Old 0.20 save debate: Please close, mods.

[engraverwilliam]

I removed my sas's and mechjeb from my favorite crafts and backed them up. (they are all stock otherwise)

I stopped building any sort of station or bases a couple versions ago. While fun it is too frustrating to lose them when a new build comes along. I DO take lots of screens because no mission/ship is ever the same on the re-do....

[Wanderer]

I definitely don't mind starting over. I had a lot of craft out there, a few great landing spots building up into bases but most of the fun for me is working towards that stuff. In general, with new features and hopefully some new stock parts, it may be worth restarting anyway. As someone else said, they can't reset what I know. So most of it will be back in space far quicker and likely better. Kinda looking forward to it but I really feel for the guys who have some amazing setups they worked dozens (if not hundreds) of hours on.

[AmpsterMan]

I'm okay with the save breaking, especially if it is going to bring us goodies we couldn't have otherwise

[AfailingHORSE]

I can't think of a better time for my ****ty laptop in blue screen on me, no school work that needs to be saved, all work files at saved on my work pc, all game data is either backed up to an 1T external HDD (minus KSP didn't get around to doing that before it blue screened), or F2P with always on DRM/"cloud saved", or never made significant headway in to it care about it.

Edited July 8, 2013 by AfailingHORSE

[Aragosnat]

If this has been mentioned sorry to rehash it. Did not feel like going through more then a few pages. The only thing I can see braking are the Kerbals in our crafts as from the sounds of it. We may have a limited number of them to any with the same name may find themselves joining one body.

The other part. If I remember right. We can shove, cram, jam Kerbals into just about every part.

[DMagic]

If this has been mentioned sorry to rehash it. Did not feel like going through more then a few pages. The only thing I can see braking are the Kerbals in our crafts as from the sounds of it. We may have a limited number of them to any with the same name may find themselves joining one body.

The other part. If I remember right. We can shove, cram, jam Kerbals into just about every part.

I think the crew management aspect was the initial change that will break our save files, but it sounds like there will be additional changes as well. From what Harvester said it sounds like they have a lot of changes they want to make, all of which will break save continuity. They were just waiting until they had a major, save-breaking, addition before they implemented these other changes (none of which they have actually given details about).

And although I haven't seen anything explicitly saying this, I think they mean that we can put Kerbals into any part that can actually hold them. As in, command pods, lander cans and so on, not just any part. Unlike now, where Kerbals are only automatically put into the first manned part.

[DChurchill]

I'm never happy with my Kerbin orbital station anyway. Although, now I think I have the core how I want it. Figures.

[DChurchill]

And although I haven't seen anything explicitly saying this, I think they mean that we can put Kerbals into any part that can actually hold them. As in, command pods, lander cans and so on, not just any part. Unlike now, where Kerbals are only automatically put into the first manned part.

It will be nice to send up a Mk2 with only one kerbal in it though without having to have two go on "EVA" while on the pad.

[Nexustrimean]

We are still Early beta, Saves getting broken is bound to happen. And it gives you a good opportunity to do things over, and do them better.

[Guest]

Where is the "debate" in this thread? Sounds like pretty much everyone is in agreement over this being a Good Thing in the long run.

[The Jedi Master]

And that's why I keep my updates separate.

Also, does this confirm crew management? Hmmmm...

[roosterr]

I really dont see much harm in the saves breaking, BECAUSE, when the new version comes out, I start new missions and leave my old folders (KSP_18, KSP_19, KSP_20, etc.) available and run the necessary version based on the mission. I learned a long time ago not to fall in love with my creations and missions as new improvement will be overriding it all at some point in the future.

And starting out with a clean slate every few months is refreshing.

[espm400]

Well, on the plus side, I just started a new save (got DE and IonCross Crew Support, so it seemed appropriate). On the downside, I just finished all of the boring stuff (sending about half a dozen RemoteTech comsats into KSO, plus one on either side of Mun, and one on either side of Minmus.

