What are your quirks?

[little square dot]

I'm so OCD with aesthetics that I spend maybe 1% of my time in game is actually flying something. Even if I start up KSP intending to fly a mission with a craft that I've already created, four hours later I'll be staring at a beautiful and yet oddly stationary vehicle, and then suddenly it'll dawn on me that I didn't quite manage to make it past the VAB....again.

Maybe next time.

[TicTacToe!]

Planning meticulous interplanetary missions, assembling the crafts, putting them in LKO, setting up the manoeuvre node... and not having the guts to actually go through with it.

[Commander Jebidiah]

In playing in the past, I've had an abort system on crewed vessels, but if the craft begins to crash, I always revert - no Kerbal is allowed to die!

I wait a week in game time between launches. Or a "Kerbal" week, which consists of 8 kerbal days. When I finish sorting out the config files for my new realistic engines, I'm probably going to change this to a month, to better match with reality.

Action groups, like most people, are consistent between parts. 1&2 are usually engines, 3 are air intakes, 9 is usually solar panels (put far away from the engines so that I don't accidentally activate the engines whilst powered up and smash a craft into another one).

Don't pay attention during approaches to space stations, which inevitably leads to either multiple passes, or smashing the solar panels off. Kinda ironic, when I'm returning the tug to the space station after deorbiting the orbital insertion stage for the replacement solar panel array.

Despite only having the one launch pad, I still put some LKO space stations (science ones, not refueling ones) on inclined orbits, to better mimic the ISS (and also make it easier to access from map view)

I aim to have LKO at 72km above the surface each time. This is probably going to be a problem when launching two craft one after the other to intercept, but I'll deal with that when it happens.

And I've never left the Kerbin system, aside from a spent booster stage that picked up a gravity assist from the Mun back when I was just learning how to play.

Finally, all of my maneuvers are planned out in a book I've got on my desk, which is great, but the maneuvers usually end up not working out and I have to just fiddle with the nodes to get them to work anyway. Ah well, eventually I'll work out how to transfer from a parking orbit to a space station from theory and angles!

I would now like to see this book.

Me:

- haven't killed a kerbal in 1 3/4 years.

- Always have an Abort.

- Never left Kerbin sub-system manned.

- only left the kerbin sub-system 4 times.

- have only landed on Mün 12 times, twice as much as NASA.

- I have planned and assembled so many, manned, interplanetary missions then never launched the crew cause I don't feel comfortable past Minmus.

[PB666]

I (almost) always go to Mun first in any career, and not Minmus. Even though Minmus is easier and gives you more science. It just feels... wrong to skip Mun.

Mun is first because its the first contract and because you don't have to change inclination.

My quirks lol. TNTC.

I prefer the MK16 over side mounted chutes, even though they work better.

I rescue one pilot or place one satellite using the probesphere, thereafter MechJeb.

I don't add RCS anything if there is a remote possibility I can do the task without it.

I don't consider this a quirk, but early game is a grind so I scale down the basic rover wheel and place it in a low tier (my cheat).

I prefer Val over Jeb, I figure statistically averaged, Jeb is more likely to die (based on my experience pre 0.90)

Jeb I always place on a permanent station, so he won't get himself killed.

I prefer to build radially than vertically (so I made many aeroparts for tanks).

I prefer to use the smallest landing gear, even though it frequently breaks

I almost always try to level my craft by lowering one of the gear, even if its landed on a relatively level spot.

I can't stand games that advertise in-game content or pop-up adverts (I bought KSP after having a steam install) or games that run in the background of the computer (like sim-city, steam, etc) sangrudas.

I tend to build craft that cant takeoff (TWR = 1g) and then add boosters to get them up to 100 m/s before they separate.

Is this enough for you.

[ComradeWolfe]

I prefer to play sandbox w/ permadeaths and no reverts. This leads to lots of unmanned hardware tests to ensure survivability. Glitches which cause Kerbals to die or go missing are analogous to "critical hardware failures".

I also like life support mods. Even if one isn't installed, I still assume that a Kerbal stranded more than a few days away from a crew pod is is doomed and remove them in tracking.

Spacecraft must always have some form of launch escape system if going up manned. Usually this means that mission ships go up remotely and are later crewed by a heavily safety tested / validated "space bus" type vehicle.

Solar panels are always in action group 4. Engine action groups are always 1-3, accessory items (mining, etc) are always 5+.

[Jett_Quasar]

I land all my ships horizontally... Because it's cool!

JR

Edited September 28, 2015 by Jolly_Roger

[Maizel]

I have a tendency to carry way too much fuel than I need for missions.

[Sharpy]

2) land all my ships horizontally... Because it's cool!

JR

http://i.imgur.com/sN483a4.png

For a very liberal definition of "horizontally", jusging by your photo.

[X-SR71]

- I always avoid clipping parts. I will go to extreme lengths to not clip anything, even wings.

- I always try to build symetrically.

- Every part must be perfectly aligned. Multiple panels must align and have the same spacing to each other.

- Gigantor panels must always open facing the same side, which is a pain since placing mirrored gigantors will always make one open facing down. I must place each one separately on both sides of the craft and they must align.

- I only angle parts at 0, 45, 90 degrees.

- I only ever use 2 mods - Kerbal engineer and RCS build aid. Never use gameplay/parts mod.

