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Which set of buildings do you click on to launch a ship?


Aegolius13

Which set of buildings do you launch from?  

46 members have voted

  1. 1. Which set of buildings do you click on when you want to launch a ship you already built?

    • Assembly buildings (VAB or Spaceplane Hangar)
      41
    • Launch buildings (Launchpad or Runway)
      5


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A little while ago I clicked on the launchpad and remembered, for the first time in a while, that you can actually launch a ship directly from it.  I pretty much always go to the VAB or SPH first, even if I don't intend to change an existing design.  Partly this is just habit, but partly, I guess I always want to double-check and see if any design tweaks are necessary for the mission at hand. 

So this got me wondering - when launching a craft, do you folks click on the assembly building (VAB or SPH), or do you go straight to the launch structures?  

Note:  I am NOT asking whether you launch ships rocket-style or spaceplane-style.   I'm just asking, when you want to launch a particular rocket, which rocket-specific structure you use to do it (and ditto with spaceplanes).  

Edited by Aegolius13
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14 minutes ago, Aegolius13 said:

I always want to double-check and see if any design tweaks are necessary for the mission at hand.

Always. Let me stress this: every. single. time.

I cannot ever seem to just launch something without checking for something to tweak. Regardless of how often I used a particular design.

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22 minutes ago, swjr-swis said:

Always. Let me stress this: every. single. time.

I cannot ever seem to just launch something without checking for something to tweak. Regardless of how often I used a particular design.

I'd go further than that: I like to get a closer look at my rocket and check its capabilities before launch, even when I don't tweak anything. Launchpad menu doesn't provide any useful info except for the name and Kerbal capacity.

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It might have been a past version which left me skeptical of launching directly to the runway, but I've found that sometimes a craft which is fine when launched from the SPH will have its flaps messed up (asymmetrically inverted) when launching directly.  So I don't trust it and always go into the editor first. 

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6 hours ago, katateochi said:

It might have been a past version which left me skeptical of launching directly to the runway, but I've found that sometimes a craft which is fine when launched from the SPH will have its flaps messed up (asymmetrically inverted) when launching directly.  So I don't trust it and always go into the editor first. 

I've seen this happen sometimes as well, and I always launch out of the SPH/VAB. I don't think it's exclusive to launching directly to the runway.

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I rarely re-fly a design so launching something I made earlier isn't usually an option.

The only exception to this would be some Kerbin orbit launches early in a career game, such as the "rescue kerbal x" ones, but even then I tend to select the vehicle from the VAB.

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Build payload, add fairing and a booster as an subassembly this means VAB/SPH . It was possible to use rerunable support launchs from landing pad... but mostly if it is the same satellite i need other lifter or with the same lifter the payload changes. And i have mostly never a start where only the crew changes. This said i could use launchpad to do crewrotations, but i use this flys for supply too.

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I also go to the launch pad via the VAB. But I can kinda provide a reason, too.

So, when you start a new save (or better; open up the game for the first time), you go to the VAB to build rockets or the SPH when building a plane. Especially at the beginning of the game, you enter the VAB/SPH so many times because you get new and better parts, want to try something new or just improve an already existing vessel.

You eventually start to associate rockets with the VAB and planes with the SPH, so you instinctively click on the corresponding building instead of the launch pad or runway.

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On 12/3/2017 at 9:24 AM, Aegolius13 said:

So this got me wondering - when launching a craft, do you folks click on the assembly building (VAB or SPH), or do you go straight to the launch structures? 

Near the beginning of the game, when every craft is a custom job, I head straight to the VAB.

Once I've got a library of ships built up, it's much faster to head straight to the pad and dial up a '0T rescue bot pro' or '2S Relay Two' than load it up in the VAB.

Edited by Corona688
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Generally I actually start with the tracking station. I have to make sure everything is aligned right for each launch. Then I'll design the vehicle to the specifications I need in the VAB, go back to the tracking station to fine-tune the timewarping, and then click the launch pad to launch.

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On 3.12.2017 at 4:42 PM, swjr-swis said:

Always. Let me stress this: every. single. time.

I cannot ever seem to just launch something without checking for something to tweak. Regardless of how often I used a particular design.

This even incremental changes, also payload including KIS even for stuff like crew replacement missions. 

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On 03/12/2017 at 3:42 PM, swjr-swis said:

Always. Let me stress this: every. single. time.

I cannot ever seem to just launch something without checking for something to tweak. Regardless of how often I used a particular design.

I have ONE ship that I can launch straightaway and it is only intended for LKO/MKO space station crew transfers, everything else, yeah tweaks to TWR, tweaks to payload, tweaks to staging (I know that can be done on the fly, but I prefer to get it right from the start) TWEAKS TWEAKS TWEAKS.

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