What was wrong with the launch tower?

[Marclev]

I think it was before my time with KSP, or at least I don't remember it, but why did everybody have an issue with the launch tower when it was there?

Occasionally it can be a pain to position launch stabilisers and a big tower to just hold onto your rockets seems like it'd be a really good idea!

[Nikolai]

I think it was before my time with KSP, or at least I don't remember it, but why did everybody have an issue with the launch tower when it was there?

KSP offers no drag penalty based on cross-sectional area, so it was sometimes advantageous to build really wide rockets. The launch tower would sometimes get in the way.

Occasionally it can be a pain to position launch stabilisers and a big tower to just hold onto your rockets seems like it'd be a really good idea!

That's why we now have launch clamps. The tower didn't hold onto the rocket so much as stand there next to it while you prepared for launch.

[Sirine]

Because the launch tower limits the big big massive rocket design by player, most of the veteran player.

[Felsmak]

It sometimes forced people to dodge it just to be able to take off, and it's not very fun to have your creativity limited by the existence of a mere decoration.

[dryer_lint]

I kind of liked it as a decoration, but it blocked really wide rockets and really served no purpose at all, so yeah.

[Frank_G]

I like the procedural approach with fasa launch towers. Maybe something like that will be added later.

[Kasuha]

I kind of liked it as a decoration, but it blocked really wide rockets and really served no purpose at all, so yeah.

Not only that, rockets by that time resembled jellyfish and the SAS function was a lot worse than today. And the tower was HIGH. Even thin rockets sometimes crashed into it, it's good it was removed.

Honestly, with all the designs I have ever tried, even the flagpole or the water tower became an obstacle a few times.

[Red Iron Crown]

The launch tower didn't attach to the rocket at all, so it really served no function other than aesthetics and getting in the way. The current system of no tower and launch clamps is much better, I was glad to see the tower go.

[magnemoe]

Because the launch tower limits the big big massive rocket design by player, most of the veteran player.

Yes, add that KSP before 0.235 had far weaker joints making it very hard to make tall and thin rocket, you ended up with pancakes or at best pyramid designs

[mythic_fci]

Basically, with large designs it would clip into the rocket's side and destroy it. You couldn't mount launch clamps on it, and you couldn't refuel using it, so it was more or less useless. If the devs added a FASA style launch tower with a more stock texture and all the functions of the FASA one, it would probably convince the veterans to use it more often.

[Frozen_Heart]

So glad its gone. I'd like some kind of procedural replacement though.

[tg626]

Get this-> http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/71032-FASA-Launch-Towers

Along with other clamps for the base, you get the Launch Tower and Umbilical Tower, Which act just like Launch Clamps except they sit MUCH farther away from the rocket allowing you to stabilize narrower top stages without getting too close to/clipping into lower stages.

The Launch tower even has a ramp and crew hatch, so you can put your kerbalnauts inside the TOWER and then walk them out to the spacecraft for boarding, if you like. (or, as is the case for me often, REMOVE them when they snuck back in before launch (thus)

Edited August 22, 2014 by tg626

[RocketPilot573]

I literally ALWAYYSSSSS had to move over the rocket in the VAB in order to not clip into the tower and blow everything up. Only way a launch tower would work is if you could adjust its position.

[r_rolo1]

The issue with the launch tower was that it was impossible to put anything in the center of the launch pad with a radius bigger than 4 m that would not collide with it if ( and smaller crafts would still need to take extra care to not go against it ). While this was a minor issue with the 1(.25) m parts, as soon as we got 2,5 m parts it became highly restrictive ( orange tank attached to center orange tank with a radial decoupler? Pray to all known deities for it to not bump on the tower ) and so the devs ( sensibly ) decided to take it out.

I would not mind to have it back, but it would have to be in the style of the launch clamps ...

[KerikBalm]

It sometimes forced people to dodge it just to be able to take off, and it's not very fun to have your creativity limited by the existence of a mere decoration.

I started with .18, I never had any issues with the launch tower.

What I still have issues with occasionally, are those darn end of runway lights.

Where was this quoted sentiment on the thread I started about those?

The responses in that thread were basically: deal with the obstacle

[Boris_T_Roach]

Because it destroyed so many ships

especially mine

Gawd what fun it was to launch a ship , then wonder why it lurched sideways before falling apart and exploding, then look at the log for the flight and see "SRB collided with launch tower" after 1 second

After that far too many of my flights were made launching from the runway.. and how many of us did that?

Boris

[bsalis]

Because it just would get in the way...

Building your own tower would be a better feature.