Summary of Squadcast 2015/01/12

[Superfluous J]

I posted this on another thread but was not happy that it was going to be buried several pages deep, so here it is in its own thread.

No time stamps, but I put breaks when there was a decent amount of time where I didn't take notes because he didn't say anything relating to 0.91:

No resource system now, so they're going to sneak in one more system.

Set expectation right away: Not adding big new features. Small stuff maybe

Need to add a lot of balance to the game. Every part, mechanic, payout.

Some massless parts may get mass again.

They will balance the engines when they change the atmosphere.

- no sense balancing them first.

Thinner rockets better, Asparagus less effective. Pancake not as effective. Planes more predictable.

Not aiming for realism. Aiming for more predictable, and it will end up being realistic because of it.

They want more realistic BECASUE it's more predictable.

Planes that can fly now shouldn't be able to. "Puffer fish" plane.

1st person EVAs, non-committal answer. "Definite maybe"

Elon musk discussion.

Everything has to be completely gone through.

"Really really really want to take the grind out of science."

Too much clicking.

Science, being the first system added to career, is in the worst shape. It needs polished.

Need to do a pass over the audio. Make sure user interface is fantastic.

Example: Dings when contracts complete.

New version of Unity will help memory - NOT 5.0.

64 bit "could be way better."

The problem is actually not with instability, though it is unstable.

The problem is that it's hurting modders. Users are unkind.

They have considered pulling 64 bit.

Moddable buildings. "A lot more of that coming"

In the cards, toward the future.

whole tech tree needs to be rebalanced.

maybe mk1 (plane?) parts very early

doesn't remind you of current one at all

rework it deeply

Aerodynamics model 2 things:

This is the PLAN. Not necessarily what it will be

redo aero (overhaul), change what info is available while building a plane.

So it will be more predictable.

No new plane parts, just make the low-tier parts available earlier.

multiplayer is coming, someone working on it.

low level stuff, client communication.

mk3 parts need bigger wings? Maybe, but the current wings will be better when they react to air more correctly.

Not taking FAR approach. It's great, but they are taking a more in-depth look at the mechanics and changing the core system.

Devblog will have more info.

"completely different"

Will be working on a blog post. 0.91 will not be as flashy as past updates.

Balance. Polish. game needs to look like a proper completed game.

MK3 IVA absolutely. A lot of things need IVA.

IVAs are long projects, not something you knock out in an afternoon.

New landing gear. They are going to overhaul current, and make a bigger one for mk2, "like the shuttle" and a BIG one for MK3 parts.

Edited January 12, 2015 by 5thHorseman

[orangexception]

My biggest question:

Are they going to make the aero core open enough that it can be extended by mods?

Since they're doing such a major change, it makes sense to code it with mods in mind.

[dryer_lint]

Thank you so much for doing this! I'm way too lazy to watch videos MY AUDIO DOESN'T WORK.

[Renegrade]

Thanks for the transcription, 5thHorseman! I actually attended that Squadcast, but too much was going on in chat and real life and I was distracted at several key moments and missed out on a lot of key things.

Are they going to make the aero core open enough that it can be extended by mods?

I sincerely hope so. Signs point to 'no' though as many of the recent systems have been rather un-moddable, at least so far (crew transfer, building features etc).

[tater]

Thanks for this.

They really need to make sure that the descriptions match what happens in game at whatever level. New players see the descriptions, and read them (I did). When a landercan description says it can't possibly reenter… I assume it cannot possibly reenter.

If aero is so hopelessly fubared such that FAR won't work, or won't be updated… I don't want think about being stuck in 0.90, but it will be effectively useless as an update.

Edited January 13, 2015 by tater

[FlowerChild]

Big thanks for the summary. Very helpful.

One question though: are you sure they said "predictable" with regards to the aero system, as opposed to "intuitive"? Maybe it's a language barrier thing, but the former doesn't make much sense given the current system is 100% predictable, but the latter definitely would given the way it behaves is not what you would initially expect, particularly as a new player.

Edited January 13, 2015 by FlowerChild

[Superfluous J]

Big thanks for the summary. Very helpful.

One question though: are you sure they said "predictable" with regards to the aero system, as opposed to "intuitive"? Maybe it's a language barrier thing, but the former doesn't make much sense given the current system is 100% predictable, but the latter definitely would given the way it behaves is not what you would initially expect, particularly as a new player.

He specifically used the word "predictable" in at least 2 places, and I don't remember the word "intuitive" being used once. I think we may need to wait for the dev blog to know for sure any specifics.

[pxi]

Agreed, thanks for the summary. I'm having problems using the twitch site at all at the moment so I haven't been able to catch the squadcast for the last couple of weeks.

[tater]

I'd say predictable would apply to a noob whose only experience with atmosphere is the one they are breathing.

[FlowerChild]

He specifically used the word "predictable" in at least 2 places, and I don't remember the word "intuitive" being used once. I think we may need to wait for the dev blog to know for sure any specifics.

