# Kerbal Space Program **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 23, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824 "2011-08-23T22:07:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/241 "2013-07-15T11:48:47Z")
In case there’s anyone else like me who’s been following this thread but uneasy about paying full price - there is about 5 hours left in the Steam Summer Sale’s discount on this game, down to $13.79, and then it’ll move to the “yesterday’s deals” section at the bottom of the page for another day, IIRC. Often, popular games go back up on sale near the end of the sale period (which ends on the 22nd), so if you miss this, check the sales again later and see if it doesn’t get a repeat offering. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/242 "2013-07-15T17:08:02Z")
This game is more than worth it at that price. Since it isn’t finished yet, you will keep getting new stuff for free. And I say new stuff because what you get to start with will keep you plenty busy until the campaign is rolled out. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/243 "2013-07-15T18:01:04Z")
I paid full price for the game about two months ago and have zero regrets. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/244 "2013-07-15T18:16:16Z")
[Has a reference to “Kerbal miles.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqAUiUDyFlY) (At around 2’30.) I didn’t remember that! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/245 "2013-07-16T03:18:00Z")
Not available due to copyright claim. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/246 "2013-07-16T06:44:52Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Not available due to copyright claim. Ah, bummer. Not surprising, though. ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/247 "2013-07-16T14:04:30Z")
Damn you, Steam sale!!! Stayed up way to late last night trying to figure things out - I admit, I watched a quick “how to build a basic rocket” tutorial because I was tired of killing my astronauts, and after three successful manned “up and down” launches I decided to experiment. I had a few questions however - What component do you use to connect fuel tanks to each other either side-by-side or radially? If you put a tank on top of another, do they feed into the engines automatically or is there a component you need between the tanks to get them to be linked? Same question for a side-by-side or radial connection. The control ring for unmanned launches (sorry, don’t remember all the “official” names) - do you need one between each stage or just one at the top? Action key groupings on the side of the screen; I finally figured out how to change their activation order so I don’t fire my probe off the top of the rocket while it’s on the pad, however after hitting the space bar to get the initial launch, I can’t seem to get the rest to work at all and have to right-click the component I want to activate manually. Is the number of each grouping supposed to correspond to a hot-key and if so how do I get that to work? This is my biggest current gripe. One observation - do not try to launch a rocket with 6 SRBs around the main stange with 6 more SRBs attached to third stage unless you want to wipe out your complex (it didnt really of course, but the explosion was quite nice). Still haven’t tried and actual orbit yet, my current best is 800+/-km up and down with a probe. Feels good. ---
**Author:** ![eltro102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@eltro102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eltro102)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/248 "2013-07-16T15:45:54Z")
I found a very cool tool for ksp: [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/36476-WIN-KSP-Trajectory-Optimization-Tool-v0-8-Now-with-Flyby-Maneuver-Sequencing!](http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/36476-WIN-KSP-Trajectory-Optimization-Tool-v0-8-Now-with-Flyby-Maneuver-Sequencing%21) it allows you to find low dV ways to get to other planets by computing flybys, just like a real space program be warned though, space is hard so computing flybys can take more than a minute (or 5) ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/249 "2013-07-16T18:03:37Z")
> [@Werekoala](#): > > What component do you use to connect fuel tanks to each other either side-by-side or radially? Radial decouplers under the Structure tab are the most obvious method. > [@](#): > > If you put a tank on top of another, do they feed into the engines automatically or is there a component you need between the tanks to get them to be linked? Same question for a side-by-side or radial connection. Tanks feed into each other automatically, except when separated by decouplers. I’m fairly certain all other components allow automatic cross-feed. > [@](#): > > The control ring for unmanned launches (sorry, don’t remember all the “official” names) - do you need one between each stage or just one at the top? You need to have one connected to any spaceship you want to control. If you don’t care what happens to the lower stages once you separate them from your ship, they don’t need their own computer. > [@](#): > > Action key groupings on the side of the screen; I finally figured out how to change their activation order so I don’t fire my probe off the top of the rocket while it’s on the pad, however after hitting the space bar to get the initial launch, I can’t seem to get the rest to work at all and have to right-click the component I want to activate manually. Is the number of each grouping supposed to correspond to a hot-key and if so how do I get that to work? This is my biggest current gripe. You keep hitting the space bar. Each press activates the next stage. ---
