Kerbal Space Program

[jztemple2]

And an upcoming new DLC, Kerbal Space Program: Breaking Ground Expansion, is coming out May 30th.

Brand new downloadable content for Kerbal Space Program is on its way! Filled with new content and features, Kerbal Space Program: Breaking Ground Expansion will give new meaning to the Kerbal scientific endeavours.

Breaking Ground is all about exploration, experimentation, and technological breakthroughs. Study the soaring plume of a cryovolcano on Vall, mysterious craters on Moho, and even more new features on all of the other moons and planets of the Solar System. Deploy experiments for the long-term study of Minmus and let them collect data while you explore further sights. Test your creativity with a new suite of robotics parts. Breaking Ground will help you and the Kerbals reach new horizons, all in the name of Science!

These are the most significant features coming to Kerbal Space Program: Breaking Ground Expansion.

Robotic Parts

Brand new robotic will add a whole new level of creativity to your craft. These parts will include some new control mechanics and let you create all sorts of inventive vehicles and crazy contraptions to aid the Kerbals in exploring their Universe!



Surface Features

Scattered across the Kerbin System, you’ll find interesting Surface Features, like mineral formations, meteors, craters, and some even more curious planetary features. Study them and collect valuable scientific data with a brand-new Rover Arm!



Deployed Science

Bring equipment for experiments with you from Kerbin and deploy them on the surface of a celestial body to take measurements over time. Set up a science station and put your crew to work. From seismometers to weather stations, there are plenty experiments for you to try out!



New Space Suit

Kerbals are also getting a fresh new space suit to wear for their scientific endeavors! This sleek futuristic suit will make your Kerbals look flashy while they explore the canyons of Duna, the shores of Laythe, or any other exotic destination.



Kerbal Space Program: Breaking Ground Expansion will be released on May 30th for PC for $14.99 USD. And yes, we’re keeping our promise that all players who purchased the game through April 2013 will receive the expansion for free. We’ll provide more details on how that will work before launch.

Do you want to learn more about Breaking Ground? Then make sure to stay tuned for our next KSP Loading… where we’ll take a deep dive into the content and features of Kerbal Space Program: Breaking Ground Expansion!

Happy launchings!

[coopasonic]

I haven't touched KSP in a long time... basically I played a little bit when Making History came out and left disappointed with the changes. I wonder if they did anything about that mess (as I recall the player made scenarios were one-offs not connected to regular game progression). Anyway, I suppose I may give this a shot when it hits as well.The last update didn't get to me to install even though they looked nice.

[jztemple2]

I was also disappointed with Making History and while they did some tweaks, I think I just couldn't get excited by the content. This new DLC adds some new parts and things to go out and see. The new parts include hinges which will allow some more interesting designs. The new science stuff is meh to me, I never had the patience to go through all that science point gathering. And the new suit is just eye candy. And since I was an early adopter I'm getting it all for free anyway so I'll give it a look.

[Rumpy]

I think in general, the game could use a bit more ease of use. I mean, you kind of have to really know what you're doing to really get anywhere in the career mode, but a lot of the time you're just left alone to your own devices and the tutorials aren't very good. I've even dabbled with MechJeb, but found that frustrating because again, uses a lot of technical language and doesn't actually help unless you know what you want it to do and program it. It's one heck of a hard game/simulation. The best I've managed with MechJeb was crash into the moon because I didn't know how to set it properly. Would be nice to have something like MechJeb built-in that would be a bit easier to use that ties into an interactive tutorial system based on different mission stages that would clue you in on what needs doing.

[Holman]

Yeah. Right now, to get serious in Kerbal you have to go the Dwarf Fortress route of watching tons of videos by seasoned players.

[jztemple2]

Yeah. Right now, to get serious in Kerbal you have to go the Dwarf Fortress route of watching tons of videos by seasoned players.

Or have studied orbital mechanics, like I did

[coopasonic]

Yeah. Right now, to get serious in Kerbal you have to go the Dwarf Fortress route of watching tons of videos by seasoned players.

