Wait... Caps Lock does something in KSP?

[ThatGuyWithALongUsername]

Maybe I'm just stupid, but I only just realized that Caps Lock activates a "soft mode". Considering how much I accidently leave it on, this may explain why my designs sometimes work so often.

What key combinations have you not known about and found useful?

[Dfthu]

I didn't know you copy the parts using shift/alt. (I forgot) Never found a use for the soft mode.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Dfthu

[ThatGuyWithALongUsername]

5 minutes ago, Dfthu said:

I didn't know you copy the parts using shirt/alt? (I forgot) Never found a use for the soft mode.

I didn't know about the once either, and now I use it all the time (it's alt, btw). My only use for soft mode is not accidentally using it. 

 

Edited April 19, 2016 by ThatGuyWithALongUsername

[StrandedonEarth]

4 minutes ago, Dfthu said:

I didn't know you copy the parts using shirt/alt? (I forgot) Never found a use for the soft mode.

Soft mode is awesome if your RCS is overpowered or unbalanced (especially as fuel loads change). Alt-click copies parts or assemblies in the editor. Very handy things.

What took me a long time to discover was that backspace focuses on your active vessel in map view.

[jumach]

Very useful info...

[Mitchz95]

... What is soft mode?

[Starhawk]

Obligatory link to the KSP Wiki page of keybindings.

Happy landings!

[Dfthu]

5 minutes ago, Mitchz95 said:

... What is soft mode?

Makes your movements softer, balances your RCS and probably some other stuff I forgot. @StrandedonEarth also said some good things.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Dfthu

[Waxing_Kibbous]

I use soft mode enough that I changed it to tab because I was tired of naming my vessels things like mUNlANDER

[FullMetalMachinist]

In my opinion this should be in the new KSPedia.

 

[ThatGuyWithALongUsername]

5 minutes ago, FullMetalMachinist said:

In my opinion this should be in the new KSPedia.

 

You're right, that's a great idea! It's almost as if it were designed to fit in there.

[StrandedonEarth]

1 hour ago, Mitchz95 said:

... What is soft mode?

This is actually the first time I heard capslock called "soft mode," I usually thought of it as "fine control." Edit: Ah yes, the keyboard map (Thanks @FullMetalMachinist) calls it "Precision Control"

With capslock off, all RCS ports are at full power. With capslock on, they operate at reduced power, and it appears to balance them as well, if the center of thrust is offset from the center of mass. This stops the offset thrust from rotating the craft when you are just trying to translate, as when docking.

It's nearly impossible to manually execute a maneuver node perfectly. After a maneuver I often fine-tune with RCS translation, to get the encounter (right down to the periapsis I want, over the equator or poles) or rendezvous I was aiming for. If the RCS is bouncing the orbit around too much, I use capslock for finer control.

E2: Another control that is oh-so-useful to learn is using [ and ] to switch between ships/kerbals in physics range. I hope tips like that are in the tutorials and KSPedia

Edited April 19, 2016 by StrandedonEarth

[SpacedCowboy]

It's not soft mode, it's,,,, well, if you have to call it a "mode", it's "fine control mode". Caps Lock slows and "softens" all control surfaces. User beware however, the RCS gets weird.

[Draco T stand-up guy]

Quote

that Caps Lock activates a "soft mode".

Well, there was no way I was going to discover that - I have CAPS LOCK turned off. Have done for better than ten years. Caps Lock in most games is rather irritating.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Draco T stand-up guy

[SofusRud]

If you hold down Shift whilst on a ladder and then press space, your Kerbal will push off from the ladder instead of just dropping.  If you press A and D whilst holding Shift on a Ladder, your Kerbal will turn their head left or right

[Curveball Anders]

8 hours ago, Waxing_Kibbous said:

I use soft mode enough that I changed it to tab because I was tired of naming my vessels things like mUNlANDER

AND IT'S NOT VERY SOFT TO SHOUT AT PEOPLE ON THE FORUMS.

Oops, sorry, was fine-tuning my landing ...

[White Owl]

I use the precision control mode for absolutely everything. It's especially useful for flying airplanes, since planes respond well to smooth control inputs.

The only thing the default non-precision control is good for, is making a long burn with RCS. That's it. For every other possible maneuver I might want to do with any kind of vehicle, precision control is better.

It's a crying shame that so many people don't know about this. You've all been handicapping yourselves as long as you've played the game, until now you think KSP vehicle controls are supposed to instantly slam to full deflection. You wouldn't steer a car or bicycle that way... why do it to a rocket? Just sad.

[Racescort666]

13 hours ago, Dfthu said:

Makes your movements softer, balances your RCS and probably some other stuff I forgot. @StrandedonEarth also said some good things.

 

12 hours ago, StrandedonEarth said:

With capslock off, all RCS ports are at full power. With capslock on, they operate at reduced power, and it appears to balance them as well, if the center of thrust is offset from the center of mass. This stops the offset thrust from rotating the craft when you are just trying to translate, as when docking.

Fine control does not balance RCS, it only reduces the thrust of RCS.

[softweir]

5 hours ago, SofusRud said:

If you hold down Shift whilst on a ladder and then press space, your Kerbal will push off from the ladder instead of just dropping.  If you press A and D whilst holding Shift on a Ladder, your Kerbal will turn their head left or right

If you look left or right and then use shift+space they will jump in the direction they are looking.  (IIRC - only ever used it once and it may have changed.)

[StrandedonEarth]

46 minutes ago, Racescort666 said:

Fine control does not balance RCS, it only reduces the thrust of RCS.

Well, I did say "appears to balance." If not balance then at least the reduced thrust means reduced torque, making it easier for the reaction wheels to cope and hold the heading. 

[zarakon]

Here are a couple lesser-known ones that aren't listed on the wiki page:

• Alt+Mousewheel changes FOV.  I don't know if there's a way to set it back to default though
• V in IVA mode will switch between different Kerbals' perspectives

[ThatGuyWithALongUsername]

3 hours ago, zarakon said:

Here are a couple lesser-known ones that aren't listed on the wiki page:

• Alt+Mousewheel changes FOV.  I don't know if there's a way to set it back to default though
• V in IVA mode will switch between different Kerbals' perspectives

Heh, I knew both of those.

[Racescort666]

3 hours ago, StrandedonEarth said:

Well, I did say "appears to balance." If not balance then at least the reduced thrust means reduced torque, making it easier for the reaction wheels to cope and hold the heading. 

Fair enough. I'm just trying to dispel the rumor that fine control does anything other than reducing thrust.

[Skorpychan]

Precision mode is not very kerbal, so I never bother to use it. Never do anything through subtlety and precision that can be accomplished with brute force, moar of things, and running the main engine up.

Even managed to dock with just the assistance of an overpowered main engine once, because I forgot the RCS thrusters.

[Hysterrics]

For me it's TAB... not sure why.