Do you use the strategies?

[Wjolcz]

So I have been thinking about the strategies and came to conclusion I don't really use them that much. Me and quite a few other members of the forums have been discussing the idea of so called 'programs' in the Suggestions & Development Discussion subforum. The basic idea is that they would replace the strategies and have a direct influence on what kind of missions pop up in the Mission Control. But it occured to me that such a drastic change to the career mode could ruin some people's gameplay.

So my question is: Do you use them? Which ones do you prefer/find best? Would you mind if that part of the game got changed?

 

Please keep in mind this is by no means a petition to change the system. I'm simply asking out of curiosity (and maybe to give some sort of feedback just in case SQUAD actually decides to do something about it).

For the interested:

 

Edited June 1, 2016 by Veeltch

[HoloYolo]

Only when I need funds.

[EliasDanger]

I wanna use them, but I never feel the need. I tried out Strategia, but it turned out it wasn't quite what I wanted and I was happier without it. Then there is Serious Kerbal Business...and those strategies didn't seem all that appealing either. I don't really care for strategies that are just intended to take one resource and change it into another...

I feel like Strategia is on to something, though. Less resource trading and more setting the next big goal for the space program, and that's where I think strategies should go. I just wasn't a fan of the way its implemented in Strategia. Step in the right direction though.

[Just Jim]

I am currently using 2 strategies in my Emiko game.  I'm now just over 14 years into the career.  I have a little over 22,000,000 in funds, and my tech tree was filled up long ago.  At this point I want as many good contracts as possible, so I'm totally focused on building my reputation as high as possible. To do this I am using the Appreciation Campaign set to 50%, to convert 50% of my profits into reputation, and the Open-Source Tech Program, set to 100%, to convert all future science points into reputation.  This also gives me a good reason to keep hunting for new biomes, even though my tech tree is done..... bonus!!!  

[Snark]

Other than playing around very briefly when the strategies first came out, I haven't touched them since.

I love the idea of strategies, and was very excited when they were announced... but I've found that the actual implementation never appealed to me.  Every strategy listed ends up being, for me, either ineffective or too effective.  None of them seem to hit that happy medium between underpowered and overpowered.

I have heard good things about the Strategia mod, which completely overhauls strategies, but I've never used it myself and can't personally vouch for it one way or the other.

[the_Demongod]

I usually use the Unpaid Internship one to sacrifice some rather useless reputation for some of that sweet, sweet science.

[Mastikator]

Yes, to boost my science and rep.

[SorryDave]

I use strategies, the most useful trades science for funds.

I also will raise rep for a penalty to funds until at 85-90%, then I'll do the opposite.

[autumnalequinox]

On 6/1/2016 at 8:48 PM, EliasDanger said:

I wanna use them, but I never feel the need. I tried out Strategia, but it turned out it wasn't quite what I wanted and I was happier without it. Then there is Serious Kerbal Business...and those strategies didn't seem all that appealing either. I don't really care for strategies that are just intended to take one resource and change it into another...

I feel like Strategia is on to something, though. Less resource trading and more setting the next big goal for the space program, and that's where I think strategies should go. I just wasn't a fan of the way its implemented in Strategia. Step in the right direction though.

I tried it too but then I checked out Magico's Science funding and combined it with State Funding and BROKE (when it works, still very beta) and just kind of gave up on contracts and strategies entirely.  Both feel confining.  But yes Strategia is definately onto something.  I'm going to wait until it's fleshed out a bit more and then start a career using it along with Science funding and BROKE and try something different.  I just hate contracts more then anything (I take them for extra $ but prefer grand visions over "do x to x over x".

I do wish there was a stock system that had broad strategies that generated contracts instead of random contracts.  Like you choose a few strategies and just get contracts relating to them in a progressive fashion.  Even stuff like "Commercial Space Launches" that gives you the "launch sat to x" type things for $ that get progressively more intricate.

We need a bigger sense of progress that still let's the player decide how to go about it.  Something like the World's firsts but more integrated together.

[Superfluous J]

I have used them in the past, but much like the MPL they are a weird combination of OP and PITA. OP enough that I feel like I'm cheating, and PITA enough that I don't want to bother.

[razark]

Have they removed the ass-stupid fire reference from Gus Kerman yet?

[ag3nt108]

I experimented with them once and found that they were not really noticeably effective at that stage in my career.  I do how ever love the idea of a strategy influencing my contract selection.  If you worried about how it would affect plays existing games it can be implemented similar to the existing system.  In other words, if you don't choose to implement a new strategy it won't affect your contract selection and the game can continue as it was.  I don't think changing this sort of thing should be a priority though since it was recently changed and there seem to be a number of other more pressing concerns on the cards.

