So whats the big plan for this game then Squad?

[BubbaWilkins]

Oh come on now. Yes KSP is in alpha, but you come across like it's unplayable and there's nothing to do.... which is FAR from the truth no matter how you look at it.

There are sandcastles:

and then there are SANDCASTLES!:

The only difference between the two are the imagination to see they are possible and the drive to set them as a goal and achieve them.

KSP in it's current form is no different..and a much better value for your entertainment dollar than just about anything else I can think of. Granted, I've got around 250 hours in it since I bought it last month.

I have some pretty ambitious goals though.

[Splode]

People like nats have ruined this community. I've followed a great deal of alphas and I can assure you this one moves extremely quickly. Minecraft in alpha (when it was just notch and before it exploded into popularity) had a terribly slow update cycle. Squad are pretty good with how much they tell us but if prats like this guy keep posting they won't bother telling us anything. If you don't like it, get off the forums and go play cod.

[Blackstar]

Also selling an alpha version is selling an incomplete product. And once you sell an incomplete product to someone you are saying to them 'I will finish it in a reasonable timeframe'. I am just asking what that timeframe is (roughly) and what the plan is to get there. Not unreasonable questions.

Not if they're selling the incomplete product for less than the final purchase price, so that you're paying for, you know, the incomplete product.

Which is what Squad is doing. It's what Minecraft did and it's becoming a popular method for indie developers because it requires less start-up funding. Technically they're being generous by saying that they'll give you the rest of the game for free when it's finished, rather than charging you for the difference to upgrade. I think it's a cool move, as a way of saying 'thank you' for buying in early knowing that it's incomplete.

TL;DR, if you wanted a firm commitment to a final date, you should have asked for that before buying it. I'll readily call them out on their PR snafus like the DLC debacle, but I don't think it's reasonable to claim that anyone is 'owed' anything beyond what they actually paid for.

And whether you intend to or not, you're coming across as demanding to know when the release will be, rather than asking.

[Hyomoto]

I suppose this is a problem with buying an alpha/early access version. Probably going to have to make sure I dont do it ever again. I dont very much like the idea that Steam are selling incomplete games really, I dont think its a great deal for gamers. With this game if I had my time again I think I would probably have preferred to wait to get the completed final version. Knowing its going to be year or more away before I can play the final game - I am not sure I really will be around to see it if you know what I mean. A year is a long, long time. Well we'll see, I can enjoy what I have for a few more months probably - not sure after that though.

I understand this sentiment fairly well. I have a few alpha games such as Don't Starve, Minecraft, KSP and Project Zomboid. The problem is knowing other stuff is coming, or bugs that annoy you will be fixed. I'm obviously excited for 'what's next' so at times I find myself treating what's there unfairly, or wanting to hold off 'for just a bit longer' because of it. Just watch Squad's Build Fly Dream trailer and then ask yourself why you are playing KSP again. Yeah, the stuff that is coming is gonna be awesome and I'm super stoked. Yes, I'm a little sad that it won't be happening tomorrow. That is the inherent danger of playing the alpha build, it's incomplete and technically speaking you'll always be waiting for it to be updated. On the flip side the end product is likely to be a lot stronger, so you aren't getting nothing out of the deal. I think KSP is a bit like Minecraft. Notch was never terribly forthcoming about what was being worked on or when it would be ready. And the launch of Minecraft? I was there for that, but honestly it was nothing more than a symbolic moment. Some features are still underdeveloped, and we're still getting new ones with each update. I suspect KSP is going to be a lot like that.

Seven of my friends have bought and played this game because of a few pictures of what I was doing they saw. I got a few other people to buy it as well who just heard me talking about it. We had a space race for the first program to land on Mun and return (which I won by the way, though I was not the first person to MAKE it to the Mun or even into orbit). Now everything is up in the air! That's what KSP will be about, and you see it in this community. The game's purpose is to be played, not to be won. The end game almost doesn't even matter. Squad could drop off right now and the world will still have been richer for what KSP is now. Let's hope that doesn't happen yet cause I got a crater to put a flag in.

[3_bit]

The way the numbering system is going, aim for something like 2020. By then we can probably expect WAAY more solar systems, Oculus Rift 4 (assuming more development there) support, GPU utilization, multithreading, 64-bit integer support, Unity 6 support, (maybe a bigger dev team?), part damage, more repairs and resource stuff, etc. Basically the kinds of space missions you have in your dreams. something we will DEFINITELY get before then is custom fairings in-game. yes, this qualifies as a rumor but it's inevitable for a realistic game with dedicated devs like Squad.

[Qumefox]

The way the numbering system is going, aim for something like 2020. By then we can probably expect WAAY more solar systems, Oculus Rift 4 (assuming more development there) support, GPU utilization, multithreading, 64-bit integer support, Unity 6 support, (maybe a bigger dev team?), part damage, more repairs and resource stuff, etc. Basically the kinds of space missions you have in your dreams. something we will DEFINITELY get before then is custom fairings in-game. yes, this qualifies as a rumor but it's inevitable for a realistic game with dedicated devs like Squad.