I wouldn't say tons. An hour or so of Scott Manley's beginner's guide and you should be good to go except possibly for special topics like orbital rendezvous.

[Rumpy]

Yeah, I have watched some videos, particularly some of Scott Manley's, but in the end, I can never manage to do very much, so much so that I've kind of given up on doing anything worthwhile with it.

My ideal version of Kerbal would have an active mission control system guiding you along the way, similar to a control tower in FSX. Even Orbiter, another space sim had one. Because frankly, not even astronauts are left to their own devices unless they''re in a known blind spot and have been prepared for it.

[coopasonic]

And an upcoming new DLC, Kerbal Space Program: Breaking Ground Expansion, is coming out May 30th.

It came out a couple days ago now. I just saw a video with a basic overview and I'll be giving it a look this weekend since they gave it to me for free. Wee!

[coopasonic]

For the new ground spawned materials you are supposed to create a new save. Being the good little soldier I am, I did so. Most of the weekend was spent climbing the tech ladder and I didn't really get to do anything with the new stuff other than to figure out that 1 solar panel (different from the ones you can mount on ships, these are deployed on the ground) isn't enough to do anything. So minimum you need 3 solar panels an experiment and a control station... and they give you a cargo container that holds 3 deployable. Thanks. Later on there is one that holds 9. I'm not sure what the point of the 3 item container is. I did bring a rock back from the moon for some decent science. I ran out of propellent for my jet pack so had to run almost 2km back to my ship... at 1.2m/s. There is no auto-run in KSP. I ended up setting up a contraption to hold W down while I did some reading.

TL;DR version: I didn't get to see any of the new stuff.

[coopasonic]

I know you have all been dying for an update... The science part of Breaking Ground seems pretty useless. I have science outposts on Mun and Minmus and have probably gotten 70-80 science from them so far. To give an idea of how that compares, I got a little over 600 science from my second Minmus mission which was much lower than I expected because my lander did not perform as I had planned. On a related note, that lander is NOT built for re-entry. I managed to save my 2 star scientist by jumping at the last second, but I lost my #3 pilot in the crash.

As far as the robotics part goes... I haven't figured out a use case for them. I am still ramping up my technology. Maybe it will be useful at some point in the future. I just had an idea for a docking assistance device on a space station so maybe there is hope after all.

[jztemple2]

Hmm. Well, I'll put it on the back burner and see what updates are released.

[jztemple2]

An article that might be of interest to some folks, Essential Kerbal Space Program Mods from the Strategy Gamer website. It also explains the difference between the Steam Workshop mods and those that are found elsewhere, like Curseforge. There are several great mods listed, Docking Port Alignment Indicator and MechJeb being my two favorites. Strategy Gamer posts these "Essential Mods" articles occasionally and I've found them to be of great value.

[AWS260]

Look back at the early posts in this thread is a real treat. I think that KSP might be my personal Best Game Ever, even though I don't play it much anymore.

[Stefan Stirzaker]

Still love this game. Cant play past early game without mechjeb but making a satellite system exploring planets etc. So versatile

[jztemple2]

Still love this game. Cant play past early game without mechjeb but making a satellite system exploring planets etc. So versatile

I’ve been dependent on MechJeb as well, but I like how it works. The comm update that allowed satellites to be mandatory really got me back into KSP. Sometime this summer I plan to try out the latest update.

[jztemple2]

Kerbal Space Program 1.8: “Moar Boosters!!!” is now available!

New gadgets are coming from the Research and Development facility, the kind that will get Kerbals screaming: MOAR BOOSTERS!!! A brand new update is here and with it comes better performance, fresh new features, improved visuals, and new parts being added to our players’ creative repertoire!

Kerbal Space Program 1.8: Moar Boosters!!! is an update focused on making the game perform and look better, all while introducing more quality of life features that will improve the overall player experience. We’re also bringing some new solid rocket boosters to the VAB, as well as introducing some exclusive treats for owners of the Breaking Ground Expansion.

