PS4 Version

[Martin Moon]

I've played KSP on PS4 for a good number of hours since launch. I started with sandbox to get right in and figure out the controls, after jumping in a premade ship I flew to Mun (ran out of fuel in Mun orbit). I was really struggling with the controls and after two crashes in the VAB I figured I would try the tutorials. They started making me feel better, as I got a better grasp of the controls, until the docking tutorial which although it went pretty smoothly it made me realize real problems with the RCS controls when mixed with the already cumbersome scheme and the lack of SAS when using the cursor (the biggest problem in my opinion) makes the true KSP experience impossible at its current state, and really just presents a game with many features locked behind the difficulty of UI as maneuvers I could achieve on PC I cannot on PS4. SQUAD I love your game and really wanted it to work on PS4, but it needs keyboard & mouse capability or at least a more well thought out scheme on the DUALSHOCK4. Thank you. UPDATE: I'm loving it.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Martin Moon

[Foxster]

There's a good reason KSP was developed on and for the PC in the first place...

[Mr Shifty]

Why isn't the touchpad used for the cursor, one wonders.

[Motokid600]

I was watching it and I gotta say it looks clunky as can be. Controlling a mouse cursor with a joystick? Idk about that...

[Swacer]

I can see some of the frustration.  I downloaded this myself yesterday and went right for the tutorials. 

One thing I didn't understand was their default use of the motion sensor in the controller, I think that actually was MORE clumsy than anything since I move my wrists around while I play.  However, being able to shut that off was huge.

Another thing I noticed is that without a fully detailed "controller scheme", its difficult to know how everything works.  I checked multiple times, but couldn't find anything that told me by clicking L3, that it would go between "mouse pointer" and "controls".  Finding this out solved so many frustrations, but really, this is something that should have been detailed from the beginning. 

Another issue like that is the cycling view.  Its confusing when you hold L1, and hit "D-pad DOWN" and that shuts your engines off, but if you just CLICK L1 and Dpad DOWN, it cycles your focus.  Twice I had to quit a tutorial because I couldn't understand why I kept getting focused on the sun until I figured this out.  A tutorial should exist JUST to tell you how the buttons work, otherwise you're stuck doing trial and error until you figure it out.  Now, its not as frustrating when you're in tutorials to figure that out, but I can see the massive frustration if you attempt to go right into the game and figure it out as you go.

The other issue I've personally had was understanding why there is no tutorial for re-entry or how to connect orbits.  In the get to orbit mission, you complete that, and then it says you can send the capsle back to earth if you wish.  How about actually showing me how to do that?  I attempted to do that and actually skipped right back out into space after briefly starting re-entry.  For Orbits  (yes, I did the orbit tutorial prior), I am doing the Mun Part 1, and it says that I should align the orbits.  I spent 20 minutes adjusting manuvers trying to do what it wants me to do, and couldnt' do it.  The programmers have to give more detail on what they want.

Overall I think its a great game, and once you figure out how to do everything, I'm sure it will be even better, but really...PLEASE add more detail to the tutorials.

Finally, I have no problem with moving the mouse pointer with a joystick.  If I want to click something, quick L3, do what I need, then L3 and back under control.  Maybe its because I play PS4 and rarely touch a computer, but I don't think its that bad personally.

 

One question I do have though, for the visual settings, I believe it is UI Interface that is turned down entirely, what is that for?

Edited July 15, 2016 by Swacer

[klesh]

I have watched probably 10+ hours of PS4 players streaming, trying to help them with the concepts.  The person who did the best was willing to do the tutorials; the others wanted lolsplosions first.  

The one thing I can say everyone had the most frustratingly fiddly time was people trying to adjust maneuver nodes.   If you thought the nodes were finicky with a mouse and mousewheel, they appear to be much harder to use with the controller I watched someone struggle with a Mun encounter trajectory, going back and forth between having no periapsis and crashing into the Mun, to a Periapsis of 2,000,000m.   They basically go "close enough" and went with it.  I was telling them to get a Periapsis of 30km, and that simply was not going to happen  .

Universally, everyone seemed to really enjoy the idea and concept of the game, but were hitting a frustration wall based on the controls.  

