Assimilating Mods Into Stock

[ZooNamedGames]

1.6. The next update for KSP is named "To Vee Or Not To Vee" and is the next update in a line of updates since 1.3 that have not only focused on replacing all the old art assets one update at a time, but also slowly assimilating mods into stock. Though this is great for those who always use those mods, but I'm more concerned for the mod makers in KSP. So far I've seen partial implementation of Texture Replacer (helmet removal), now part of KER, Take Command, Parachute Mods, and more.

Though I'm glad that they are becoming part of the game, I'm wondering how the mod developers feel about their mods being assimilated into KSP. Do you mod makers get any warnings? Any voice in these developments? Do you like it?

[HebaruSan]

34 minutes ago, ZooNamedGames said:

Though I'm glad that they are becoming part of the game, I'm wondering how the mod developers feel about their mods being assimilated into KSP.

I don't feel that's an accurate way to characterize it. SQUAD are developing their own implementations of features that were first implemented in mods, not taking modder-created content and adding it to stock. The mods are still different and separate, and in most cases can probably still be installed and used alongside the new stock functionality.

34 minutes ago, ZooNamedGames said:

Do you mod makers get any warnings?

Everyone can see the "KSP Loading..." announcements before the release.

34 minutes ago, ZooNamedGames said:

Any voice in these developments?

Probably only in cases where actual mod content (models, textures, code) has been incorporated, since that's effectively a sale of assets from modder to SQUAD, which I don't think has happened in quite a while. SpacePlanePlus? Beyond that, it's their game and they can add what they like.

34 minutes ago, ZooNamedGames said:

Do you like it?

As opposed to being stuck permanently with a less featureful game out of a misplaced sense of loyalty or ownership? Sure.

This is pretty much how it's supposed to work. Vendor releases a product, users identify gaps in functionality, some enterprising expert users develop solutions themselves, eventually vendor interprets that development as votes for features.

[Superfluous J]

If they implemented the two (tiny) mods I still maintain (sporadically) I'd be elated. Less work for me.

[IanCanberra]

Would love to see better tutorials for all parts.

[Gargamel]

On 12/15/2018 at 1:09 AM, HebaruSan said:

I don't feel that's an accurate way to characterize it. SQUAD are developing their own implementations of features that were first implemented in mods, not taking modder-created content and adding it to stock. The mods are still different and separate, and in most cases can probably still be installed and used alongside the new stock functionality.

This is the thing.    They have not implemented ideas or concepts that are unique to a mod.  They are fixing holes in the gameplay that mods have been required to do for some time.   If they were to create an all encompassing auto pilot feature, automatically recovering stages when they drop out of physics range in the atmosphere, or forcing orbital scanning to only cover the areas they have passed over, then that would be incorporating a mod. 

I thinks it's the difference between saying "You should be able to do this in KSP" while paying the game, and "I really wish I could do this in KSP" while not playing the game. 

[HeliosPh0enix]

3 hours ago, Gargamel said:

This is the thing.    They have not implemented ideas or concepts that are unique to a mod.  They are fixing holes in the gameplay that mods have been required to do for some time.   If they were to create an all encompassing auto pilot feature, automatically recovering stages when they drop out of physics range in the atmosphere, or forcing orbital scanning to only cover the areas they have passed over, then that would be incorporating a mod. 

I thinks it's the difference between saying "You should be able to do this in KSP" while paying the game, and "I really wish I could do this in KSP" while not playing the game. 

That's kind of how I see it.  Many mods are there to fill holes in the game or fix some its issues (see Take Command).  Naturally, to improve the game, Squad has to fill these holes in the stock game, which just so happen to have mods filling them at the moment.  If Squad avoided adding anything to stock that mods did not already have, the game would never grow.

[Missedtrashday]

I know that it really isn’t a game impacting mechanic, but I can’t believe that Chatterer hasn’t been incorporated into the stock game yet. The difference in my satisfaction and immersion with or without that one mod is ridiculous. Plus, the mod is already scalable, so if you don’t like it as much as me, you can select anything from constant chatter to completely disabled. 

 

Edited December 17, 2018 by Missedtrashday

[klgraham1013]

I think most modders would be thankful if the hole they were plugging got filled by Squad.  They do have lives outside of KSP after all.  Squad is the one getting paid to make the game, not modders.  Mods should be restricted to "wouldn't it be cool if" and not "how in the world did it take 5+ years for this to make it into the game?"

Edited December 17, 2018 by klgraham1013