As the playtest is coming to a close in aproximately a day and a half it would be amazing to gather as much info as possible on this new version. Since I wanted to ship this fast in time for the playtest I didn't test a lot of the systems in depth myself, so it's possible some things might be broken, sorry about that. If it's something gamebreaking I'll do a quick hotfix.

Loading

The planet renderer now warms up while you sit in the menu. After a few seconds of menu time, New Game and Continue skip most of their longest loading stage (measured: up to 65% and 81% faster). Clicking immediately still works exactly as before.

Saves and quickload

Fixed quickload resurrecting already-jettisoned stages. Saves already corrupted this way heal themselves on first load.
Fixed harpooned craft loading back frozen in place with a false velocity readout, and harpoon lines grabbing the wrong vehicle after switching craft.
Restored vehicles no longer simulate behind the loading fade: they come back exactly as saved. In-flight saves cannot snap back to the launch pad, and moon landings stay on their moon.
F9 quickload is now reliable: it always executes or tells you exactly what blocked it, and shows an immediate acknowledgement. Ctrl+S quicksave fixed.
Fixed harpooned craft loading back in the wrong position, frozen in place with a false velocity readout, or grabbing the wrong vehicle after switching craft. (Thanks to the player who sent their save!)

New: Revert to Launch

If your rocket is lost because its capsule or probe core is destroyed, you can rewind the whole world to the moment of that launch. Also available anytime from the pause menu. Toggle the prompt in pause options.

New: 0.5x timewarp

Slow time to half speed with the Backquote key or the new button in the timewarp strip. Works everywhere, including near the ground.

Flight and parts

Parachutes: the confusing speed gate is gone. Deploy when you judge right; canopies tear from real aerodynamic stress, are tougher than before, and a torn canopy stays visible with a little residual drag.
Docking ports only capture matching ports now. Small ports cannot latch onto large ones.
Mk1 Precision Engine: thrust +8%. All craft turn about 10% faster before you have RCS.
Launch smoke reduced by a third so you can see your rocket lift off.
Mapping sensors (OD-M1/M2/M8) now render in full 3D.

Bases and economy

Fixed vessels that exploded in transit still "delivering" workers and materials to build landing pads.
A pad that lost all its workers is no longer a dead end: land and park a crewed vehicle there, unload workers through the hangar, and staff it back up.
Closing the rocket editor can no longer commit an invalid, unpaid design onto the pad.
Returning from pause or the base keeps the pad you had selected.

Performance

Fixed the v0.6.10 slowdown: parked and inactive vehicles were burning heavy CPU on collision checks that did nothing. Busy worlds with several craft run much smoother.
VAB: zooming on big ships is now smooth regardless of part count.
Low graphics (Low3D): terrain is noticeably sharper, and zooming no longer triggers freeze-hitches.
Best and Medium graphics: smoother zooming, fewer redundant planet redraws, and more stable frame pacing.

Missions and clarity

Clearer wording across the first hour: cargo loading now says where and how, tourist boarding names the crew module, tracking satellites get a step-by-step checklist, Rover Shakedown walks you through wheels and Drive mode.
Tracking-satellite and docking preparation steps now respond live to your current rocket instead of sticking on stale information.
A tip appears when your first tracking satellite comes online, showing where to see what it unlocked.
Rescue and debris-removal contracts only target things actually in orbit; landed wrecks belong to Recycling.
The minimap always shows your current rescue or debris target, even with markers hidden.

Mac

Fixed a startup crash on Apple Silicon (native build).

Linux / Steam Deck

Linux and SteamOS run the game through Proton. If it does not start, enable Steam Play for all titles in Steam Settings > Compatibility.