Press X to fly

[MadBender]

Simple control improvement: pressing X kills thrust, pressing X again restores it to the previous level.

May be useful for landing and precise manoeuvres.

[golegogo]

i like the idea of a restore to previous level key but maybe x kills and another key (like z) restores to previous levels

[MadBender]

I think there is no need to increase the number of key bindings, there are already very many. One key toggling thrust looks pretty fine

[ZingidyZongxxx]

I agree that a different key (like z) would be better, and maybe it should restore thrust to maximum power instead of to the previous level. Just my thoughts.

[itsme86]

What about all 3 behavior?

x = cut throttle

alt + x = full throttle

ctrl + x = restore throttle (behaves like alt + x if throttle changed since last cut, or maybe does nothing?)

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

The problem is: When ever you would press X it would have to store that value of the previous throttle to a memory store, then cut it. This would be minor but you would still have a delay before cut throttle. Now, what if you wanted to cut throttle again without reverting back to the previous throttle? This is the problem, it seems easy enough to implement, but code wise, I do belive it is hard.

[FEichinger]

Just for reference, here's a couple of threads which discussed this back in the old suggestion forums:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/38140-instant-throttle

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/35674-Engine-to-max-power

[MadBender]

The logic is pretty simple:

When pressing X, if there is throttle, remember it's value and kill it. If there is no throttle and there is remembered value -restore it. No throttle and no previous value - do nothing.

This will take nanoseconds to execute and won't introduce any significant delay.

And what do you mean by "cut throttle again". If it's cut there's no reason to cut it again. If it was restored by pressing X or manually, it will be cut, no problem.

Also, I don't really understand why some people want different keys for this. But OK, let it be configurable, so you can choose same key or different.

[MadBender]

Just for reference, here's a couple of threads which discussed this back in the old suggestion forums:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/38140-instant-throttle

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/35674-Engine-to-max-power

They are talking about max power button. My suggestion is about using X for toggling throttle for short precisely controlled bursts of any power, for example, while landing

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

Ok, lets say this: I cut throttle because the boosters are propelling me too much. I cut throttle it remembers it. When on the moon and doing a landing I cut throttle because I am a few meters above the ground, it remembers my full thrust from before

[MadBender]

It remembers the thrust, which was while landing (when you cut it last time). Why should it remember from before?

I imagine this use case in the final stage of landing

determine a thrust that kills vertical speed

X

get some vertical speed

X

kill vertical speed

X

get some vertical speed, descend some more

X

kill vertical speed

Repeat until touchdown.

So we have 1-button landing, if there's no problem with horizontal speed

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

I do not think you get what I mean. I am saying, during Munar orbit, I cut throttle, then when landing I have to quickly cut throttle again. But instead of the throttle cutting, it actually goes to full throttle.

[FEichinger]

I do not think you get what I mean. I am saying, during Munar orbit, I cut throttle, then when landing I have to quickly cut throttle again. But instead of the throttle cutting, it actually goes to full throttle.

It wouldn't. The suggestion asks for the following logic:

IF throttle > 0

DO stored_throttle = throttle, throttle = 0

ELSE DO throttle = stored_throttle, stored_throttle = 0

Nothing else.

For the record: I still disagree with any such "restore" button. Cutting throttle makes sense - cut the fuel supply - but opening the valve to full in a split second isn't exactly the safest thing to do.

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

So with this code (Sorry, never learnt C# only C++) it is saying that if the throttle is greater than zero then it will store the throttle until done again?

[FEichinger]

So with this code (Sorry, never learnt C# only C++) it is saying that if the throttle is greater than zero then it will store the throttle until done again?

That's not implemented in a language, just pseudo code.

What it says is that it will check if the throttle is greater than zero - If it is, it will store the current value and cut the throttle to zero. If it isn't (the current throttle, therefore, is zero), it restores the last stored value.

[MadBender]

So it will restore to the last level that you used.

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

See, now I am saying this. It will save my throttle from the previous cut off. If I cut the throttle at full, it will restore to that. Full Throttle.

[MadBender]

Yes. Any problem here? Or are worrying how it will work in combination with manual throttle cutting (by Ctrl key)?

[Anton P. Nym]

See, now I am saying this. It will save my throttle from the previous cut off. If I cut the throttle at full, it will restore to that. Full Throttle.

Yes, it will. Once. After that, the pseudocode listed resets the throttle value of the "X" key to 0 so the next time you use it you'll MECO like normal.

-- Steve

[Bilfr3d]

What about all 3 behavior?

x = cut throttle

alt + x = full throttle

ctrl + x = restore throttle (behaves like alt + x if throttle changed since last cut, or maybe does nothing?)

All these key bindings would just make it hard to remember which one does what, and it would make it a bit more difficult.

[razark]

ctrl + x = restore throttle (behaves like alt + x if throttle changed since last cut, or maybe does nothing?)

I dislike this idea. If I need to jump to my higher throttle setting to avoid a crash or unplanned rapid docking event with a solar panel, I hold down ctrl, and... instead of going back up, my throttle decreases. I then press "x", and my throttle jumps up, and then, because I'm holding ctrl, it drops again.

Shift and ctrl should be strictly reserved keys for throttle, and not used as modifiers to other actions. It would be a bad thing.

[pangaea]

Would be too easy to engage on accident and waste fuel or screw up orbits. Something like ctrl+x to restore would be ok though.

[Scoundrel]

I agree. X should be reserved for killing throttle, SHIFT and CONTROL reserved exclusively for throttle, and Z for max throttle. The pulsing throttle suggestion is a good idea, but I suspect down the road that might have throttle limited engines with restart delays... if the placeholders in the engine descriptions are any indication of future intent. In which case methinks that a plugin would be the best route for that idea.

[SpaceK531]

you'd need to find something other than alt+x to do your stuff, alt+x is already bound to "reset trim"

[LeadMagnet]

Well whatever binding is used, the idea sounds good to me.

Not all players use the keyboard. Some use a controller, some a game pad and I see from another post, possibly an external device. Some use a combination of input devices.

If the binding was in-game, it could be bound to anything.