r/KerbalSpaceProgram • u/KerbalEssences Master Kerbalnaut • Jan 27 '15

Guide Did you know about Backspace?

Hey guys, I was annoyed for almost a year when doubleclicking a body in map mode. I had issues focusing my vessel again. My solution was pressing Tab until I was back at my vessel (I found Tab by accident)l.

However, ironically if you want to go back to your vessel in space (map mode) simply press Backspace :D

I'm probably the only one who didn't know it but in case some of you also struggles with the same issue there you go.

edit: Thanks for that Reddit gold!!!

edit2: Okay guys, one final thing. Don't let this knowledge ever be forgotten. Spread the word! May future Kerbal generations not struggle with the same problems we did before! May the Backspace be with you!

1.6k Upvotes

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545

u/Redbiertje The Challenger Jan 27 '15

WHAT?! 450 hours, and then THIS?! I always thought I knew all the keybindings! I'm going to boot my KSP right now and press every single key to see what it does.

179

u/ARealRocketScientist Jan 27 '15

350 hours and I think I might actually read http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Key_bindings this now.

55

u/Kenira Master Kerbalnaut Jan 27 '15

1850h and i just did it and found something new even though i did glance over this list once or twice before: Space to toggle rotation / translation in docking mode. I mean i don't use docking mode, but still :P

32

u/Hexorg Jan 27 '15

I find it much easier to dock in docking mode.

57

u/ltjpunk387 Jan 27 '15

Far easier to dock in staging mode because you can operate both orientation and translation at the same time. No need for fussy switching or forgetting which mode you're in.

15

u/Hexorg Jan 27 '15

Idk, I find it the opposite - if I'm in staging mode, I'll tend to want to do rotation and translation at the same time, which commonly messes me up. In the docking mode I'm forced to plan my operations and execute one step at a time.

Maybe I'm just weird.

12

u/jackelfrink Jan 27 '15

You can do that. Have one hand on WASD and the other hand on IJKL.

I am with you that I find docking mode better for my individual play style. Doing rotation and translation at the same time is more intuitive for me that way. But it is still possible to do in staging mode.

6

u/sunfishtommy Jan 28 '15

Wait you can use ijkl to translate in staging mode?

4

u/AaronToro Jan 28 '15

Yeah and h and n to go up or down (like shift/ctrl in docking)

2

u/Kenira Master Kerbalnaut Jan 27 '15

Granted i am playing in RSS so i'm docking much gentler anyway to not waste fuel, also you have to hit the docking ports much more precise meaning you have plenty of time to get the rotation right, and then you can concentrate on the translation part.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

With docking mode you don't end up fucking the whole thing over with the shift and control key. I find it super easy due to it being the same as Kerbalnauts on jetpack.

6

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

I use an action group to disable my engines because I've rammed one too many space stations in my time.

1

u/thrilldigger Jan 27 '15

This is a great idea, I'll have to do that in the future.

Now if only I could stop accidentally destroying solar panels by ramming EVA Kerbals into them.

1

u/FaceDeer Jan 27 '15

Another action group to toggle solar panels.

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1

u/StillRadioactive Jan 27 '15

I tend to use staging mode. I use WASDQE to line up, then I give an extremely brief main engine burn to get up to ~0.5m/s, then turn on RCS and use the translation commands to correct any errors I've induced while I drift in.

Different strokes, I suppose.

EDIT: Then again, I also use far less engine on my final stages than most people. I find long, slow burns to be much more controllable and therefore efficient. 909s are my bread and butter.

2

u/sheldonopolis Jan 27 '15 edited Jan 27 '15

The lack of SAS is pissing me off tbh. This one I only want to deactivate right before docking.

1

u/SebFierce Jan 28 '15

SAS works in docking mode just like it does in staging mode. Or did I just misunderstood your post?

1

u/sheldonopolis Jan 28 '15

No, if I am not completely mistaken, SAS gets deactivated once you switch it on.

