Dear Kerbal Space Program community,

Take-Two Interactive has been updating its End User License Agreements and the Kerbal Space Program EULA is changing soon as a part of that process. Open communication with the Kerbal Space Program community has been a hallmark of the game and a big reason for its positive evolution over the years, so we wanted to give all of you advance notice that the End User License Agreement will be changing on March 15, 2019.

The main change in the updated EULA is an added arbitration clause which is a common license provision. In plain English, that means that any potential disagreement between Take-Two Interactive and you will be resolved using an arbitration process.

If you do not want to participate in arbitration, there is an opt out period of 30 days starting from the day of the change’s implementation on March 15, 2019. In order to opt out, a written notification must be mailed to Take Two Interactive Software, Legal Department, Attn: Arbitration Opt Out, 110 West 44th Street, New York, New York, 10036. The notice must include (1) your full name; (2) your mailing address; and (3) a clear statement that you do not wish to resolve disputes with the Company through arbitration. You are responsible for ensuring the Company’s receipt of your opt-out notice, and you therefore may wish to send a notice by means that provide a written receipt.


We deeply appreciate everyone’s understanding.

We are sad to hear that after 14 years and 293 days (55 times longer than its planned lifetime) exploring the surface of Mars, Opportunity has ceased operations. So long, little explorer! On the bright side, KSP Loading… is back with fresh news and updates! Do you want to learn about all the current developments of KSP? Here’s the place to be, so let's get started!


You’re reading correctly, KSP Enhanced Edition is the first item in this issue of KSP Loading…! It’s been a while since our last update to KSP on consoles, but we’ve had something very special for you in the making, and we’re thrilled to finally shed some light and reveal all the juicy details you’ve been craving for!

For a while now, we have been working hand in hand with BlitWorks on a console-optimized free update for KSP Enhanced Edition, as well as its first DLC: The History and Parts Pack!

Releasing on the same day, both the History and Parts Pack and the free update are filled with content, including new parts, revamps, suits and features that console players will be able to enjoy for the first time! Without further ado, let’s dive into the details:

Free Update

As we mentioned before, KSP Enhanced Edition is getting a content-filled console-optimized update that will take bits and pieces of all updates we have released on PC after 1.2.1; some of the ones that people like the most, as well as performance improvements, bug fixes, and more!

Kerbal Personal Parachutes

Personal Parachutes are coming to KSP Enhanced Edition! Kerbals with level 3 and above experience will have fully steerable personal parachutes. You will be able to deploy the chutes using the cursor or via the secondary radial menu.

Click here to see an animated gif showcasing this feature.

All part revamps up to PC 1.5

There has been a big effort on our side to give old parts a fresh new look, all with the intention of having a more sleek and cohesive part catalog. While staying true to the game’s original essence, the geometry and texture maps of these parts were completely redone. Some of these parts also include new texture variants to choose at will. Yes, you’re getting the variant switcher, too!


New Suits

Both the recruit and veteran classic EVA and IVA Space Suits have been given a well-deserved overhaul and console players get to enjoy it, too! We knew that such an iconic element of the game needed to stay true to its identity, so we are keeping its style, while also giving it a sleeker look.


Kerbals can now be placed in external command seats in the VAB/SPH

Another highly requested feature that we are including in this update is the ability to assign Kerbals directly from the VAB/SPH into an EAS-1 External Command Seat, so that Kerbals appear in their respective command seat as the vessel is spawned.

History and Parts Pack DLC

Largely based on its PC counterpart, this console-optimized DLC will include a broad range of new parts, new space suits as well as new launch sites and runways that players can use throughout Kerbal Space Program. Additionally, the History and Parts Pack includes several missions inspired by historical moments in space exploration.

Historical Missions

10 pre-made missions inspired by humankind’s own space exploration. Now you can spacewalk, pull off a crash landing, and attempt to recreate some of the most memorable moments inspired by historic events. All with our unique Kerbal twist, of course. Are you up to the challenge?

New Parts

More than 70 new parts inspired by the American and Russian Space Programs during the Space Race Era. Want to build Soyuz- and Saturn V-inspired rockets? With the History and Parts Pack you will be able to!


Vintage-spacesuit

The History and Parts Pack includes a Vintage Space Suit that will match perfectly with your Space Era-inspired crafts.


New Launch Sites

With the History and Parts Pack you will also have the ability to launch your crafts from 4 additional complexes: the Woomerang Launchsite, the Dessert Complex, the Island Runway and a brand new Mun Launchsite, not currently available on PC!

Lack of Mission Builder

Some of you may notice we haven’t included the Mission Builder from the Making History Expansion for PC. After some investigation, we were not confident in maintaining a solid user experience in navigating the menus and setup controls required for its use. Additionally, implementing a sharing feature which is core to the value would have required significant time investment for our team. We did not believe that the tradeoff time-wise made sense as it would have sacrificed some of the other content.


As we revealed a few weeks ago, the development of update 1.7 keeps us busy, too! As has been the case with our previous releases, this free update will be packed with content! For instance, we continue with our endeavor to update and modernize our part catalog, but there’s more up our sleeves that we’ll be revealing along the way. For the time being check out some of the revamps that 1.7 will include in its repertoire.

Part Catalog Revamps

24-77 "Twitch" Liquid Fuel Engine Revamp

As you probably know by now, the 24-77 “Twitch” Liquid Fuel Engine is one of the revamps you’re going to enjoy in update 1.7. The Twitch got its geometry and textures completely redone. In addition to the classic orange, a gray & orange variant was created to match with the style of your crafts. An emissive texture for the throttle animation, as well as an animated gimbal have also been included. All this will make the Twitch Engine look great when it’s in action!


Click here for the high-res images

LV-1 “Ant” Liquid Fuel Engine

The LV-1 “Ant” Liquid Fuel Engine is one of the parts that most desperately needed a makeover. With a decent specific impulse in vacuum and a very low mass, this engine has helped small satellites and crafts find their way in space for years, its aesthetics never stood out, though. Luckily, our art team took up the task of improving the look of this tiny engine. The geometry and texture maps were redesigned, and a new bare variant has been added, as well as a blazing emissive texture.



Click here for the high-res images

LV-1R “Spider” Liquid Fuel Engine

Being the radial version of the Ant Engine, the LV-1R “Spider” Liquid Fuel Engine allows for a greater variety of mounting points. With a reworked geometry and new textures, the “Spider” looks better than ever. Players will be able to choose from a shrouded and a bare variant for this engine, as well. An emissive texture for the throttle animation, as well as an animated gimbal have been included.



