The weirdest thing about KSP

[michaelphoenix22]

Why is it that i can make a rocket and have it launch successfully a dozen times.... then i have 2 or 3 launches where it essentially explodes on liftoff. Then it launches flawlessly again for another dozen launches.

[SoldierHair]

There are indeed some phantom forces occurring from time to time.Just today, while i was testing a Shuttle, i was constantly going back to SPH and then the runway.At some point all i was testing was the struting, when all of a sudden, i press the Launch button and the bottom part of the fuel tank falls off, without any reason.It just... fell.

[Thomas988]

Hm, strange. Maybe I've encountered this before, but I don't remember any times like this.

[Pecan]

One slipped through Quality Control at the supplier's factory?

Alternatively - when bugs like that start showing up your copy of KSP is getting near to crashing. Exit and re-run it and, with luck, everything should be ok. [from: IT support handbook, P2. Have you tried turning it off and back on again?]

[Tracer13]

I've also seen this happen. I can go back and forth between the VAB and the Launchpad dozens of times, testing various bits of my rocket, and all is working fine. Then, after I make that one final adjustment, something weird will happen during the launch. And it's always that last one, when I say to myself, "Ok, we've got it now. This time to SPACE!" and something always goes wrong that seems out of my control. An engine will fall off, complete and unplanned rapid disassembly will happen, or some other odd occurrence.

[FITorion]

In real life... there's a string of no hitch launches and then something goes wrong and they delay delay delay trying to fix it so they can launch.

In KSP that happens too but we launch anyway and go boom... so really is KSP that weird?

[EtherDragon]

It's kwantum mechanics at work. =p

[Greenspan]

Yeah, I don't see why this is considered weird. How many successful Shuttle launches did they have before the Challenger disaster? There's random noise in every launch that might cause your weakest components to fail. If you have a good design you will have many successful launches and few unlucky failures, if you have a poor design you will have few lucky sucessful launches and many failures.

[Ravenchant]

Always check the flight log after physics kick in on the pad! Sometimes...weird things take place and structural failures happen when they shouldn't

[Sylandro]

I hate it when i fire my radial decouplers and it takes out my engine.

Usually, adding more struts or using seperatrons seems to be a quick fix.

[Brotoro]

When you put your ship on the pad and Physics kicks in, it can cause forces and torques that can break parts of the ship apart. Apparently there is some randomness in how this happens, because it can be fine most of the time and only occasionally cause parts to snap apart. A few more supports to hold the parts of the rocket that have a tendency to break can help reduce the chances of this happening. (After you load the rocket, do an F3 to see what parts may have broken and could benefit from more supports).

Also, if you fast-forward time before you attempt the launch (to get to daylight, perhaps, or to wait for a better rendezvous window), let the rocket settle down from its initial wigglings after loading before you start the fast-toward (otherwise you can end up in Physics warp instead, and break pieces).

[RSwordsman]

Aah, the easy grace of Kerbal engineering.

[Savage117]

The Kraken feels you are not putting enough effort in your designs so it brakes a piece here and there to keep you on your toes and improving your design. I think its only trying to help but it doesn't know its own strength.

[KerbMav]

I hate it when i fire my radial decouplers and it takes out my engine.

Usually, adding more struts or using seperatrons seems to be a quick fix.

Usually struts without seperatrons cause this for me - struts canceling the decoupler force and all ...

The Kraken feels you are not putting enough effort in your designs so it brakes a piece here and there to keep you on your toes and improving your design. I think its only trying to help but it doesn't know its own strength.

Cute. ^^

[Justin Kerbice]

The weird thing happened to me is an Ariane 501 style failure to many of my rockets (not a symetry issue at all :/) but with no consistency at all, and planes are also hard to use (I have FAR installed).