Where's KSP going?

[Kerbonautical]

I've been around for a year now, kicking about playing KSP as and when I can and having racked up over 300 hours I certainly feel I got my moneys worth already. However, it has occurred to me that despite having a lot of fun along the way, KSP doesn't feel like it's made much progress in the year I've been here. I've seen the introduction of flags, a reskinned Mun and the science aspect, which currently remains underwhelming without a full system to utilize it. I don't want it seem that I have any problem with the devs methods, I understand they are a small team, but they're also not the only ones. Out of the many Early Access games I have played KSP is one of the slowest progressing, even for a small studio. Eeloo still stands alone, features that excited me have been signed off for other features which are still so far on the horizon nobody can see them. I guess my point is the further development goes the further I have lost sight of what KSP aims to be or do. As of right now the coming features will evolve it into KSP with tycoon elements, but outside of money and challenges, what new stuff will there be?

I've hit the point personally where it's not even a matter of having grown bored of the game, I still love it, I just don't know where the game is even going at this point. If simply adding money and missions along with a few tweaks to things like aerodynamics will be the end of the road then I think that my time to part ways with the game is coming unfortunately. The roadmap for the future seems bleak and empty, outside of finance and multiplayer, there is little to look forward to for the backers who do not see interest in the career path. I'm aware this update is clearly not for me, and I will probably be skipping it and waiting for the christmas update (they're becoming spread thin recently too) but my question is, do I have anything to look forward to anymore? What's next for KSP? My time spent in the forums is dwindling as it is in game, the broadcasters who do KSP shows I watch are beginning to wind down on the KSP focus and my plans to build a massive infrastructure have gone out the window as I just don't feel I know where the game is going from here.

So does anyone who does still frequent the forum have any idea what's next? I don't want to 'burn out' on KSP, but recently I can't force myself to play it as all my saves get wiped, wondering whether they fit with the future focus of the game. I still get excited thinking about playing it, but my excitement stems from thinking about what I may be playing one day. I don't even know if that's coming. Personally I don't even know whether to expect a second gas planet to fit into Eeloo's spot anymore, I kinda get the feeling it will be the way it is now come launch. If you can give me some hope, please do, because I'm a huge fan struggling to retain interest in these past few weeks. I don't want to be done with this game before it's even finished.

[FenrirWolf]

There's no sin in taking a break from the game. If you need to move on to something else for a few weeks or even a few months, then so be it.

[Frank_G]

I tried that, but i wasnt able to reach escape velocity... My wish to stop till .24 is out lasted for about a week - then i had so many ship and mission concepts in my head, that i instantly needed to visit the VAB... Its a kurse...

[Seshins]

I pretty much asked the exact same thing in the dev discussion forum. I can understand where the OP is coming from.

[theend3r]

I don't want to 'burn out' on KSP...

Seems you already did. It happened to me twice already and the only thing you can do about it is to try to forget KSP for as long as possible and return after a few updates.

[Javster]

I see what you mean about the lack of a future for the game. There is no real final goal which the game is going towards, and it's suffering from the Minecraft syndrome: "We've kinda finished but we're still gonna add stuff, but it won't be major stuff, probably"

[Rainbowtrout]

Trust me, .24 will be big. Chances are, most of us will have hours of fun with contracts. That should refresh your love for KSP!

[tychochallenge]

Personally I don't even know whether to expect a second gas planet to fit into Eeloo's spot anymore, I kinda get the feeling it will be the way it is now come launch.

just letting you know, you're not the only person that feels that way. Last update that added planets was .18 with Eeloo and even it wasn't supposed to be permanent. The devs were just testing out the 3:2 resonance between Jool and a plutoid object. Eeloo was meant to be put around GP2 when it was first put in game yet its still there. Devs, I think its time for a change even if we only get one moon an update. If you're impatient like me, there are lots of custom (user-made) planet packs that add cool planets to go to, though if you're leaning more towards realism (again like me), unfortunately you should ignore most of them since they are just impossible. A second star closer in than Eeloo? A gas planet with moons orbiting moons orbiting moons? A black hole the size of Minmus with 2 stars orbiting it just 4 times the distance of Jool? A Tylo sized moon that barely skims the atmosphere of Jool? If you don't want to wait for many of the features you want to appear in stock game, mods, mods, mods are the way to go. Especially with 64-bit coming out in the next update, you can use as many mods as your computer itself can handle:)

[Whackjob]

It's OK to burn out. I've burned out. We've all burned out.

I'm looking forward to the update. Contracts will put an interesting spin on things. That and budgets... it's going to make my big builds that much more... interesting.

[Superfluous J]

Once you've done everything there is to do in a game, you finished it. It's sad and I won't win any favors with Squad for saying this but sometimes you finish a game - even an open ended sandbox game - and don't need to play it anymore.

