VAB Exploits - Who uses them?

[tntristan12]

Hello everyone! Today in KSP, I realized how often I use VAB exploits. What do I mean? Well, for example, did you know that if you can't place a part somewhere, just drop it somewhere else where you *can* place it and then, magically, you can pick it up again and drop it where you wanted to the first time? I use this exploit all the time when I want to place nosecones that clip slightly through other parts.

I also like to hide the short command module between an ASAS and a shielded docking port by attaching the ASAS to the top node of the CM instead of the bottom, then attaching the docking node above it. This allows me to create pretty-looking vehicles that function as both manned and unmanned while giving me an extra docking port.

So my question to the community is what VAB exploits do you use, and what are some of the neat ways in which you use them?

Go!

[NeoMorph]

That's not an exploit... that's a workaround for a bug in VAB.

[Colonel_Panic]

Yep, those are features.

Also features: fitting toroidal fuel tanks between parts, using cubic octagonal struts to place things that require nodes, and tucking things into 'hollow' parts (like ASAS).

Sometimes to get around the hassle of those radial attachment bugs, I'll use the debug menu to allow clipping, but it's still not an exploit if you're placing it somewhere you *should* be able to place it in the first place.

About the only thing I'll intentionally exploit the debug menu for is placing radial RCS tanks inside of standard fuel tanks on small disposable landers (only way to keep the mass centered without using the weight of 2 of them when you don't need that much fuel.) and hiding OKTO2 probe cores between command modules in spaceplanes.

[AmpsterMan]

I used to have engine clusters but I stopped because I felt lke they made the mainsail pretty useless

[Qumefox]

I used to have engine clusters but I stopped because I felt lke they made the mainsail pretty useless

They don't. Mainsail is still the most bang for the buck (highest engine TWR) engine you can get.. However.. Using clusters, most non-huge rockets don't really need all the thrust mainsails provide.. So while clusters cut some of it's viability, they don't eliminate it... Since there are tradeoffs with using clusters.. Namely, higher part counts and lower engine TWR, (Clusters that match a mainsail's thrust are going to be much heavier than a mainsail.) so the ISP gains are offset by the increase in non-fuel mass.

[Frafor]

I always the little cubic struts for everything (almost all of my rockets hace clusters) and I place round RCS tanks inside ASAS modules and engines.

[Wayfare]

I love my cubic octagonal struts. They're like space Legos!

[Colonel_Panic]

I love my cubic octagonal struts. They're like space Legos!

Those little 1x1 lego pieces that you always manage to step on.

[Promii]

I like Mainsails for my giant boosters and a cluster of LV-T30s/45s for my center stack. I'm not sure how Temstar managed to get 8x 30s and 4x 45s on his/her Nova rocket's center stack. The most I can seem to managed is 6x 30s and 1x 45.

[AlexanderB]

Its possible to hide stuff inside engines too without enabling noclip, specifically, I put 8 of those RCS spheres inside the poodle engine so they only showed up as 8 round bumps.. Made for a nice, clean CSM with plenty RCS capacity on my 'Kerpollo'.

[lobsterbark]

That's not an exploit... that's a workaround for a bug in VAB.

Exactly.

tenchar

[Fel]

I rather wish that most anything "Structural" would allow no-clip in the editor.

When building for "how I want something to look" rather than "how I want something to perform" I'll give myself infinite leeway with VAB Exploits... often making it LOOK the way I want it can make things more unstable anyways.

[Colonel_Panic]

I rather wish that most anything "Structural" would allow no-clip in the editor.

more than that, I wish structural parts could 'connect' to more than one other part... as it is only struts do that. Anything else only connects to the piece you attach it to on one end, so you can't make a structurally sound loop of parts without struts to hold the open end together.

[InnerPartisan]

That's not an exploit... that's a workaround for a bug in VAB.

A bug that doesn't exist anymore, or does it? I for one can finally place stuff on radial decouplers without finicking around endlessly.

[teuchito]

I use the cluster one and once I did this: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/29353-Maximum-bugginess-power