To be honest, I don't really like the redesigned Terrier and Poodle.*NOW with a poll!

[Johnny Wishbone]

Having played for a couple weeks with the redesigned engines in the latest update, I have to say I'm really not a fan of the new look for either one.

The reskinned Terrier now looks too generic and plain; it lacks the character the old look had.

The reskinned Poodle just looks bad. I really don't like the double engine bell look at all. If it was a lifting engine, it would make more sense. But the Poodle seems to be more of a landing engine than a lifter, and the double bell look is just out of place in that scenario to me. The more I've tried to use it in my designs, the less and less I like it. And yes, I did read the dev notes where they explained why they went this route with the Poodle; it doesn't change my opinion.

I'm sure there are fans of the new looks and thats fine. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong for what they like. Just expressing my opinion of why I don't like these two particular changes.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Johnny Wishbone

[Ub3rshadow]

me neither. There's a reason i'm still playing on 1.4.5, though i will probably update once i get my new pc (performance and stuff)

[Snark]

I don't have particularly strong feelings about the Poodle one way or the other-- it's not an engine I tend to use very often.  My landers usually aren't big enough to need that much oomph... and on those occasions when I do need a heavy lander, I'm as like as not to use a quartet of Terriers just for the design flexibility, even though it's marginally less efficient.  (Big landers seem to tip over easily, need a really wide stance-- so I'm likely to put radially-attached fuel tanks around a central core, put Terriers under them, and attach the landing legs there. Widens the stance, and also lets me lower the CoM since the central stack doesn't have to have an engine under it.)

As for the Terrier, personally I adore the new look-- the old one always seemed too cartoony to me, I just never cared much for its appearance.  I'm not particularly a graphic-design connoisseur, so it was never that big of a deal for me; but I really like the new design.

As you say, it's a matter of taste and different people like different things, so that's just my personal taste and, like you, I understand other folks may differ.

@Johnny Wishbone, if I might offer a suggestion?  This thread seems like the poster child for a poll.    How about adding a couple of poll questions?   "How do you like the new Poodle" and "How do you like the new Terrier".  Suggested voting options for each would be:

• It's way better
• It's somewhat better
• It's a toss-up / don't care
• It's somewhat worse
• It's way worse

[Daveroski]

5 hours ago, Johnny Wishbone said:

Having played for a couple weeks with the redesigned engines in the latest update, I have to say I'm really not a fan of the new look for either one.

The reskinned Terrier now looks too generic and plain; it lacks the character the old look had.

The reskinned Poodle just looks bad. I really don't like the double engine bell look at all. If it was a lifting engine, it would make more sense. But the Poodle seems to be more of a landing engine than a lifter, and the double bell look is just out of place in that scenario to me. The more I've tried to use it in my designs, the less and less I like it. And yes, I did read the dev notes where they explained why they went this route with the Poodle; it doesn't change my opinion.

I'm sure there are fans of the new looks and thats fine. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong for what they like. Just expressing my opinion of why I don't like these two particular changes.

Oh that's a shame. I quite like it. I have to come up with a new nickname for it now though.. I can't keep calling it 'The Nipple'

D.

 

[Fourjays]

I much prefer them. Especially the ability to switch it to a truss. Fits really well with the base plates for making engine clusters too. I just did 3x Terriers set to the "base" appearance attached to a 1.875m baseplate for my rocket's trans-Munar stage. With the old appearance that would have been impossible without it overhanging the edges.

[RealKerbal3x]

39 minutes ago, Fourjays said:

I much prefer them. Especially the ability to switch it to a truss. Fits really well with the base plates for making engine clusters too. I just did 3x Terriers set to the "base" appearance attached to a 1.875m baseplate for my rocket's trans-Munar stage. With the old appearance that would have been impossible without it overhanging the edges.

I agree, the bare variants make clustering engines so much easier

Plus, we’re seeing SQUAD systematically killing tankbutts, which is always good.

[Johnny Wishbone]

@Snark: thank you for the suggestion. I have added the polls with my own flavor for choices.

