My two cents

[Robdjee]

Dear Kerbonauts, Squad Staff,

As of now i've been a huge fan for 6 years and i nearly have 1500 hours on record. I love how far KSP has grown over the years but now, with KSP 2 coming, i'd like to have my voice heard. In my opinion the are some changes that could be made to make KSP feel better. I have read the rules and looked into the most asked questions but i have not been active at the forum for long. So, forgive me if some things have been discussed at length before. Most of these are quality of life improvements, in my opinion. Allow me to share my suggestions:

1 Folders for contracts: I like to kill multiple birds with one stone. My missions therefore handle multiple contracts at once. Not being able to change the order in which contracts are displayed can be very confusing and inefficient. Grouping them in folders with custom names would definitely make specific missions easier to plan and execute. 

2 Instant timewarp change: I have missed plenty of burns and unintentionally lithobraked into several celestial bodies because the timewarp factor does not change instantly. It gradually changes when use the key inputs. I don't know wether this is physically impossible but i would love more control using timewarp.

3 Momentary option in action groups: Action groups are great. An option to make an action key momentary (i.e. Hold vs Toggle) would be greater. The new axis controls partly implement this. But having this option, in addition to incremental and absolute mode, would help increase control options.

4 option to adjust min-0-max values: Currently you can adjust min and max values on control surfaces. I would like this to be available on all axis controls. Also, if you could set the neutral value, this would save a lot of time rotating control surfaces and what not. In some complicated builds that is impossible to do with any precision as of now.

5 panning map camera: Perhaps this is huge feature to implement but i struggle getting good feedback in the map screen. Especially when i am editing maneuver nodes in a distant system. Being ably to simply pan the map screen, as opposed to rotating it around fidgety focused objects, would make life a lot easier i think. I think a keyboard key would be the way to go so you can use the mouse more precisely (and not click on the wrong things and get all kinds of yellow information you don't want).

6 Panning editor camera: This is in the same vain as the point above. You can currently pan the camera in the editor view. But the range and direction is limited and reacts differently in both editors. I think a keyboard input would be the way to go as well. This might make using the mouse more precise.

7 Give Minmus some friction: This would apply to all celestial bodies more or less. I suppose it also has to to with the amount of gravity. I think this would also be more than a simple tweak. The reason i bring this up anyway: i once spent 20 minutes watching Jeb slide down a gentle slope on Minmus. His top speed was about 1m/s if i recall correctly. Just enough to not be able to do anything. All i could do was watch his limp body gently slide miles away.

8: Not make Kerbals ragdoll (too easily and long) when they stumble: See the point above. I would like some way to react to stumbles. Perhaps using the EVA jet-pack.

9 VAB & SPH Button in Esc menu: Sure you can revert to editor in sandbox games. That's great. But i would like similar options in career mode as well. This would also eliminate an unnecessary loading screen.

10 Option to remove launchclamps (and other parts) from staging: This is already possible for decouplers and fairings. Why not include launchclamps to this list? This would help prototyping moving machines and things like helicopters. In fact, why stop at launchclamps? Could this be a standard feature for any part?

11 Use EVA jet-pack while on ladders: To me this is a minor point and more of a feature then quality of life improvement but i would love this option. I recently saw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6COUW00CL0&t=768s . It blew me away. But it pained me to see him nudge everything together with an EVA jet pack. Also think of the contingency options if all you have left is a Kerbal and his EVA jet-pack fuel.

12 Fix scroll bug in vessel description: It is simply annoying that you cannot scroll your vessel description page in the editor without it glitching out. (Perhaps it is just me who has this problem?)

Thank you for hearing me out.


Kinds regards,

 

 

Edited October 1, 2019 by Robdjee

[ZooNamedGames]

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

1 Folders for contracts: I like to kill multiple birds with one stone. My missions therefore handle multiple contracts at once. Not being able to change the order in which contracts are displayed can be very confusing and inefficient. Grouping them in folders with custom names would definitely make specific missions easier to plan and execute. 

There exists a mod (forget the name) that already does this, though an option for categorized view of contracts in stock would be an welcomed addition.

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

2 Instant timewarp change: I have missed plenty of burns and unintentionally lithobraked into several celestial bodies because the timewarp factor does not change instantly. It gradually changes when use the key inputs. I don't know wether this is physically impossible but i would love more control using timewarp.

Tapping . , (hotkeys for timewarp increase/decrease) repeatedly or clicking the lowest arrow on the timewarp UI typically comes to a halt much faster. Still isn't instanteous, but maybe this can help as I've made some sudden stops spamming the hoykeys and that almost always works. 

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

3 Momentary option in action groups: Action groups are great. An option to make an action key momentary (i.e. Hold vs Toggle) would be greater. The new axis controls partly implement this. But having this option, in addition to incremental and absolute mode, would help increase control options.