[Red Iron Crown]

- I always avoid clipping parts. I will go to extreme lengths to not clip anything, even wings.

- I always try to build symetrically.

- Every part must be perfectly aligned. Multiple panels must align and have the same spacing to each other.

- Gigantor panels must always open facing the same side, which is a pain since placing mirrored gigantors will always make one open facing down. I must place each one separately on both sides of the craft and they must align.

- I only angle parts at 0, 45, 90 degrees.

- I only ever use 2 mods - Kerbal engineer and RCS build aid. Never use gameplay/parts mod.

You really should look at Editor Extensions, will save you a ton of time with aligning things and symmetry. And you can align struts and fuel lines!

[X-SR71]

What! Aligning struts? I need that, NOW! thanks for the tip!

[FirePhoenix]

My quirk is that I always waste more fuel than necessary to get near-perfect circular orbits around Kerbin.

[moogoob]

I also have to taxi my planes in front of the hangar after landing, if they survive. The purpose? Glamour shots.

[Mister Dilsby]

I have some 'reserved' action group assignments due to that one time I tried to extend solar panels on a station, and accidentally triggered the VTOL system in a ship that was docked to it.

Now I always use:

1--toggle jets #1

2--toggle jets #2

3--toggle jets #3 OR RAPIER mode switch

4--toggle intakes

5--toggle rockets

6--toggle VTOL system

7--anything that doesn't fire an engine or a decoupler

8--anything that doesn't fire an engine or a decoupler

9--anything that doesn't fire an engine or a decoupler

0--activate science experiments

Which means for example that if a ship has no jets, AG1, AG2, AG3 and AG4 can't be used.

[wossname]

I prefer to launch rockets from the roof of the temple that I built atop the mountainous heap of the skulls of my enemies. The vanquished can watch my glorious ascent and ponder their failings for all eternity.

Plus we have soft drinks and sandwiches during the countdown. Ample parking just off the main street. Please book in advance to avoid being added to the heap.

Edited July 23, 2015 by wossname

[Jett_Quasar]

For a very liberal definition of "horizontally", jusging by your photo.

Posted the wrong picture, but it has been updated... Here's another one:

All KSP images have been moved here.

JR

Edited September 28, 2015 by Jolly_Roger

[samstarman5]

I have a tendency to carry way too much fuel than I need for missions.

Kerbals don't have time for trivial weight and dV calculations. Neither do I. Fortunately Fuel and Oxidizer isn't expensive in career. I actually rather like having leftover fuel in my service module as it helps slow down the rate of descent and makes re-entry less...boomy. Can always kick it loose if things start getting too hot.

[Sharpy]

Kerbals don't have time for trivial weight and dV calculations. Neither do I. Fortunately Fuel and Oxidizer isn't expensive in career.

Duh, I still need to face a situation where I'd be entirely able to forfeit aerobraking on reentry. I guess that would mean some 3000m/s over the required amount. Having extra fuel left over for powered braking rocks!

But yeah, I usually oversize the launch stage; payload of 10 tons could go with a 15t lifter but I use the 32t one. It doesn't matter that much because they are reusable so the cost is marginal anyway.

[ryan234abc]

I hate not seeing things through to the end. Rune made an SSTO which I landed on Eve, but it wouldn't make orbit again. I got annoyed and eventually made THIS:

The final design was different; in that it had more fuel.

I'm starting to wonder if I shoulda just given up. It worked, but it's so unpractical that I doubt it would ever come to any good.

[Coga19000]

I almost never do temperature scan /aerial survey contracts. They annoy me to hell.

[Nich]

Ya there only worth it if you have like 3-4 of them on the same body. one polar satellite can net you like 500+ kerdits in a 7-8 days. I prefer the station building contracts I wish they had an upgrade a station contracts though

[Pixel of Life]

When launching rockets, I always drop the final ascent stage when my periapsis is 69 km (even if it still has fuel in it) so it re-enters the atmosphere, and then use the orbital stage to circularize. Why? Because I'm too lazy to go to the tracking station and terminate the orbiting fuel tank.

[Arkalius]

I'm apparently averse to time-accelerating more than a day or so without doing something in my career game. I feel like if a craft is going to take a few days to get somewhere, that's time I can do other missions in the interim. I'm slowly breaking this habit as I take on more missions of a long-term nature, but I doubt I'll ever fully overcome it.

[Overland]

I like trains...

After 2 months of trying to build bigger is better..more locomotive..more wagons..moar power.. and intimate relations with the kracken

wrestling with them damn new "perfect" docking ports that make trains rigid and unresponsive...

fighting with the new configuration files to no good end..

my quirk.. opening up configuration files..deleting everything past the dimension and node data..

pasting everything from pre 1.0 versions

now enjoying once again the sweet song of a 40 class long hood locomotive with a detriot diesel genset..

44 class locomotive EMD 66 engine

also adding to the chorus in a busy day at the yard (KSC carpark)

both with airhorns so loud and jarring theyd wake the dead...

Kerbal Train Program back underway once again

thanks to ignoring everything new about 1.0+ bringing the fun back into KSP turned into a beautiful diesel electric land-train simulator

Odd? maybe..but I love it

Edited July 25, 2015 by Overland

[Jett_Quasar]

I like trains...

Dude, I like how you have your thing and just stick to it - Keep on rollin'!!!

JR