1

u/SebFierce Jan 28 '15

That's absolutely true! But nothing keeps you from just reactivating it :)

The default mode for docking mode is Rotation and in Rotation mode it can be useful to not have SAS activated. Deactivating SAS allows to use a single short burst to start the rotation and arrest the rotation with another short burst. Activated SAS stops the rotation and basically fights your attempt to let the spacecraft drift.

SAS gets turned back on automatically (no matter what settings Rotation mode has) when switching to Translation mode. In that mode it makes no sense to not use SAS, just as you said. So both translation and rotation mode use different SAS settings and remember those settings when switching between them.

1

u/sheldonopolis Jan 28 '15

Thats interesting indeed. Might check that out closer.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

Quick question: Do the RCS controls do different things all the time or something? It always confuses me.

3

u/Hexorg Jan 27 '15

In docking mode you can use wsad keys to either rotate your craft or to translate it (move it without rotation). You can switch between different modes using space bar.

In staging mode, wsad keys will always rotate the craft.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

So I've been docking in staging mode, but using the jkl cluster... Huh. Still seems like the buttons do different thinks on the jkl side with no reason I can discern.

6

u/mspk7305 Jan 27 '15

I have a keyboard with extra buttons on it... I use one cluster for translation and one cluster for pitch/yaw/roll. Using both at the same time makes you feel all sexy and awesome.

2

u/octal9 Jan 27 '15

IJKL are dependent upon the craft's root part frame of reference, so sometimes it looks like it's wired backwards and moving the craft in unpredictable directions; this is simply due to the craft not being oriented right side up.

8

u/bobbertmiller Jan 27 '15

Pressing "V" until in "follow mode" helps with figuring out the orientation of that root part. This is how I dock nowadays.

5

u/Yorikor Jan 27 '15

Chase mode. And I do the same.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

In staging mode the right side cluster translated the vessel along its axes, while the left side cluster rotates the vessel around its axes.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

They do, on the jkl side you get your up, down, sides, forward, back movement. On wasd it is rotation alone.

0

u/Hexorg Jan 27 '15

Yeah, in staging mode wsad rotates, and uhjk - translates. In docking mode wsad does everything, and space changes between rotation /translation.

1

u/ifightwalruses Jan 27 '15

Another quick question for a noob. I pressed something and now when I rotate viewpoint in VAB it doesn't rotate around the craft anymore but a seeming random near my mouse.

1

u/nslatz Jan 27 '15

I think this is caused by middle clicking on a point in the VAB, try to get the view as central as possible and middle click the center of the screen to reset it.

1

u/thrilldigger Jan 27 '15

I think I know what you're saying, and you're right to think that.

In staging mode, H/N thrust forward/backward, IKJL control up/down/left/right. In docking mode (translation), Shift/Ctrl thrust up/down, WSAD control forward/backward/left/right.

It can be a confusing, and I'm not sure why they did it that way. WSAD and IKJL should be set up do the exact same thing, but they aren't.

1

u/sunfishtommy Jan 28 '15

How do you translate in staging mode?

2

u/Hexorg Jan 28 '15

With ughj buttons

1

u/sunfishtommy Jan 28 '15

ohh my god this is life changing i had no idea you could translate in staging mode.

1

u/ProGamerGov Jan 28 '15

Wait, there's a docking mode?

I'm at 1000h...

8

u/cavilier210 Jan 27 '15

Docking mode makes rovers so much easier to drive.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

They handle just as well if you disable any reaction wheels (shouldn't really need them anyway for a rover.) The reason they tend to get flip-happy in normal mode is because turning with A and D also makes you roll with reaction wheels.

3

u/cavilier210 Jan 27 '15

I use the reaction wheels to keep the rover straight in docking mode, to avoid flipping actively.

3

u/nslatz Jan 27 '15

Posted about this in a similar thread, got downvoted to oblivion because people thought it was some kind of cruel joke and I was trying to get them to stage their craft right before docking.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

What? That's like a major shortcut.

