spent the few hours he had inbetween moving state making sure the contracts system became better integrated into the game, and he added a new feature as well. The game will now not only learn which type of contract you prefer (for example satellite deployment over tourist contracts), but also which destinations float your boat. The game will take note if you execute many contracts near Dres or Vall, and adjust the supply of contracts based on that information.

In anticipation of the future console releases Daniel (danRosas) has been designing new graphics: wallpapers, achievements, icons… the list is very long. There are also a few videos to be edited, which will be shown at the DICE awards. We’d like to thank StreetLampPro from Youtube for recording some excellent footage for us.

Users of our forums will have noticed that we’ve blocked links to the Mediafire file sharing service due to the content that website served. It’s perhaps the most drastic step we’ve ever taken with regards to content (linked) on the forums, but as Kasper (KasperVld) explained in the announcement post we felt we had a duty to protect the younger part of our audience. We’re also planning some maintenance on the forums next week, which will result in a small amount of downtime. More details will follow.

Finally, honouring our week-old tradition Joe (Dr Turkey) has written a poem. Dim the lights and recite in your smoothest voice:

Certification forms, rating forms,
I hate them.

Planning meetings, secret meetings,
They can be fun.

Reading invoices, approving invoices,
I’m just glad it’s not my money.

212 unread emails this week,
Make that 221.

 

[Frank_G]

Thank you for the update. Waiting for 1.1 gets harder each week

[hoojiwana]

Nice new tutorials! Some of those text boxes might be a little too wordy though, might be worth putting the useful information first then having flavour text afterward, or possibly split up the individual big text windows into multiple smaller ones so it doesn't appear to be a wall of text.

[Just Jim]

I am really happy to hear about the staging issue being fixed.  Some of my really big skycranes have multiple decouplers, and this could have been a big problem.

And I'm hyperventilating a bit reading about the changes to the contract system.  I really love building and expanding stations and bases, and playing with the tourists, and if the new system will recognize and adjust for this, I can easily see myself hitting 2000 hours sometime this year!!! 

Thank you SO much for all your hard work!!!

Edited January 19, 2016 by Just Jim

[smjjames]

"he game will now not only learn which type of contract you prefer (for example satellite deployment over tourist contracts), but also which destinations float your boat. The game will take note if you execute many contracts near Dres or Vall, and adjust the supply of contracts based on that information. "

How heavy is the adjustment? Like if you want to take contracts near somewhere else after doing lots of contracts at a location for a while? It shouldn't be so heavy as to shut out contracts from other locations entirely or have to decline lots and lots of contracts to get one somewhere else.

[capran]

19 minutes ago, SQUAD said:

 

 

Gameplay tweaks are also being made, Brian (Arsonide) for example spent the few hours he had inbetween moving state making sure the contracts system became better integrated into the game, and he added a new feature as well. The game will now not only learn which type of contract you prefer (for example satellite deployment over tourist contracts), but also which destinations float your boat. The game will take note if you execute many contracts near Dres or Vall, and adjust the supply of contracts based on that information.

 

Neat. This made me come up with a suggestion. How about making each planet feel a little more unique and interesting by having each planet/Mun have it's own theme soundtrack? Maybe even have different songs play depending on altitude! Perhaps a more sedate tempo when in high orbit, and a more attention-getting one when in low or sub-orbital flight?

[goldenpeach]

The new contract system seem promising!

 

also, nice poem Dr turkey! Short,sweet and funny
 

[LaytheDragon]

It appears that now, the "apps" at the top right are stacked vertically rather than horizontally.  Edit: This I don't mind too much.

The positioning of each stability assist direction button also appears to have been adjusted to fit next to the curved edge of the navball, rather than each button being in a straight row and column. I like this change, as it is aesthetically-pleasing.

In addition, I see that the bar showing how much fuel is in a stage is a bit thinner, and looks slightly different than in 1.0.5. Whether this is intentional or the result of an update-in-progress, I know not.

 

These are my observations on small differences in the provided pictures (not including the presence of new tutorials).

Edited January 19, 2016 by LaytheDragon

[magico13]

11 minutes ago, LaytheDragon said:

It appears that now, the "apps" at the top right are stacked vertically rather than horizontally.

