So 1.4 is upon us....

[RealKerbal3x]

Went onto GOG.com, and 2 new downloads for KSP are available:

Kerbal Space Program (Part 1 of 2)

and:

Kerbal Space Program (Part 2 of 2)

I think this is 1.4, but which one should I download??

EDIT: D'oh. With more inspection, it says that the version of those 2 downloads was 1.3.1. I guess 1.4 is not out on GOG yet. Also, I hope my mods will not be broken!!!

Edited March 7, 2018 by RealKerbal3x

[NSEP]

Great update! Can't wait to check it out!

It was kind of unexpected tbh, i remember a guy saying 1.4 would never come, but look what we have now!

[DJWyre]

KER and Alarm Clock seem to be working but [x] Science! is broken.

Edited March 7, 2018 by DJWyre

[DAL59]

Visual mods also broken.  I'll wait a few months for all mods to update.

[purpleivan]

After  downloading 1.4 Bob, Bill and Val took a 3 seater for a quick trip to Kerbin orbit and back.

Val decided to check out the new personal parachutes, so bailed out to catch up with the guys on the ground later.

 

I did notice a couple of odd issues with this version.

Firstly the buttons to set screen resolution in settings seemed strangely unresponsive, as if there was a delay of a second or so, each time I clicked on them before I could click again, to increase resolution.

Secondly, there seems to be some sorting problems with the re-entry effects, which get rendered in front of the vehicle, even if they should be behind it.

Other than that, so far so good.

 

 

Edited March 7, 2018 by purpleivan

[Hotel26]

8 hours ago, kenshin23 said:

I got bombarded this morning with "Unsupported KSP version

I use Steam to download (when I know there has been a ne version released) and then I copy the KSP directory out to a separate location (away from Steam's reach) and I have 1.05, 1.2, 1.3 and now 1.4 all available, side-by-side.  No surprised and I move up when I choose.  In addition, I've been supported in the past when I was still on a back version but others who had this same capability to be able to run old versions.

I can't recommend this strategy highly enough because I did have an incident with Steam in which it used a new version to completely trash my saves (setting everything back to a virgin state) and only backups saved my bacon.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Hotel26

[MaximumThrust]

I may sound grump, but sorry, I didn't see anything worth the trouble of dealing with the updates and incompatibilities with mods this will cause. Mods are now in another level of quality than the stock game. I think updates should be more meaningful, and just add the mods as stock. Or be like addons/DLCs, that do not interfere with the base game.

I like Skyrim as an example, it just stopped updating, which allowed a very solid and inter-compatible mod database to form in some years, and almost all the trillion bugs to be fixed by the community. An "Special Edition" got released, but its less used than the original one.

About the features:

Got extremely disappointed with the stock texture changer and the new parts. Don't know if this will be helpful for modders, because many textures changers also needs to change the resources of the part.

The button to change between the VAB and SPH are nice, but I would use it very few times. Can live without.

The parachutes are cool, despite the looks of the bag didn't fit the modern space suit. But I only use to have some fun, not in a career game-play. I can do that in a secondary install (and probably won't).

Will keep my 1.3.1 install, and maybe in some months will update to get the new versions of the mods that probably won't be compatible with 1.3.1 anymore.

If you think otherwise, I respect that and hope you enjoy the game and the new DLC  But I think this things need to be said.

[Kerbart]

11 minutes ago, MaximumThrust said:

I may sound grump, but sorry, I didn't see anything worth the trouble of dealing with the updates and incompatibilities with mods this will cause. Mods are now in another level of quality than the stock game. I think updates should be more meaningful, and just add the mods as stock. Or be like addons/DLCs, that do not interfere with the base game.
(...)
If you think otherwise, I respect that and hope you enjoy the game and the new DLC  But I think this things need to be said.

Ironically, this is exactly what the community has been asking for, for years. “Don't give us new features, just fix what's not working”

So here we have a “mostly under the hood” release:

• New Unity Engine
• Bug fixes (did you notice that when you adjust the "target end" of struts in symmetry mode they now all move, not just the active ones? It's not even listed on the change log!)
• A few cosmetic updates that open the gates to modders (textures)
• An extension of the API (which is only beneficial for modders; obviously there's a commitment towards modders)

In short, it's exactly what “we” have been asking for, for a long time, and I'm fine if all future updates have a character like this; improve the mechanics of the game, but not a bunch of new features (each introducing new bugs).

The mods? Most of them likely just need to be recompiled and will be up and running within a week.