Click here for the high-res images

Vernor Engine

The VR-N1ER Veer-Governor, popularly known the “Vernor” Engine has also been heavily revamped. Our artists not only reworked this part’s geometry and texture maps, but also added a pretty nozzle with a metallic look that includes an emissive texture that will glow when the Vernor heats up.

Click here for the high-res image

O-10 "Puff" MonoPropellant Fuel Engine

Being the only monopropellant reaction engine with throttle control, the O-10 “Puff” was selected for a well-deserved makeover. The art team added new textures for the “Puff”, including a new emissive texture for the throttle animation.

Click here for the high-res image

The Bug Hunt

As with every release, with update 1.7 we are determined to include a broad range of improvements and bug fixes in an ongoing effort to improve the KSP experience and reduce the amount of bugs that inevitably arise with every release. Our QA and development teams have been very busy confirming, reporting and fixing issues. For example, we recently squashed a bug where symmetry would break animations on some parts. The team also fixed a Null-Reference Exception triggered when RCS was enabled with an EVA Kerbal, which resulted in the Kerbal not being able to move. Our goal is to make each KSP release more and more stable and our team is working hard to achieve this.


For those who are interested in getting to know the people behind Kerbal Space Program we’ll continue with our “Meet the team” section of KSP Loading… until we’ve presented all of our team. This time it’s the turn for one of our programmers, Marco “Samssonart” Salcedo. Having worked at Squad for more than 8 years, Marco is a true KSP veteran despite his young age, and has been in the backend of KSP since the very beginning. Here are a few words from him.

I've been playing games since my childhood and started making my own simple games since I started programming in high school. I have a bachelor's in Computer Engineering and a master's in Computer Science, both with a specialty in graphics and interactive technology. Aside from games and technology, I'm a big music freak, I attend as many gigs as I can afford; I like to work out, I practice martial arts; and spending time with my family, girlfriend and cats.

Finally we want to remind you that you can share and download missions on Curse, KerbalX, the KSP Forum and the KSP Steam Workshop.

That’s it for this edition. Be sure to join us on our official forums, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Stay tuned for more exciting and upcoming news and development updates!

Happy launchings!

Hello everyone!

Kerbal Space Program 1.6: To Vee or not To Vee has launched and unlike Hamlet we know the answer - it is definitely to ΔVee...

This update has a great deal of awesome things for you, including new features, beautiful revamps, a number of navigation tools, and a whole lot of bug fixes. We also have added some fun new idle animations for Kerbals, dynamic cube maps that will make shiny parts reflect their environment. We rebalanced and fined tuned various Making History parts, and much more!

With Kerbal Space Program 1.6: To Vee or not To Vee we continue the endeavor of optimizing resources, improving performance, and making KSP the best game it can be through continuous support and meaningful updates.

Let’s go through some of this update’s highlights:


Plan missions better and find flaws in your ship staging setup with this long requested feature that will let you visualize the Delta-v values along with a range of other technical data for each stage and the vessel overall. Plus, a Delta-v App that will allow you to see a vessels Delta-v information while you’re building it in different situations. No Kerbal will be left stranded now… or so we hope.

Click here to see a video showcasing this feature!


To Vee or not to Vee includes 20 fully revamped parts that have been optimized, re-shaped and re-textured, plus more than 40 color variants to make your craft look sleek and beautiful!



A quality of life feature that will help stray pilots find their way back to any Launch Site or Runway. From the Map View players will now be able to activate navigation waypoints to get direction towards the KSC or any other launch sites.

Click here to see an animated gif showcasing this feature.


You can now remove Kerbals’ Helmets, as well as their neck rings! But be careful, there is a reason why Astronauts wear Helmets for space travel…

Click here to see an animated gif showcasing this feature.


To learn more you can read the full Changelog here:


Kerbal Space Program 1.6: To Vee or not To Vee is now available on Steam and will soon be available on GOG and other third party resellers. You will also be able to download it from the KSP Store if you already own the game.

Happy launchings!

PS: Ask and you shall receive xD

Oh... and if you like, you can download wallpapers of the To Vee or not To Vee art here:

• 1080x1920p (Most Phones)
  
• 1080x2220p (Galaxy S9)
  
• 1125x2436p (iPhone X)
  
• Desktop 1920x1080p
  
• Desktop 2048x1080p
  
• Desktop 2560x1440p

Welcome to the second edition of our official newsletter, KSP Loading… ! Do you want to learn about all the current developments of KSP? Here’s the place to be, so let's get started!


Kerbal Space Program 1.6: To Vee or not To Vee is right around the corner, and as with every release the team is very busy wrapping up the final details. As part of our new update delivery plan, To Vee Or Not To Vee is a free update that will be packed with content: Part Revamps, New Features, and more. Here are some of the things we have been busy with for the last few weeks...


Fuel Tank Adapters

Let’s start with more part revamps. As you have noticed, with this update we took the task of giving some well-deserved attention to several fuel tank adapters that, in all honesty, looked a bit outdated to say the least. Last time we showed you the revamped TVR Stack Couplers, well, this time it is the turn of the O.M.B. Demolition Enterprises TVR-400L Stack Quad-Adapter, which, despite its similarities to a TVR Quad-Coupler, allows for a single 2.5m in diameter rocket to branch into four separate 1.25m stacks. Our artists remade this part’s specular, diffuse and normal texture maps, and created two additional variants to match the different variants found in other Rockomax sized parts.


Click here for high-res images

Revamped Nose Cones

Nose cones have helped your rocket stacks reduce their drag for a long time, but were in need of some well-deserved attention. Our artists gave a facelift to the C7 Aerospace Division’s Small Nose Cone and Goliath National Products’ Protective Rocket Nose Cone Mk7, the Aerodynamic Nose Cone and the Advanced Nose Cones - Type A & B. All these nose cones got brand new diffuse and specular texture maps. Additionally, the colliders of the Protective Rocket Nose Cone Mk7 were revised and, with the exception of the Small Nose Cone, all have new variants to match with your preferred style.






Click here for high res images

The Mk2 Lander Can IVA

Last time we showed you a preview of the revamped Mk2 Lander Can, but there was an aspect of this cockpit we kept under our sleeve: its IVA! Our artists carefully modelled this IVA to match the new dimensions and to give our beloved Kerbals space to perform experiments and store their board games and snacks!