[CobaltWolf]

They're an improvement but still not as nice as I'd like them to be.

[cineboxandrew]

They both completely lack AO, and the poodle's engine bell is a really weird, almost spherical shape that makes no sense

[klgraham1013]

I like the poodle in general.  It finally looks something like a vacuum engine.

The 909 looks alright when it's naked.

Both could certainly be better, but I've come to terms with needing mods for KSP to look good.

[Tyko]

I have a hard time answering your poll because your question/answers aren't really about whether I like it "better than the old versions"' I like the new models a LOT better than the old models, but that doesn't mean I think they're perfect.

Sadly, at the end of the day it doesn't matter that much to me because I'll be playing with ReStock, or maybe Ven's, depending on how long it takes ReStock to launch.

[Johnny Wishbone]

5 minutes ago, Tyko said:

I have a hard time answering your poll because your question/answers aren't really about whether I like it "better than the old versions"' I like the new models a LOT better than the old models, but that doesn't mean I think they're perfect.

Sadly, at the end of the day it doesn't matter that much to me because I'll be playing with ReStock, or maybe Ven's, depending on how long it takes ReStock to launch.

But you did answer the questions; you like them a lot. 

I think you’re trying too hard. The questions ask if you “like the new look”, which implies “better than the old look.” Also, neither question is asking about perfection; simply if you like the new skins and to gauge your like/dislike along a silly 5 point scale. 

Not everything in life needs to be spelled out explicitly. You’re not under oath here and I seriously doubt any answer you give here will come back to haunt you someday. Its just a silly poll for fun.

[Waxing_Kibbous]

The terrier and poodle are at the very least Kerbin system workhorses, you see them a lot when working locally. That said, I think the new designs are way more appealing than the previous ones which were a bit exaggerated in style.

[snip] Give a proper critique if you have a beef with the new designs. Post some images with actual pluses and minuses, state how you would improve the current designs, etc.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Vanamonde

[OrbitsR4Sissies]

The new Poodle reminds me of the twin RL-10 engine Centaur upper stage, which makes it look like it fits the role as it is an upper stage.

The new Terrier looks a lot better as used for Lunar Module Descent Stages and loses the extra useless shroud (although the foil look was nice). The three looks really help for appearances.

[Superfluous J]

I don't like the default terrier, but the trussed one is good and the bare one is possibly my favorite new engine.

The new poodle is leaps and bounds better than the old one.

[steve_v]

Squad:

 

Nertea & co:

 

I know which one I like better...
Squad's parts are getting better, but they're not there yet. Still pretty "Meh" by comparison to many of the mods out there.
Waiting impatiently for the "restock" terrier.

 

[Tonka Crash]

The Terrier is an improvement to me but the Poodle is a missed opportunity. There should have been a 1.875m variant and it looks too simplistic. I do like the busier four nozzle versions Nertea's group came up with, but I wonder if I'll still be alive by the time they release their revamps. 

[Espatie]

It seems odd to me to have double (or more) bell engines when there are engine plates for us to do that ourselves. I would like a half-poodle so I can make a 1.5-poodle or double poodle engine plate if I want.

[NorthernDevo]

I like the new engines in general; I wouldn't say they're spectacular but nicer than the previous versions.

Like @Snark, I tend to avoid the Poodle as a lander engine, though it does excellent service as a transfer/DOI stage for a mid-size science lander. I'm using D-Magic science bits and you can stuff a lot of 'em into a 2.5m Service Bay.

I'm a bit...ambivalent about the Poodle's twin-bell design; though it's certainly better than the previous one that looked like a sink plug. I quite like the 909 though - it could be better but for a stock part it's really quite nice.

Overall, I like what Squad's doing with their model changes - it's looking better all the time - though I must say the Mk-1 Command Pod now looks WAAAAY too much like a plumb-bob.  I like the earlier one better. 

Nice conversation, @Johnny Wishbone!

Cheers! 

