Getting started with MKS

[ruiluth]

In my most recent career save I've explored Eve, Duna, and Dres with probes and I have flotillas on the way to Jool and Eeloo to explore them. Since they're not due for another 2 years, I figured I'd send a manned ship to Duna to start a base there. I decided to make a multipurpose space ship rather than just a one-use rocket for the mission, so I built a pretty self-sufficient ship that should be able to house and feed four kerbals comfortably for a few years, with a modular nuclear drive section.

With that in place, I decided I wanted to make bases on Minmus and Duna for replenishment for the first ship in a future fleet of interplanetary ships, but I haven't really looked at MKS much and it's looking to be much more difficult than it seemed at first. My plan was to send a robotic base at first to start harvesting resources and at least have all the infrastructure there so that when the crew arrived they'd have everything they needed to supply themselves with food and power. However, since I realized that all the converters need machinery to function, it seems like I would either need to send huge supply ships very frequently or set up large surface manufacturing plants that use technology I haven't unlocked yet.

How do you all usually start with MKS? Is it necessary to set up giant supply chains or send shipments all the time, or am I just overestimating how much machinery they'll use?

Pictures would be appreciated, since I'm also a little unclear about how to assemble all these parts.

Edited July 27, 2016 by ruiluth

[DStaal]

You're overestimating a bit - machinery gets used very slowly, especially by purely robotic bases.  (Which don't produce at full production rate.)  A small amount of machinery will get you a long way.  However MKS is designed to need occasional shipments in, with them reducing over time.  Duna is not Kerbin, and you need stuff from home to live. 

I'd set up on Minmus first and get a feel for things - you can make mistakes and only have it cost a few days to send up a Kontainer to fix things.

[RoverDude]

What @DStaal said.

Focus on life support first, and you will find it's pretty easy to get started.  Maybe drop off a few crates of machinery and you will be set for years.  In other words, think about how we'd do a real colony effort... we would send lots of pre-placed stuff to support our colony until (way down the road) it could achieve a level of self sufficiency.