Click here for high-res images

The “Poodle”

Originally based off the Payload Assist Module (PAM), the Rockomax RE-L10 “Poodle” Liquid Fuel Engine is a favorite among players for vacuum operations due to its high specific impulse and thrust. It’s because of this popularity and its outdated look that we decided it needed a makeover, so we turned it into a dual combustion chamber closed cycle engine that will continue to excel at landings, orbital insertions and transfers. As you can see, our artists completely redid the engine’s geometry and created brand new texture maps, giving the “Poodle” a very cool and modern look that matches the engine’s versatility.

Click here to see a high-res image

The “Terrier”

An outstanding engine for orbital maneuvers and landings, the LV-909 "Terrier" Liquid Fuel Engine is also a veteran that received a heavy aesthetic makeover. For this engine the artists completely reworked its geometry and carefully placed some nice details on the engine combustion chamber. Brand new textures maps were also created for the “Terrier” and we are including three variants for you to choose from, including bare and truss mount versions. The new emissive texture (heat map) for the throttle animation of this engine looks pretty awesome, too!



Click here to see the high-res images


New Idle Animations

To give Kerbals even more personality, we are including several animations for idle Kerbals. These animations will trigger randomly after 10 seconds of inactivity and make taking Kerbal group photos as difficult as on Earth.

Click here to see an animated gif showcasing this feature.

Hiding EVA Helmet

There’s another neat feature included in the upcoming 1.6 update. You will now be able to remove the Kerbals’ Helmets, as well as their neck ring! But be careful, there is a reason why Astronauts wear Helmets for space travel…

Click here to see an animated gif showcasing this feature.

Dynamic Cube Maps

With Update 1.5 we introduced a new shader that made some parts’ metallic bits interact with light. However, the way this shader looked inside the VAB/SPH and outside in the environment differed significantly. With the upcoming 1.6 update we are adding Dynamic Cube Maps to flight mode. These cube map textures are consistently updated to represent a dynamically changing environment, so metallic parts, such as the Probodobodyne Stayputnik will now also reflect the surrounding environment on their surface.

Delta-v per Stage and Delta-v Tool App

This feature is the Crown Jewel of Kerbal Space Program 1.6: To Vee or not To Vee and probably one of the most requested ones. With the upcoming update you’ll be able to visualize the delta-v value along with a range of other technical data for each stage, as well as the overall delta-v of the vessel natively. Additionally, we are including the Delta-v Tool App: A tool that will allow you to set the vessel environment for how delta-v is calculated in the VAB and SPH. Check the video below to learn more!

Click here to see a video explaining this feature!


The team has also been busy with some good ol’ bug sweeping for both the base game and the Making History Expansion. So far, more than 60 items (between bugs and feedback) have been resolved for update 1.6. For instance, some players were having trouble with the dV calculation and handling of stages with multiple engines and asparagus staging in the Burn Time Indicator; now that has been fixed. The team also corrected an issue with drills; now these can only operate and generate ore when deployed with proper surface contact. The Making History Expansion is also getting a good deal of bug squashing. You’ll be happy to hear that a Null-Reference Exception is no longer generated when changing the “Location” settings in the "Spawn Vessel" node with the described procedure in the Mission Builder. Additionally, Kerbals will now appear swimming in the correct position when spawning on bodies of water. We also took this opportunity to do some rebalancing for the Wolfhound, Cheetah, Kodiak, Mastodon, Cub, Skiff and Bobcat LFO engines. Finally, we want to remind you, dear bughunters, that the bugtracker includes a feature you can use to upvote reports and, thus, help us order the issues by user relevance (Upvotes). Click here to learn how to use it.


As we disclosed in the last edition of KSP Loading…, we are currently working on a substantial update for KSP on consoles and it will include various items that the PC version currently has. It is important to note that there always will be differences between the PC and console versions. For instance, if we were to bring Update 1.5 to consoles, we would have to do an entirely new port, something that would take a massive amount of time and resources to achieve and would retract from the overall progress of the game. Instead, we are working on a console-optimized update that will take bits and pieces of all updates we have released after 1.2.1; some of the ones that people like the most. Just to name a couple examples, this next update will include several revamped parts, the variant switcher, and a number of other things that we will be revealing along the way.
We know that console players also want to enjoy new content and we are aiming to provide our players with a content-filled package that not only will solve known issues, but give console players more reasons to continue playing KSP from the comfort of their couches.


We also want to take this opportunity to introduce you to our new Lead Designer, Paul “Maxsimal” Boyle, who has been an avid KSP player since the 1.0 release. Here are some words of his own:

Hi! I've just joined the team very recently, but I've been working on games as a software engineer and designer since 2002. I'm a huge KSP & rocket fan - the realism mods really hooked me. And I'm a general nerd-about-town of the sci-fi/ fantasy/ video game/ boardgame/ tabletop RPG/ wargame/ computer/ physics/ you name it type. I also travel a lot and hang out with my better half and our cats to pretend I'm halfway normal.
I'm really looking forward to helping you explode our favorite little green people in new and exciting ways.


Finally we want to remind you that you can share and download missions on Curse, KerbalX, the KSP Forum and the KSP Steam Workshop.

That’s it for this edition. Be sure to join us on our official forums, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Stay tuned for more exciting and upcoming news and development updates!

Happy launchings!

Welcome to the first edition of our official newsletter, KSP Loading… ! Do you want to get the latest news about everything KSP? Then here is the place to be. In KSP Loading… we will share all current developments of KSP intermittently between each update and more, so without further ado, let’s begin!


As you probably know by now, we are currently working on update 1.6 as part of our plan to deliver quarterly updates. These quarterly updates will keep offering exciting new content that will enhance our players’ game experience, as well as overall improvements to performance and bug fixes. A key aspect of our work in recent months has been in limiting the impact on mods. As many of you have noticed, the majority of mods that worked on 1.4 did so for 1.5 as well. That’s not to say there won’t be any issues with existing mods when there are updates, but we will continue with this effort as we know that mods are an essential part of KSP and of what makes it great.