I've had KSP-levels of interest in maybe a half dozen other games over the course of my life. One of those games (FTL) I still play almost daily (along with KSP) and another (Minecraft) I just picked up again. The others are old enough that I'm not willing to pick them up again for fear of them ruining my rose-colored glasses view of them (though when Elite Dangerous isn't $stupid for the right to beta test, I'll be reliving THOSE glory days). No matter how engaging a game is, though, I have always eventually stopped. I walked away from Minecraft for about a year and my return may be temporary. I took about 2 months off from FTL. KSP has lost me for a few weeks at a time here and there, though it's kept me interested for a pretty solid 6+ months now. The other games I will probably never play again.

Which is perfectly normal.

[Kerbonautical]

Thanks for the responses here guys, I was really a bit worried that my post my come off the wrong way. I do hope that the .24 update will fill the gaps for me and give me enough reason to clock up at least another 100 hours. I also am a big fan of many of the mods on here and certainly do look forward to seeing how much further I can take that with 64-bit support. I'm not entirely sure of how the support will work yet, and whether it just opens up more RAM or will open up access to multi-threading of my processor. Unfortunately without multi-threading support I can't really push it much further as I'm being held back by visuals at this point rather than RAM.

Luckily I've been away from the game for at least a month as I've been spending some time with other games, alpha's and cleaning up on some of those games picked up on the steam sale (congrats to KSP for being in the featured list again by the way, hopefully it provided a similar boost as last years sale) so I have a bit of time between my last session and the updates which might be enough to bring me back in for a while with .24. However the idea of adding one small bit of revamped/new content in with each update is fantastic I think. I know some planets etc will be reworked and if they were trickling down in the updates I'd definitely feel inclined to come back just to explore them! I appreciate the work the devs are putting in and know that a focus is incredibly good for keeping your schedule tight. But perhaps if small changes to the locations, or even additions from previous plans were already being added step by step maybe the teams who tested .24 before wouldn't have felt the content was lacking and in need of delaying the update to add contracts. It would certainly give the impression of there being more content per update even if it wasn't strictly true beneath the surface. Of course I have no idea how awkward it could be on the team, but I imagine dividing the teams and their work further than needed would complicate things too. After all there has to be a reason Squad are following the current pattern since we have had updates in the past that added visual flare to the Mun etc while focusing on other aspects. Can't help but wish though.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Kerbonautical

[rkman]

Squad has said not all content will be in the game until it is finished so that even oldtimers will have something new to do by the time the game is done.

Eeloo... The devs were just testing out the 3:2 resonance between Jool and a plutoid object.

I'm surprised to hear that. First because there is no orbital resonance in KSP (with planets being "on rails"), also because Squad has assured us that Eloo is in no way a Pluto analogue.

[Random Tank]

Squad has said not all content will be in the game until it is finished so that even oldtimers will have something new to do by the time the game is done.

Yeah, but he's also saying that development is incredibly slow... Even for a small dev team. I can understand his frustration; as you may get one update that you're not particularly hyped for and it will be 4-6 month wait before you get another one... Which doesn't exactly add huge amounts of content either (.24 may do, but lots of others haven't)

I'm surprised to hear that. First because there is no orbital resonance in KSP (with planets being "on rails"), also because Squad has assured us that Eeloo is in no way a Pluto analogue.

The 3:2 Orbital resonance stops Jool and Eeloo colliding (they wouldn't really, they'd pass through, but it would be silly and buggy), so yes it is in the game. Also, he never it was a pluto equivalent; just that there were testing a Pluto-like planet's orbit characteristics and just used Eeloo to test it... Them left it in the game.

[CptRichardson]

Well, given that you're going to be putting satalites into orbit for at least 6 companies (and likely more, seeing as they said that these were the first six), you're about to have some more fun. Especially Kesseler Syndrome. Weeeeee!

[TNM]

I'm not sure SQUAD has a good idea on what the "game" should be in the end. They started out with the sandbox aspect testing basic code, and thats fine. Now they are trying to implement other aspects of a possible game, like point-gathering mechanics (sience), achievments and goals (contracts+budgets).

Still, even when all that is implemented, it doesn't make a game in itself, its still a sandbox with some generic goals that help you setting targets for yourself. I'm not sure KSP will ever be a game simply because i never heard them answering the "why" question. Why should i do xy in the game? There is no why. Its typical for sandboxes to leave that to the player. KSP will probably never have...opponents, competing space agencies, NPCs that challenge you. You can't win the game.

All you can hope for is that KSP stays as mod-friendly as possible, so adding to the sandbox is possible long after SQUAD stops doing that.

[Akalaël]

I understand what you feel.

Like you, I've been playing since 0.18. I had so mutch fun in the very first months, just climbing the learning curve of this game ( first orbit, first landing and so on). When I felt I was getting less and less intesting in the game I put a brake on it.

The sand-box games have the limits that YOU have after all, and I reached that limit after 6 months of intensive play.

6 months without playing.

And I came back with the .23.5

Amazing and exciting, I really love this game, it may be the unique one that gives me so mutch feel of freedom.

But I have learn all the ropes (well, maybe not all of them, but really all the essentials ones). I can go so fast now (unlocking all the tech tree in maybe 10 launches) that I get bored in a few weeks, sometimes a few days.

I really looking forward to the .24, and even more.

I lack objectives in this game (and I'm affraid contracts and budget will not be sufficient, i've played around a bit with Mission Controler, and I still can break the game in a few launches, even on hard mode.