Again, I'm sure TweakableEverything (I think that's the mods name) allows this but if not, adding it into stock couldn't hurt though it should be under advanced tweakables regardless. 

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

4 option to adjust min-0-max values: Currently you can adjust min and max values on control surfaces. I would like this to be available on all axis controls. Also, if you could set the neutral value, this would save a lot of time rotating control surfaces and what not. In some complicated builds that is impossible to do with any precision as of now.

This is a good idea. But I'd also just like a toggle to basically flip their responses. As I'm tired of having an entire wing sweep one way, but one control surface decides to be the black sheep and goes the opposite way. So annoying.

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

5 panning map camera: Perhaps this is huge feature to implement but i struggle getting good feedback in the map screen. Especially when i am editing maneuver nodes in a distant system. Being ably to simply pan the map screen, as opposed to rotating it around fidgety focused objects, would make life a lot easier i think. I think a keyboard key would be the way to go so you can use the mouse more precisely (and not click on the wrong things and get all kinds of yellow information you don't want).

You can focus on maneuver nodes by doubling clicking on them or switching through objects in map mode with [ and ] . 

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

6 Panning editor camera: This is in the same vain as the point above. You can currently pan the camera in the editor view. But the range and direction is limited and reacts differently in both editors. I think a keyboard input would be the way to go as well. This might make using the mouse more precise.

If you don't get the control you want, you can jump from the SPH to the VAB or vice versa to get into a tight crevice the camera might not allow you to in one editor. Hope this helps. If it doesn't, consider getting HangerExtender. Makes it a lot easier if nothing else works.

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

7 Give Minmus some friction: This would apply to all celestial bodies more or less. I suppose it also has to to with the amount of gravity. I think this would also be more than a simple tweak. The reason i bring this up anyway: i once spent 20 minutes watching Jeb slide down a gentle slope on Minmus. His top speed was about 1m/s if i recall correctly. Just enough to not be able to do anything. All i could do was watch his limp body gently slide miles away.

Yeah that is kind of an annoying problem. Honestly any sort of control over the rag doll would help. Even if it's just moving limbs or something. Friction as a whole for objects is also nonexistant (sleds don't really work since parts weigh too move to move but Kerbals are too light to get any compression between the ground and them). 

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

8: Not make Kerbals ragdoll (too easily and long) when they stumble: See the point above. I would like some way to react to stumbles. Perhaps using the EVA jet-pack.

Addressed above. 

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

9 VAB & SPH Button in Esc menu: Sure you can revert to editor in sandbox games. That's great. But i would like similar options in career mode as well. This would also eliminate an unnecessary loading screen.

This option is available if activated as a custom game mode. I know since I keep trying to play revertless career runs, but keep needing to make tweaks and keep having to force returning to the editor. Note: this option is not available if you spawn the vessel, leave it (ie go to the Tracking Center, Space Center, etc).

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

10 Option to remove launchclamps (and other parts) from staging: This is already possible for decouplers and fairings. Why not include launchclamps to this list? This would help prototyping moving machines and things like helicopters. In fact, why stop at launchclamps? Could this be a standard feature for any part?

Weird request but I don't see any reason why this shouldn't be stock. 

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

11 Use EVA jet-pack while on ladders: To me this is a minor point and more of a feature then quality of life improvement but i would love this option. I recently saw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6COUW00CL0&t=768s . It blew me away. But it pained me to see him nudge everything together with an EVA jet pack. Also think of the contingency options if all you have left is a Kerbal and his EVA jet-pack fuel.

You addressed improving EVA flight and I think the same comment I mentioned earlier applies here too. Needs improvement as a whole.

On 10/1/2019 at 8:31 AM, Robdjee said:

12 Fix scroll bug in vessel description: It is simply annoying that you cannot scroll your vessel description page in the editor without it glitching out. (Perhaps it is just me who has this problem?)

I've never written novels in the vessel description but this seems to be a rather simplistic issue to rectify and really has no reason not to be. 

[The Aziz]

On 10/2/2019 at 9:41 PM, ZooNamedGames said:

You can focus on maneuver nodes by doubling clicking on them or switching through objects in map mode with [ and ] . 

 

Excuse me? It's been YEARS and I didn't know about it

Seriously, how many hidden but unbelievably useful features this game has? I'll probably never know.

[fulgur]

If you press [TAB] and [SHIFT-TAB] you can cycle through ships and also focus on whichever nodes you want.

[Robdjee]

@ZooNamedGames, thanks for you reaction. Very thorough.  I am aware of a lot of mods but i was trying to point out welcome additions, as you put it, in my opinion.

-So you say tapping , is faster than cancelling timewarp? Gotta try that ASAP. 