[Martin Moon]

Oddly I've had an easier time adjusting nodes on PS4 than with a mouse. However after just starting to get into a career, just brought my first batch of science from Mun, the game crashed and all my save data was corrupted... Talk about disheartening. I might have to wait for some updates, and with two companies involved in development and PS certification  that could take months.

[DD_bwest]

4 hours ago, Swacer said:

I can see some of the frustration.  I downloaded this myself yesterday and went right for the tutorials. 

One thing I didn't understand was their default use of the motion sensor in the controller, I think that actually was MORE clumsy than anything since I move my wrists around while I play.  However, being able to shut that off was huge.

Another thing I noticed is that without a fully detailed "controller scheme", its difficult to know how everything works.  I checked multiple times, but couldn't find anything that told me by clicking L3, that it would go between "mouse pointer" and "controls".  Finding this out solved so many frustrations, but really, this is something that should have been detailed from the beginning. 

Another issue like that is the cycling view.  Its confusing when you hold L1, and hit "D-pad DOWN" and that shuts your engines off, but if you just CLICK L1 and Dpad DOWN, it cycles your focus.  Twice I had to quit a tutorial because I couldn't understand why I kept getting focused on the sun until I figured this out.  A tutorial should exist JUST to tell you how the buttons work, otherwise you're stuck doing trial and error until you figure it out.  Now, its not as frustrating when you're in tutorials to figure that out, but I can see the massive frustration if you attempt to go right into the game and figure it out as you go.

The other issue I've personally had was understanding why there is no tutorial for re-entry or how to connect orbits.  In the get to orbit mission, you complete that, and then it says you can send the capsle back to earth if you wish.  How about actually showing me how to do that?  I attempted to do that and actually skipped right back out into space after briefly starting re-entry.  For Orbits  (yes, I did the orbit tutorial prior), I am doing the Mun Part 1, and it says that I should align the orbits.  I spent 20 minutes adjusting manuvers trying to do what it wants me to do, and couldnt' do it.  The programmers have to give more detail on what they want.

Overall I think its a great game, and once you figure out how to do everything, I'm sure it will be even better, but really...PLEASE add more detail to the tutorials.

Finally, I have no problem with moving the mouse pointer with a joystick.  If I want to click something, quick L3, do what I need, then L3 and back under control.  Maybe its because I play PS4 and rarely touch a computer, but I don't think its that bad personally.

 

One question I do have though, for the visual settings, I believe it is UI Interface that is turned down entirely, what is that for?

L3 toggling the cursor is found under the rest of controls under the ? icon on the side of your screen.  the same tab will show the map screen controls, which will include r1 and l1 cycling what you focus on.   it is often easy to accidentally change your focus, but it does take long to cycle yourself back,  especially if your only at the sun since its 1 click away.

also on that side of the screen is a small white book with a blue rocket on it.  This is the Kerbal space pedia that will tell you much of what you need to know, and when to do specific manuevers.  This includes getting back from orbit, and aligning your orbital inclination with a target body.  Deorbit is as simple as lowering the PE within the atmosphere and you will eventually slow down enough, but personally i usually set it at around 30km as that height will work for both moons and even duna returns. 

if your trying to align an orbit, the burn has to take place at either the ascending node, or decending node, otherwise you will simply change where your inclinations meet.  so you burn either normal or anti normal at the node to align them.  if your creating a maneuver, you can visually see when reaches approximately alignment when you see the ascending node/descending node swing wildly and flip sides.  Unless what you mean by align is bringing your orbit up to reach the Muns for an intercept point,  that what is called an Hohmann transfer.   its done at different times depending on your orbit in relation to the target body.  one thing you can do is create the node that enlarges your orbit out to the mun, and then slide the node around your orbit until you notice it intercept.

i havent done the training in a long time and i know they've changed, ill try to get to my ps4 later to see the mun 1 to see what its trying to ask you to do.  and this game is essentially mostly trial n error lol  so get used to failing  

[Martin Moon]

Okay I'm officially still having a blast playing on PS4. I have faith in a few months of patching up to 1.2 this will exceed my expectations, and I'm really starting to appreciate how well it does play on PS4. Theres kinks to work out for sure, but I'm honestly loving it even after my corrupted save data crash.

[Majorjim!]