[djr5899]

Unfortunately for me, this new release just killed all the enthusiasm I had for Making History coming out next week. I was at 100% definitely buying on day of release and now I am 100% definitely not buying until a later date (if at all).  Odd time to release a small point release....right before a major release.   I really even have not spent too much time with 1.4, but in the limited testing I tried, I have found the following:

• Parts cut off in parts list.
• Parts not staying in fairing upon launch.
• For someone with a non-gaming system, the graphics changes are a killer.  For me, with a 100 part rocket, I see lag on take off until about 300m.  That is normal even on 1.3 versions.  But now, even with all graphics settings down, seems they have increased graphics depth of engines, to where the game lags enough that it is unplayable for me unless zoomed in to where you can not see any of the engine flames, or zoomed out to where my rockets are about a half inch in size on my display.
• Maybe it's just me, but I am seeing some really bad physics.  Very simple rockets seem to be very unstable.  Made a simple rocket today to test something.  Main stage with 4 boosters on radial decouplers, then a 2nd small engine stage and crew cabin.  Couldn't even get the thing to orbit, tipping over.  A rocket I have used many times in previous versions is now suddenly unstable?
• Text sizing is all wonky.  I run at 3200x1800 display and have to adjust UI scaling. UI scaling is at max (was at 1.3.x as well), but now multiple items are showing up with small, unreadable text.

Really, really disappointed. 

[deram]

Luckily Steam supported redownloading the 1.3.1.

From KSP title context menu, select Properties -> Betas, and from optin dropdown menu select previous_1.3.1, and it starts downloading automatically. After short download, all progress in career there and all mods working.

Thanks Steam, for making it possible, even if it was just the same Steam that auto-upgraded in first place.

Hope this helps anyone else with same problems.

[Gargamel]

On 3/4/2018 at 6:38 PM, Gargamel said:

So I'll have to wait for the 1.4 mods to catchup.  And again, they'll probably push out 1.4.1 to fix the normal bugs that arise, so I'll have to wait again.  

Color me not surprised.

[linuxgurugamer]

20 hours ago, Kerbart said:

The mods? Most of them likely just need to be recompiled and will be up and running within a week.

Really depends on how many mods someone has to rebuild.

 

[Gibster]

6 hours ago, deram said:

Luckily Steam supported redownloading the 1.3.1.

From KSP title context menu, select Properties -> Betas, and from optin dropdown menu select previous_1.3.1, and it starts downloading automatically. After short download, all progress in career there and all mods working.

Thanks Steam, for making it possible, even if it was just the same Steam that auto-upgraded in first place.

Hope this helps anyone else with same problems.

THANK YOU! YOU ABSOLUTE ROCKSTAR!

 

I didn't think it was possible to use older versions with Steam so I thought my saves were boned.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Gibster

[linuxgurugamer]

20 hours ago, MaximumThrust said:

I think updates should be more meaningful, and just add the mods as stock.

And then we come to the question of which mods to add as stock.

 

20 hours ago, MaximumThrust said:

Got extremely disappointed with the stock texture changer and the new parts. Don't know if this will be helpful for modders, because many textures changers also needs to change the resources of the part.

What are you disappointed about?  

 

20 hours ago, MaximumThrust said:

The button to change between the VAB and SPH are nice, but I would use it very few times. Can live without.

You can, but many other people are already finding it a blessing.

 

On 3/7/2018 at 1:47 PM, DJWyre said:

KER and Alarm Clock seem to be working but [x] Science! is broken.

Why don't you wait until the mods get updated?

[Moh1336]

A few minor graphical issues for me. The tops of all the icons in VAB are missing.

And there's this hideous legal waffle on load instead of the beautiful kerbal screens there used to be.

I guess I should be happy that's the only things that bother me. (well that and the obvious outdated mod issues)

I guess the question is, do I wait for my mods to be updated, or start over again and just add them back as they become available. Hmm. Choices choices.

[MaxwellsDemon]

Aside from the usual "don't poke the bears" advice, I'm not actually expecting a bunch of mod updates too quickly, for these reasons:

1.  I don't comprehend how extensive the changes were on the back end, and it's generally not a good idea to assume that things one doesn't understand are easy.  

2.  Making History is impending and it's already known that there will be a 1.4.1 in the near future.  If I were a mod programmer, I'd want to wait to see what those do before doing any heavy updating.

3.  Personally speaking, I'm still cruising along in 1.3.1 and I wasn't even planning on doing anything with 1.4 till Making History is available.

 

My two cents, your mileage may vary, etc.

Edited March 8, 2018 by MaxwellsDemon

[MaximumThrust]

On 3/7/2018 at 9:28 PM, Kerbart said:

Ironically, this is exactly what the community has been asking for, for years. “Don't give us new features, just fix what's not working”

So here we have a “mostly under the hood” release:

• New Unity Engine
• Bug fixes (did you notice that when you adjust the "target end" of struts in symmetry mode they now all move, not just the active ones? It's not even listed on the change log!)
• A few cosmetic updates that open the gates to modders (textures)
• An extension of the API (which is only beneficial for modders; obviously there's a commitment towards modders)

In short, it's exactly what “we” have been asking for, for a long time, and I'm fine if all future updates have a character like this; improve the mechanics of the game, but not a bunch of new features (each introducing new bugs).

The mods? Most of them likely just need to be recompiled and will be up and running within a week.

I think people are getting happy with crumbles. I ask for an engine that not load everything into RAM at each startup and a system to deal with ships with huge parts counts, like an auto-welder. Not things someone needs to tell me it's there to be perceived.

