The Demo

[Quintmason]

Hey guys, this is my first post here! Does the full game require the same specs in the demo? Or does it require less computing power?

As for buying, I have the demo on Steam and I want to know if this is worth purchase. I have made it to the Mun and back, as a complete newbie to the game.

Another thing: should I purchase KSP from the KSP website or buy it from steam. Thanks!

[42undead2]

Hey guys, this is my first post here! Does the full game require the same specs in the demo? Or does it require less computing power?

As for buying, I have the demo on Steam and I want to know if this is worth purchase. I have made it to the Mun and back, as a complete newbie to the game.

Another thing: should I purchase KSP from the KSP website or buy it from steam. Thanks!

I don't think it requires more computing power, as I get more FPS now than in 0.18.x. As for Steam or not, that's your own choice. And yes, it is definitely worth the buy.

[Philoman]

I bought it through Steam and haven't had any problems

[Taki117]

Where you get it is up to you, it's the same game either way. If you plan on modding your game (A must for some) I suggest getting it through the KSP website as you can put it in an easy to remember location. Also, welcome to the game and don't forget to have fun.

[Tank Buddy]

Yes, you should definitely buy the game.

This Thread will answer some of your questions on Steam vs Store: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/71911-Should-I-stick-with-the-KSP-store-version

To sum that up, they are virtually identical. The Steam version allows you to use the In-game overlay from steam and take steam screenshots and upload them to the cloud. That is the only difference.

You can copy the game file and make as many independent game files as you want. You can save as many versions as you want. If you already have a Steam account, it makes perfect sense. As of now the way you purchase it is permanent, as in no steam keys or transfers.

You can enjoy KSP with an average computer, but the experience is slightly better with a tricked out PC.

[problemecium]

I never really had trouble with FPS in the demo, and I was actually on a weaker computer back then. In fact I never even experienced water lag if memory serves. The demo is less optimized, but its limitations on parts and the reduced number of celestial bodies reduce the amount of things KSP has to have in memory and effectively prevent you from building a rocket big enough to cause serious framerate problems.

[Caelib]

Unless you're really strapped for money, I would highly recommend just buying the full game because not only is it going to run a lot more smooth than the demo, it's a lot more polished. Enjoy the game!

[Nemrav]

improved performance, I disagree, it depends on what your computer is like.... this is why :

over the versions cpu and ram performance increased, since the game has thus far been limited to 32 bit, yes in that sense performance has increased.

HOWEVER, if you don't have a gaming computer and have a sucky gpu (laptop ish) then performance is much worse, when you are near the surface of a large planet. This is because the terrain quality has increased over the updates (and thus the gpu power required increases).

conclusion : cpu/ram limited ?, sure it will be great. Gpu limited ?, be prepared to go beyond the minimum settings by manually fiddling with terrain settings in the .cfg limited in both ?, well if you can run the demo then you will make it.... otherwise if your demo is limiting then don't bother.

trust me, having a laptop, I trusted people, just to find worse performance (sucky gpu)... too many people here have gaming computers.... (good gpu)

edit : as for how much its worth, get it before it increases a cent, as every cent gets way... closer to what its actually worth.

[Sirrobert]

On the steam or not, the choise is very simple:

Do you like steam? Than use steam.

Do you not like steam? Than don't use steam.

Personally I buy all my games through steam, thus I have it on steam.

On the performance: It's actually improved in one of the later patches, so your computer will be able to handle things better.

That said, the main bottleneck of this game is your CPU. If you have alot of parts on your rocket, this will eventually start to lag. And with the full game, you have an entire solar system to explore. This usually calls for bigger rockets than you need to get to the Mun, and thus more parts.

You never actually need 1000 part rockets though. They are just fun to build. (note: your computer WILL lag with a 1000 part rocket).

And yes, I definitly recomend you buy the game. I has been giganticly improved upon since the demo, a ton of new parts, new planets and moons (including a second one right around Kerbin), and even half a carreer mode (it's in construction right now)

[Pecan]

The full game contains much more than the demo so you should reckon on specs at least as high as for that - although the 0.18 demo version doesn't suffer the 'ocean lag' bug of 0.23(.5). My machine played the demo fine despite not meeting the system requirements so I bought 0.22 and that was fine too. It struggled a lot when 0.23 came out (mostly that bug, which is easily fixed), until my old graphics card finally died and I bought a new one (despite that not being much more powerful).

Reasons to buy the full game instead of staying with the demo:

More concurrent flights with ships made of more (different) parts in more sizes going to/from more places (planets and their moons, not just Kerbin's). Docking, (space)planes and rovers. Mods ('modifications' = add-ons), including the brand new NASA ARM (Asteriod Retrieval Mission).

The demo's really great in itself but it's only a tiny taste of what you can do with the full game.

[Spartwo]

Get it while it's on offer.I think the full game actually requires less computing power than the demo.

[CalculusWarrior]

I believe the water lag bug was fixed in .23.5, so you'll have comparable framerates no matter which version you play.