Do perfectly good designs not work the next day?

[otblock]

Yes. I had a functioning (decently, no masterwork) space shuttle capable of hauling a Big Red to orbit. I change it slightly to have those neat double docking ports, both normal and senior, and now it looses control.

[Korvath85]

On 4/6/2016 at 5:56 PM, Brainlord Mesomorph said:

Does it seem to anyone else like a perfectly functional  ship you design one night simply doesn’t work the next day?

This week, I’ve been trying to design a low tech Duna lander, and I’m on my fifth version of various short squat two stage things that will make LKO. (I figure that means it has more than enough aerodynamics,dV and TWR the land on Duna with parachutes, and still make orbit again).

But it seems like five times now I designed something that makes orbit 3 or 4 or 5  times, and decide “yes that will do” and I’m done for the night, and then the next day the damn thing won't make orbit!

Now I have no idea what I’m doing differently, I can’t imagine it’s the game, but I actually thought about writing this post last night before I decided to design version 5! And now version 5 won't make orbit! 

Does this happen to anyone else?

I thought that was just caused by the consumption of alcohol.

[adsii1970]

If you are using 1.1, it could be that the patches are coming that quick... a small tweak here or there can make a big difference. At least that is what I am learning. One day, landing gear work, the next day, the &@#* thing blows up trying to get to flight speed...

[ThatGuyWithALongUsername]

I had a fairly reliable launcher that just decided to be nearly uncontrollable one day.

 

I think it had to do with aero changes in 1.0.4 or 1.0.5, so it doesn't really count.

[Servo]

I was trying to make a Mun SSTO for the first time (I can barely get to orbit, much less with cargo). I made a decent design, sleek, carried five, and so one. First launch, I make it to orbit with 800 dV left over. Not quite enough, so I reload and I haven't gotten anywhere near orbit since then.

[spacebrick3]

I was working on the Gone to Space Challenge, and had designed a huge lifter with great TWR, but needed a little more fuel. Worked fine, until I decoupled radially and my boosters hit my ship. Happens every single time now.

[Miravlix]

I designed a lander for Minmus, to return and parachute land on Kerbin at the end of the mission.

 

The weird thing was the re-entry, sometimes these type of ship would end up dropping to very low m/s, kinda hanging in the air at 30K until i opened the parachute then it would accelerate to the expected m/s speed.

 

The way we self build rockets and they keep being parts, leave a lot of room for things to go wrong.