How do you use the "staging" action group?

[Vallius]

Looking at my options when prepping my larger space missions, I have a pretty good routine for assigning action groups. I've always wondered how I'm supposed to use the "staging" slot. I'm not really a fan of dumping my transfer stage prematurely just to say, open solar panels.

Is there a way to assign the staging slot to a particular stage? Does anyone here ever use it? If so, what do you use it for?

Edited October 7, 2014 by Vallius

[Leszek]

Anything you put in Staging will activate when you press the space bar.

I haven't used it, err ..., on purpose. I have had things like science devices on staging, they will activate every time you stage if they can.

I can't think of any useful examples, but I am sure someone, somewhere, has had need of it for some brilliant purpose.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Leszek
Language edit

[Leszek]

Actually, I have thought of a use.

You can set upper stage RCS to toggle with staging. Then when you press space for first stage launch the RCS on the upper stages disables leaving your lower stage vernier to operate. Pressing space for the second stage would then drop your lower stage and also turn on your upper stage RCS. The downside is that it only works for 2 stage to orbit designs. And you can't have a coast stage between lower and upper. But anyway, a use.

[xub313]

I use it sometimes for spaceplanes to toggle engines, but that's about it.

[el_coyoto]

Well, so far : activating the accelerometer to get a numerical value for acceleration during ascent when flying stock (yeah, not so useful), deactivate torque on rover probes and ... that's all I remember doing.

I'm pretty sure I've used it in "clever" (ahem) ways somehow, but can't remember exactly...

[Red Iron Crown]

It's another action group for single stage designs where you'll never stage in the conventional manner. That's about it.

I've accidentally put things in the staging group before, fun to extend your solar panels just as you drop the first stage of a lifter.

[el_coyoto]

It's another action group for single stage designs where you'll never stage in the conventional manner. That's about it.

I've accidentally put things in the staging group before, fun to extend your solar panels just as you drop the first stage of a lifter.

Yeah, it would be cool if the menu defaulted to "action group #1" rather than "stage" when clicking the "Action groups" tab.

Glad to see I'm not only one derping because of this...

[Awaras]

It would be a lot more useful if it was customizable in some way. For example, every time you place a part into the staging action group, an icon representing that part appears in the staging list on the right and lets you arrange it to any stage you want.

Or maybe if, instead of having just one 'staging' action group it was subdivided into action groups 'stage 0', 'stage 1', 'stage 2' etc so you can place a part in a specific stage.

Something like that...

Edited October 7, 2014 by Awaras

[ratchet freak]

It would be a lot more useful if it was customizable in some way. For example, every time you place a part into the staging action group, an icon representing that part appears in the staging list on the right and lets you arrange it to any stage you want.

Or maybe if, instead of having just one 'staging' action group it was subdivided into action groups 'stage 0', 'stage 1', 'stage 2' etc so you can place a part in a specific stage.

Something like that...

aka add command group actions into the staging sequence

[Shane76]

Ive used to togle Afterburners. I had some small boosters around the jet engine and when i needed extra thrust hit the space bar.

[Leszek]

It would be a lot more useful if it was customizable in some way. For example, every time you place a part into the staging action group, an icon representing that part appears in the staging list on the right and lets you arrange it to any stage you want.

Or maybe if, instead of having just one 'staging' action group it was subdivided into action groups 'stage 0', 'stage 1', 'stage 2' etc so you can place a part in a specific stage.

Something like that...

Ohh this is an awesome idea. How do we go about making sure Squad sees it?