-Also, yes focusing on maneuvre nodes is helpful but what i miss is control before placing nodes and general easy of clicking on the right thing in map mode.

-You said: ''Note: this option is not available if you spawn the vessel, leave it'' excactly.

-''I've never written novels in the vessel description'' lol  seems like fun

@The Aziz & @ZooNamedGamesI cant seem to focus on a node by double clicking or using [ or ]. Tab works though, of course. @fulgur Shift- Tab does not. Shift = throttle so makes me burn and Shift-Tab = steam overlay.

Edited October 4, 2019 by Robdjee

[The Aziz]

3 hours ago, Robdjee said:

@ZooNamedGames
-So you say tapping , is faster than cancelling timewarp? Gotta try that ASAP. 

I call that panic warp drop. It's literally it, when I'm too close to maneuver/surface/other vessel and I'm at too high warp speed, I hit the button rapidly and it stops almost immediately.

[IncongruousGoat]

7 is unlikely due to physics reasons; you'd have to give Minmus's surface a very (unrealistically) high coefficient of friction to make this work. Though I would like to see different coefficients of friction for different bodies, with the icier planets and moons being more slippery than the rocky ones.

8 is also unlikely, just because it'd be hard to develop at this late stage of the game. It's hard to see a way for Kerbals to react to ragdolling that is both specific enough that it's possible to develop, and also not so situational that it's useless.

I really like the rest of the suggestions though. 1 would come especially handy in RSS/Principia saves, where high time warp combined with intensive physics calculations makes the game slow to a crawl once you've got more than a couple vessels in orbit. It's very hard to stop time warp with any level of precision when the game is running at less than 1 frame per second.

[Robdjee]

On 10/5/2019 at 1:22 AM, The Aziz said:

I call that panic warp drop. It's literally it, when I'm too close to maneuver/surface/other vessel and I'm at too high warp speed, I hit the button rapidly and it stops almost immediately.

@The AzizYeah.. too bad.. did not really help me. Lost another 2 kerbals because the game did not recognize the atmosphere fast enough

On 10/5/2019 at 5:03 AM, IncongruousGoat said:

7 is unlikely due to physics reasons; you'd have to give Minmus's surface a very (unrealistically) high coefficient of friction to make this work. Though I would like to see different coefficients of friction for different bodies, with the icier planets and moons being more slippery than the rocky ones.

8 is also unlikely, just because it'd be hard to develop at this late stage of the game. It's hard to see a way for Kerbals to react to ragdolling that is both specific enough that it's possible to develop, and also not so situational that it's useless.

I really like the rest of the suggestions though. 1 would come especially handy in RSS/Principia saves, where high time warp combined with intensive physics calculations makes the game slow to a crawl once you've got more than a couple vessels in orbit. It's very hard to stop time warp with any level of precision when the game is running at less than 1 frame per second.

@IncongruousGoat
7: Why would that be unrealistic? who's to say what the proper friction should be? That which works is proper, right? And yes, different frictions would be nice.

Also, thanks. And lol at playing KSP with 1 fps...seems very frustrating :p

 

[Red Iron Crown]

#2 is already implemented, pressing the / key cancels time warp. 

[Robdjee]

@Red Iron Crown. i know. But unfortunately it does not stop time warp instantly. It winds down. This has caused quite a few dead kerbals for me.

And also the altitude dependent time warp limit is buggy. I have had a couple of instances where time warp only stopped at an altitude of , say, 30Km. That is way within Kerbins atmosphere. I could just watch everything blow up at real time.

[T1mo98]

1 hour ago, Robdjee said:

@Red Iron Crown. i know. But unfortunately it does not stop time warp instantly. It winds down. This has caused quite a few dead kerbals for me.

And also the altitude dependent time warp limit is buggy. I have had a couple of instances where time warp only stopped at an altitude of , say, 30Km. That is way within Kerbins atmosphere. I could just watch everything blow up at real time.

I feel like having time warp stop instantly could cause some buggy Kraken behaviour.

[Robdjee]

@T1mo98
That would be unfortunate. I suspect it aswel though. 'Cause why wouldn't they do it otherwise? 

Could someone confirm this?

[Kerbart]

The slash (/) key will stop time-warp at once. No need to tap keys multiple times.

[Robdjee]

22 hours ago, Robdjee said:

But unfortunately it does not stop time warp instantly. It winds down. This has caused quite a few dead kerbals for me.
 

@KerbartNot at once unfortunately.

Edited October 21, 2019 by Robdjee

[paul23]

5 hours ago, Kerbart said:

The slash (/) key will stop time-warp at once. No need to tap keys multiple times.

The problem is that going directly from timewarp to "physics" simulation can lead to inadvert stresses and inaccuracies in orbit calculation.