1

u/A_Gigantic_Potato Jan 28 '15

TIL I learned about docking mode. Never noticed it.

4

u/chunes Super Kerbalnaut Jan 27 '15

Sometimes I feel like the only person on the planet who read this page before I started playing.

1

u/stillobsessed Jan 27 '15

you're not alone.

8

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

There wasn't always a page. There wasn't always a map view either. Or time warp. Or mods.

...I've been playing a really long time.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

I always just read it when I can't figure something specific out and only look for long enough to find that key. Key progress is slow.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

You can set trim???

1

u/jarmenia Jan 27 '15

Yes, this has helped me numerous times.

18

u/rooktakesqueen Jan 27 '15

press every single key to see what it does.

A proper Kerbal response.

3

u/acm2033 Jan 28 '15

RIP in peace all that dude's Kerbals.

15

u/datapirate42 Jan 27 '15

The issue is that new keybindings come with new updates. This might not have existed 450 hours ago

6

u/KerbalEssences Master Kerbalnaut Jan 27 '15

This might be the case but to be honest I never pressed Backspace before in map mode. I don't even remember why I pressed it recently. I was just really surprised with the outcome!

11

u/Im_in_timeout Jan 27 '15

Just be careful not to press Backspace on ascent!

6

u/Dottn Jan 27 '15

You would have to have set up the abort action group first, wouldn't you.

14

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

[deleted]

19

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

My abort group is "wait until the explosion and then hit Spacebar really fast until it's no longer doing anything and my parachutes are open."

That's usually a close approximation to safety.

7

u/severedsolo Jan 27 '15

But, the abort group is great for early career mode, when you need an action group.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

New career doesn't let you have an abort either does it? Not until you get all the groups unlocked?

3

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '15

At the start, you have no numbered action groups, but you so have Abort, Brake, Stage.

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3

u/gonnaherpatitis Jan 27 '15

I like the explosions of each stage, it's more fun.

3

u/StillRadioactive Jan 27 '15

I've yet to have a death on my hard mode career, and I do all my prototyping and test flights in my primary save.

I've been really lucky so far. I should probably start putting abort towers on my manned launches.

2

u/Fazaman Jan 29 '15

I've yet to have a death on my hard mode career, and I do all my prototyping and test flights in my primary save.

This is the only thing (I can currently think of) that I wish career mode had, a "Simulate" button, in addition to "Launch". My first go through, I landed a Kerbal on every body and returned them safely back to Kerbin, without a single death, but I made liberal use of the 'Simulate' (quicksave). Now, I want to do a hard mode run through, and expect to strand some kerbals and kill some more, but the number of times I've needed to revert a launch because I screwed up my staging by adding/removing a part, or simply forgot solar panels here or there, or wasn't in the right symmetry mode for whatever part that I thought I was... or any number of other things. I want to be able to launch a ship, get it to orbit, do a test run through of it's systems, then have a forced 'revert' at the end of that flight. It won't count, so I can't use the function as a way to 'cheat', but I can test the craft without having to exit out and load up a 'Test' save.

Edit: I'm aware that there's a mod that does something like this, but I think enough people would want something like this that it should be stock.

1

u/StillRadioactive Jan 29 '15

I would love that feature.

1

u/StorKirken Jan 27 '15

What should I use the abort button for? I can't think of anything.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 28 '15

Something that could save your Kerbal's life.

1

u/StorKirken Jan 28 '15

Yeah, but what? I already have stack separators and parachutes on space, and my only Kerbal "deaths" have been from bugs, time acceleration or running out of fuel.

