Getting custom action groups in early career mode

[katateochi]

One of the things I don't like about career mode is needing to fully upgrade the SPH/VAB before getting custom action groups. It seems like an arbitrary limitation; limited just because they're something that can be limited, rather than there being a good reason for not having them until fully upgrading the construction buildings. It doesn't make the game harder it just makes it more clunky and time consuming (and leads you to re-purpose the named action groups for other things). Anyway, I've made a suggestion to let us have at least a couple custom action group earlier on in career.

The point of this thread is to point out a couple workarounds;

- if you've fully upgraded either the SPH or the VAB but without upgrading the other one, you can move a craft into the fully upgraded one, set the custom action groups and save it. Then move it back to the lower tier building and although that building doesn't support custom action groups when you launch the craft from it they'll still work.

- You can also load a career craft in a sandbox save, set the custom action groups and save it. Then load it back in a lowly tier 1/2 building in career and when it's launched it's custom action groups will function.

ok so the 2nd one is clearly a dirty cheat, but as I really can't see the point in not having at least a few custom action groups available by the time I'm doing mining operations I'm not too ashamed to say I've used that on a couple career craft. In both cases these have been mining and mining support craft with lots of things that could be switched on and off.

Anyway, just thought I'd share those. Does anyone already use these workarounds?

[razark]

The point of this thread is to point out a couple workarounds

...

Does anyone already use these workarounds?

I will from now on! Thank you for this information.

[Geschosskopf]

Another perfectly legal work around.....

While you can't create new action groups 0-9, you CAN modify the named stock ones, and you always have all the named stock action groups available even if you don't have parts specific to them. So say you've got a rocket with a Mun lander on top. The lander has lights and solar panels you want to deploy but doesn't have any wheels. Thus, the brakes action group is empty. Put the solar panels in it, hit B, and presto, deploying solar panels . Similarly, you can put toggle ladders in the lights or gear action group. Stuff like that.

[katateochi]

Another perfectly legal work around.....

While you can't create new action groups 0-9, you CAN modify the named stock ones, and you always have all the named stock action groups available even if you don't have parts specific to them. So say you've got a rocket with a Mun lander on top. The lander has lights and solar panels you want to deploy but doesn't have any wheels. Thus, the brakes action group is empty. Put the solar panels in it, hit B, and presto, deploying solar panels . Similarly, you can put toggle ladders in the lights or gear action group. Stuff like that.

Yes that does work pretty well, I re-purpose the named action groups at lot. I use stage and RCS groups on my SSTO's in early/mid career (stage to toggle jet engines, R for rocket engines). But on those that have RCS for docking I even end up using the abort group as a basic engine toggle (which is kinda odd). Using stage is a pain if there is anything else that actually stages (have to remember to add empty stages in before using it). Sometimes I use the brake group as a jet engine toggle, but that can be annoying as you need to make sure you fire things up in the right order so that when you release the brakes the engines start and then when you apply the brakes they cut off again.

As career is partly about introducing new players to "the ways of the Kerbal", I think that having at least 2 custom action groups in the first tier would be nice, going up to 6 in the 2nd tier and then finally the full 10 when fully upgraded.

Edited May 16, 2015 by katateochi

[Geschosskopf]

As career is partly about introducing new players to "the ways of the Kerbal", I think that having at least 2 custom action groups in the first tier would be nice, going up to 6 in the 2nd tier and then finally the full 10 when fully upgraded.

That's a good idea