Fuel Tank Adapters

For the last couple of weeks we have been teasing throughout our social media channels bits and pieces of what we are preparing for update 1.6 and, as you have seen, we are continuing the revamping effort of the part catalogue; focusing particularly on giving life to older parts that aren’t optimized or simply look outdated. One of such parts is the Kerbodyne ADTP-2-3 Adapter. The purpose of this adapter was to accommodate the Rockomax and the Kerbodyne S3 fuel tank series, but it never really matched with the designs of either tank series. With a total remaking of the adapter’s diffuse, normal, and specular texture maps, as well as with the introduction of a brand new variant, this adapter will now seamlessly blend between these two tank series and its variants. We are looking into the possibility of giving the ADTP-2-3 Adapter fuel carrying capabilities as it has been suggested by the community.

Click here for the high-res images

Other adapters that received the good ol’ makeover treatment are all three TVR Stack Couplers. After the introduction of new variants for the the FL-T tank series in update 1.4, these adapters no longer match the tanks they were supposed to fit. Therefore, we needed to revise the TVR series and create brand new diffuse, normal, and specular texture maps for them to combine with all of the different versions of the FL-T tank series.

Click here for the high-res images

Similarly, both the FL-A5 and the FL-A10 Adapters got a well-deserved makeover. Designed for connecting 1.25m parts to 0.625m parts, these adapters got their UV maps optimized and received new diffuse, normal and specular texture maps. Additionally, a new variant that will match with the orange FL-T tank series was included.


Click here for the high-res images

As part of this adapter renovation effort, the team also gave both the Rockomax Brand Adapters a well-deserved face-lift. Both parts got their UV maps optimize, brand new texture maps and a new variant to combine with the orange FL-T tank series. The geometry of the large Rockomax Brand Adapter was also updated to give it a smoother shape.


Click here to see more and high-res images

The new Spark

The team also gave the iconic 48-7S “Spark” Liquid Fuel Engine a full-fledged aesthetic makeover. We wanted to enhance this engine’s versatile nature by including 3 very different variants that will also increase the customizability of your creations. The geometry was completely redone and the detail of the tubing of the engine was carefully crafted. New textures were also created for this part and a new emissive texture for the throttle animation was added.


Click here to see the high-res images

The Mk2 Lander Can

We also took the opportunity to give Sean’s Cannery Mk2 Lander Can a brand new face-lift. We wanted this command module to be more in-line with comparable parts, so we reduced its mass and added a second top hatch. In an attempt to broaden the creation possibilities with this part we also added a third attach node to the back of the module and included a slimmed down ‘butter stick’ variant ideal for manned rovers. The default variant, on the other hand, will have a pair of built in service bays. The IVA view of this command module is also being worked on to match with its new look.

Click here for the high-res images


Activate Navigation to a Launch Site

Visual enhancements aren’t the only thing that have been on our agenda. In fact, there is a quality of life feature coming to update 1.6 that will help any stray pilots find their way back to any Launch Site or Runway. From the Map View players will now be able to activate the navigation system towards the KSC, the Woomerang Launch Site, the Island Runway, Dessert Launch Site or any mobile Launch Site set by a mission creator. Activate Navigation to a Launch Site will target the chosen location and add a navigation mark in the NavBall.

Click here to see an animated gif showcasing this feature.


Additionally, we have spent some time in the bugtracker identifying bugs that needed to be mercilessly squashed. For starters, in order to have more consistency between modes, the team made an adjustment to the SAS functionality on probes in Sandbox and Science game modes. Some of these probes had full SAS functionality in these modes, even though their description said otherwise, and these adjustments correct this. However, the SAS functionality on probes will be togglable from the game settings, with the old behavior being the default setting. The dV calculator in the burn time indicator included in update 1.5 had some bugs, and the team went straight ahead to figure out what the problems actually were, and of course fixed them. This included fixing the handling of docking ports and multiple nuclear or ion engines within the new Burn Indicator functionality. The flashing of the Burn Indicator and the display of dV before the launch of a vessel was also a problem that we fixed in the past weeks. Moreover, the Vernor Engines now use Liquid Fuel and Oxidizer correctly on the Engineering report, and we also fixed an issue that drained the fuel from tanks when the fuel availability icon was double-clicked. These are only a few examples.


In other news, we want to let console players know that KSP Enhanced Edition is getting a substantial update that among other things includes many improvements and an update to Unity 2017, which will improve performance. We will be sharing the process with you and revealing the content of this update in the upcoming months.


We are also working hard on giving our website a new, sleeker look. Soon, you’ll be able to see the results for yourself; we are eager to see what you think.


We also want to take this opportunity to introduce you to our new Lead Artist, Rafael “Stylushead” Gonzalez. You have already seen his work these past weeks, including the new Key Art, the Halloween images and many things included in update 1.5. Here are a few words from him:

I was born and raised in Mexico City. I worked in the animated movies industry for nine years, most of that time as an art director, supervising from concept art to final product, illustration is my expertise, always mixing different techniques from 2D and 3D and sometimes traditional.
I love video games and movies and everything involved in their development. Also I work from time to time in webcomics as a colorist. I joined the Kerbal team as lead artist during the KSP 1.5 release and since then I have been producing, learning and enjoying a lot!


Even though Halloween is behind us, we want to share with all of you some of the best short stories we were delighted to receive in the Ghouls in Jool Halloween Challenge. The challenge consisted of submitting spooky short stories based in the Kerbal universe and...oh boy… did we get some chills… Unfortunately, we couldn’t fit all stories here, but if you’re in the mood to read what our fantastic community came up with, click here.

Here are what we thought were the top three stories. Enjoy!

1.- “The Heart of Jool” by Ultimate Steve

Falling.
Deeper and deeper, away from everything I have ever known.
Falling through the flashes of lighting. Will I be struck, or crushed?
Kerbin. So far away now. I am the first witness of Alien Thunder.
Will I be the last? The only? And how long until I meet death?

Gravity.
I can feel it everywhere. Jool, pulling me closer still.
The helmet creaks. The others would never hear.
The ones who died along the way - The helmetless pilot.
The crushed engineer. The scientist locked outside.

Whoosh.
And the world drew Golem Thirteen to its ultimate fate.
Noises, growing louder ever still. But always, nothing
But the menacing fog around the Heart of Jool. Until a voice,
Menacing, kind, Evil and holy, speaks out from the void above.

Hello.
No - it couldn't be! The ancient legend was true! Have I met Evil?
Tell me, child, what do you know of me, the Deep Space Kraken?
The devourer of ships, destroyer of worlds, the embodiment of Death.
Yours truly - but have none considered a force stronger than I?
Which?
Regret.