There was a shot of KSP on the PS4 a little while ago that had the same change. Also notice that the SAS buttons are curved around the nav ball, there are some tweaks to the appearance of things like the staging menu, and the lighting on that craft in the VAB looks markedly different to me (can't tell if it's the lighting, textures, or the effect of shaders).

E: And the vessel/crew information buttons have moved to be part of the App Launcher.

E2: Ha, looks like we had the same observations after your edit!

Edited January 19, 2016 by magico13

[smjjames]

That could still change, it's a ways off from release.

[Guest]

37 minutes ago, SQUAD said:

<SNIP>

Even Ted, who usually makes sure other people do their work has joined in and tweaked the stiffness on landing legs, and we were not the only ones to have issues with that: a certain rocket manufacturer saw one of the legs on their rocket collapse on landing this week. A real shame, but a great attempt to land on a ship nonetheless. 

<SNIP>

Certification forms, rating forms,
I hate them.

Planning meetings, secret meetings,
They can be fun.

Reading invoices, approving invoices,
I’m just glad it’s not my money.

212 unread emails this week,
Make that 221.

 

Dropping more clues about possibly joining up with SpaceX?

@Dr_Turkey, I have much more, because of the forums...

Anyone else notice the VAB looks a bit...different.  It could just be me, but it looks darker.

[tater]

So the contracts will be more focused on worlds you've accepted contracts to---what about it not spamming you with contracts that you never take? Also, what if it only offers you lousy contracts to places you like (better put: is the quality of contracts being improved?)?

[Laie]

55 minutes ago, SQUAD said:

The game will take note if you execute many contracts near Dres or Vall, and adjust the supply of contracts based on that information.

I'm sure you mean well, but... no. Just because I've done something more than twice, that doesn't mean I want to do it  again.

A smart contract system will provide opportunities for what I want to do *next*. If you cannot come up with an oracle to learn our intentions, then by all means give us a more direct method of guiding(1) the contract system (*cough* filter by body *cough*). But reinforcing a well-trodden rut is no good-o.

(1) I'm not saying "control" because I don't mean 100% full control.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Laie

[Motokid600]

You need to at least make it so the player doesn't see the same contract type more then once. 

[SessoSaidSo]

Will the freezing/stuttering be fixed for 1.1?

[regex]

Quote

What is coming to an end however is the countless hours Nathanael (NathanKell) and Dave (TriggerAu) are spending on the tutorial system. They’ve checked over, revised, or replaced all the tutorials: there are now six introductory tutorials featuring basic, intermediate, and advanced editor usage and flight; there are three Mun tutorials (getting there, landing, and returning), and there are the rest of the existing suite. They’re right to be proud of the result, the changes should prove to be a large improvement in terms of scope, detail and user-friendliness of the tutorials.

I hope you guys are doing one for interplanetary transfers as well.  It's wonderful that we have the Mun tutorials, though.

Quote

Gameplay tweaks are also being made, Brian (Arsonide) for example spent the few hours he had inbetween moving state making sure the contracts system became better integrated into the game, and he added a new feature as well. The game will now not only learn which type of contract you prefer (for example satellite deployment over tourist contracts), but also which destinations float your boat. The game will take note if you execute many contracts near Dres or Vall, and adjust the supply of contracts based on that information.

How does one reset the weighting?  How does the player control the weighting initially?  Have the default average number of contracts been increased?  I applaud the effort to make the side-quest system more friendly but at the end of the day there's no real indication to the player that they're actually running a space program or have any real ability to steer the direction of said space program beyond taking a palatable contract or two as they (hopefully and luckily) pop up.

1 minute ago, Motokid600 said:

You need to at least make it so the player doesn't see the same contract type more then once. 

Well that would end your career real quick, now wouldn't it?

Edited January 19, 2016 by regex

[Hotaru]

50 minutes ago, SQUAD said:

 The game will now not only learn which type of contract you prefer (for example satellite deployment over tourist contracts), but also which destinations float your boat. The game will take note if you execute many contracts near Dres or Vall, and adjust the supply of contracts based on that information.