[jztemple2]

Kerbal Space Program Update 1.10 on PC - The lastest newsletter from the team:

As most of you know by now, we are currently working on the final details for the 1.10 release. Launching on July 1st, Kerbal Space Program 1.10: Shared Horizons is special in many ways. For starters, we have partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to bring two iconic and historic missions to the game, BepiColombo and Rosetta, as well as a bundle of brand new parts and variants to resemble the components of their real-life counterparts. In addition to that, we’re bringing ESA’s spacesuit and the Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle into the game. Coupled with that are new planet and part revamps, performance improvements, a bunch of bug fixes, as well as a few quality of life features. We'll be going into more details about this exciting update, so buckle up.

[Unagi]

Sadly. (And I have more love for this game than I can tell you) , I’m probably done with KSP 1.x


Replayed a couple months ago and re reminded myself of the limitations of their engine and don’t care to keep ‘pressing it’ hoping for more.


And with KSP 2 reportedly (erroneously) coming out This Year, I’m even more inclined to pass on this strange last gasp update of theirs.


And again. I can’t tell you how much I love this game and that it exists and how unique it is.

[Holman]

Sadly. (And I have more love for this game than I can tell you) , I’m probably done with KSP 1.x


Replayed a couple months ago and re reminded myself of the limitations of their engine and don’t care to keep ‘pressing it’ hoping for more.


And with KSP 2 reportedly (erroneously) coming out This Year, I’m even more inclined to pass on this strange last gasp update of theirs.


And again. I can’t tell you how much I love this game and that it exists and how unique it is.

The slippage and dev-team saga around KSP2 makes me worry that the sequel might not live up to the original. (Did I hear that the team developing KSP2 isn't the same people as KSP, or was that a rumor?)

I'm sure it will be very pretty, but I need to know that it won't be "gamified" into something less serious about physics.

[jztemple2]

Some more content coming to Kerbal Space Program, see the latest blog entry KSP Loading…: Some Reassembly in Progress!

If you’ve been following us on our social media channels, by now you’ll know that we are currently working on KSP’s next major update, Kerbal Space Program 1.11: Some Reassembly Required! In this KSP Loading we’ll talk about the suite of quality-of-life features that we’ll include in this update to improve the game experience, as well as our continuous effort to revamp the textures of all of the game’s celestial bodies, plus some new light parts that will brighten up your day.

There is also some news there on KSP2

Kerbal Space Program 2 is a very ambitious project and everyone at Private Division and Intercept Games is committed to delivering the best possible experience to KSP fans. For this reason, Nate Simpson, Creative Director of KSP 2 informed the community last week about the decision of releasing KSP 2 in 2022 instead of fall 2021.

[jztemple2]

More info on the upcoming update, Kerbal Space Program 1.11: Some Reassembly Required

Kerbal Space Program 1.11: Some Reassembly Required is being released this winter (well, winter in some parts of the planet). With it we are not only including a number of quality-of-life features, the Joolian moons visual enhancements, and some new parts - as we talked about in the past issue of KSP Loading - but also some more significant and game changing elements that give this update its name. Buckle up and let’s get into the details of Some Reassembly Required!

[jztemple2]

Kerbal Space Program 1.11: “Some Reassembly Required” is now available!

Excerpt:

Gear up Kerbonauts, engineers are required for some in situ reassembling! Stack up your inventory with parts and tools in order to prepare for any contingencies. With a reimagining of the game’s inventory system and the introduction of a new EVA construction mode, KSP is here with new content for everyone!

Kerbal Space Program 1.11: Some Reassembly Required is the game’s latest major free update and with it, we’re adding some significant and game changing elements that give players added flexibility and a more immersive KSP experience. Pack an inventory for your missions and modify your crafts or even assemble a new vehicle on the spot with the help of your engineers, or bring an EVA Science Experiment Kit and have your Kerbals undertake fun animated experiments. In addition to some new parts, visual enhancements, and some bug-fixing, Some Reassembly Required continues to enrich the KSP experience.

[Apollo]

As much as I love this game (And it's my favorite PC game of all time), after over 2,000 hours invested, I can no longer get excited about anything other than KSP 2. Still, it's awesome to see that they are still adding meaningful content years after release.