[Vanamonde]

Some posts have been removed or edited. Expressing opinions about the game is pretty much the reason the forum exists. You don't have to like or care about the opinions of others, but there's no avoiding them on the forum and there's no need to get confrontational about them when you do encounter them. 

[RealKerbal3x]

The new Poodle is certainly an improvement, but I think that it should have a couple variants, for example a 1.875m ‘bare’ one.

Regarding the new Terrier, I think it’s a big improvement over the old version. Plus, the ‘bare’ variant makes clustering engines so much easier.

[cyberKerb]

I quite like the twin bell poodle. Reminds me of the Vesta engine from the KW Rocketry mod. (I have to admit, I did use that engine just for visual appeal, so getting this new Poodle is the base game a delight.

The new Terrier will need to grow on me... This is to take nothing away from the lovely new design though.  My personal reasons are the previous orange and black style is just so iconic and hard to forget and having played so long. I'll kind of miss not seeing those distinct colors in Minmus / Mun landing shots.

Otherwise, love the effort and I look forward to falling in love with these too

[Rocket In My Pocket]

I'm incredibly disappointed by the entirety of the new part line up to be honest.

Why exactly did we throw KSP's entire unique look out the window in favor of boring, lack luster (Unity's fault more-so but still) attempts at photo realism? Why don't they retexture the Kerbals to a nice shade of "human tan" while they're at it?

KSP used to have personality, it used to have a visual identity, I could pick a KSP rocket out of a line up of 3D rocket models easily. Now it looks like every other space game on the market. We won't even get into what a pain sorting through several dozen parts that are all "nondescript white" is, it's like no one who worked on it took five seconds to understand why something like different sizes of decoupler or fuel tanks were all different colors/paterns before. As my grandfather says; "Before you remove an old fence, you should ask yourself why it was ever built in the first place." This new look is technically superior sure, but it has a supreme deficit of character, soul, and charm.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Rocket In My Pocket

[steve_v]

45 minutes ago, Rocket In My Pocket said:

KSP's entire unique look

If you are referring to the craptastic mismatched "junkyard" look, good riddance.

 

46 minutes ago, Rocket In My Pocket said:

We won't even get into what a pain sorting through several dozen parts that are all "nondescript white" is

Personally I think that that is a sorting problem, not a part-design one.
 

48 minutes ago, Rocket In My Pocket said:

different sizes of decoupler or fuel tanks were all different colors/paterns

Leading to "cobbled-together from a junkyard" looking spacecraft, see comment 1.
Visual cues to size and purpose are fine though, the orange in the image I posted could just as easily be used to denote, say, "2.5m vacuum engines" as "Rockomax". I prefer the latter really, but whatever.
 

[Rocket In My Pocket]

45 minutes ago, steve_v said:

If you are referring to the craptastic mismatched "junkyard" look, good riddance.

Leading to "cobbled-together from a junkyard" looking spacecraft, see comment 1.

Everyone is going to have their own opinion about what "looks good", but little green alien Kerbal ships shouldn't look carbon copies of real life human ships.

I'm not against a visual "redesign" but this was a pretty unimaginative direction to take it. The parts just look boring and uninspired now.

I mean, where is the artistic flair? The personal touch of style? The creative spark? The new parts are all cold, sterile, and lifeless. Maybe that appeals to some people? I certainly don't like it; I miss my junkyard rockets, that style was what defined KSP for years and years. I'm not being a stick in the mud, and hating on it just because it changed, I was very excited to see them revamp the textures, I just assumed they were going to keep the games visual identity mostly intact while doing so. I've tried to avoid complaining about the Making History DLC, but I think the march towards real life influences started there, and now all our parts look like real world copy cats. If you like that better, then I'm happy for you, but to be fair; we already had tons of mods for people who wanted true to life looking rockets. I mean it's not ruining the game for me, I'm not gonna stop playing, but; I just can't even get motivated to screen shot my newer rockets, I find the authentic looking parts to just be very boring on a visual level.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Rocket In My Pocket