Discord AMA 2 - Shana Markham - SUBMIT QUESTIONS HERE

[Ghostii_Space]

Kerbonauts!

We are hosting another #KSP2 Early Access AMA!

Our Design Director, Shana Markham will be joining us, so please send us your game design questions!

The AMA will be held at 10AM PDT on April 20th, on Discord.

What is game design you ask? Here is Shana's explanation: 

Game designers shape the game experience by planning and collaborating on the creation of systems and content. As design director, I lead the design team and ensure that the work we are creating fits the creative director’s vision.

KSP2 Game Designers are responsible for creating the systems, mechanics, and rules of the game such as:

• Tuning and balancing parts. ("What mass should this be?" "Does this engine trivialize a particular mission?")
• Writing and scripting tutorials. ("What do we need to teach? What are we teaching about reality and what are specific actions we need to teach for the game?"
• Reviewing and tuning celestial body characteristics. ("Is this atmosphere correct? Is this giving the gameplay we're intending?")
• Designing and tuning gameplay systems. ("How do players build colonies? What do we want them to manage? What actions do we want them to have?"

[i dont know how to forum]

Reposting my questions from last AMA, as they seem even more applicable here:

Many of the more advanced technologies coming later in Early Access fall into the "Way Too Useful" category, as mentioned in the Engines Archetypes dev diary. We've just barely started to see the tip of this with the addition of the SWERV, which currently renders the NERV near-obsolete. What are your goals with regards to balance for these new technologies? Is the intent for late-game parts to essentially replace early parts, or for lower-tech solutions to still be viable and necessary in the late-game? This also applies the other way: how do you intend to incentivize the use of certain "Way Too Useful" technologies to their full potential? For example, torch drives should allow us to reach other planets in a fraction of the time, but there is currently very little advantage to getting somewhere quickly rather than simply time warping through a multi-year journey.

I'm also curious about how you handle balance with regards to approachability, depth, and realism. There have been many requests over the years for more complex and more realistic mechanics in the base game, including life support, radiation, more realistic aerodynamics, part failures, interstellar material, relativistic effects, communication delay, and more. Some of these could make great additions, while others could be needlessly punishing. Realism in mechanics can lead to more fun and emergent gameplay, but it can also discourage both new and experienced players who become overwhelmed by the complexity There's no consensus on which of these features would actually benefit the game, or how they should be implemented; ask 10 players which is which and you'll get 11 different answers. What are your goals for gameplay balance here, and how do you decide what additions will or won't benefit the game?

[the_tunnel]

How long does it take to design a real world technology for Kerbal technology and still be realistic? I love all that you do the game looks amazing.

[Dantheollie]

It was previously mentioned that life-support would not be a feature of KSP2

There has been discussion amongst the community regarding what this may mean. While some assume that things like food and quality of life features in colonies will only serve to benefit a colony's resource production and not determine its survival... Others may assume this means that there will be absolutely no features with any semblance to food, kerbal quality of life, etc. 

As Design Director, what approach has your team taken towards this very particular aspect of Kerbal colonization? Is there anything you could say at this moment to clarify this issue for the community? Thanks!

[The Aziz]

Does pineapple belong on pizza?

[Little 908]

What is your favourite celestial body in the kerbol system? And why

Also

Will we get the same science components as ksp 1, if so, will they be redesigned?

And about some other old ksp 1 science features;

Will the kerbals still be able to preform experiments such as the surface sample, and golf ball “experiment”

I totally understand if the team doesn’t want to spoil anything though.

But please tell me mystery goo is still a thing

Edited April 14, 2023 by Little 908
added content

[NoKerbalsSky08]

Will there be just slightly more advanced tutorials, like going to other planets? Because I'm pretty new, and so far the tutorials for ksp2 are the easiest to understand.

[Vl3d]

1. In the future, could KSP2 have a persistent multiplayer universe in which all the community would build and play together?

2. Will KSP2 have an event recording system which will allow us to do a mission, return back in time and then see that mission play out? (enabling parallel missions, multiplayer time warp, space races etc.)

[Angelo Kerman]

With interstellar technologies and travel on the roadmap, is relativity a thing in KSP2? Will KSP2 handle time dilation effects when traveling at high velocities to the target star system?

[Scarecrow71]

I have several questions for the upcoming AMA.  Thank you in advance!

1. One of the biggest bugs that exists since launch day, the incorrect trajectory planning and implementation maneuver node bug, hasn't been fixed yet.  This is core functionality in KSP1 and, while I understand KSP2 was built from the ground up, why is this bug so difficult to track down and squash?
2. Is the development team planning to take any of the more popular mods from KSP1 (RO/RSS, Near Future, MechJeb, to name a few) and make them part of stock KSP2?  If so, which ones, and on what timeline (if you can divulge that information)?
3. As part of and shortly after the last AMA, Nate was talking about multi-player and even gave screenshots of the devs playing.  This feature is several items down the roadmap, and yet the first one that is supposed to be coming - Science - has had nothing said about it yet.  Has the roadmap changed, and if so, what is the updated roadmap?  If it hasn't changed, can we get an update on when we can possibly expect Science?