[jztemple2]

From the KSP Blog, Kerbal Space Program Final Update on PC

On June 24th, 2011, Kerbal Space Program 0.7.3 was publicly released. Back then the game looked very different with a very limited parts catalogue, no celestial objects except Kerbin which would not rotate, and not even a proper Sun, just a light source at an infinite distance. No one ever expected that this modest game, created by a small studio in Mexico City with no experience in videogames, would turn into a worldwide phenomenon that brought space exploration closer to our households. Therefore it is almost unfathomable that in a couple of weeks we will be celebrating the game’s 10th anniversary. And on that day, we are releasing Kerbal Space Program 1.12: On Final Approach, our 12th major free update!

Kerbal Space Program 1.12: On Final Approach is going to be special in many ways. We are not only packing this free update with a massive amount of new content, player requests and all sorts of fixes, but it is also our thank you letter to everyone in our community who supported us along the way and made our dreams come true. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, or rather move on to the next chapter. So yes, On Final Approach is the last major planned release for Kerbal Space Program. While there may still be occasional minor updates to address bug fixes as needed, Squad’s efforts will now shift towards joining Intercept Games in the development of Kerbal Space Program 2.

[Unagi]

First, I’m a massive fan and hours invested fan of this game.

I will only be critical of one thing here. They should have called it : The Eagle Has Landed

(Also interesting that they are only just now joining the developers of KSP2, or rather, that they are saying it)

[AWS260]

I downloaded the Kerbal demo over the weekend, and now my 3-year-old is completely obsessed with it. I'm pretty sure that he thinks the space bar is called that because it sends rockets into space.

That child is now 11 and is still playing KSP on a regular basis.

[AWS260]

A nice retrospective.

[jztemple2]

What will be apparently the last significant update, Kerbal Space Progam 1.12.2 is live!

This patch focuses on fixing over 90 bugs and adding a few improvements to the game, such as a locking functionality to docking node rotations that allows autostruts to cross over docked nodes. We are also adding revamps for the LV-T30 Reliant and LVT-45 Swivel liquid fuel engines. Additionally, and more importantly, 1.12.2 includes the previously-teased Ground Anchor - a brand new element in KSP, that when paired with EVA construction, will give players the ability to anchor their vessels to the ground or create a solid foundation for bases.

Even though we still may release a minor patch here and there when needed, with this patch we are officially completing the 1.12 update, as well as the sustained development of the original KSP, as we are now shifting gears towards the development of KSP2.

Now I can finally get around to playing the game

[coopasonic]

I did a full career mode playthrough (well almost full, had 3-4 nodes left on the tech tree) from scratch with no mods after 1.12. Still a great game and I am dying for KSP2.

[Pyperkub]

NASA needs your Kerbonauts!

Kerbonauts! Show us how you'd deflect an asteroid. Use #DARTMission so we can check out your skills.

[LordMortis]

That sounds like a job for Coop.

[coopasonic]

That sounds like a job for Coop.

I think I still have that pic of my kerbal standing next to his "landed" asteroid somewhere... it doesn't appear in my steam pics. I'll have to dig it up.

[coopasonic]

[raydude]

NASA needs your Kerbonauts!

Kerbonauts! Show us how you'd deflect an asteroid. Use #DARTMission so we can check out your skills.

I would, but I need to get my software ready for launch of the real thing.

[Pyperkub]

Uh, oops?

[Blackhawk]

I don't get it.

[coopasonic]

I don't get it.

NASA is asking for how we would deflect an asteroid, most likely to send it away from the planet. I managed to deflect (well, redirect -- is there a difference really?) one directly INTO the planet. Luckily KSP doesn't have terrain destruction so the planet remained intact.

[Isgrimnur]

It's the opposite of what NASA is looking for. 'Deflect' doesn't suggest 'park it on the front lawn.'

[Blackhawk]

Ah, I see. I had assumed that was some sort of terrain feature, and couldn't figure out exactly what the arrow was pointing to.