Make The B9 aerospace pack an official mod

[Jpegman]

We all love B9 aerospace, and it is really unfortunate thant Bac9 left for some reason, but B9 aerospace is one of the best mods aviable for KSP, both in visuals and in quality.

With the B9 aerospace mod compatibility issues and Bac9 not here to fix it, i think the Devs could perhaps keep it alive as an "official" mod

what are your opinions?

[Karriz]

I think the community can maintain it as they already do, there's already a fix for 23.5.

The stock plane parts obviously need an overhaul, and I'm sure that the B9 pack will eventually have some influence on that.

[Legendary Emu]

I think the devs should focus on making the stock game better. If the community wants to keep it alive then they can keep it alive.

[Justin Kerbice]

Not 'til memory management is improved and fixed, it will be a suicide to do that right now !

It could be a good "stress test" after that.

[vetrox]

The reason I dont use b9 is the sheer amount of parts. Maybe if there was a better parts management system it might work

[Sirrobert]

I tried B9 once.

I ditched it after I saw just how many parts there are. How the hell am I suposed to find something in that haystack?

Anyway, mods are just that. Mods. Made by users.

Let the devs focus on the core game. Let the users focus on the mods. If someone wants to take over B9 to keep it alive, they can

[Raven.]

Like people have already mentioned, there is a 0.23.5 patch out: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/66020-B9-0-23-fixes

And while I would to seethe B9 pack become part of the stock game, there needs to be some performance modifications made to the core KSP game because of the extra overhead that B9 introduces. In reality, KSP itself cannot really handle the B9 pack because it's not a 64 bit application. Me personally, I think that we need a working, 64 bit KSP on the PC before considering adding any mod that introduces new parts as part of the stock game.

[coolitic]

Yeah the community can maintain b9, I don't want it in stock game.

[BudgetHedgehog]

Until 64 bit comes (and even afterwards) it'd need:

- better part organisation

- less memory overhead

- a texture change (I do love the B9 texture, but it's not stockalike. If things get made into stock, they need to look compatible with previous stock parts)

- less part redundancy (two colours of exactly the same landing gear and RCS thrusters just means more memory used)

- to actually work in 0.23.5 without any fixes/patches/dependencies.

I mean, it's a great pack - if I could make a spaceplane at all, it'd be with B9 - but right now, as it is, it's suicide to make it stock. What they actually need to make stock is the Goodspeed size tweaking plugin and the FS texture switcher - this would cut right down on the sheer amount of parts in the VAB.

I totally agree that the plane parts need an overhaul and some TLC, but replacing them with B9 would be a bad idea.

[robopilot99]

No way in stock. There are as many B9 parts as regular parts at the moment. Being said spaceplanes need some love. Why is there only a small gear bay?

[r4pt0r]

we need better aerodynamics and more spaceplane parts in the same update.

[jwenting]

no, we don't "all love B9". I don't use it, I've no need for it, I don't want my game bogged down by hundreds of parts I never need or use.

[RocketPilot573]

I think FAR is the plane mod that needs to be stock, simply having a realistic atmosphere would immediately make planes much more enjoyable. And this would be a massive change for rockets too (you'd have to do a REAL gravity turn).

[Captain Sierra]

B9's days are numbered, not because of lack of maintenance, but because the alternative is there, Porkjet's Spaceplane+ pack is my go-to pack for putting payloads in orbit (only small stuff, but that's all I ever need). It's actively developed, very polished, and more stockalike. Just like SCANSat filled the void left by ISA Mapsat, the modding community will fill the void left by B9.

[wasmic]

I think B9 will survive just fine, even if Bac9 doesn't pick it back up. A lot of people really love the pack, and the license allows other people to remix and redistribute the parts. It shouldn't be part of stock, though, as it has way too many parts, and it follows a different art style.

[Jpegman]

i did not mean stock i meant some kind of free DLC.. but ok

the big problem i have with the community fix is pretty long to install

[BudgetHedgehog]

i did not mean stock i meant some kind of free DLC.. but ok

It kind of is already though.

[Captain Sierra]

I think B9 will survive just fine, even if Bac9 doesn't pick it back up. A lot of people really love the pack, and the license allows other people to remix and redistribute the parts. It shouldn't be part of stock, though, as it has way too many parts, and it follows a different art style.

I think if the pack is to remain alive indefinitely, the source assets (read: 3D geometry files and texture sheets) will need to get released to allow people to continue expanding on it, otherwise I think people will grow bored of supporting a derelict mod and once the alternatives are available, they'll switch over. By aforementioned logic, B9 will remain alive and well (for the most part) until a series of mods exists that can fully replace what B9 offered (SP+ only covers the mk2 portion and there's a LOT that would need to be made). The sheer work involved in replacing B9 is probably what keeps it one-of-a-kind and ensures it's lifespan to come.

[TheScienceGuy120]

i think it should be an official mod. just my oppinion.

[cpast]

Why? Why should Squad take over maintenance of an absurdly massive parts pack featuring a very non-stock art style, focused on a less-emphasized part of the game? B9 is a *huge* pack, and Squad's time is better spent working on things in stock than maintaining mods whose sole function is to add loads and loads of extra parts. The Kerbin Cup mod is different because it is very small and simple, and ties in with other things Squad was doing (i.e. Kerbin Cup). B9 doesn't add anything like that; all it would do would be to expand parts available for players, which is something that comes later in the dev cycle (and should be more closely integrated into stock).

[AlamoVampire]

I have never once used B9, and I never intend to. My vote: B9 Stock: NO.

[Mitchz95]

I love B9, but it's way to big to be an official part pack. And its aesthetics don't really mesh with SQUAD's.

[JDCollie]

Honestly, if focusing on spaceplane related elements of KSP is what people want, let's ask SQUAD to focus more on the aerospace physics model so that we can really make the most of mods like B9.

[MKI]

I feel the game needs more Spaceplane focus, NOT B9.

The part pack adds to much to the game that feels like an add-on, some ideas are needed, such as cargo bays and more spaceplane parts in general. But many of the parts do not fit the kerbal style, and they wont work well in the game.

Someone just needs to keep B9 updated with the times.

[Hodo]

Why? Why should Squad take over maintenance of an absurdly massive parts pack featuring a very non-stock art style, focused on a less-emphasized part of the game? B9 is a *huge* pack, and Squad's time is better spent working on things in stock than maintaining mods whose sole function is to add loads and loads of extra parts. The Kerbin Cup mod is different because it is very small and simple, and ties in with other things Squad was doing (i.e. Kerbin Cup). B9 doesn't add anything like that; all it would do would be to expand parts available for players, which is something that comes later in the dev cycle (and should be more closely integrated into stock).

I love comments like these.

B9 is not a huge pack, it is big but come on people, unless you are running this game on a C64 then you should have the memory to run this game with the ATM plugin to manage. And to the other lazy person who said, "how will I ever find what I am looking for in all those parts". REALLY?!?!

I don't think B9 should be stock either, even though I use it and love it. It does not fit in with the current list of parts or the theme of them.

I do however think FAR, DRE and KER should be stock.