What gamemode do you play ?

[Waxing_Kibbous]

I play career, but am still trying to find a nice balance in terms of career mods + settings to make it challenging yet not too grindy.

[Renegrade]

I like the idea of career mode, although I do agree with the posters above in that it's rather lacking in many ways.  I'm hoping the improved contracts of 1.1 will help a bit, and there's been some mutterings of more stages to the KSC facility upgrades (although that's just a rumor/may only be in 1.2+/etc)...

 

[Triop]

Well....For me it's:

Edited March 28, 2016 by Triop

[pandaman]

Almost exclusively sandbox for me.  I've tried career and like the idea, but the current system just doesn't inspire me, I will keep giving it a go though.

[Yakuzi]

I want to like career, but in its current state I don't find it very immersive/rewarding/fun... so sandbox.

[zarakon]

15 hours ago, Rhomphaia said:

Persoanlly I hate Science mode, and the Science mechanic in general, so on the rare occasion I foray into career, I will usually hack in science and just play with mission and funds.

 

It used to be bette4r when part test contracs gave lots of science.  A mechanic where part testing was the way to unlocking new parts would be better. 

I think it would be nice to have a mode similar to Science mode with a different progression system.  Something where the Funds, Science, and Reputation that you would get in career mode are all combined into one "Points" resource that you'd use to unlock parts.  That way essentially everything you do, from experiments to exploration to satellite contracts, would be able to count toward your progress.

[Draco T stand-up guy]

11 minutes ago, zarakon said:

I think it would be nice to have a mode similar to Science mode with a different progression system.  Something where the Funds, Science, and Reputation that you would get in career mode are all combined into one "Points" resource that you'd use to unlock parts.  That way essentially everything you do, from experiments to exploration to satellite contracts, would be able to count toward your progress.

Administration allows you to put reputation and income towards science and thus count toward your progress. It even has the possibility to spend reputation to get bailout funds. It has other stuff as well but I haven't used it all yet.

[zarakon]

Can you use those in Science mode?  It's been a long time since I looked, but I thought that mission control and administration were locked in anything but full career mode

[Freshmeat]

I have mainly played career, because I liked the restraints of pushing my limits at a given level of research. Once everything was unlocked, I turned to sandbox. Will probably career again in 1.1.

[Jokk-E]

I do career mode like 95% of the time. Mostly modded

Sandbox mode is fun, sure, but there's no real goals for me to go for. Because of this, I get bored with it quickly.

Science mode has the same problem, even if it aint as bad there.

 

Career tho. Contracts and managing funds (Even if I sort of cheat and go for 1.5-2x funds from missions) adds alot for me. And if you add some mods (Life support, among others), there's more of a challenge aswell, since you really dont want to lose your precious leveled up scientists and so on

[Kyrt Malthorn]

Career for me, whole 9 yards.  

I don't hate any of the modes, though.  I'm glad they're there for people whose playstyles differ from mine.

I do design/concept proofing in sandbox mode from time to time.  And when testing mods with lots of parts, I usually start a sandbox game and hack in a ton of science points, just so I can see how the tech tree will feel at various stages of progression, and can look at the parts somewhat in context and not all in one big overwhelming dump like I get in sandbox.

But for most of my play, it's been career.  I like having to start with nothing but a barrol o' solid fuel and working my way up.  I routinely play with science returns down to like 30-40%.  I think my current career it's 40% and just for a challenge, I've never taken taken a single bit of science landed on Kerbin.  Even on the launchpad.  I just like having to work in the midrange tech for longer - it makes those mid-career tech tree choices matter for longer.  It's no fun if all you ever fly with is mainsails and nukes.  Funds...eh.  They quickly become a non-issue and I like it that way.  I would play science mode more, except I do greatly enjoy having the contracts there.  I see them as challenges, they give me ideas and help me determine the shape of my future missions planning.  

[Paul Kingtiger]

Career, but I edit the save file to give myself a big boost of science and funds.  That way I can unlock everything to avoid the grind and build the ships I want, but still enjoy the contracts and science gathering.
I don't have to worry about running out of money, or worst, taking dull contracts to earn cash, but I do still try to make efficient, low cost rockets.

[Rocket In My Pocket]

Career mode.

I stopped playing in sandboxes when I was 12.

Adults need structure and clearly defined goals as well as risk vs. reward scenarios. Looking forward to the 1.1 changes!

[regex]

9 minutes ago, Rocket In My Pocket said:

I stopped playing in sandboxes when I was 12.

Adults need structure and clearly defined goals as well as risk vs. reward scenarios. Looking forward to the 1.1 changes!

Nice one, hope you get a few bites.

[Superfluous J]

14 minutes ago, regex said:

Nice one, hope you get a few bites.

If you've taught me anything, regex, it's when to not bite.

[JohnnyPanzer]

1 hour ago, Rocket In My Pocket said:

Career mode.

I stopped playing in sandboxes when I was 12.

Adults need structure and clearly defined goals as well as risk vs. reward scenarios. Looking forward to the 1.1 changes!

Gnawing off my own arm to avoid biting.

[Madscientist16180]

Carreer all the way for me. Always loved mangement game since like simcity1 when i was a little boy.

Sandbox and science feels too easy, i need the challenge to keep me interested. 

[Ser]

Career because it gives you reasons and goals, and a sense of progression. It also makes you think of efficient rocket design and mission planning.

Before career mode was implemented I've played science one.

Edited March 29, 2016 by Ser

[KerikBalm]

Career, but after heavy use of SSTOs to get payloads to orbit, reusable craft, then ISRU, all tech is unlcoked and I've got a lot fo funds, so I just basically do sandbox with budgets... mostly paid for by worlds first bonuses and science-> funds strategies

[Curveball Anders]

While I mostly play stock, I cheat using a sandbox save to "simulate" designs and projects.

[Tyrion Spacedwarf]

As I am pretty new to the game I have played only career. I like that I'm not overwhelmed with all the part choices at first and have goals to push me to learn. 

[Terwin]

Almost exclusively career.

Tried the other two a little and I just like career more.

Especially with USI-LS and other interesting kerbaly mods...

[jbterminator]

I prefer career the most cause of having to balance funds and requirements for launching vessels.

If i get bored then i go to science see how much i can unlock and relive the old moments when career mode was a thought.

I only use sandbox for experimenting and/or goofing off.

[MrCynical]

I almost always use career mode. I run a lot of mods though, so the experience is rather different than in stock. With CTT there's a much longer progression (so the tech tree isn't completely filled after the first interplanetary mission). I also move the science reward slider down to 30-40%, which I find to be the sweet spot. At 100% things tend to unlock too fast. It's keeps things interesting not to have all the parts that would be useful available - e.g. needing to start on other planets before nuclear rockets are unlocked. The contracts (I do have some from mod packs) can also give some inspiration if I'm short on ideas.

[James Kerman]

I only play KSP now (Thanks everyone at squad for a unique and remarkable game) and I only play career mode.  It challenges me in the early game to do more with less and forces me to take contracts I don't feel comfortable doing in order to upgrade KSC or unlock science nodes.  It has taught me to maximise returns from missions (My first kerballed mission off Kerbin in my latest save mined 4 biomes on Minmus and 3 biomes on the Mun for science and profit).  Personally I don't think I would have progressed so far with my understanding of the game without career mode.  Later on career basically becomes a sandbox game when you have all the science unlocked and plenty of Kredits - that's usually when i'll add some new mods and start afresh.