[AviosAdku]

Personally, I haven't used them a lot, part of the reason I would put down to never getting all that far in so that I can't implement them effectively. Once I have the tech tree done, that will probably be a different manner. Once I don't have a use for science, I'll probably switch to Open source tech or Licensing (depending on what I need). However, I've never gotten that far (up until the change to v1.1, every update has meant a restart).

Not much more I can say however.

Edited July 5, 2016 by AkuAerospace
Removed "sign off"

[EliasDanger]

1 hour ago, autumnalequinox said:

I do wish there was a stock system that had broad strategies that generated contracts instead of random contracts.  Like you choose a few strategies and just get contracts relating to them in a progressive fashion.  Even stuff like "Commercial Space Launches" that gives you the "launch sat to x" type things for $ that get progressively more intricate.

We need a bigger sense of progress that still let's the player decide how to go about it.  Something like the World's firsts but more integrated together.

Sums up my feelings very well.

[Cucco-Master]

Since I've installed the KRnD mod (meaning I will constantly have use for science for the entire career), I have a 50% funds -> science strategy running. I have also tried 50% rep -> science until I found out, that it actually drains my rep (quite rapidly at high levels), instead of just reducing the rep income ...

Without the KRnD mod, I wouldn't have tried these two strategies, probably I would have used science -> funds instead, once the tech tree had been completed. Any reputation related strategies seem either pointless (converting anything to rep, because, who needs this?), or utterly broken (converting rep to anything, because this is really, really dangerous - albeit less dangerous than "Aggressive Negotiations" ... - be careful).

No, I wouldn't mind the mentioned changes to strategies. I have read most of the other threads about this topic and the ideas there seemed interesting.

[AbacusWizard]

I find them utterly useless. In the early stages of my game I desperately need all three resources, so there's not much point in trading one for another.

 

In theory the science-for-funds strategy might be useful after I've completed the tech tree, but in practice the extra funds are so small they don't really matter (and by that point in my career I have more money than I know what to do with anyway), so I just keep running experiments and pretend my stockpile of useless science points is my score.

[samstarman5]

In my previous career I used the Funds to Science one early on, but then cancelled it when I needed a bailout and when I got myself picked up I didn't bother starting another. In this current career I gave it a glance and didn't bother.

I do agree the strategies need a fair bit of revision. But there definitely isn't a rush for it at this point. I'd rather see things get more solidified with the game before trying anything ambitious with the strats.  Because I rather like the idea of having strategies having an influence on what contracts appear.  Such as if you show a leaning to wanting science, then you get contracts to establishing orbital stations, gathering scientific data from locations, etc. If you lean towards gathering funds, then more VIP and tourist contracts would definitely fit there.  It would be a challenge to get a system like that together, to be sure.

[magnemoe]

7 hours ago, EliasDanger said:

I wanna use them, but I never feel the need. I tried out Strategia, but it turned out it wasn't quite what I wanted and I was happier without it. Then there is Serious Kerbal Business...and those strategies didn't seem all that appealing either. I don't really care for strategies that are just intended to take one resource and change it into another...

I feel like Strategia is on to something, though. Less resource trading and more setting the next big goal for the space program, and that's where I think strategies should go. I just wasn't a fan of the way its implemented in Strategia. Step in the right direction though.

Yes, only use now is to turn pointless science into funds, its also nice to get your reputation up fast. 
Like the idea of larger lines like an focus on inside kerbin SOI, close or far off planets perhaps also an focus on big task as in the high payoff projects. 
Land an class E asteroid on Moho  

[Wjolcz]

Poll added.

[worir4]

The only time i ever use them is when I have unlocked the science tree and need more money. But that is rare. So I never really use them. 

[Combatsmithen]

barely used them. Forgot they were even there...

[Pecan]

There are strategies?

Oh ... one of those career things.  Let's put this in perspective - I don't even use the tech tree.

[DChurchill]

N ot really. The only reason I ever improve the admin building is for completionism. I sometimes use the strategy that gtes me money for reputation, but honestly, the net reward isn't really enough for me to spend any time thinking about it. I hope they rethink how the admin building works.

[SelectHalfling0]

I convert rep into funds. That's it (can't really find any use for the others/not worth it).

[regex]

I find they require too much of an initial investment to use them when I want, early in career, and too little to late when I can afford them.  Add on to that the steep requirements for full investment (building upgrades, massive initial output) and there's no reason for me to use them.  About the only one I've ever used is the science -> funds one at the end of career.  Basically I find them utterly useless except to transform the game into a proper sandbox once progression is complete.  I never upgrade the admin building; would rather send another mission or three for those funds.