Bah, never mind, I'll give another brake and come back, as I did in the past.

But, hey, if there was more things to do (were are the ressources, the other planets, scipted missions ?) I'll be playing moar, for sure, erh, I mean, more longer, and still stop eventually.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Akalaël

[Alshain]

where's ksp going?

spaaaaaace!

[Tommy99534]

Don't worry, lots of new fun stuff will be added in 0.24 which isnt too far now, and after that, even more.

Here's proof:

Squad is committed to add multiplayer to the finished game after the success of the user created mod KMP, or Kerbal MultiPlayer. Squad says “Multiplayer is something we had planned to do after it was all said and done, but it’s time for us to start looking at it nowâ€Â.[17] With 0.24 Squad specifically states that they working on the first steps to add multiplayer after career is finished.

[Majorjim!]

It's OK to burn out. I've burned out. We've all burned out.

I'm looking forward to the update. Contracts will put an interesting spin on things. That and budgets... it's going to make my big builds that much more... interesting.

Hi Wack,

I see contracts and budgets as 'restrictions'. The game is about exploring. All of Squads time should be spent on making exploration more exciting and rewarding. Not worrying about RL crap such as 'money' and 'jobs'.

It should be fun plain and simple. Budgeting is not fun.

Squad please, please put more effort into the planets and muns. Give us more reasons to go there and stay there. Make them more numerous and surprising.

Dont turn KSp into a spreadsheet..

MJ

[regex]

Dont turn KSp into a spreadsheet..

KSP won't be made into a spreadsheet because it's been designed to be "accessible". Evidence is the joke of a 1/11th scale solar system, the tech tree designed to "introduce parts", and the drag/aerodynamic model that allows brick walls to fly. The finance mechanic will be made with the lowest common denominator in mind and will offer little to no challenge. If you play career mode, it'll be the same old career mode.

As for sandbox stuff, yeah, another planet would be nice but the devs seem to be going in the other direction of trying to get all their major system into the game now that they have a reasonable amount of stuff to test with. This is not a bad thing at all (in fact, it makes a lot of sense) but sandbox players are going to be bored for the next few updates while the rest of the game systems are put in. After that it should be pretty easy to balance new content against what is there and polished.

[Majorjim!]

The finance mechanic will be made with the lowest common denominator in mind and will offer little to no challenge. If you play career mode, it'll be the same old career mode.

So why add it if it does little to change the game. This is my point exactly. They are wasting time on 'pointless' features.

As for sandbox stuff, yeah, another planet would be nice but the devs seem to be going in the other direction of trying to get all their major system into the game now that they have a reasonable amount of stuff to test with. This is not a bad thing at all (in fact, it makes a lot of sense) but sandbox players are going to be bored for the next few updates while the rest of the game systems are put in. After that it should be pretty easy to balance new content against what is there and polished.

There are much easier ways to introduce new players to the game. Why didnt they finish the tutorials and then put effort into enhancing exploration.

We could already be at game release and Squad would be able to work on massive changes that at this rate I dont even think will happen.

I know my opinion wont be popular but this is how I feel.

MJ

[regex]

So why add it if it does little to change the game. This is my point exactly. They are wasting time on 'pointless' features.

Because KSP has never been about the sandbox. It is a sandbox game, and you can create a sandbox save, but the sandbox has always been a secondary concern to the "tycoon"-style of play that they have been going for. Their web-page advertising says it all.

[Kinglet]

Because KSP has never been about the sandbox. It is a sandbox game, and you can create a sandbox save, but the sandbox has always been a secondary concern to the "tycoon"-style of play that they have been going for. Their web-page advertising says it all.

Sigh. I think I will just give up on this game. I wanted a game about limitless exploration and fun, and not about limitations and money.

[theend3r]

Sigh. I think I will just give up on this game. I wanted a game about limitless exploration and fun, and not about limitations and money.

No Man's Sky may be more up your alley then. Limitations are what make this game interesting. Sure, I can build a launcher that'll lift 1000t into orbit but it'd be extremely expensive, so I'll look for a better solution like a large spaceplane or...

[Majorjim!]

Limitations are what make this game interesting.

Not for many players. The actual exploration is what makes this game exciting. Its the whole point of the game.

Personally I think Squad are making a big mistake turning the game into something like a real space program with the same problems such as money.

Building ships, testing and learning how to travel to the planets and get back is what is fun.

Anyone playing this game under the restrictions of budgets and contracts and science points is going to miss a huge amount of the game in simply giving up after a while. They will miss out on some amazing gaming moments.

Don't give us restrictions. We have enough of those in real life ffs.

I bet not one of the people on this forum will ever go into space. I also bet each and every one of them would give their left leg to do so, me included.

The reason we all cannot get into space is due to the restrictions our current reality put on us. Why put the similar restrictions in a game?

It seems that Squad are limiting a players ability to explore. Which leads me to believe they are not concerned with enhancing exploration which will kill this game plain and simple.

You may not agree with me. Just wait and see. it will happen. And I will cry.

MJ

Edited July 1, 2014 by Majorjim