Polishing KSP (Tying up Loose Ends Update Proposal)

[halflife77]

Hey Everyone, so before we get started I'd like to state that these are my OPINIONS and you can ignore them if you want

Also I'd also going to point out i'm not a noob either, I've been playing since .18 so I'm not a veteran, but know my way around the VAB

Alright, down to business, so as someone who has easily put a couple hundred hours into KSP I've had a lot of time to think about the development of the game as a whole. Don't get me wrong, what Squad has done is amazing work that has kept me entertained for months, but now, in .23.5, older things are starting to become more and more obvious. Every time I boot up KSP now, stuff that (in my opinion) should have been fixed a long time ago stick out like sore thumbs. So I propose a polishing update, where we can tie up all those ugly lose ends.

Short List of things I think shoud be fixed (No explanation)

-The entire Aviation end of the game is basically unused (and really broken) for silly reasons

-IVA's have been unfinished for almost 10 updates (I know this is in the list of thing not to recommend but trust me read the full version)

-Many older part just don't stack up to newer ones.

Long Answer (With extra Flavor and Emotion)

Okay so the Aviation parts, now I know everyone knows this already but I'll say it anyway, their sooo limited. The only part that has been change since they've were released in .15 was the simple gear, which got a couple motors for steering. The parts which are just soo old at this point are just getting dumb.

Okay so I understand that the core idea was to have 3 sized, which was genius, but then it just seems like they just stopped. The Mk. 1 seems at least partially realized, with one jet fuel tank and a cockpit with an IVA in it, but the rest, like the Mk. 2 and the Mk. 3 (Oh god the Mk. 3) have, nothing, really. The Mk. 2 has the broken fuel tank (which weighs less than its Mk. 1 counterpart AND carries more fuel) and some adapters, but that's really it. I won't even talk about the Mk 3, because if you can find a use for those parts then all power to you. This combined with the old models, which just look plain ugly compared to the recent parts and the redesigned space center, makes then undesirable. Fixing this and adding just a few parts (Like adapters, LFO tanks and such) would transform the game so much more than a standard update for less work, after all you already have the code for them. (P.S. Take a look at the Spaceplane+ mod, that is where i'd like KSP Stock parts to go.)

Now the IVAs, which are right now kinda sad. You added IVAs, then just kinda forgot about them (No offense). Every update I check the Mk. 2 cockpit and yet nothing changes. If you've seen some of the nicer Command pod mods (I recommend taking a look at Home Grown Rocket Parts, ALCOR, Kerbin Shuttle Orbiter and B9 for inspiration) They all have modern button click digital panels that display information. I realize that might not be the original vision, but a functioning IVA or any kind would add a whole dimension to KSP. So maybe having the Kerbal Intern run don to Kradio Shack and pick up some screens to bolt into the command pods would be worthwhile, after all it would make the game seem a lot more finished than it currently seems.

Finally the part textures. For all of you who don't think this as an issue, do a quick test, take a Mk. 3 Shuttle pod and bolt on a remote grabbing arm to the front. Now as you can clearly see the hook (new part) looks a hundred times better and realistic. Yes this is a testament to how far the game has come but, I really don't think it is a 'feature' we need. Many parts, like the Spaceplane Parts, the ugly small gear bay that sick out of the aircraft, and the old intake textures really like like they belong in a different game. It is what consistently drives me away from spaceplanes. I build this super cool looking SSTO, then realize I have to slap on landing gear, and once i do, I sigh. Why can't the gear be like in B9, with actually bays that go inside the ship, why does it have to stick out and look stupid all the time. I've found myself using octagonal struts and flipping parts around inside the ship just to hide the ugly part, which I feel is something I shouldn't have to do. With a few part modifications, and a couple changes, the game could be brought up to beautiful new graphical constant that it exists at now, and I feel I would enjoy the game so much more.

So there you have it, the reasons I think KSP needs to get a good run over with a buffer. Right now the game just seems too much like an ignored old classic car. You can't deny it's beautiful but you also can't look past it's flaws. But I think that it's possible very easily to buy a polisher and some wax and give the game a brand new shine. Together with the best community I've ever run across, I believe that we can make a difference to the game's future, make it better for the next players, make it better for 1.0 as a whole.

Thanks for sitting through my pusdo-rant, sincerely

Halflife77

[Eric S]

I'm sure they'll do a lot of polishing when the game gets closer to release. Right now, much of the work going on is involving career mode.

[Javster]

I'm sure they'll do a lot of polishing when the game gets closer to release. Right now, much of the work going on is involving career mode.

I'm starting to feel like they're procrastinating, and since we don't get to test the updates (there are dedicated testers) it really doesn't feel like an alpha.

I agree with you, a little polish now will prevent the game from getting boring and losing players. Prison Architect, a game in alpha, is about to dedicate an entire monthly update to bug-fixing. They're not finding the excuse "it's not finished yet", they're getting on with it.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Javster

[rtxoff]

I agree with you, a little polish now will prevent the game from getting boring and losing players.

If it's getting boring why don't you play something else in the meantime? About loosing players, well who cares? It's not like that they are getting money on a monthly base from KSP players. KSP is not an MMO with a monthly subscription. I really do not think that anybody of KSP stuff cares if you are going play the next month or not.

Prison Architect, a game in alpha, is about to dedicate an entire monthly update to bug-fixing. They're not finding the excuse "it's not finished yet", they're getting on with it.

They have not excused anything, polishing is not the same as bug fixing. There are no game breaking bugs in KSP at the moment. At least not gamebreaking for me. I can very well live with aerodynamics like they are now and i can live without IVA's too. And if i could not live without them,i would install mods.

[Red Iron Crown]

As near as I can tell, Squad has been leaving other features mostly alone while they focus on career mode for the last few updates. If 0.24 makes career mode more or less complete, I'd expect them to get back to other things after that.

[marshrover]

I personally like the Mk3 parts. The only thing they need is Mk3 cockpit IVA.

[Dodgey]

I used to think that this was a good idea. I'll use the plane parts for an example. Say you want bigger landing gear. Squad agrees and designs a completely new one to comply. Now at since point in the future they decide to work on the plane parts and aerodynamic model and because the current parts are terrible (they really are) they decide to start from scratch. They have wasted time making that new landing gear only to get rid of it.

I know that is a bonkers example but it still illustrates my point. There is very little point in polishing a system that you intend to throw away.

The whole thing about losing players is just silly. They know that the game is in development, shame on them for not knowing what they were buying.