Just now, Martin Moon said:

even after my corrupted save data crash.

This in my mind could be a game killer. Is there anyway to back up PS4 save files? As KSP almost requires you to back up game saves and also .craft files due to corrupting game bugs.

[DD_bwest]

4 minutes ago, Majorjim said:

This in my mind could be a game killer. Is there anyway to back up PS4 save files? As KSP almost requires you to back up game saves and also .craft files due to corrupting game bugs.

if you have PS plus you can upload to there,   alternatively one can copy the save to a USB key,

[Caneng]

After playing for about 6 hours yesterday my biggest issue is maneuver nodes for sure.  Maybe some have learned tips and tricks but I'm with poster above i just try to get it close enough and "eyeball" the burn from there.  And for nodes it's not just the delta adjustment but also moving it along your current trajectory can be tough (i find getting focus on the right part of the node is the challenge.  I also find it challenging to zoom over to the object you're trying to intercept or slingshot around (ie mun) to see the effects of the node on your trajectory.  If anyone has tips or tricks i'm all ears.

Otherwise, I find the basic controls are ok and having a thumb joystick for flight control works well for me.  "Mouse" control by thumb can be a pain during construction when trying to get alignment on a part just right.  Support for a bluetooth mouse would be appreciated in a future update for sure.

 

 

[Martin Moon]

Caneng, do you know there is a precise control by holding L1 or R1 in the VAB? Aswell as for flight by holding L1 or R1 and I think long tapping triangle (It might be a regular tap)? P.S. Just put a probe in Eve polar orbit with relative easy... I'm getting better.

55 minutes ago, Majorjim said:

This in my mind could be a game killer. Is there anyway to back up PS4 save files? As KSP almost requires you to back up game saves and also .craft files due to corrupting game bugs.

And yeah I'm going to have to remember to back up my save data regularly.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Martin Moon

[Caneng]

1 hour ago, Martin Moon said:

Caneng, do you know there is a precise control by holding L1 or R1 in the VAB? Aswell as for flight by holding L1 or R1 and I think long tapping triangle (It might be a regular tap)? P.S. Just put a probe in Eve polar orbit with relative easy... I'm getting better.

And yeah I'm going to have to remember to back up my save data regularly.

I didn't know that.  Thanks for the tip.  I find in flight things seem ok but it is a light touch or things go bad real quick...most of my early rocket attempts were fire starters.

As for maneuvers, i hope they add something for when a node is active like holding triangle and pressing L2 and R2 increases/decreases Prograde for instance.

Good work on Eve orbit.

[DD_bwest]

yea my game crashed while above tylo,   i was gonna get all 5 moons and jool trophies in a single launch..

 

but it currupted my save.   as far as i am concerned the game is broken and unplayable in its current state.

[QPDO]

I guess the KSP Pre Launch Checklist should include saving the game to PS Plus or USB.

[Majorjim!]

5 hours ago, QPDO said:

I guess the KSP Pre Launch Checklist should include saving the game to PS Plus or USB.

Lol imagine if they announced the bug.. Hey guys! before you buy this game back up your saves regularly as we have released it with a save breaking corruption bug.. If I had spent money on it on console I would be fighting to get my money back.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Majorjim

[DD_bwest]

theres a trophy for a kerbin fly by..  still at 0%.   anyone got ideas to what this is?

im thinking about trying to initiate an encounter while in orbit of the sun. and then never circulize

[FoulHand]

I can't figure out docking.  If I'm in docking mode I can't roll pitch yaw, if I'm in staging mode I can't translate.  How can I do both without having to switch to my cursor.

[FoulHand]

In the tutorial when you get to 5k press and hold left stick forward.  All that does is pitch you!  what

[DD_bwest]

2 hours ago, FoulHand said:

I can't figure out docking.  If I'm in docking mode I can't roll pitch yaw, if I'm in staging mode I can't translate.  How can I do both without having to switch to my cursor.

are you playing career or sandbox?   one trick i always use for docking is to always have a level 3 pilot on both ships,  or top level SAS.  this allows the game to aim your ship at a target, specifically at the docking port, and switch to the other ship, control it from that docking port and have it pointed at the docking port of your first ship.  

and i believe tapping X in game while in docking mode you switch between rotation and linear controls.