CRACK!
Long ago I destroyed ships, devoured worlds, killed mercilessly.
My helmet gives way, great Kraken! In moments I shall meet Death!
I met Death long ago, banished by the Universe to the Heart of Jool.
And tell me, great Kraken of Deep Space, what do you mean by this?

Child,
With power comes destruction. At the top I ruled dust.
I fell. From everything, wishing I could go back to mend it.
Wishing the dust would absolve my crimes. In you I see me.

And unlike me, I can save you.

Pop.
The visor gave way to the intense aether, crushing instantly.
The last I would see, before my final toxic breath, would be
The haunting yet noble face of the Kraken of Deep Space
Against the backdrop of the cruel, unrelenting Heart of Jool.

HOLD!
T Minus Five. The launch pad. But how? The crew, all still alive.
Golem Thirteen would stay on the ground. And then was a sound.
Indeed, it was The Kraken of Deep Space. Gone in a blink, he said
Goodbye and nothing more, with a smile that shook me to the core.

But I am now certain I will remember that great regretful ghoul.
The one who saved me from the void in the Heart of Jool.

2.- “Clank” by Blasty McBlastblast

Clank!
Startled, research forgotten, the two scientists looked up. They had both definitely heard it this time. This time it was undeniable.
“Okay, maybe you weren’t dreaming earlier” apologised Jedfen, but neither of them seemed pleased by this prospect.
Jedfen and Hencott were familiar with all the regular noises of Outpost V., but this noise was not one of them. They knew the steady whirring of the solar arrays as they tracked the sun, the hum-thud of antennae realigning, and the wet slap of sloshing fuel. Clanking was something new, and it was coming from outside!

Clank!
The two locked eyes, panic growing at the realisation they were not alone. Something was knocking against the outside of their laboratory!
“Should we call mission control?” suggested Hencott
“We can’t” replied Jedfen, wondering if Hencott’s stupidity might be higher than indicated, “Did you forget that it’s night here for two more days? We need to be facing sunward to get a signal to Kerbin”
“Maybe the supply ship came back?” Hencott proposed weakly, but that ship had launched weeks ago, the kerbonauts were alone.

Clank!
“WE HAVE TO STAY CALM!!” shrieked Jedfen, momentarily losing his cool “What would Jeb do?”
“We need more information” said Hencott, taking deep breaths, “We need to know what is making the noise, one of us will have to go outside…”
Silently both Kerbals stood to face each other, and proceeded to play rock-paper-scissors…

Clank!
“That noise came from near the north window” Jedfen said into the handheld radio.
“Copy. Approaching now. I think I see someth…” but the staticky reply was cut short by a yelp! Then laughter! Then ominous silence…
Minutes passed, but the radio only hissed. Amidst rising dread Jedfen moved to the suit rack, compelled to go help, but he was too late! The airlock began to cycle, something was coming in! Armed with a jumbo-sized snack bar Jedfen prepared himself to defend the outpost.
Through dramatic billowing gasses Jedfen saw him step from the airlock, grinning, and holding something that was attempting to wriggle free. Looking closer, he saw cradled firmly in Hencott’s arms an adorable tiny rover!
“Where did that come from?!” he asked, tension dissolving into curiosity.
“Some earlier mission?” laughed Hencott, “I think it was trying to charge power by the window light! Can we keep it?”
“Control can’t say no if they can’t contact us!”

3.- “Fright Night at KSC” by StrandedonEarth

Every year during the three hundred and thirty-third night, mysterious things start to happen at the KSC. None of the KSC staff want to stay that night, as weird noises abound around the Center. The only exception is Mortimer Kerman, who gleefully volunteers to be the caretaker for that night, from his usual haunt in the Admin building. In the deserted Astronaut Complex, ghostly footsteps and flushing toilets are heard. The great radio dishes of the Tracking Station creak and squeal as they turn, but only during that night. Pale apparitions are seen streaking down the runway, rising briefly before vanishing below the waves, while the big display screens at Mission Control fill with static. Even though the VAB is shut down for that night, the cranes and other machinery start moving with nobody at the controls. Fire and smoke bloom on and around the empty launch pad as a muted roar is heard, and hundreds of tiny glowing krakens scurry around the Research and Development center. A steady tap-tap-tapping punctuated with whirring fills the Spaceplane Hangar, without a soul in sight. They call it "Sotreum ed Aid"

When day finally breaks on that seemingly endless night, everything grows quiet again, and Mortimer starts to look sad. The tiny glowing kraken all vanish without a trace. But when the brave kerbonauts start arriving at the Astronaut Complex, they are shocked to find all the kerbals that had been KIA during the last four hundred days sitting around, drinking koffee...

Honorable mentions: “Eyes in the deep” by Joshua Stubbles, “A few KSP super-short stories that are guaranteed to make grown kerbals hide under their beds and cry for mommy” by Swjr-swis, “Untitled” by KSK, and “Untitled” by qzgy.

Finally we want to remind you that you can share and download missions on Curse, KerbalX, the KSP Forum and the KSP Steam Workshop.

That’s it for this edition. Be sure to join us on our official forums, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Stay tuned for more exciting and upcoming news and development updates!

Happy launchings!

Hello everyone!

Kerbal Space Program 1.5 Dressed for Success has launched and with it we bring new content that brings your game experience forward. We are driven to continue with our never-ending quest of making KSP the best game it can be through continuous support and substantial updates.

Kerbal Space Program 1.5: Dressed for Success has something for everyone, as both the base game and the expansion are getting their share of enhancements. With that in mind, a key aspect in this update is the optimization and fresh makeover of various parts, as well as the classic EVA and IVA Space Suit. Additionally, players will find a number of brand new features, as well as good ol’ bug sweeping.

Let’s go through some of this update’s highlights:


Both the recruit and veteran classic EVA and IVA Space Suits have been given a well-deserved overhaul. We knew that such an iconic element of the game needed to stay true to its identity, so we are keeping its style, while also giving it a sleeker look.



Many parts have been given a fresh new look in an effort to have a more cohesive parts catalog. While staying true to the game’s original essence, the geometry and texture maps of these parts were completely redone. Some of these parts also include new texture variants for you to choose at will, and others have a new shader that makes their metallic bits interact better with light.


