Upgrade to 1.4.x? aka RemoteTech vs CommNet

[mylar536]

TLDR: Keep playing 1.1.3 or start fresh with 1.4.x?

Going to start playing KSP again. For games like this with active mod communities I've learned to make myself a version specific folder with all the mods I'm using at the time for each playthrough, that way I don't lose everything and start over because an update hits or a modder quits. It also lets me start new games with a known good mod set, helpful in games like minecraft and rimworld.

In this case, my most recent save folder was from 1.1.3 with 105 mods loading. It was a mid-difficulty run, RemoteTech, TAC lifesupport, Interstellar, ect... It was a nice cluster of mods, but I was still pretty early into the run, so starting over would not kill me.

Most of the make or break mods I love have been updated to at least 1.4.1, so that seems a good version to install and build a mudpack around. But I have a couple questions about the patches since 1.1.3:
1. How is CommNet for introducing complexity when compared to RemoteTech? Signal delay option? No direct antennas? Antenna stacking? Under Remote tech I had to have networks of dedicated Comm satellites with multiple massive directional antenna and huge battery capacity to stay active during solar occlusions.
2. Did they every fix the bouncy wheels on rovers thing?
3. Do I need to go to 1.4.5? some mods are missing specific listings for 1.4.1, Near future for instance jumps from 1.3.1 to 1.4.2. Am I better with a slightly newer version of KSP compared to the mods rather than the other way around? I know 1.1.3 will load mods for older versions, will 1.4.1 load mods listing newer versions like 1.4.4 interstellar?
4. The expansion, not planning on buying it, is that going to break mods or cause problems?
5. Future versions, is there a major update or big upcoming feature I should be aware of that would make it better to wait before taking the time to build out a new modpack and just play in my old folder for the time being?

Thanks to any brave enough to read that mess and respond.

[Operation40]

i'll take a crack at it.. standard disclaimers -- imo, ymmv, etc
1. CommNet seems more forgiving than remotetech -- multiple comm sites around Kerbin by default (these can be disabled).. the antenna and some dishes are direct only.. biggest thing though is relay dishes don't have to be pointed at a specific body/vessel they just auto-magically relay stuff.
2. rovers are still bouncy as of last night when I was playing. only thing I found to kill it was time warp with SAS on. :( honestly.. to me, seems kind of the same issue as bouncy ships.. SAS fights itself and over-reacts, then add spring recoil to that.. and yeah..
3. i'm using a lot of mods that are not compatible for 1.4.5 specifically.. obviously you do that at your own risk since the dev of those mods has not said it's ready for 1.4.5
4. i don't have the expansion, have not noticed an issue with mods. I suppose if the purpose of the mod is to modify one of the missions in the expansion then it would require the expansion, otherwise not sure
5. I'll leave this one to someone who follows latest news.. Personally I hope for a KSP 2 with a custom-built engine (not unity) and n-body phsyics.. as much as I love unity, it seems more like a stepping stone for small shops.. every unity game I have runs into performance issues from the 1-size-fits-all engine (which, again, is great at what it does)

[Manwith Noname]

As for 5, KSP 1.5 is being worked on, largely it appears to be polishing the game from the latest news I have seen. Texture pass, bug fixes...that sort of thing. They did hint at something "exciting" but I have not seen anything more that hints what the "exciting" thing might be.