Do you hold D from the launchpad?

[Toastie_Buns]

Just a quick thread to see how everyone plays the game.

Do you rotate the command pod in the VAB so you use a different key?

Do you spin the craft on the launchpad/after launch to use a different key?

Do you press D?

[Superfluous J]

I use D to lean right to go east for my gravity turn, yes.

The only time I don't is if the aerodynamics of my craft requires it. Most recently my Jool 5 entry did as it had a plane stuck to its side.

[Rhomphaia]

generally I try to remember to rotate my pods and probes i the VAB so that I use pitch controls to pitch over during launch, typically s.

 

For simple launchers I tend to tip the whole craft on the launch clamps, so throttle and staging is the only control I need.

[Geonovast]

I use VAB Re-Orienter, so no.  I hold W.

 

[Rocket In My Pocket]

I'll give you the same answer I did on the Steam forums, I rotate it in the VAB before I save it!

LIKE ANY SANE PERSON WOULD DO!

(It's Chibbity btw lol.)

Edited April 18, 2020 by Rocket In My Pocket

[razark]

59 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

I use VAB Re-Orienter, so no.

Wonderful little quality of life mod.

 

I hold s.  My Kerbonauts go into space heads-down.

[jimmymcgoochie]

I usually (always!) rotate my rockets so that they pitch up (S key) to go east and end up upside down, like the space shuttle.

Although I also usually (always) use GravityTurn to do my launches for me, because I'm lazy quite happy to admit that the computer will do a better and more efficient job that I will under most circumstances, plus I can just hit LAUNCH and pay attention to something else until I either a) hear music when it reaches space or b) hear many explodey sounds...

[RoninFrog]

I like to use W.  I prefer being right side up when I get to space, thank you very much.

[Scarecrow]

Never even occurred to me to try rotating my ship so that I could use a key other than D to pitch to the east.  I guess by leaving it at default, there's no chance of me forgetting to rotate a craft.

[Dirkidirk]

I hold the joystick right.

so yes

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by Dirkidirk

[Martian Emigrant]

Yes

 

ME

[The Aziz]

Well the default camera position on the launchpad suggests using D for turning, it's intuitive.

[Meecrob]

I'm guessing we are gonna get a division down the lines of who likes piloting vs designing more. As a member of the former category, "ruddering" into space is sacrilege.

[razark]

4 hours ago, RoninFrog said:

I prefer being right side up when I get to space

It's space.  There is no right side up.

 

Wait a minute.  From the default setup, wouldn't you have to press 'a' to have the right side be up when you get to space, anyway?  Then you'd be orbiting the wrong direction!

[Toastie_Buns]

[snip]

This all started when I told Rocket In My Pocket (Chibbity on the Steam forums) that he was a rogue element, a loose cannon, an uncultured barbarian for rotating the craft in the VAB.

I assured him that nobody does that. Nobody. At all. Not a soul.

However, in my benevolent manner, I made two topics. One on here, one on Steam, in order to give him a chance and see if others were like him.
I thank you all for your time and realise this is trivial, but it was merely to discover how many people were on each side. There wasn't really another way to do this.

For the record; I use the D 

Edited April 19, 2020 by Vanamonde

[Hotel26]

[snip]

"Giant oaks germinate from small seeds"

(Welcome to the forum, if it's not too late for me to say so!)

Did you know that there is one (1) whole (complete) mod dedicated to this subject??  It is called VABReorienter.

Aligning the launch direction intuitively can be super-important for tricky launches that require quick reflexes, such as those into an exact non-equatorial incline or when carrying a substantial, winged aircraft.

Edited April 19, 2020 by Vanamonde

[DeadJohn]

I usually accelerate straight up to 100 m/s, then press D to start the gravity turn.

[snip]

[Vanamonde]

Folks, if you are not interested in the subject of a thread, just skip to the next one. There's nothing to be gained by taking your time to post a complaint about it. 

Some comments have been removed or edited. 

[AstroG]

I rotate in the VAB to use the pitch up key - S. If I need an inclined orbit other than 90 degrees, I roll the craft to the orientation that I only need to use the S key.

[AHHans]

15 hours ago, Toastie_Buns said:

This all started when I told Rocket In My Pocket (Chibbity on the Steam forums) that he was a rogue element, a loose cannon, an uncultured barbarian for rotating the craft in the VAB.

You know, one thing I like about KSP - well, after I got over my "You all are doing this wrong!" phase - is that there are many different ways to play the game. All of them work well for someone and you cannot say that one is better or worse than another.

P.S. Of course my way to play KSP is the best way, and you are all just ignorant louts to not acknowledge that.

[swjr-swis]

I don't press D. Or S. Or any of the keys really. I design and build my rockets and spaceplanes to require no manual steering input getting to orbit.

Rockets get pre-tilted just slightly towards the intended orbit so simply switching SAS from Hold to Prograde at the right speed/altitude is enough to closely reproduce my intended optimal gravity turn. Spaceplanes get enough lift to take to the air by themselves by simply throttling up and disengaging the brakes, and their flight envelope is designed to fly in a straight line up to the flight/altitude point where SAS is switched from Hold to Prograde. In both cases, I try to limit required input to staging, setting SAS modes, and activating action groups, which can be described -and timed- very specifically.

This helps with the cycle of launch testing, observing, and tweaking, and results in very simple usage instructions for shared craft.

That said: I do compulsively rotate my rockets away from the default so they never have to fly 'sideways'. Mostly I fly them dorsal side up, but occasionally ventral side up feels more appropriate. Sideways is just plain wrong.