Training scenarios not very effective

[Sequoia]

When I first started using KSP two years ago I gave up after three days. I came to a point in the training scenarios where I could not duplicate what was being demonstrated.

After a long period away from KSP I am trying again.

The second training scenario called "Basic Flight" should be relabeled "Basic Crashing". 

I have followed the instructions of your Gene Kernan and got the simple solid rocket to take off. In the instructions Kernan explains that one should not stage the parachutes when the background of the icon is red. And no more. But when EXACTLY must I stage the chute? There is a vague reference to the six different icons and all their colors but no clear and distinct explanation WHEN. At what altitude?

After crashing a couple dozen times. I asked a question on Reddit. One response explained about "aerodynamics" and how the ship must enter the atmosphere tail first. This was NOT MENTIONED in "Basic Flight". Aerodynamics was NOT MENTIONED in "Basic Flight".  Keyboard activation of yaw, roll and pitch was mentioned but nothing was said about coming down tail first.  Nothing was mentioned about utilizing SAS to position the ship correctly. SAS comes in the FOURTH training scenario.

One suggestion sent to me was : 

"Get lighter. If you still have your engines and fuel tanks on the way down, add a decoupler to get rid of them."

A decoupler is first mentioned in the THIRD training scenario.  How is a beginner supposed to know about the decoupler when he is only on the SECOND training scenario?  

And another : "Don't go straight up. Try to go more sideways."

Where in the second scenario is THIS MENTIONED.  Answer : nowhere. How is a beginner expected to know this?

From the information you give a beginner the rocket will ALWAYS crash in the second training scenario. What is a beginner supposed to glean from this?

And then I tried to follow the third lesson and your Wernher Von Kerman in "Intermediate Construction" halfway through  wants me to fetch the LV-T45 from the Engines tab.  And there are NO ENGINES at the tab.  I cannot finish the scenario.  How am I supposed to continue with the training when this happens?  I have a screenshot but cannot insert it here because it is not in a URL. It is on my PC.

Why is this designed to be as difficult as possible to use?  Is this somebody's idea of a joyful pasttime?

Who wrote these training scenarios?  

[Bej Kerman]

19 minutes ago, Sequoia said:

When I first started using KSP two years ago I gave up after three days. I came to a point in the training scenarios where I could not duplicate what was being demonstrated.

After a long period away from KSP I am trying again.

The second training scenario called "Basic Flight" should be relabeled "Basic Crashing". 

I have followed the instructions of your Gene Kernan and got the simple solid rocket to take off. In the instructions Kernan explains that one should not stage the parachutes when the background of the icon is red. And no more. But when EXACTLY must I stage the chute? There is a vague reference to the six different icons and all their colors but no clear and distinct explanation WHEN. At what altitude?

After crashing a couple dozen times. I asked a question on Reddit. One response explained about "aerodynamics" and how the ship must enter the atmosphere tail first. This was NOT MENTIONED in "Basic Flight". Aerodynamics was NOT MENTIONED in "Basic Flight".  Keyboard activation of yaw, roll and pitch was mentioned but nothing was said about coming down tail first.  Nothing was mentioned about utilizing SAS to position the ship correctly. SAS comes in the FOURTH training scenario.

One suggestion sent to me was : 

"Get lighter. If you still have your engines and fuel tanks on the way down, add a decoupler to get rid of them."

A decoupler is first mentioned in the THIRD training scenario.  How is a beginner supposed to know about the decoupler when he is only on the SECOND training scenario?  

And another : "Don't go straight up. Try to go more sideways."

Where in the second scenario is THIS MENTIONED.  Answer : nowhere. How is a beginner expected to know this?

From the information you give a beginner the rocket will ALWAYS crash in the second training scenario. What is a beginner supposed to glean from this?

And then I tried to follow the third lesson and your Wernher Von Kerman in "Intermediate Construction" halfway through  wants me to fetch the LV-T45 from the Engines tab.  And there are NO ENGINES at the tab.  I cannot finish the scenario.  How am I supposed to continue with the training when this happens?  I have a screenshot but cannot insert it here because it is not in a URL. It is on my PC.

Why is this designed to be as difficult as possible to use?  Is this somebody's idea of a joyful pasttime?

Who wrote these training scenarios?  

Mellow out, Sequoia. You made mistakes and now you can learn from them. KSP is a game about trial and error; don't get angry and look for people to blame when things don't turn out exactly as you planned.

[HebaruSan]

2 hours ago, Sequoia said:

And then I tried to follow the third lesson and your Wernher Von Kerman in "Intermediate Construction" halfway through  wants me to fetch the LV-T45 from the Engines tab.  And there are NO ENGINES at the tab.  I cannot finish the scenario.  How am I supposed to continue with the training when this happens?

This is a bug, which @linuxgurugamer has helpfully created a mod to fix:

I'd highly recommend installing that if you're trying the training scenarios.

[jastrone]

at least ksp 2 devs say they will have better tutorials wich i believe

 

[linuxgurugamer]

On 9/18/2022 at 11:39 AM, jastrone said:

at least ksp 2 devs say they will have better tutorials wich i believe

 

Yes, well, until they release the fixes, my mod is the best solution for now

[ColdJ]

Hi there @Sequoia if you return. And welcome back to the forums again. I am sorry to say I have never checked to see who designed the training missions but I do know that as they upgraded KSP that they got very broken. As mentioned above @linuxgurugamer created a mod to try and fix the tutorials as they were a big problem for all.

You have every right to be frustrated. Stock KSP basically expects you to keep failing until you learn and succeed, as it is aimed at people like those who actually do rocket science.  They expect us to adapt and learn and get better through the experience. It is very different from the average space sim that uses a magic system to get around. Those are quite fun but do little to prepare us for real physics.

So, if you feel like it, persevere, Try the mod to fix the tutorial or just start a sandbox game and experiment around to get a feel for what works. Otherwise there are plenty of escapism mods that bypass the usual stumbling blocks so that you can just have fun. Hope you get some joy from whatever you choose.

[sturmhauke]

On 9/17/2022 at 9:37 AM, Bej Kerman said:

Mellow out, Sequoia. You made mistakes and now you can learn from them. KSP is a game about trial and error; don't get angry and look for people to blame when things don't turn out exactly as you planned.

Personally, I learned way more about the game from the community than from the tutorial missions. Even without the bugs, they're not exactly comprehensive. Plus, for someone like me who was already a space program nerd, knew some basics about rocketry, and likes to tinker and figure out complex things, KSP is occasionally frustrating but still one of my favorite games. But if all you know about space is from Star Wars, getting slapped in the face with semi-realistic physics is going to hurt.

[R1iXWS1Q]

What a excrementsty game! That's what this thread is saying and I can just second it

[Gargamel]

The tutorials were not even included when a good number of us started playing, so we understand how hard it is to learn to play the game.  We had to turn to YouTube tutorials (Scott Manley's older work in particular) to learn how to do all the basics.   There are plenty of newer ones out there, and even if they cover older versions of the game, the basics are just the same.  It's a game about rocket science, it's not going to be easy.   But with a little study and diligent effort, it becomes one of the most rewarding ones I have ever played.