KSP Fun Facts

[Deadpangod3]

I had an idea of starting a thread where we can share things we've learned from playing the game, like launch windows, tips for landing on planets/moons, what to do if Jeb tears off the goo container on your ship, or the life support is rolling away...

It can also be a random fact or thing you've noticed in the game.

Rules:

Try not to post something that's already been shared.

This thread is ment so we can share fun facts we find or any tricks that help in tricky situations, try not to derail it, please.

Ill start by pointing out that if you install Kerbal Alarm Clock and start a new save and set an alarm for a moho transfer window, youll see that a moho transfer window occurs just four days into every save.

Come and share!

Edited February 11, 2015 by Deadpangod3

[Renegrade]

Ill start by pointing out that if you install Kerbal Alarm Clock and start a new save and set an alarm for a moho transfer window, youll see that a moho transfer window occurs just four days into every save.

Well, in that vein, KAC has a setting in it that lets you kill timewarp with the 'kill thrust' button. Which I find quite handy, as that's my usual 'panic' button anyhow..

[Caelib]

ALT + . will allow you to timewarp up to x4 during a burn ... this is especially useful for high-efficiency engines.

[Alshain]

ALT + . will allow you to timewarp up to x4 during a burn ... this is especially useful for high-efficiency engines.

3rd post an I learned something, there is so much stuff hidden away in this game.

Ok, well... you can click on the Flag Pole in front of the astronaut complex to change your current default flag.

[Tank Buddy]

I'm afraid there is already a thread on this: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/67467-What-are-the-most-important-things-you-ve-learned-about-playing-KSP-to-pass-on

[worir4]

Pressing backspace in the map view returns the focus to your vessel. This one is soooo useful.

[FleetAdmiralJ]

or the life support is rolling away...

That is definitely targeted toward me isn't it?

I guess mine is about career mode: Try not to enter a planet or moon's SOI before you get the "Explore" contract for that body, or else you will likely never get it. This may be especially tricky for the moons of Jool, as you often need to complete the explore Jool contract before getting the contract for Laythe, Vall, or Tylo (one might be able to get them by completing the explore Pol or Bop contracts. I haven't really gotten exactly what triggers what yet). But as a consequence, that means your first mission to Jool will likely mean having to stop without using Laythe or Tylo to assist - at least if you want their "explore" contract.

[Renegrade]

. But as a consequence, that means your first mission to Jool will likely mean having to stop without using Laythe or Tylo to assist - at least if you want their "explore" contract.

You can always send a tiny probe to do the 'explore Jool' mission (especially if you have the tiny parts node unlocked).. no need for assists when your final dry mass is like 100kg

[Kelderek]

You can restrict the flow of electric charge on your vessel using the same method that you would use for a fuel tank.

This can be useful if you want to store up some emergency charge for later. Just disable the flow on a battery and no electric charge will be able to enter or leave that battery until you change it again. You can even design your ships to have a single, small 100 charge battery that you only use in an emergency. This is especially useful if your electric charge sources are right on the border line for satisfying your ships needs and passing through the dark side of a planet or moon might drain your charge. Another example is when you time warp at high speed while leaving SAS on. If you always over-build your ships with excess batteries or power sources, then this is less useful, but for those who try to minimize and go with the lowest part counts then this might be more helpful.

[Wabbit]

You can climb the Astronaut Complex flag pole.

You can also press f to turn on SAS as long as it's held.

When controlling a vehicle, U toggles lights, not L.

[FleetAdmiralJ]

You can always send a tiny probe to do the 'explore Jool' mission (especially if you have the tiny parts node unlocked).. no need for assists when your final dry mass is like 100kg

True, which is how I normally do the explore contracts myself. But I think on my last career, I made the mistake of swinging past Laythe on the way in, and well, that was that for it's explore contract

[Carsogen]

Burning at the Mun-rise while in low Kerbin orbit will get you an encounter, great for before maneuver nodes in career.

Also like our real Moon, Laythe is tidally locked to Jool.

Bonus: If you're in a spaceplane pinch, the KSC pool can be used as a loading dock

Cas.

[NASAHireMe]

Uh yeah there's already a thread and compendium of in-game tips and tricks (including all of the posts mentioned so far in this thread)... Perhaps we could restyle this thread for KSP trivia and fun facts? Climbing the flagpole is a good example.