We improved the burn time indicator by recalculating based on dV and not acceleration. Additionally, we’ve added a staging indicator that shows which stages contain the dV needed to complete each part of the maneuver. Go to the advanced settings to turn on this exciting new
feature.

...

Update 1.5 has also a few improvements exclusive to the Making History Expansion:


This node makes a comparison between the state of a vessel in two separate moments and by defining the number of parts itself; with it you’ll be able to test whether a vessel has or hasn’t lost parts (destroyed or decoupled) during any point on a mission.


With Dressed for Success you’ll be able to place Fly Through Nodes underwater, expanding mission creation possibilities.


Check out this patch's Changelog for further details:

==========================================================
1.5 Changelog - BaseGame ONLY (see below for MH changelog)
+++ Improvements
*Optimized the game for 4K resolution and increased the UI scale to 200%
* Added higher impact tolerance to retracted solar panels.
* Deployable parts now use separate value for their impact resistance when retracted.
* Implemented a new version of the kerbal suits for the base game. This includes IVA suits for recruits and veterans as well as EVA suits.
* Revised the behaviour of asteroids within Kerbin’s SOI and gave them better VFX.
* Added a "What's New" dialog to the main menu, where you can quickly see the highlights of the release as well as the full change log. (you're probably reading this from that very dialog).
* Improved Burn Time information on Maneuver nodes. Includes correctly calculated burn time and Stage Information; Burn bar indication when vessel does not have enough DeltaV to perform the maneuver.
* Staging of docking ports now available in flight. Changing staging of docking ports allows the player to change the Delta-V of the vessel for docked vessels which changes the Burn Time Information on Maneuver nodes.
* Kerbals can now be placed in external command seats in the VAB/SPH.
* Wheel suspension now has auto spring/damper to combat bouncing wheels.

+++ Localization
* Fix lingoona gender tags in resource names in PAWs.
* Localization of bulkhead size and other automatic search string tags.

+++ Parts
Updated Parts (reskinned):
* Mk1 Command Pod
* HECS
* HECS2
* OKTO
* OKTO2
* QBE
* RoveMate
* Stayputnik
* FL-T100
* FL-T200
* FL-T400
* FL-T800
* RT-5 “Flea” Solid Fuel Booster
* RT-10 “Hammer” Solid Fuel Booster
Color Variants:
* Mk1 Command Pod (New “Dark”, “White” and “Gray and White” color variants)
* RoveMate (New “White”, “Silver” and “Gold” color variants)
* FL-T100 (New “Black and White” and “Orange” variants)
* FL-T200 (New “Black and White” and “Orange” variants)
* FL-T400 (New “Black and White” and “Orange” variants)
* FL-T800 (New “Black and White” and “Orange” variants)
* RT-5 Flea (New “White” and “Yellow” variants)
* RT-10 Hammer (New “White” and “Yellow” variants)
Other Part changes:
* Some parts now take advantage of the new “Bumped Specular (Mapped)” shader which achieves significantly better metallic reflections.
* Fix issue where engine shrouds were becoming offset on vessel focus.
* Improved OKTO and OKTO2 mesh colliders to fit them better.
* Improved Stayputnik attach node positions to make better contact with other parts.
* Rotated the RoveMate ninety degrees to make it match with its Navball orientation; also added 4 new attachment nodes to the sides.
* HECS rotation fixed - rotated 30 degrees. - NB:This does rotate the control orientation for old vessels using this part.

+++ Bugfixes
* Fix issue where incorrect tooltip icons were being displayed in the R&D scene.
* Fix icon blurring for flags, icons, tutorial images (and more) at different texture settings.
* Fix mini-biomes persisting after touching one and then moving vessel away from it.
* Fix mini-biome structure detection around the KSC.
* Fix log spam and messages related to stock launch sites if Making History DLC is not installed.
* Fix issues with decouplers in symmetry being staged via the Part Action Window.
* Fix issues with decouplers in symmetry being staged separately.
* Fix transparent materials in Part Picker Icons.
* Fix Gigantor XL panel when using Undo in editor.
* Fix transparent materials showing in part highlighting in editor.
* FIx for ship orbit line not rendering when burning straight from a physics bounce on flight load.
* Music volume settings are now applied as soon as the player leaves the settings menu in the KSC.
* Ambient noise in KSC and VAB/SPH is now controlled by ambient volume setting and not the music setting.
* Fix music problems when switching between VAB and SPH.
* Remove Gender on Resource displayName in PAW.
* The game no longer locks up when attempting to create a save file, vessel or mission using a reserved DOS name.
* Fix for Kerbal EVA’s clipping through vessel model when forcefully dismounted from an external command seat.
* Fix for auto localization keys coming up in the target icon when a vessel with a localized name was targeted and moused-over’d.
* The sun flare no longer shines through Jool.
* Fix for reentry VFX disappearing when the camera is far from the vessel.
* Fix for asteroids not displaying reentry VFX.
* Fix bug where kerbal parachute lifting surfaces weren’t active when loading a quicksave.
* Fix camera positioning on entering editor scene/loading vessel to show vessel correctly.
* Fix bulkhead filter strings to work for all valid sizes.
* Fix when a part is selected and the user attempts to write a ship description the hotkeys will still trigger.
* Fix In the editor-based tutorials, Werhner’s window overlaps the ship so you can’t place parts.
* Fix hard points reporting the wrong stage to the StageManager.
* Fix wheel friction being applied incorrectly based on Celestial Body G. Stops sliding on slopes.
* Fix wheel suspension bouncing.
* Fix exploding landing legs when docking/undocking.
* Fix landing legs applying massive spring setting when fully compressed.
* Fix community localization feedback for the Fly Through? Node pt.2
* Fix Community localization feedback for fly through Node pt. 2 in japanese.
* Fix German community localization feedback for "Schwerkraft mindern", changed to "Sanfte Schwerkraft Aktivierung"
* Fix Engine plates for all engine plates now show short on their first variant choice.
* Fix the changeLog screen now shows that is missing in the Localization that should instead of the code.
* Fix that space stations contracts now can be finished.

+++ Mods
* ModuleDeployablePart now has KSPField impactResistanceRetracted.
* ModuleWheelSuspension now has KSPField maximumLoad.

+++Miscellaneous
1.5 Changelog - Making History DLC ONLY
+++ Improvements
* Improved the Builder canvas system and connectors for speed and performance.
* Fly through node volumes can now be set with negative values for the volume to work with submarines.