The thing is.. The devs have stated they aren't really shooting for realism beyond the physics.. Harvester, etc, have said that KSP is intended to be a game.. NOT a simulator. Yes we'll probably eventually get some form of stock payload fairings.. But only because they're cool.. Not for 'realism'.

[Juanfro]

I think they have an idea of how the finished game will be.

It has been said several times that the plan is to make an awesome space sandbox simulator, and the resources update will be the first of several steps forward to "construction".

What does that mean? Orbital hangars? Colonization? Terraforming?

We don't know, but they do. What they probably don't know is if what they want to do can be done, so they don't speak about thing that may or may not come to the game, because internet is a fast stupid beast, and as we have seen recently, few misunderstood words can cause havoc.

[satcharna]

I much prefer them working towards releasing it "when it's done" than having a stressed team put together a half-assed game just to meet a deadline. The pace they've been going at so far is okay by me, but I suppose I wouldn't be too upset if they start working faster either.

[HGGundamReviews]

The whole premise of this thread reeks of entitlement. I'm sorry, You knew when you payed for this game it was in a alpha state. You knew it was still in active development and that updates would be coming at undetermined intervals, If you didn't agree with that idea you shouldn't have bought it. The Devs owe you me or anyone else NOTHING in terms of showing us their schedules or test version or anything other than what they are comfortable releasing. They have recently been burned because people freaked out over some off hand comments that were misunderstood by people. As such I don't blame them for keeping everything in house until they have their current version ready for release.

KSP is a work in progress game. You can't come into this not knowing that. If somehow you did, well you pays your monies you takes your chances. I recommend that anyone who somehow thinks they're owed something in way of info from the devs, have a check up from the neck up. You're a customer yes, you're a supporter of the game yes, but you're not an employee of Squad therefore not entitled to internal documents, info or schedules for work produced or release dates.

To think you're owed anything beyond the product you paid for is just whiny "I'm Entitled I Gave Them Money" bullcrap that I am honestly tired of myself.

I swear people need to grow the hell up... .

[magnemoe]

It doesn't say there will be a finished version what so ever. So; all they are selling on the moment is a alpha version. That's the game you bought. If for what reason they ever decide to pull the plug.. To bad, but nothing that we could do about it. We did bought a alpha with the plan to become a full version someday. And that would be your answer. The "big" plan right now is to get it done someday. You followed the Streams a little bit before the forum darkness? They mentioned so many times before they sometimes don't even have a clue. I know they have the plans, the features, I also know they think about a year, year and a half right now. But even that can change down the road. Maybe six months from now they thought about some really new cool stuff that takes it up to two years. Stop worrying over a full-version and stuff like that. Just get exited about the updates their working on. Cause updates are the little steps forward to a full-release.

Pretty much, I bought the game around 0.182, even without any updates afterwards it would be worth the money.

Remember buying Mount & Blade many years ago, probably the ones who made paid alpha know. Also exelent value for money, downside is that it took so long for the game to be done that I was bored then it was releases.

[Mick2]

I personally have little to no experience with Alpha release titles.

For me an Alpha product means it is still in development and testing, some parts will not work properly, other bits will change, some parts removed and hopefully many new bits added.

I am having fun playing KSP also. I don’t think that there needs to be a dated schedule for the game.

You have stated that you have experience with other Alpha titles, eluded to the fact that you don’t want to be a prat and you want to get things moving in the right direction. That said I don’t think it fair to ear bash anyone, let’s try and keep it positive.

You have some questions which is fair.

There is the WIKI which sets out a basic plan for updates.

I also feel that squad are using the mod community, if at least for inspiration for updates and content.

I think that it is great that squad allows us to have so much input into their game. (to me it sounds like "mining resources" are inspired by the kethane mod!)

As Alpha product owners, having bought the game for the excellent value that we did do we now have some responsibility of what the final product's form takes ?

If we don’t like the way some part of the game functions now, we are afforded to opportunity to speak about it and have some input into its development.

If we have an idea about additional content we can speak up and get some discussion happening with a view to get enough attention that the devs sit up and say

"That's something we could implement".

These things will push back and release dates. I don’t think at this stage that dates would be useful.

It sounds like you are enjoying KSP which is fantastic and completely understandable, I would not wait for an update before doing something.

Give your missions/ideas a go. If you want to try again after flags are released then you should, even if you only look at it as a test of the Alpha product to ensure

it can handle 50 mission flags deployed. It's just a different way of looking at it.

It may be more appropriate at this stage of the dev cycle to ask -

How can I help progress this game forward?

What positive input can I have to further this game ?

[Joe_Bender]

The devs have stated repeatedly that it's the latter.. KSP is intended to be a game.. NOT a realistic simulator. If you want a realistic simulator, I suggest you give orbiter a try.

Actually I do have Orbiter on my machine. I play it all the time.

I also play EvE Online as well........so any Goons or Test out there, how about giving an aspiring bronie a vouch?...come on, really.....I love a good POS bash.