Thanks for the verification. I think I'll assume that's what they meant anyways and that it was just a bit of imprecise language as it makes much more sense. The first time I read the summary I didn't understand what the heck he was talking about until I realized he may have meant "intuitive"

I'd say predictable would apply to a noob whose only experience with atmosphere is the one they are breathing.

Yup, I realize. It's more than things that are intuitive are generally predictable, but things that are predictable aren't always intuitive. Just got confused based on that, and also likely because I'm used to "predictable" being used to describe game systems that are deterministic rather than intuitive and couldn't really figure out how the new system would be any more deterministic than the old.

Regardless, I'm pretty sure "intuitive" is what was meant there and I'm just over thinking the whole thing

Edited January 13, 2015 by FlowerChild

[FishInferno]

Stock Fairingssssssssss

[r4pt0r]

Not taking FAR approach. It's great, but they are taking a more in-depth look at the mechanics and changing the core system.

more in-depth than far? lol ok.

[Superfluous J]

more in-depth than far? lol ok.

Remember Maxmaps is a programmer. He could mean that it's going to be more in-depth in the code as opposed to riding on top.

Remember that I am *not* a programmer so I am talking out my mohole

[FlowerChild]

Remember Maxmaps is a programmer. He could mean that it's going to be more in-depth in the code as opposed to riding on top.

Remember that I am *not* a programmer so I am talking out my mohole

Yeah, I agree, and I am a programmer

Squad has access to the source code, which we modders do not. That means they can address things at a far more fundamental (and much easier) level than modders can.

I think the key word in that is "look". I don't think it's in any way implied that they intend the new aero itself to be more in-depth than FAR.

[Pthigrivi]

Im into it. Actually Im really encouraged by how they're seeing this, and yes, really hammering down on balance and playability is the most important thing right now. Im glad they're taking on some of the problems with science and really happy to see aero coming. Sad to see resources delayed again but already they've got a lot to process, its a huge haul. Weirdly I'd rather they took a much harder look at experience at this point. It feels very place-holder right now to the point where its not really working. I know I seem to be one of the few people pointing this out but the lack of female kerbals is a huge, huge problem. Just ask Lego what will happen if you neglect this.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/02/04/lego-letter-girl-more-boys/5201353/

[Leszek]

I was under the impression that girbles have been something Squad has said will be coming but they want to make sure it is done right. (Not sure exactly what that means.) I have heard several people imply that isn't the case. So the question is has something changed that I missed?

[Pthigrivi]

I know its planned, I really dont intend to side track things into a huge silly debate about it, just hoping this happens sooner than later. Already most of the KSP staff is populated by obviously-male kerbals. Maybe they plan to do a bunch of modeling for randomly generated recruits at some point and it doesnt seem to be a priority and I get that. Just wanted to point out this is kind of a big deal, both morally and from a marketing standpoint.

[r4pt0r]

I meant more in-depth aero dynamics, not more in-depth code.

[BudgetHedgehog]

Damn yuppies, stealing an honest persons job!

In all seriousness, thanks for this. My schedule at home made it inconvenient to catch this weeks and by the sounds of it, 0.91 will be a pretty small update, but the atmo change in the future sounds very divisive. In brighter news, less Science grind and pulling 64bit both sound incredibly promising. Also, yeah, the current wings may work fine on the Mk3 parts, but they just look so out of place and bump up the part count unnecessarily (please consider pWings, Squad..).

[TMS]

Regardless, I'm pretty sure "intuitive" is what was meant there and I'm just over thinking the whole thing

I just listened through the video. Yep, he definitely meant "intuitive".

The use of the term "predictable" precedes this statement about aerodynamics: "The first goal... is that the game has to behave like you would expect it to behave". To me, that's almost a working definition of intuitive.

He follows this by discussing aircraft shapes that shouldn't be able to fly.

[eddiew]

Cheers for the rundown 5th

mk3 parts need bigger wings? Maybe, but the current wings will be better when they react to air more correctly.

It'll still be like trying to use a napkin as a hang-glider :/ Tbh, mk3 feels rushed out. I do like it, I do want it, but it's missing all the supporting stuff to make it viable.

On the up side, plane parts earlier - finally! This needed to happen with 0.90 and it's survey contracts. Crazy that people have been left facing walls of flight contracts, while not owning wheels to launch planes with.

Will wait and see on the aerodynamics... I like FAR, but I could be persuaded to a different model as long as stuff flies in a way that feels right.

[viktor19]

"Puffer fish" plane.

Care to clarify?

[TMS]

Care to clarify?

One of the Devs has a craft file that they built which, it is implied in the stream, is an example of a plane that shouldn't be able to fly.

From the scant description, it's a craft covered in multiple layers of wings at many angles.

[Kegereneku]

Just to say, stacked multiplane exist, it's just aerodynamically unpredictable and give too much drag for the bonus lift.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplane_%28aeronautics%29

Of course I know the devs is here talking of something that look definitely insane.

[tater]

Given the description, when I heard him say "pufferfish" I assumed that the wing parts are arranged radially.