+++ Localization
* English grammar, spelling, and punctuation fixes.

+++ Parts
Updated Parts (reskinned):
* SM-18 Service Module.
Color Variants:
* Structural Panels (Improved “Gold” variant and added a new “Silver” variant).
Other Part changes:
* SM-18 bottom lid uses the new “Bumped Specular (Mapped) shader”.
* Fix issue where engine shrouds were becoming offset on vessel focus.

+++ Bugfixes
* Fix Updating Steam Workshop Missions were creating duplicated workshop items.
* Fix for NRE when saving a mission where the craft files used in vessel situations have been deleted
* Fix Kerbals Exploding when resuming a test mission checkpoint taken on a Kerbal EVA node
* Fix issues with connector lines in Builder when changing planets in the GAP
* Fix where when boarding the EAS command seats were not triggering when a kerbal boarded for the node to pass.
* Fix when a vessel is spawned in an orbit, the orbit was getting the reference of the celestial bodies rotation, giving different results like a rotated orbit with the same orbit values on another node.
* Fix connector lines when in some cases they were badly rendered.
* “Selected part” option now appears when selecting one part in the repair node.
* Don't reset available and unavailable part lists when changing the part filter and update the list to handle the required parts nicely.
* Fix weights and costs of all the engine plate variants being the same.
* Solved discrepancy between the start mission time in the Mission editor and in the actual mission.
* Fixed GAP parts filter on some nodes so they work similar to the part restrictions on Vessel Spawn Node.
* Fixed normal map on mobile launchpads, Woomerang and Dessert launchpad.
* Fix for localization tags for localized vessel and node names coming up in various parts of the UI.
* Fix for incorrect information about docked nodes order of evaluation in intermediate tutorial.
* Fix mission Builder banners appear in low resolution with the 'Texture Quality' setting lowered.

+++ Missions
* Removed erroneous info about event node processing order from intermediate tutorial.
* Added the Part Count node, so player can check a vessel’s part count, even if the vessel is unloaded.

+++Miscellaneous
* Implemented new text for agent descriptions and mentality.
==========================================================

[Update]

1.5.1 hotfix: Some players reported an issue regarding aerodynamics, which was applying body lift in the wrong direction. After some in-depth examination, we noticed that some of the code written for the asteroid physics revamp was interfering with the aerodynamic physics in certain circumstances, so we are releasing this hotfix to deal with this specific issue.

Hello everyone!

Kerbal Space Program 1.4.5 and Making History 1.4 is live!

This patch includes various improvements and bug fixes for both the base game and the Making History Expansion, as well as a number of amends to the in-game integration of Steam Workshops and other Steam-related features!

Check out this patch's Changelog for further details:

==========================================================

1.4.5 Changelog - BaseGame ONLY (see below for MH changelog)
+++ Improvements
* Make mapnode behind body transparency configurable and improve behavior for pinned/hovered nodes (MAPNODE_BEHINDBODY_OPACITY in gamesettings).
* Pop dialogs can now be closed/dismissed with ESC key.
* Improvements to wheels/legs bouncing/sliding and oscillations. (Particularly when overloaded).
* Removed pop-up which offers to delete incompatible saves and craft files and replaced with a pop-up which only warns of incompatibility when incompatible save/craft files are attempted to be opened.

+++ Localization
* Fix RnD Archives Biome Filter not showing spaces in biome names.

+++ Parts

+++ Bugfixes
* Fix populating steam items into the wrong tabs in the craft browser/play missions dialog if the user switches tabs whilst waiting for responses from Steam.
* Fix Steam Workshop Craft will not download if deleted when subscribed to then resubscribed to when in the VAB.
* Fixed a bug where EVA facial animations were corrupted when the kerbal was mid-air and a quicksave was loaded.
* Fix settings showing for expansion when expansion not installed.
* Fix log message text for gathering subscribed Steam Workshop craft files.
* Handle steam item lists with correct Steam Workshop status in craft browser.
* Save craft file before exporting to steam to persist Steam Workshop Item Id into the craft file that is shared on steam.
* Update Steam Workshop Item Steam Author automatically in UI dialogs.
* Fix wheel explosions on docking landed vessels.
* Fix vessels jumping when docking landed to a large mass vessel.
* Fix Engineers report not taking variants into account for size dimensions.
* Fix Engineers report not showing correct part/mass/size restrictions when swapping between different level VAB/SPH using the switch editor button.
* Fix Kerbal on EVA occlusion inside all cargo bays as well as when the enter/leave command seats inside cargo bays.
* Revised the initial state of the Exploring Gilly scenario, so that vessels don’t bounce off the surface out of control on start.
* Fix vessels splashed inside another splashed vessel being removed when outside physics bubble.
* Fix undo in VAB/SPH not working when you delete all but the root part.
* Fix Reentry FX on Fairings.
* Adjust SRB Engine FX and Sparks.
* Fix NRE on PQSCity if transform has not been parented to a CelestialBody.
* Fix Aero FX appearing in IVA mode inside the models.
* Fix a localization issue that caused the Station One scenario to be corrupted in asian languages.


+++ Mods
* Added localScale param and behaviour to EffectDefinitions: PREFAB_PARTICLE, PREFAB_MULTI_PARTICLE, MODEL_MULTI_PARTICLE and MODEL_PARTICLE

+++Miscellaneous
* Add distinguishing titles between Steam Workshop Author and in-game user supplied Author in UI.
* Add warning messages for craft browser craft UI Steam Workshop items.
* Add cloud available space and file count checks when exporting craft and mission files to Steam Workshop.
* Add Steam Workshop subscribe/unsubscribe button to craft browser VAB/SPH tabs.
* Better handling of Steam Workshop items that are not in a valid state to be used in dialog UIs.
* Add option to delete in progress mission files when deleting a mission.
* Add Unity Analytics dialog and link to the players Unity Privacy Data page for personal data opt-out management.
1.4 Changelog - Making History DLC ONLY
+++ Improvements
* Allow minimum of 10m on fly through node.
* Added checks for vessel compatibility when loading missions.

+++ Localization

+++ Parts
* Added ModuleTestSubject for all of the MH Parts.

