IV- Kerbal Controls
Kerbals also have their own controls! Of course, we need to make them move both on the ground under gravity and in space, free from gravity. Let’s take a look at the first category, Character Controls:
- Move Forward: Z
- Move Backward: S
- Move Left: Q
- Move Right: D
- Turn Left: None
- Turn Right: None
- Jump: Space
- Run: LeftShift
- Use / Grab: G
- Board: F
- Toggle Movement Mode: Tab
- Orient to View: Space
- Toggle Lights: L
Here again, we benefit from the contextual aspect, controlling our Kerbal as you would in a first-person shooter (FPS) or third-person shooter (TPS), using the ZQSD keys. Note that there are two keys for turning the Kerbal around, but we disable the “Turn” lines, as they are not very practical and conflict with the EVA controls that follow. Also, keep in mind that a Kerbal naturally moves in the direction of the camera, like in many games. This is primarily how we control our little green characters.
The next category, “EVA,” allows you to configure the controls for EVA conditions, as the name suggests. EVA stands for “ExtraVehicular Activity,” which means going on a spacewalk. In this section, we’ll assign the controls for the JetPack so you don’t get lost in the depths of space like George Clooney!
- Toggle EVA Pack: J
- Move Forward (translation): A
- Move Back (translation): E
- Move Left (translation): Q
- Move Right (translation): D
- Move Up (translation): Z
- Move Down (translation): S
You’ll notice the exact similarity with the translation keys in the “Vessel” tab. That’s because controlling a Kerbal in a JetPack or a spacecraft with RCS in orbit is essentially the same thing!
