Do you still use Asparagus?

[heng]

I used it for basically everything I ever put into orbit prior to 0.25... but now - playing exclusively in career mode - I have yet to build one. SRB for the win, because... cheaper and stuff. Am I alone? Am I doing something wrong? Do you have a better way?

just curious

Bonus Question: plural... Asparagi? Asparaguses? Bsparagus?

edit:

Ohhhkay... 9 pages and the vote seems to be

No 34

Yes 22

Rarely 21

Sorry for manual count, still new here, don't know how to post a poll

Edited November 3, 2014 by heng

[Alshain]

I used it for basically everything I ever put into orbit prior to 0.25... but now - playing exclusively in career mode - I have yet to build one. SRB for the win, because... cheaper and stuff. Am I alone? Am I doing something wrong? Do you have a better way?

just curious

Bonus Question: plural... Asparagi? Asparaguses? Bsparagus?

I use FAR, so no. 95% of the time my payload isn't big enough to warrant the difficulty steering such a rocket. More realistic rockets work better. If I need more power, a couple of SRB's are enough.

Bonus: When talking of the vegetable the plural is "Stalks of Asparagus" or "Asparagus Stalks". By that token "Asparagus Stages" would probably be best. If all else fails, use the singular as the plural as well.

Edited October 31, 2014 by Alshain

[Commissioner Tadpole]

I use it plenty of times. I even went out of my way to perform some cheap science experiments to unlock the science node for fuel lines so I could properly do it.

Bonus Question: plural... Asparagi? Asparaguses? Bsparagus?

I can't say I ever heard of "Bsparagus"...

[Red Iron Crown]

I've mostly switched to onion staging for most rockets due to simpler construction and prettier staging events. Asparagus is reserved for specialized uses for me.

I don't play much career though, if costs were a big factor I probably wouldn't use it at all.

[QuesoExplosivo]

I generally use a liquid core with MOAR (solid) BOOSTERS. The liquid core is usually just one stage, and can be recovered. This generally means very low costs. However, I use asparagus where mass is critical (like an Eve takeoff).

[malkuth]

Nope I use NEAR now. And before near used FAR.. So have not built that setup in a long time.

[Red Iron Crown]

Er, asparagus works fine in NEAR/FAR as long as you don't go nuts with it. It's no worse drag-wise than other radially attached boosters.

[cantab]

I've rarely used it for launchers at all. I've never met anything I couldn't launch from Kerbin with simpler staging methods. Asparagus proliferates part count giving less payload per part, adds a lot of complication to the build, and proliferates hazardous staging events.

When I wanted a crazy amount of delta-V on a transfer stage, then it became essential.

[Stratzenblitz75]

I used to use asparagus staging for everything, but haven't touched it since I switched over to FAR. Building vertical rockets that "aren't pancakes" has been loads of fun (and explosions) and I have no intention on going back.

[montyben101]

Never ever. I use the CSS shuttle and if I don't use that then I use a serial staged rocket

[Technical Ben]

Only when launching big things... which is half the time!

[Jouni]

I haven't really used interstage fuel lines since my big Eve mission in May, because the massless fuel lines don't feel reasonable. Most of my rockets have two vertical stages and a few boosters around the central stack.

[bdito]

Not for basic launches but for anything with a very high deltaV requirement, yes..

[UmbralRaptor]

Not recently, but I've mainly been building tiny craft that use SRBs to get 50-90% of the way to orbit. I'll bring it back as needed.

[mushroomman]

I used to use it almost constantly but I've stopped recently. I just don't find it as exciting. SRBs are a lot more fun.

[Francois424]

I prefer onion launchers myself. Most of the time it's quite enough.

I do have 2 really huge asparagus for large cargo, but due to part count limit, I almost never use them.

[Redwizard000]

I use it all the time except on basic launches, like sending one thing to the space station or a simple orbiter. My career mode space station was built using parts that were carried into space with asparagus rockets. I don't pancake them though, one layer of either six or eight radial rockets depending on needs. I think making ridiculously un-aerodynamic rockets in anything other than just playing around in sandbox is an exploit... (Not that I have ever used an exploit or anything... like my infinite free cash orbital satellite network.)

[eataTREE]

Usually, if I find myself designing some sort of complicated, radially staged megalauncher, it's a sign I need to split my payload up into two launches.

[Flight]

I try to use but everytime now the discarded tanks will rotate and explode. People have been talking about this bug other threads, hope it gets fixed soon.

[Moar Boosters]

Never really liked it.

It's the most fuel efficient, but it's never been the most part-count efficient way to launch big payloads.

[Franklin]

As long as it gives me the most bang for my buck I'll use it. Auto Asparagus is a must-have, though, because setting it up is a chore right now.

The way I see it, the less fuel I bleed on the ascent, the more fuel I have to bleed messing up transfers and landings. A penny saved and all that.

[tater]

Never have, never will.

[Caelib]

I mostly just use it for liquid boosters on the first stage.

[magnemoe]

Eve landers is obviously Asparagus, for others I have not seen any reason to go past crossfeed: core and two liquid boosters.

ARM parts including the new SRB made it pretty redundant, three 24x4 and say 8 SRB can lift some serious payload.

[Vallius]

Yes, but I don't do full blown asparagus in career mode anymore. Now I'll usually only do 2-radial tanks rather than the classic six.

Between funds and the expense of a failure, it's just not worth it most of the time.