**Author:** ![eltro102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@eltro102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eltro102)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/250 "2013-07-16T18:17:43Z")
check if your mouse is the staging icon area bit during flight, this disables staging (and turns the little light near the bottom purple) ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/251 "2013-07-17T02:53:41Z")
Ok, I figured out staging, amazing how helpful that is. After an evening of work I managed to send a probe on a close Munar flyby and out of the system. I figured out explosive brackets for SRBs and the like. And I completed my first stable orbit flying seat-of-the-pants and using the Tracking map. Of course, the apoapsis is out past the Mun, while the near end tops at just 70km - sliiiightly eliptical - but it seems stable so that’ll work for now. No Kerbin were harmed in the making of this picture, strictly probes for now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/252 "2013-07-17T11:42:07Z")
> [@Werekoala](#): > > And I completed my first stable orbit flying seat-of-the-pants and using the Tracking map. Of course, the apoapsis is out past the Mun, while the near end tops at just 70km - sliiiightly eliptical - but it seems stable so that’ll work for now. > > No Kerbin were harmed in the making of this picture, strictly probes for now. 🙂 You’re making good progress, but remember that an orbit that approaches that of a celestial body is not necessarily stable in the long run - eventually the orbits may align so that your satellite is flung by the Mun’s gravity off on some unintended course. If you want to enter a circular orbit, either perform a prograde (forwards) burn at your apoapsis or retrograde (backwards) burn at your periapsis. The first will raise your periapsis, the second will lower your apoapsis. ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/253 "2013-07-17T12:25:45Z")
Yup circular orbit next. I used the last fumes from my booster on a retrograde burn to get the one I got. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PacifistPorcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PacifistPorcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PacifistPorcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/254 "2013-07-18T04:18:46Z")
I continued my space station attempts going, though more slowly. It’s mostly done, it’s missing one more docking arm. Getting the docking arm up there is a bitch though, because the asymmetrical bits that stick out make the fucker handle horribly under RCS. [Almost done.](http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/116/tzh7.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/255 "2013-07-18T16:34:47Z")
Next problem (actually an ongoing one) - I seem to have trouble with my larger rockets “wobbling” between stages sometimes, usually on the taller models. Many times they may even wobble between stages on the launch pad. Using the ground clamps helps that problem, but once they launch things get way too Jello-like to control and I lose many of them. Is this a problem of stacking stages without necking them down using the cone-shaped modules between sections, or is it something else? Do I need to change direction and start building shorter, squatter designs? ---
**Author:** ![eltro102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@eltro102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eltro102)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/256 "2013-07-19T00:10:34Z")
> [@Werekoala](#): > > Next problem (actually an ongoing one) - I seem to have trouble with my larger rockets “wobbling” between stages sometimes, usually on the taller models. Many times they may even wobble between stages on the launch pad. Using the ground clamps helps that problem, but once they launch things get way too Jello-like to control and I lose many of them. > > Is this a problem of stacking stages without necking them down using the cone-shaped modules between sections, or is it something else? Do I need to change direction and start building shorter, squatter designs? more struts will fix this, although you should be using asparagus staging to improve efficiency and have squat-er rockets also try having a ring of the cube trusses near the join on both sides and link them together with struts ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/257 "2013-07-19T00:43:43Z")
Ahhh struts. The duct tape of space engineering. I’ve found it useful to have somewhat bullet-shaped ships with stage 1 being short and narrow. Stage 2 being long, narrow and right behind stage 1. Stage 3 in multi engines layout around stage 2. Stage 4 around stage 3. My rockets thus stay together (mostly, most of the time). ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/258 "2013-07-19T02:44:41Z")
Asparagus staging…? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/259 "2013-07-19T03:19:51Z")
> [@Werekoala](#): > > Asparagus staging…? Using multiple large tanks and fuel lines to improve performance. [Advanced Staging](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0o1CB0hRDQ) is a good video to explain various ways to design your boosters. ---
**Author:** ![fanganga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fanganga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fanganga)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824/260 "2013-07-19T19:04:29Z")
I’ve been messing about in the demo - there’s a bit too much slowdown for me to consider moving to the paid version, but I’ve still got my eyes on a Mun-shot. Right now, the best I can do is get an orbiter to LKO with half a small tank of fuel remaining. I’ve tried more stages, but all my rockets taller than two fuel tanks high fall to the horizontal and stop climbing before they’ve made it out of the atmosphere. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerbal-space-program/593824.md?page=14)