My new respect for the reworked landing legs

[dudester28]

I have liked the redesigned landing legs but due to recent events, I now like them a lot more.

Earlier today, I was landing a scientific probe on the mun to collect some science. Landing was a piece of cake but I decided that after I sent off all the data from one area, I would try and hop to another area. I soon realized that I was dangerously lacking fuel. After an attempted suicide burn, I ran out of fuel right above the ground travelling straight down at 20 m/s. I expected the entire probe to be destroyed but the reworked landing legs seem to have saved the day. Although 3 of the 4 legs broke, the probe itself was completely intact and was able to complete the mission.

Some people complain about the new legs being too flimsy but the shock absorbing suspension might just save a craft.

[Killerdude8]

I don't understand the whole "Flimsy Legs" thing going on lately, But my landing legs have virtually no problems. Besides exploding on impact at 150 M/s...

[sal_vager]

Well at 150m/s most things will go boom...

The only issue I have had is the new legs tendency to leave my carefully designed landers clear of the ground, so the ladder does not reach, but a moments redesign in the VAB or a little jump with my Kerbals fixes that just fine

[lincourtl]

In the Squadcast last night, Maxmaps said the landing legs would be retuned for 0.23. I really like the new landing struts, but there's a problem with heavier craft. It's not that they're flimsy, but too squishy. You can't keep the engines off the ground, and sometimes one leg will just sort of slowly lose tension in the spring and tip your lander over. I tweaked the config values myself and now have no issues.

[Scotius]

Well, my 30 ton science lander works fine with 4 landing legs. Clearance from the ground is a bit small though. I'm always scared it will knock something off during landing.

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

I like it, I just wish more things would have a 'broken' state, like solar panels, and you would need a resource, like 'space parts' or 'space glue' to fix things.

[Kerbol Prime]

Landing legs have posed little problems for me, but one heavy crafts my engines sometimes hit the terrain.

They are good, but hopefully they will tune the suspension...

[borzwazie]

That's really all they need, a little tweaking. I like the new behavior, they're just a shade squishy.

[JakeGrey]

I think being able to set the stiffness of the suspension in the VAB would be nice, actually.

[Kerb Johnson]

I like it, I just wish more things would have a 'broken' state, like solar panels, and you would need a resource, like 'space parts' or 'space glue' to fix things.

Kerb Johnson here.

Tired of having to fix those solar panels by hand? Well look no further. The boys down here at Kerbature Labs have the solution for you. I present... Kerb Tape! Using the semi-viscous discharge from mystery goo and a long strand of heat and fluid resistant ribbon we've developed a strong tape that can be used to hold anything together! Solar panels, wheels, unpacked parachutes, nothing is too strong for our premium Kerb Tape.

Next time you're fixing that last failing solar panel to get enough charge to launch and come home, don't thank us. Thank science!

We're done here.

[henryrasia]

I would rather have suspension landing legs as opposed to the current shock-absorbing ones. The difference is that the first one will push the craft back to fully extended legs after landing as opposed to just compressing. I would also like, whenever tweakables come around, smart suspensions: the ones that extend or retract to get the craft perfectly levelled (of course this wouldn't work for mountain sides, but it's pretty useful when your lander is just-slightly-too crooked because of a slight hill)

[relin]

I think being able to set the stiffness of the suspension in the VAB would be nice, actually.

Definitely agree with this, especially since it would require one to land differently with different settings (stiffer suspension requires softer landings to prevent failure, softer suspension can withstand rougher impact).

[TheWanderer]

people are wondering why the legs now do exactly what they do in reality

[Alfondoo]

This is why I love the new landing legs. I tried landing on the spike at the north pole and ended up sliding into a gully, my legs saved me

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

This is why I love the new landing legs. I tried landing on the spike at the north pole and ended up sliding into a gully, my legs saved me

IMG snip

What angle is that at?

[theflyingfish]

I think being able to set the stiffness of the suspension in the VAB would be nice, actually.

What you're looking for is an oft-requested feature called tweakables. (chorus sings "Hallelujah " in background.)

Basically, you can modify the performance or beginning state of parts in the VAB, like the amount of fuel in fuel tanks, whether landing gear starts stowed or deployed, the color of your parts, whether an engine has thrust vectoring or not, etc. etc.

It's been requested dozens of times since KSP was first released. It's in the "Upcoming Features" list, but SQUAD never seems to get around to it.

Edited November 3, 2013 by theflyingfish

[Wallace]

I like it, I just wish more things would have a 'broken' state, like solar panels, and you would need a resource, like 'space parts' or 'space glue' to fix things.

Solar panels do have a broken state, I just don't think they can be repaired, also annoyingly the small fixed panel can be broken and it has no damage texture so it looks the same, only right clicking tells you it broke.

[Vanamonde]

the new legs tendency to leave my carefully designed landers clear of the ground, so the ladder does not reach

You can actually place the ladders so low that they will extend into the ground without causing any kinds of weirdnesses on the surface. I do it routinely, and it's a handy way to make sure you never get caught short. A descending Kerbal simply stops climbing at ground level. However, if a ladder extends into other ship parts, weirdnesses can occur.

[Whackjob]

I like it, I just wish more things would have a 'broken' state, like solar panels, and you would need a resource, like 'space parts' or 'space glue' to fix things.

Dukt tape.

[alacrity]

really whackjob.... the k was THAT needed??

Alacrity

[Brotoro]

In the Squadcast last night, Maxmaps said the landing legs would be retuned for 0.23...

No... When the guy who was talking to him (Spoonyman?) said, "You were saying, 'What could we do differently?', I definitely would want some way to control my struts a little easier...have a little more control over those new landing struts that have the new shock system in it," and Maxmaps replies. "Yeah, ah, let's just say you won't be disappointed."..."You will see a lot of detail and a lot of changes guys, coming your way very, very soon. Let's just say, you'll like it.""

[LtHeckard]

I'm not sure what I think of the new landing legs. Sure, they absorb more shock, but if the spacecraft is slightly too heavy, the landing legs will start leaning in different directions and my ship will flip over.

[Odo]

The new legs have done nothing but good things for me They are way cooler then a stiff leg for one, the slumping they do makes your craft look more realistic, and 2, a similar event happened to me as the OP. I was on the mun, and ran out of fuel about 30 m from the surface. As I started to free fall I blasted on my RCS downwards but to no avail. Charlie Kerman closed his eyes, but to both of our astonishment, the landings legs absorbed it entirely! Had that been the old legs, their stiff nature would of snapped my lander in half, I mean I hit the ground going 30+m/s! the only thing that broke was the lower most fuel tank, but it was a 2 stage lander so it didnt even matter.

[annallia]

I've only had a problem with the legs in one instance, that was when I went over 30 tons on the lander. I fixed this by doubling up the legs, they worked just fine.

That said I recently sent a second large mobile lab to eve (first one landed in the ocean) for whatever reason several of my chutes tore away when they deployed the second time around and left my probe falling at 15.5m/s The legs managed to absorb the shock enough that even though I think the wheels touched the ground (this normally would have broken them) they remained intact and functional.

[Seret]

I think being able to set the stiffness of the suspension in the VAB would be nice, actually.

I'd prefer if it just automatically adjusted the stiffness in relation to the mass of the lander.