I don't use struts (because of a mod), but if I used, there a great collection of mods that make this function pretty irrelevant.

What gates will open? If you are referring to the texture switch, that already exists from ages and also changes the resources from the parts (something I don't know if the stock system do). About the "quality" of the stock textures, I simple replaced most of them with Ven's Stock Revamp or pruned the part (excluded from the game), using parts of another level of quality in the place, that's how much I like them.

The only reason I still have KSP installed is because of the mods, and some crucial mods I use are from 1.2 and happens to still function. Others don't. Ven's Stock Revamp, for example, got it last official update more than a year ago.

For me this update is just trouble to keep the mods updated and compatible.

[MaximumThrust]

6 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

And then we come to the question of which mods to add as stock.

A question much easier to answer than "why vital functions were not added to the game after 6 years?!"

There's a pretty good list of mods/functions that more of 90% of the players would approve if them become stock. There's someone opposed to KAC being stock?

 

 

6 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

What are you disappointed about?  

Was expecting that every tank would get that, and that would be a lot of good textures. But only a few parts got that, with few pretty lame textures. The icon in the parts just screams "look, this is something that was not properly finished".

[linuxgurugamer]

7 hours ago, MaximumThrust said:

A question much easier to answer than "why vital functions were not added to the game after 6 years?!"

There's a pretty good list of mods/functions that more of 90% of the players would approve if them become stock. There's someone opposed to KAC being stock?

Everybody has their own idea of what should be added as "stock"

And, of course, I have my own.  And while KAC is nice, I don't think it needs to be added as stock.  I do think it needs to be updated, it still has some very old code in it which isn't needed anymore.

[djr5899]

On 3/7/2018 at 9:10 PM, djr5899 said:

Unfortunately for me, this new release just killed all the enthusiasm I had for Making History coming out next week. I was at 100% definitely buying on day of release and now I am 100% definitely not buying until a later date (if at all).  Odd time to release a small point release....right before a major release.   I really even have not spent too much time with 1.4, but in the limited testing I tried, I have found the following:

• Parts cut off in parts list.
• Parts not staying in fairing upon launch.
• For someone with a non-gaming system, the graphics changes are a killer.  For me, with a 100 part rocket, I see lag on take off until about 300m.  That is normal even on 1.3 versions.  But now, even with all graphics settings down, seems they have increased graphics depth of engines, to where the game lags enough that it is unplayable for me unless zoomed in to where you can not see any of the engine flames, or zoomed out to where my rockets are about a half inch in size on my display.
• Maybe it's just me, but I am seeing some really bad physics.  Very simple rockets seem to be very unstable.  Made a simple rocket today to test something.  Main stage with 4 boosters on radial decouplers, then a 2nd small engine stage and crew cabin.  Couldn't even get the thing to orbit, tipping over.  A rocket I have used many times in previous versions is now suddenly unstable?
• Text sizing is all wonky.  I run at 3200x1800 display and have to adjust UI scaling. UI scaling is at max (was at 1.3.x as well), but now multiple items are showing up with small, unreadable text.

Really, really disappointed. 

After quite a bit of tinkering today, I believe I have resolved most of my graphics issues. Finding a balance between the correct display resolution and the correct graphics settings can be a pain in the butt.  But, with the adjustments I made, lowering resolution from 3200x1800 to 1920x1040, I think I am now actually getting better display/performance ratio than I was earlier.

This likely moves me back on the needle of purchasing Making History next week.

 

[eberkain]

On 3/4/2018 at 7:21 PM, SpacedCowboy said:

1.4 I'll take. As far as the DLC goes, being less than two months short of getting the freebie, I'll wait until the bad taste in my mouth subsides.

Sorry, but I think the eligibility for the DLC should have been pro-rated.

Really?   No more than the game costs and the number of hours we all put into it, you don't feel its a good value?  I'll probably end up buying 3-4 copies of everything and I've got no issue with that because its a great game. 

[Gargamel]

So, do we think 1.4.2 is it, or do we foresee a .3 on the way?

Asking for a friend. 

[Cpt Kerbalkrunch]

4 hours ago, Gargamel said:

So, do we think 1.4.2 is it, or do we foresee a .3 on the way?

Asking for a friend. 

When MH was released, I (somewhat jokingly) said in another thread we'd be seeing 1.4.8 at some point. I haven't really seen anything to change my mind but, if I were a betting man, I'd set the over/under at 4. Mostly because, at that point, we'll probably be seeing 1.5 instead. 

[klgraham1013]

1 hour ago, Cpt Kerbalkrunch said:

1.5

At this point, lets just get a stable version and be done with it.

[Cpt Kerbalkrunch]

22 minutes ago, klgraham1013 said:

At this point, lets just get a stable version and be done with it.

I wouldn't be opposed to that, but I think we all know more is coming. Whether it's more updates, DLC, or a sequel, I couldn't say. But T2 didn't buy the title just to declare it finished. At this point, which would you consider more likely: 1.5 or KSP2? Neither would surprise me.