[Anthony Frushour]

While we've been able to maintain compatibility over the last couple of updates, unfortunately this one isn't such a case. The new crew management system changed the format for saving crews (to something much better), and the new format isn't compatible with the old version. Instead of risking breaking things even more by writing some sort of upgrade logic, we decided it was better to just break compatiblity and start fresh.

This also gives us a nice opportunity to do other tweaks that we can't usually do, exactly because they tend to break saves. Because we're going to break it anyway, we can push in a lot of other little tweaks that wouldn't have gone in otherwise, so hopefully they will make it worthwhile.

You can always manually edit your save so it matches the new format, but that can cause other issues, so we really don't recommend it.

Stay tuned for a dev blog soon about new things that we got to add because we decided to break compatiblity.

Cheers

NOOOOO! I'm glad the game's development is progressing though. I'm an aspiring planetary geoscientist; so I don't have hundreds of hours to play. I'm usually busy with classwork during the school year, research, or in the case of this summer my internship. I'll be extremely busy looking/applying for grad schools this fall too. I guess I will finish my Mir Space Station, and just play around as opposed to building things until the update. I look forward to all of the new features though!

Edited July 9, 2013 by Anthony Frushour

[AustralianFries]

I still have my .17 folder. I would have had my .16 and further back but I lost the files when I formatted my computer and started fresh.

[zekes]

oh boy this will be fun.....

[Naten]

Watch out, Bob, we're de-orbiting a space station atop your face.

Will it hurt?

Yes. A lot.

wh...why?

For science, you monster.

Uh...extra characters? Umwut.

[Kodiak42]

I wouldn't worry, do not underestimate the power of a modding community. Someone, somewhere, will build a program capable of converting saves, or at least a good portion of saves.

[Aragosnat]

I think the crew management aspect was the initial change that will break our save files, but it sounds like there will be additional changes as well. From what Harvester said it sounds like they have a lot of changes they want to make, all of which will break save continuity. They were just waiting until they had a major, save-breaking, addition before they implemented these other changes (none of which they have actually given details about).

And although I haven't seen anything explicitly saying this, I think they mean that we can put Kerbals into any part that can actually hold them. As in, command pods, lander cans and so on, not just any part. Unlike now, where Kerbals are only automatically put into the first manned part.

You are more then likely right. But, then again. With docking ports we might now be able to transfer from ship to ship without using EVA for transfers too. Just that the way they worded it at the time. It made ity sound like anywhere one would nomally go. Like those structure parts and if you also noticed on almost every part bigger then a Kerbal. The ends of the parts do look like they could be airlocks. At least for myself.

[boolybooly]

Not a problem, I like building new ships. I always build from scratch each version, cant give proper beta test feedback if you are loading from older versions.

[ZeroTech Solutions]

I personally don't think holding off on the next update is a good idea. the longer you're running that save the more stuff you make and the less you'll want to move to the next update.but, it will get to the point where you really want to try the new update, and then its even more annoying to have to start anew.

[KWilkiePJ]

Kethane deposits and scan maps will be preserved. If Squad makes dramatic changes to KSP then it might require a manual file move, but I can't imagine anything they could do that would completely break Kethane compatibility. My guess is no changes will be needed at all, at least not to the persistence code.

This has made me very happy, Kethane is by far my favourite mod!

[TheTriniFlyer]

Question to the Developers:

I understand that persistence will break as the way the crew is managed will change. But are flags salvageable? As I'm ok with my stations.... being lost, but I really would like to know (with 51% confidence) if flags will be salvageable from .20 format saves?

[Kerbol Prime]

I'm just worried about the raging that will come from people who don't know. Imagine...Bob12345 posts: MAH SHIPS ARE GONE OMG SQUAD I HATE U. *shudders* Whatever, I hope the update is soon...I really want to see it before I go camping and not know wether the update has been released or not.

[MonkeyLunch]

I doubt many people are worried about broken saves. It goes with the territory when you buy an early access game. Obviously there will be lots of updates and changes. Im certainly not worried about saves.