+++ Bugfixes
* Fixed Mission Builder exiting in some cases not closing the "Launch New Test" dialog.
* Fix mission breaking and PauseMenu lockup when a node is deleted from end of mission path.
* Fix nodes using Launch Sites as targets not detecting all Launch Sites.
* Fix missing string for Snap to Grid tooltip in Builder.
* Fix steam missions being out of sort order in mission lists.
* Fix Asian fonts not showing in mission list for Steam Workshop Items.
* Fix failure when going to the Tracking Station from the Mission Builder when there are no vessels.
* Fix persistence for Ignoresurfacevelocity setting on nodes.
* Fix Out of Range error when Vessel Explode action fires and disintegrates craft to separate vessels.
* Fix where on the Mission App it was not displaying correctly the target Launch Site name with the nodes: Vessel Destroyed and Vessel Landed.
* Some additional Loop protection in MEFlow Parser.
* Fix SnapToGrid locking in Mission Builder.
* Fix FlyThrough nodes waypoint being at surface and not the target location.
* Fix Test Distance node throwing log spam when target vessel may not have spawned yet.
* Fix slider percentage entries for part failure multipliers in Builder .
* Fix canvas objects not scaling with the UIScale settings.
* Fix DirectoryNotFound exception when playing a mission from Main Menu after previously testing a mission from the Mission Builder.
* Removed Invalid “none” option on Resource Drain node creating KeyNotFound exceptions.
* Fix when creating a new mission GAP size no longer resets to default.
* Fix test Kerbal EVA node when assigning specific vessels to the node for EVA test.
* Fix vessel landed node detection of launch sites.
* Fix for GAP rendering in an incorrect scale for the Landed Vessel node

+++ Missions

+++Miscellaneous
* Add Steam Workshop subscribe/unsubscribe button to Mission Play dialog on Community tab.
==========================================================

Happy launchings!

Over the last couple of months, many of you have been asking questions about privacy, the EULA, and how Take-Two (T2) collects personal data and other information from KSP players. We hope this update provides some clarity for the community.

Kerbal Space Program runs on the Unity engine and uses Unity Analytics on PC. Unity Analytics collects gameplay data and certain personal data from players (IP address and device ID). The collected gameplay data includes data on modes, missions, and other usage stats that help us figure out where we can improve the gameplay experience, decide what sort of content to include, and make changes for future updates. For example, we might rebalance missions if we see a low completion rate and think it is too difficult. We learned that players weren’t playing many community-created Mission Builder missions, so we added mission sharing via the Steam Workshop. The personal data collected by Unity is anonymized before the gameplay data is sent to T2.

Unity Analytics directly collects some personal data on KSP, which you can read about here. We are releasing a version 1.4.5 update that, among other updates to the game, allows players to opt-out of Unity’s collection of personal data. The opt-out tool will be displayed at the main menu during the first time you play 1.4.5 and can be displayed again using a toggle in the settings menu. KSP: Enhanced Edition on console does not currently use Unity Analytics.

For a period of time, T2 used Red Shell in KSP to analyze the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. To do this, Red Shell collected IP addresses, device ID, and an in-game user ID to help T2 understand whether or where a KSP player saw an online ad for KSP. The personal data Red Shell collected was one-way hashed before sending the aggregated campaign analysis to T2 (you can find out more from Red Shell here). The Red Shell SDK was implemented in version 1.4 of KSP and, based on community feedback, removed in version 1.4.4. T2 instructed Red Shell to destroy all KSP data Red Shell has collected. Even if you are using a KSP version that still contains Red Shell, no data is being captured by Red Shell’s servers.

As some of you have correctly pointed out, KSP’s EULA is a blanket EULA for all T2 games. After T2 acquired KSP, T2 transitioned KSP to T2’s standard terms including its EULA, privacy policy and terms of service. T2’s EULA applies to its broad portfolio of games, covering various genres, platforms, and business models. At this time, T2 continues to collect only limited personal data for KSP—limited to the personal data that players provide directly through purchases from the KSP store and through signing up for the KSP forums and wiki. This is standard practice whenever you make an online store purchase or join an online forum.

We hope the above information provides some clarity about personal data and KSP. The KSP community is the reason why the game is as popular as it is today, and we strive to continue supporting you.

Hello everyone!

Kerbal Space Program 1.4.4 and Making History 1.3 is about to be launched!

This patch includes various improvements and bug fixes for both the base game and the Making History Expansion, as well as language corrections.

Additionally, this patch includes some new Steam features, including the full in-game integration of the Official KSP Steam Workshop hub, the implementation of Cloud Saves on Steam for both game saves and missions and an improved and expanded controller support via the Steam Controller framework. Click here to learn more about these features.

Check out this patch's Changelog for further details here.

Happy launchings!

Patch 1.4.4 is on its way and with it various improvements and fixes such as language corrections, FX improvements, and more! As part of our commitment to continue supporting and improving upon KSP, 1.4.4 will add some cool and previously unavailable Steam functionalities that will enhance the KSP experience to users of this platform.

For starters, we’ll be launching the Official KSP Steam Workshop hub, along with its full in-game integration. Since the conception of the Making History Expansion, we knew that mission-sharing was crucial for its success. Now, with the integration of this platform into the game, we are making it easier for creators and players to share Missions and Crafts without having to mess around with copying folders from other websites and putting them in the KSP folder tree. This feature will allow you to upload your creations to the hub directly from the game, as well as to subscribe to and vote for your favorite missions. Additionally, it gives us the ability to feature missions from the community and drive visibility to these creations. With patch 1.4.4, it will be more straightforward than ever to enjoy all the content made by the players for the players!

This patch also implements Cloud Saves on Steam for both game saves and missions. Once 1.4.4 is released, players will be able to access their save files and mission files from any computer by logging into their respective accounts.

Last but not least for 1.4.4, we’ve improved and expanded the controller support for the game via the Steam Controller framework. With the intention of closing the gap between the mapping found in the consoles’ Cursor Mode and the one currently supported in the PC game, we’ve carefully provided configurations and full support for DualShock 3, DualShock 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One controllers, and added a new configuration for the Steam Controller and one for HOTAS-like joysticks. We also added a supplementary contextual controller set for EVA situations, in addition to the currently existing ones for the Menus, VAB/SPH commands, Flight Controls, Map, and Docking Mode. Click here to see the new controller layout.

We hope you enjoy these new features. Keep an eye out the patch’s release later this week, and stay tuned for more news and everything Kerbal via our official forums and our various social media channels.

Happy launchings!