I'll give one: The mass of Kerbol is approx. 9.25x Jupiter's mass. The least-massive star we've discovered is OTS 44, a brown dwarf that has 11.5x Jupiter's mass.

Since there are numerous varying definitions of what qualifies as a star, and with the acknowledgment that most parameters in KSP are scaled down or scaled up to make it a feasible game, I'll just leave it at that.

[Randazzo]

Since there are numerous varying definitions of what qualifies as a star, and with the acknowledgment that most parameters in KSP are scaled down or scaled up to make it a feasible game, I'll just leave it at that.

I see plenty of people mentioning the shortcomings of the Kerbol system in astronomical terms, but why does nobody have an issue with a planet full of little green -men- who don't need to eat and seem only to come from KSC? It sounds like a trap to me.

While in the VAB there are numerous fuel tankers zipping around, one in particular which repeatedly narrowly avoids crashing. I found it entertaining.

[Deadpangod3]

That is definitely targeted toward me isn't it?

maaaaaayyyybbbeeeee

(for those unaware, he crashed a mun rocket on stream and the life support rolled away.)

ive changed the title to "fun facts", as suggested, i wasnt aware of a thread like this in gameplay questions, as i dont usually go in there.

[thadisjones]

This is one I didn't discover until recently. You can tweak the color settings for landing gear lights in the SPH/VAB, or even DISABLE the lights entirely by setting all three color sliders to zero.

[worir4]

Kerbals on EVA are more likely to survive ground impacts if they hit their helmets.

[NASAHireMe]

I see plenty of people mentioning the shortcomings of the Kerbol system in astronomical terms, but why does nobody have an issue with a planet full of little green -men- who don't need to eat and seem only to come from KSC? It sounds like a trap to me.

I don't think many people care that it's not astronomically correct. I certainly don't. I was just offering a physics lesson to demonstrate an example of scale so that non-astronomical players would get a sense.

Scales of magnitude are, somehow, an intrinsically fun concept, probably because they make you rethink relationships between objects. Like Neil DeGrasse Tyson's representation of all time as a calendar year or a football field-- "The time since the birth of humanity to now spans less than the thickness of a blade of grass."

Here's another: If we take Eeloo's apoapsis and turn it into a perfectly circular orbit at that point, it would have a semi-major axis (that is, a height/distance above Kerbol) of 113,549,713.2 km. This orbit would just barely be able to contain the star Eta Carinae A, one of the most massive stars in the Milky Way. In comparison, the largest known star, UY Scuti, has a radius of 1.2 billion km, or over 10 time larger than Eeloo's orbit!

- - - Updated - - -

Here's another:

Dres was supposed to be another gas giant like Jool. Why Squad never eventually turned it into one, we do not know.

[StrandedonEarth]

Kerbals on EVA are more likely to survive ground impacts if they hit their helmets.

And how exactly do I get them to land on their helmets? They always seem to want to fall feet-first unless they've been rag-dolled.

[RocketPilot573]

And how exactly do I get them to land on their helmets? They always seem to want to fall feet-first unless they've been rag-dolled.

Fun Fact: If a Kerbal's jetpack is enabled you can click and drag him to reorient his heading.

[samstarman5]

Here's another:

Dres was supposed to be another gas giant like Jool. Why Squad never eventually turned it into one, we do not know.

Because it was decided that it should be a Ceres analog. That be why.

[Renegrade]

True, which is how I normally do the explore contracts myself. But I think on my last career, I made the mistake of swinging past Laythe on the way in, and well, that was that for it's explore contract

Yeah.. I wish it was easier to pick those up, or they were maybe done in sets (like explore Duna+Ike together, Eve+Gilly, Jool+Lathe+Tylo+Vall+Pol+Bop). I've actually missed out on the Minmus one once or twice even :/

I guess they're not too aggressive in offering those as they can't be declined... :/

[Sidereus]

If your lander is small enough, the 1x6 solar panels can be used as a kickstand.

[Rolanvorxariat]

The probe cores are AI. Read the description on the HECS and the mk2 drone. Fortunately, they are not sentient.

[cicatrix]

You can attempt to survive the impact by clicking on EVA button right at the moment of impact. Worked for me a couple of times.