Has KSP... changed?

[Frostiken]

The game hasn't gotten less 'Kerbaly'... it never really was. The problem was nobody knew what the hell they were doing, so their rockets always exploded.

One thing I'd like to change and I'm disappointed that it's apparently so far down in development we've heard literally nothing of it is *damage*. The game is just too unforgiving, actually... when the consequence of every 'bad flight' is an explosion and death, it means that eventually you have to get to a point where NOTHING explodes. Your rockets only exist in two states: functional or ruined.

If we had part DAMAGE instead of just part explosion, it means a collision between your booster and your main fuel tank would result in a fuel leak instead of the fuel tank just 'exploding' (ie: disappearing) causing the lower fuel tank and engine to inexplicably ram upwards into your crew capsule. It would allow more wiggle room for error, and thus reduce the need for every mission to be absolutely perfect, which is what we have now, where the second anything explodes it usually means a trip to the End Flight button. With your fuel leak, it would mean loss of delta-V and you'd now have to deal with a lower orbit altitude, and find a way to make the mission work... rather than almost being forced to teleport back to the drawing board.

That would probably go a long way towards making the game feel a little more 'skin of your teeth'.

Also: it would be nice to not have everything explode and disappear. Rather than my failed satellite insertion resulting in an explosion and complete vaporization, it should result in debris and smashed pieces spread across the terrain. If my rocket booster explodes in orbit, the result should be a cloud of debris, not just magical deletion of the part accompanied by a cheap effect. Again, this would help restore some of the 'feel' of chaos to the game.

As it is, with every mission having to be more or less 'perfect' (and being a little too easy to become 'perfect'), as well as having a general lack of visible consequence for any failures, it kind of makes the game feel a little sterile. Once you get good enough to handle most flights without a problem, well, it just lacks that random element that keeps games engaging and challenging. If you've been to every planet and moon in the game already, there's really nothing else to do in the game that's a challenge. It's one of the reasons I'm disappointed that they're working on career mode before the rest of the game is done... career mode without resourcing and some other critical features isn't going to offer much more than 'fly to this orbit' kind of missions, which by this point, the vast majority of players have probably easily accomplished.

Also, I don't want to say I want 'random failures' or something like that because I can see how those would get frustrating, but the bottom line is that if you know what you're doing, odds of a failure or damage or explosion are outrageously slim. I don't know, maybe when we get wind, micrometeor strikes, solar flares, things like that it would add to the suspense. I wouldn't wholly object to random failures of a sort, because random failures in real life cost many lives and billions of dollars in real space programs...

The best choice the devs have made IMO so far with KSP is to tune out the "lolz so Kerbal" section of the community and instead shoot for a more realistic art style for the game.

Or back when the height of comedy on this forum was putting 'k's in everything... ugh.

Edited September 4, 2013 by Frostiken

[Whackjob]

Or back when the height of comedy on this forum was putting 'k's in everything... ugh.

I kan understand your koncerns. They are nothing more than komedik kontriavances that kannot kapture the korrect kadence, and without korrektion it is... kompletely kounterproduktive.

[samstarman5]

The change is inevitable. We all get used to our favorite games to the point we can do them in our sleep. What retains is is the true magic. True, we currently have the fun of discovering new parts and features as they are added with our early start, but even those who join KSP after its release will have the opportunity for that fun with the restrictions of campaign mode.

Yes, I accomplished making orbit, leaving orbit to the Mun, landing on the Mun, rendezvous, docking, and achieving other planets entirely outside of the Kerbin SOI. But I want more.

I am sure there are many reasons for that wanting more all of us have. Mine resides mostly in the question, how else can I achieve this? What is the smallest rocket I can build that could reach Duna? What is the largest rocket I can get off the pad to land on Minmus? Can I build my own USS Odyssey 1 in orbit and take it to Jool? Can I build my own Mars II analogue which was featured in the movie Mission to Mars? The answer is going to be, YES. However, it is also going to probably cause millions in credits in property damage along the way to achieve that. Failure is always an option.

If ever you do feel the tedium, don't be afraid to go back to your roots and launch some outlandish designs. It will be crazy fun and you may even learn something new about the functions of the parts.

I think this. I'm in a similar boat (started at .20), and I've found my skill level has drastically changed my play. Six weeks ago it was an effort to get things into orbit. I was so terrible at docking and rendevous that my first manned Mun mission was repeatedly pushed back. Today I aerobraked a 500 ton interplanetary craft (from Jool!) into a stable orbit. It took me weeks to build that thing and get it into orbit with tons of extra crap pieces still attached to it. I built its 1,000 ton successor in one day to go refuel it, with half the part count.

Things have changed for sure. The terror of a maneuver that leaves your fuel tanks below 1% never gets old.

Welcome to the Neil Armstrong club.

[henryrasia]

True, very true.

Maybe I can move my concern from nostalgia baby-crying to a more adressable request:

The game at the moment is lacking of any true motivation other than your own will. I understand this will be adressed with missions, but those are equally dry and void without some kind (ANY kind) of backstory.

KSP stands for Kerbal Space Program, this means it is the first and (thanks a lot Nova) only space agency. This must, must give the player the feel he is exploring a vast universe full of discoveries to make through different means, but also that is is impacting (and being impacted by) their world technologically, economically, politically, and even public opinion and interest. What is the point of landing on the Mun if there is no giant welcome parades and news headlines for days?

Once again I ask what others, veterans and newcomers, have to say about this. Maybe I'm wrong and KSP is destined to turn into something else (and if so, what else?). Thank you.

[Pachi3080]

yeah... i know that feel... I remember the first time i played the game... It was like "OMFG IT'S FLYNG! I'M IN DA SPACE! what is EVA...? HOLLY CRAP NOW I'M REALLY IN DA SPACE! And, i lost the ship..."

Back then i didn't know that there was a time warp... or map view..

0.19.2. Good old days.