I have to say I don't think this is a brilliant idea. I can, to be honest, think of a hundred different ways in which it will drive me up the wall, and not a single one in which it will be helpful. For a start, just because I'm not taking a certain type of contract now doesn't mean I won't want to take that contract later. Maybe I just haven't unlocked some key part, or I'm focusing on a specific goal that favors one type of contract over another. Same goes for destinations: if I'm sending all my missions to Dres, that just means I happen to have a Dres program going at the moment. Sure, it'll be nice that the game figures that out and starts handing me Dres-related contracts--but what happens when I've finished with Dres and want to move on to Eeloo?

A much better way, in my opinion, and not to mention simpler to implement, would be to simply ask the user what they'd like to do. Have a screen in Mission Control where they can select a planet or two to focus on. So I select Duna, Ike, and Dres and I'll only get contracts that send me there for a while. Later on I finish up with those, or get bored of them, and I deselect them and pick Eve, Gilly, and Moho instead. Now I get contracts that send me there.

Same kind of deal for different contract types. Here every option starts selected (if you're far enough into the game for it to be available), but you can deselect any contract types you don't want right from the start. Much easier and more straightforward than waiting for the game to notice I never take part test contracts, or whatever.

What I'm saying is, why bother trying to guess at what the user wants when you can just ask them what they want?

[regex]

1 minute ago, Hotaru said:

A much better way, in my opinion, and not to mention simpler to implement, would be to simply ask the user what they'd like to do. Have a screen in Mission Control where they can select a planet or two to focus on. So I select Duna, Ike, and Dres and I'll only get contracts that send me there for a while. Later on I finish up with those, or get bored of them, and I deselect them and pick Eve, Gilly, and Moho instead. Now I get contracts that send me there.

Same kind of deal for different contract types. Here every option starts selected (if you're far enough into the game for it to be available), but you can deselect any contract types you don't want right from the start. Much easier and more straightforward than waiting for the game to notice I never take part test contracts, or whatever.

What I'm saying is, why bother trying to guess at what the user wants when you can just ask them what they want?

It would almost be like ... running a space program.

[legoclone09]

In the VAB screenshot I noticed a Search All Parts at the top.

 

Thank you! We always wanted that!!!

[smjjames]

19 minutes ago, CliftonM said:

Dropping more clues about possibly joining up with SpaceX?

@Dr_Turkey, I have much more, because of the forums...

Anyone else notice the VAB looks a bit...different.  It could just be me, but it looks darker.

It actually does look darker, you're right. Those spotlights are also gone.

We know there are lighting changes in U5, so, it's probably from changes in U5.

[klgraham1013]

58 minutes ago, SQUAD said:

secret meetings

So...  There are non-secret meetings...

Now where'd I put that stenograph and plane ticket to Mexico?

56 minutes ago, hoojiwana said:

Nice new tutorials! Some of those text boxes might be a little too wordy though, might be worth putting the useful information first then having flavour text afterward, or possibly split up the individual big text windows into multiple smaller ones so it doesn't appear to be a wall of text.

Yep.  Brevity should be an obsession when writing tutorials.  Walls of text will just turn people off.

[softweir]

Excellent DevNotes!

1 hour ago, SQUAD said:

 

Users of our forums will have noticed that we’ve blocked links to the Mediafire file sharing service due to the content that website served....

 

Could Squad please use the word "advertisements" instead of "content". The use of the word "content" is the cause of confusion, as it leads people to believe that the files KSP players are uploading and linking to are the problem when the problem is with the inappropriate adverts Mediafire insists on showing to game players.

[hoojiwana]

2 minutes ago, smjjames said:

It actually does look darker, you're right. Those spotlights are also gone.

We know there are lighting changes in U5, so, it's probably from changes in U5.

Looks like the lighting decals B9 did (scroll down to "The Ride Never Ends) have gone.

[Racescort666]

I read "everyone pitches in" and immediately visualized this. Squad, you guys are great, keep up the good work. I can't wait for 1.1 to drop and sink my teeth into 64 bit goodness. I've taken to playing KSP on my work computer which as quite a bit of power and I can't wait to test it out.

[smjjames]

6 minutes ago, hoojiwana said:

Looks like the lighting decals B9 did (scroll down to "The Ride Never Ends) have gone.

No surprise that they took a hit because we know theres a different lighting system in U5.

Could just be a temporary state since they're still running the U5 QA.