Multistage rockets?

[alkopop79]

I'm having trouble with a 2-stage rocket. When launching, it either doesn't start or when it launches properly the second stages engine won't start after the first stage is jettisoned. Also, when adding boosters on the side of the rocket, the spaceship won't fly upwards but turns and crashes immediately (which actually looks pretty spectacular). Any ideas what I did wrong?

[Johnno]

Your staging is probably not correctly set up and if you're adding radial boosters make sure you add them with symmetry. We'd need pictures of the craft(s) to diagnose the problem.

[alkopop79]

I will send one. Generally when I launch the spaceship with the SPACE button, it triggers the decoupler for some strange reason.

[alkopop79]

This one consists of two solid boosters with decoupler between the two. When I try to launch it, it either opens the parachute or triggers the decoupler. Why?

[Tex_NL]

You've got your staging reversed. Higher numbered stages go first. Stage 0 is the final one.

As soon as you launch it triggers stage 3. Take a look at what's inside stage 3: a decoupler and guess what, a parachute.

[dave4002000]

You have the staging backwards. The bottom stage is what's going to to fire first when you're on the launch pad.

Also, you can combine the decoupler and the engine above it into one stage. So when you hit the spacebar, it will decouple the lower stage and activate the next engine at the same time.

::edit:: Those damn ninjas are everywhere! You never see them coming, either...haha

[miracmert]

Look at the bottom right corner. You have to adjust the stages by clicking and dragging them. When you press space, the first thing to be triggered are chutes and the decoupler. You have to put SRB symbol at the third. You did it upside-down that's why it happens.

EDIT: Wow 3 answers at the same time. LOL FTL repyling there, boys

[alkopop79]

Aaaaaaah, so you can drag those orange things:D Awesome! Thank you!

[Vanamonde]

Also, SRB engines do not "gimbal," or pivot their thrust to assist with steering. I suspect that when you add those side boosters, the ship simply becomes too big for the torque of the pod to hold on course. Either add some fins with control surfaces, or replace the engines with the kinds that have "thrust vectoring" in their part descriptions. Oh, and an ASAS control piece to give instructions to the fins/engines.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Vanamonde

[Captain Sierra]

If you want help with anything, chances are, there is a Scott Manley tutorial for it. He explains stuff damn well. He is a walking KSP dictionary. Go find him on youtube.

As previously stated, make sure you have some control surfaces for larger rockets. You might also want the advanced SAS.

One last piece of advice for you: go do a bit of forum/youtube surfing and find an explaination of asparagus staging. It comes in handy when launching big heavy payloads.