Unfortunate parachute deployment

[McVegan]

Hi everyone. I'm currently just playing around with the demo version trying to determine if i want to buy this game or not, and I'm having a bit of trouble getting off the ground. Or rather, staying off the ground.

When I launch a rocket, the parachute deploys at the same time. I tried adding a second stage, and the first stage fires and detaches just fine, but when I fire the rockets for the last stage, the parachute deploys again. What am I doing wrong? It's pretty funny to watch, but I'll never get a Kerbal into space this way.

Thanks for any advice.

Edited August 22, 2013 by McVegan

[sweetpezak]

Put the parachute into its own stage (plus button in vab, drag parachute into created new stage) and make sure it is the last/top stage to go (click on the orange part of the stage w parachute and drag it to the top/stage 0), and also, buy this game! You will not regret it, the learning curve is a little steep but once you get the hang of it there are so many things you can do, pretty much only being limited by your imagination, and occasionaly, physics

[blizzy78]

Check the "Stage" action group, you might have accidentally put the parachute in there. Also, agreed about buying the game.

[Spyritdragon]

Hullo

Probably indeed, your parachute is in the same stage as your last rocket. On the very right of your screen in the Vehicle Assembly Building, or on the very left of your screen in-flight, you'll see a bunch of square icons grouped into tabs with orange labels. Look for one that depicts a parachute. Now mouse over them, and look for a plus anywhere. Click it, then drag the empty stage that you just created all the way to the top. Then grab the parachute icon and drag it into that new, top stage. That will make the parachute the very last stage to deploy, and so it shouldn't interfere with your rocket anymore :-).

Also, KSP is awesome. Quite unique. Take a look over in this thread to see all the amazing things people are doing with it :-). Theres also a whole bunch of mods to enrich the experience.

[McVegan]

Awesome, thanks guys! I'll give it a whirl when I get home tonight and see if I cant get a nice Alan Shepard lob into space under my belt.

[Apollo13]

You may wish to wait; Steam may have a sales promo. I bought when Steam put it on sale for $13.50. Current price is $23.

Regardless, if you like complexity and have any interest in space programs, you'll enjoy this game.

[SRV Ron]

Note the staging setup on this design which can be built in the demo using the shorter boosters. The parachute should be on the 0 setting. Setting 7 has the clamp drop and booster ignition. Setting 6 drops the boosters. Setting 5 ignites the first stage engine. Setting 4 drops the first stage. Setting 3 ignites the second stage engine. Setting 2 ejects the second stage. Above that is a thruster pack which setting 1 will eject prior to you entering Kerban atmosphere for reentry. And setting 0 will activate the parachute.

[McVegan]

Hooray! I made it to space and back with my guy alive and happy, though he endured 21G's, lol. Hearty little guy, isn't he? Thanks again for the help everyone, though I think I'll probably follow Apollo13's advice and wait for a Steam sale.

[Spyritdragon]

21G's! I didn't even get close to that on an aerocapture into Eve at 5 km/s lol.

You're going to make a fine Kerbal engineer :-)