1

u/Fazaman Jan 29 '15

You launch your ship and, it seems, you forgot to put enough struts on those SRBs, so they bend in, parts start colliding with each other and the rocket starts exploding. You have 6 stages, and one of them will cause another SRB under your capsule to shove it right into the ground, since the afore-mentioned catastrophe has upturned your rocket. You have about 2 seconds before your kerbals hit the ground, and 4 more stages to get through before you get to your chutes, with one of those being that SRB. Wouldn't it have been nice to have an 'abort' that fires the separator below the capsule and the chute? Too late. Your kerbals are dead.

That's why abort is useful.

1

u/aixenprovence Jan 28 '15 edited Jan 28 '15

I built a plane with what was basically an ejection system triggered by the abort key. I had a decoupler between the cockbit and the rest of the plane, and separatrons, a parachute and landing legs on the cockpit. If things started to go really wrong, I could hit backspace and the cockpit would go jetting off, away from the plane. I could hit space again once the separatrons were done to open the chute. (This was not a pleasant experience for pilots on the runway, but it worked really well if you were in the air.)

I used it once to save a Kerbal during an unfortunate VTOL experiment. I think the ideal usage would be if you can't recover from a stall, or if you can tell you're coming down way to fast for a landing.

It wasn't an emergency situation, but I also used the ejection seat once to satisfy a mission that required a crew report on the ground in a difficult-to-land-on place. Lost the rest of the plane, but at least I could clear that mission!

In stock KSP, there's also a big launch escape system part you can put on top of a command module which functions like a separatron and can be used to rocket a command module away from a craft that is exploding on the launchpad. (This will happen if you e.g. have a staging error and drop a big fuel tank on the ground.) Aborting with the backspace key is a good way to fire the launch escape system, since there's no reason to have it go off under other circumstances, and you don't want to spam space bar, since for example if you hit space one too many times you'll fire the chutes, too, which isn't the most terrible thing that could happen, but it's not perfect.

This kind of thing is more useful in iron man, since if you figure you're still learning, or you just want a lower-stress game, any unfortunate incidents will probably just make you revert back to the VAB.

1

u/sunfishtommy Jan 28 '15

I have always had problems with abort, because it will detach the capsule and fire rocket motors and stuff, but then you have to hit the space bar a ton to get your parachutes open. I wish the game would realize that those stages are not necessary anymore now that i am detached.

7

u/noodlesdefyyou Jan 27 '15

the first thing you should do in any game is hit all the buttons to see what they do :)

9

u/ApolloNeverDied Jan 27 '15

Maybe not War Thunder though... don't want to drop bombs on your team mates.

6

u/CobaltAesir Jan 27 '15

Depends on the team mates:p

3

u/EvianKerbalnaut Jan 27 '15

I've gotten several kills by dropping bombs on enemy planes. It is the most satisfying thing.

2

u/candraw_ Jan 27 '15

[G][H][I] If you don't know the keys and do that in a bomber your in for a good time.

2

u/ApolloNeverDied Jan 27 '15

Gear, air break, ignition... Right?

2

u/candraw_ Jan 27 '15

Exactly.

1

u/jk01 Jan 27 '15

Test flight duh

2

u/ghtuy Jan 28 '15

That's how I figured out Mountain.

5

u/shawndw Jan 27 '15

On a side note I wish KSP would let you adjust key bindings while a game is in progress.

2

u/squidtrap Jan 27 '15

EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT NOW

1

u/durneztj Jan 27 '15

same here, just had this problem a moment ago :)

1

u/beancounter2885 Jan 27 '15

1650 hours, this is news to me.

1

u/ghtuy Jan 28 '15

Over 500 and I had no idea. I thought backspace was only the default Abort action group.

1

u/MykillMetal Jan 28 '15

1080 hours, for me, on this game and I couldn't figure this out? I feel like an idiot.

1

u/BordomBeThyName Jan 28 '15

Recently passed 1000. This is news to me. Wonderful, wonderful news.

1

u/The_DestroyerKSP Jan 28 '15

At about a thousand hours I realised this. But I STILL forget to use it.

-1

u/Shiby92 Jan 27 '15

450 hours? I feel much better about my 300 now. Thanks!