There's mods for end game tech tree, why not for early game?

[mcbmaestro]

I would just love to see a mod the uses the community tech tree to expand greatly on the early game with parts even more primitive than the default parts you start with.   Instead of the starter parts,  you'd be stuck with some really crude almost WW2 era rocket parts and have to research out a bit even to reach the Mk1 command pod for example.  

I suppose you'd probably need to add more basic contracts to supplement this but I think it would be cool making the early game longer.

[Aelfhe1m]

There are several tech trees that take the probes first approach. There are others but any of these (presented in no particular order) would be a decent place to start :

 

 

For sounding rockets - there is a contract pack available for use with the USI rockets:

For less "cartoony" sounding rockets:

 

[DeadJohn]

I see that the Skyhawk Science System tech tree has already been mentioned. It's a great science tree and starts with uncrewed small rockets before unlocking the Mk1 pod.

If you just want a science tree, though, Skyhawk might not be for you. Skyhawk triggers a cascade of other mods (very good mods, assuming your PC can handle it).

Skyhawk is designed around Bluedog Design Bureau parts. BDB is fantastic and covers much of USA space flight history through Saturn V and early interplanetary probes.

BDB is usually recommended with rescaled 2.5x or 2.7x systems. For the stock planets, historical BDB rockets will be more powerful than their real world equivalent, and rocket designs that got to Earth orbit will be able to reach Mun and Minmus. Rescaling corrects that so a given rocket design performs in-game similarly to its real version.

2 rescaled planet packs popular with BDB players are JNSQ and KSRSS. I think JNSQ is the easier one to use because you continue to launch from the equator, Mun and Minmus remain in game. KSRSS adds inclination challenges that require more careful timing of Earth to Moon launches.

As for contracts, BDB includes contracts that work well for the early game.

 

[_Zee]

Thanks for mentioning PBC here! I should mention that my mod doesn't add any primitive ww2-era parts like you requested, but it does allow you to pick and choose which mods you wish to use. It also provides a custom-made contract pack designed for use by PBC. Integrating a pre-start-node-parts mod like you mentioned could be done, just depends on how many parts you intend to add.

Cheers.