Devnote Tuesdays: The "Can't Spell Kerbal without K" Edition

[Javster]

Thanks for the expansion, now we know why you're not telling us everything, at least.

[Javster]

That was also my first thought, i already wrote that thing in some 'what would you want the most'-thread. Imagine full internal IVA's and missions you could do that way, especially with stuff like RasterProp. But is it really likely? Full IVA sounds more like a coding challenge to me, with moving/bending/breaking ships.

It would be amazing, though. And 'dozens of high quality models' certainly could point into that direction.

Otherwise i'd put my money on planet-reworks. Maybe custom-made areas using the new algorithms, including bioms, maybe more objects for the scenery.

They might need some rework, but i'm not sure why they would need to be scrapped.

Imagine a Surgeon Simulator-esque hand inside your spacecraft.

[Alshain]

Previously I speculated on the 3D modeling effort being about the KSC becoming fully destructible. Now after thinking and remembering the admin facility I have an addition to my wild speculation.

What if they start new career games without KSC, just Jeb, a junkyard, and a launchpad. That as you earn money, something thats easy for most veterans, you need to build the KSC buildings. Build the tracking center, runway, assembly building, and everything else. It hasnt been done in a mod and would be exactly the kind of thing you need an admin building for. (Maybe an admin shack to start)

You really shouldn't have planted that idea seed in my head. Now I might be disappointed when they announce the real purpose of the admin building . RTS-Style Progressive upgrades to the KSC would just be too awesome.

Edited August 21, 2014 by Alshain

[Robotengineer]

What I don't understand about the new IVA thing is how would it improve the game and help it move towards scope completion?

[Endersmens]

You really shouldn't have planted that idea seed in my head. Now I might be disappointed when they announce the real purpose of the admin building . RTS-Style Progressive upgrades to the KSC would just be too awesome.

Yes, That would really really make KSP a tycoon style game! And it would be simply awesome! Especially if we could expand, and say, build an airstrip at the artic to use as a base for artic studies, to retrieve more science? So many ideas! This, this would be the feature that would make KSP boom. Maybe even more than official multiplayer. Oh man i want this now....someone at least make a mod for this!

[panfish5]

I'm just wondering what's the point of a movable IVA other than just looking out some windows and changing crew pods. I think that it would be better to work on something else.

[Endersmens]

I'm just wondering what's the point of a movable IVA other than just looking out some windows and changing crew pods. I think that it would be better to work on something else.

We can already look out windows. What they're talking about it actually being able to pilot IVA, having controls and switches and being able to move around and change pods and seats and lots of other stuff that I can't remember right now.

[merchant_mariner]

I can't see the gameplay appeal of a full IVA system though. Enhanced cockpits with MFD's would add a lot to the game, but why put in so much work to move kerbals between capsules in first person? Are you really going to want to go IVA to move Jeb back and forth between a hitch hiker pod and the command pod multiple times? Might be fun the first couple times, but after that it would get boring. The full IVA idea is like the original resources idea, sounds good in theory but just isn't fun to play. I think the tycoon style space center is a much more likely option.

[NathanKell]

IVAs *do* have "controls and switches" right now.

[Alewx]

Hmm so the biggest effort in 3d asset creation for the game currently, hmm ok, some guessing:

- a new space center / new hangars

- a massiv part update

- they work on an administration facility, so maybe somekind of kerbal training facility

- space center IVA

- customizable kerbals

That are just some random thoughts I had...

[Mach_XXII]

Hmm so the biggest effort in 3d asset creation for the game currently, hmm ok, some guessing:

- a new space center / new hangars

- a massiv part update

- they work on an administration facility, so maybe somekind of kerbal training facility

- space center IVA

- customizable kerbals

That are just some random thoughts I had...

We just got a new space center

[NoMrBond]

Whatever gui framework we go with, we will always have to extend it with our own implementations for non-standard stuff. Currently there are 3 gui frameworks in action in ksp. The only point atm where EzGUI comes short is in the way it handles text and especially text input. We have overcome the biggest hurdles with text display though. If the Unity GUI overhaul delivers better way of handling text input we will probably start using it as well. That said, just because unity comes out with a new way to handle GUI programming doesn't mean we will re-write the whole GUI code of ksp to match it as it would be an extremely time consuming task.

Thanks for the answer Romfarer!

As sarbian (who is hopefully enjoying their holiday) said earlier, the Unity 4.6 GUI overhaul was done by the developer of ezGUI, so I'm hoping that the update is helpful (and not a migration obstacle) for what you're working on!

[cantab]

Space stations will be a lot more fun if you can actually climb around inside them, seamlessly moving from checking the monitors in the command pod to starting a science experiment in the lab to looking out at Kerbin from the cupola.

[bigdad84]

Space stations will be a lot more fun if you can actually climb around inside them, seamlessly moving from checking the monitors in the command pod to starting a science experiment in the lab to looking out at Kerbin from the cupola.

YES! I second this! Would make space stations so much more enticing to building because you can do more than just stare at the outside of them.

[r4pt0r]

Space stations will be a lot more fun if you can actually climb around inside them, seamlessly moving from checking the monitors in the command pod to starting a science experiment in the lab to looking out at Kerbin from the cupola.

I had thought about that, but heres a relevant post from yours truely, from another recent thread:

Im considering ruling out any indepth IVA. there are too many variables with the literally infinite ways people can design ships, like my demonstration piece here. The coding for that would just be hell I can only imagine.

[Endersmens]

IVAs *do* have "controls and switches" right now.

We can only control a few though, throttle, SAS, and RCS. Those are the only ones I'm aware of. Some that I'm not positive on is gears, and brakes. Anyone know for sure?

[cantab]

If you don't allow crew transfer through radial attachments the interior IVA becomes much simpler, since each part's interior will only need to connect through to other parts on the stack nodes.

[Superfluous J]

If you don't allow crew transfer through radial attachments the interior IVA becomes much simpler, since each part's interior will only need to connect through to other parts on the stack nodes.

Would you also disallow radially attachment of docking ports and that 6-sided doohickey that allows you to make cubic shaped space stations? Because it'd be a bit weird if you couldn't see through those.

[Ikaneko]

Guess we'd better crank up the hype-PLANE!!!!!

[Whirligig Girl]

Guess we'd better crank up the hype-PLANE!!!!!

I won't let you replace us! NEVER! HypeTrain Forever!

[cantab]

In my scenario the 6-way hub would gain an IVA that Kerbals could pass through. It would still be possible to attach docking ports radially, but Kerbals couldn't pass through them then, only stack-attached ports. Which kind of makes sense - are they really going to want to cut a big hole in the side of their hitchhiker container? In the navigable IVA the radially-attached ports would appear closed from the docking side, and not be seen in the non-docking side apart from through windows.

[KerbMav]

Mav wants know now! *pout* Rowsy tell Mav story! Pleee-hheeaaa-se!

[Rainbowtrout]

I vote HypeGliders.

[mythic_fci]

I vote HypeGliders.

Gliders? Pfft. We need ROCKET MOTORS!!!11!1 Cue the HypeRocketPlaneTrainComboThingamajig!

[AlexanderTeaH]

Nice devnotes, plenty of good information. Also -- how is HarvesteR so talented? He can write code *and* compose music? Wow!

And... Spaceplane Plus is becoming stock? Woot! Also, "This will become the basis for a few new systems linked to career mode and will give us a better idea of where our intrepid astronauts have been." Something like FinalFrontier, if I read that right? Nice. And EnhancedNavball functionality in the stock game? Two more hoorays from me!

Programming isn't that hard to learn, especially C#. Composition on the other hand, is quite a talent.