And to anyone reading this post, I will once again be recording the AMA and then posting to YouTube afterwards.  So @Dakota, you can save your fingers from all that fast typing!

[LeroyJenkins]

2 hours ago, Ghostii_Space said:

Game designers shape the game experience by planning and collaborating on the creation of systems and content

Hello Shana - Loyal KSP1 Fan and Excited KSP2 player here. I have two semi related questionsL

1) How do you and the Team learn about and imitate real world rocket and spacecraft systems, to ensure the realism of the game? For example how does the designers figure out or learn how an exhaust plume changes shape in different atmospheres or vacuum, or how a solar array's angle to the solar vector changes amount of power generated. I saw a video about the engine sounds, where a KSP2 team went out and recorded actual rocket engines being fired, very cool way of getting those sounds. Where and what resources does the Team use to gather the "aerospace" knowledge to design parts, planetary science, orbital mechanics and the like?

2) In relation to "game experience and content" as a Game Designer, are you and how are you seeing the development of the design of rocket/spacecraft system telemetry (status)? Not just from a single vehicle standpoint, but from a Mission Control view of multiple, concurrent spacecraft in operation? This is more than just the Tracking Station currently in the game, but monitoring multiple operating craft. Like NASA/JPL or ESA does from their Mission Control Centers. With Colonies/Mulitplayer this may be a huge benefit to managing and knowing the current state of all the players space assets.

Thank you!

Edited April 14, 2023 by LeroyJenkins

[Cytauri]

A few questions here. First, are there going to be more FX other than re-entry and vapor cones such as wheel tracks, footprints, re-entry wearing, sparks, smoke, and other things? Also, will there be an option to color parachutes, change agency colors, and color Kerbal suits, along with more Kerbal suits? Will there be interiors in every part craft and colony part so you can see Kerbals walking around and piloting? Will plumes react to the ground and change shape so they don't no-clip through the ground? Will there be a more advanced damage system? Thank you, just wanted to put this out there. I really like the new patch! 

[VlonaldKerman]

How different are the core physics systems from the first game? How much of the core architecture has been redesigned, and what is planned?

[kerbalcrasher13]

When will we be getting a tech tree?

[Klapaucius]

Many mods over time found their way into the base game of KSP1.  How will you decide what to include in the base game versus what you intend to leave to modders?

[Hutsul228]

Are there any plans for stock version of FreeIVA mod ?

[Alexoff]

1. How do players build colonies? What do you want them to manage? What actions do you want them to have? What resources will the colonies consume and produce? When will we see a real colony in a gameplay video?

2. Will there be something interactive in the game on planets or in space?

3. Will atmospheric scattering be added to the game?

4. Will there be any events initiated by a non-player in the game?

[Superpluto126]

1. How will More Extreme Fuel Types such as Metallic Hydrogen be handled if they are implemented into the game? How will the resource system behind them work in relation to colonies?

2. How will the Science Progression tree be layed out? Will it be more realistic and feature probes earlier than Command Pods? How far down will more advanced engines be?

(Love the game so far, thx btw.)

[Heretic391]

1. Is there a part goal that you would like to achieve for a colony. I.e up to 500ish parts?

2. Would there be any clear benefit of having a colony? I.e spawning new kerbals or having that as an additional launch base assuming resources are there.

3. Will fuel tanks in wings be a thing? This would be more realistic. 

Apologies if this has already been answered elsewhere. Thank you in advance!

Edited April 18, 2023 by Heretic391
Added no.3

[Whackjob]

I would like to personally beg for three things.  To whit:

1.) Please give me a half minute to look at a failure before the crash report blocks my view.  It does say what parts broke, but I've got dozens of each of those.

2.) An alternate VAB without walls or ceiling or size restriction.  If I write the check for pain, please let me cash it.

3.) Keep killin' it.  Last patch upped my FPS more than a little.  And that's saying a lot considering what I put this system through.  Example:

[Jaypeg]

When it comes to long term support of this game, are you worried about not being able to finish/achieve your goals? If no, could you spare some information about how the plan for the game is with private division, for many players (myself included) are worried about the financing of the project after its less-than-ideal launch?

[Jaypeg]

When will asteroids and destructible buildings be added?

Will colony buildings be destructible, if so, would you be able to accidentally, say, cripple your food output because of a stray booster? (or sabotage someone else's colony)

 

[pandaman]

How soon can we expect a decent Dv and TWR tool in the VAB (and flight).  To plan anything reasonably well we need at least ASL and Vac Dv per stage.

Per body TWR and ASL Dv would be nice too, but that could be linked to science  discovery and 'learned' in game for bodies other than Kerbin.

KSP1s implementation may not have been perfect but at least it existed and was certainly adequate.

Edited April 16, 2023 by pandaman

[Jaypeg]

ETA for patch 3?

[cocoscacao]

Why procedural parts weren't considered earlier? Or at least, will we get every lenght variety for every part size over time? 

Edited April 16, 2023 by cocoscacao