Any good tutorials for Career (Science) mode? Hit a "writers block"

[Carbal]

Howdy!

I have been playing KSP for a month or so now and have been able to do some basic contracts, such as landing on the Mun, Minmus, and even Duna. However, I hit a major "kerbal writers block" when trying to build satellites or, more especially, a Mun base. I have been Googling/YouTubing around for some good tutorials on how to build a Mun base, with attachments, room for 5+ Kerbals, etc. but haven't found any that aren't seemingly made in Sandbox mode where money is no issue.

Are there any good resources an amateur Kerbonaut like myself can use to help learn to build simple space bases, satellites, docking, and how to use the Space Hangar? So far all I've built are rockets, because I go to the space port and have NO idea how to build anything that will do any good not flying around Kerbin.

Essentially, I did pretty well learning the basics, can orbit/land on some closer planets/muns, but hit a mental block trying to do anything else (in Career mode, where money is a factor).

Second, a little related, question - if I build a satellite and have it orbit Kerbin with some antennas, solar arrays, etc. will that actually do anything? I see all these

Edited January 13, 2015 by Carbal

[Wanderfound]

Satellites won't do anything except fulfil contracts unless you install mods such as Scansat or RemoteTech. But you can launch an ultralight satellite into any Kerbin/Mun/Minmus orbit for √15,000 or less, and you don't have to leave them in place afterwards. Your contract satellite can fulfil a sat contract or two, then zoom off as an interplanetary probe or whatever.

The key to making station contracts (all contracts, really) work is to combine multiple high-value contracts into a single mission. That "Base on Minmus" mission can also be an orbital station, and launch a satelite or rescue a Kerbal on the way there, and plant a flag when it lands, and...

For a couple of demonstrations of how to do profitable satellite or station launches, see http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/craigmotbey/Kerbal/Beta/Kerbodyne%20Showroom/Satshot/story and http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/craigmotbey/Kerbal/Spaceplane%20economics/story

There's also a nice little demonstration of the power of ultralight satellites in this one: http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/craigmotbey/Kerbal/Beta/Kerbodyne%20Showroom/Stratos%20N/story

(most of the above is spaceplane and FAR based, but the basic principles illustrated work just as well for vertical rockets and stock aero)

[Superfluous J]

I have a burgeoning series on YouTube that may help you. I have so far covered efficient launching, rendezvous and docking, and am showing how to do satellite contracts of all types now. I do them all in stock with as low tech (and upgrades) as I can possibly do them, with the exception that I always (and always recommend you) upgrade the tracking station and mission control once each to get all the goodies in map mode.

[Carbal]

Thanks for y'all's replies! I am watching your Rendevous/Docking tutorials now 5thHorseman (I've actually come across them before, but wasn't ready for them).

Thanks for the info about the satellites - I wish they were more applicable aside form basically just looking neat orbiting Kerbin. I'm still looking to set up some refueling stations on the Mun, but will need to keep searching for Base tips/tutorials first.

Thanks for the help/advice so far!

[Superfluous J]

One dirty trick: If you can get a contract for making an orbital station around Kerbin, another one around Mun, and a third one landed on Mun, and you can make a single thing that satisfies all contracts (most just need a docking port, antenna, and room for X Kerbals) then you can complete all 3 in the same mission

I've never done all 3 but I'm seriously considering not bothering to do one unless I can at LEAST get the contracts to do 2 of them.

[Carbal]

I have two available actually. But, how would I use a single thing that fulfills an orbital station around Kerbin and the Mun? Wouldn't that require an incredibly huge rocket? I assume I would have stages where I "break away" from one of them (perhaps leaving one station in orbit around Kerbin, continue on to the Mun, set that up, then go to the Space Center and choose the "break away" ship and Fly that?).

I think I get the whole docking/rendevous thing, but how do I even get an "ISS" (or "KSS") into Orbit to begin with? In your video, I assume you launched a few rockets to build your Kerbonational Space Station?

[Wanderfound]

Nope, no huge launch.

Build one station (they aren't that big, generally just a few Hitchhikers or Mk2 cabins plus a docking port, sometimes a research lab) and launch it to LKO (virtually free if you build it as a spaceplane, medium expense if launched as a rocket).

Turn off SAS for five seconds, Kerbin Orbital Station contract done. Then fly the whole thing to Minmus (an LV-N can get it there for very little fuel). Minmus Orbital Station done. Then land it on Minmus (not hard, Minmus has sod-all gravity and perfectly flat landing zones). Minmus Planetary Base done.

That'll add up to half a million √ or so, and there's nothing to stop you from dropping off a couple of satellites on the way, doing some "science from..." contracts, etc.

- - - Updated - - -

Rocket launch example: this was a station with a lab, that held eight Kerbals, which I used for a "station in solar orbit" contract. It also doubles as a tug.

Build:

Launch:

Flight:

Dropping the booster:

Acting as a tug, moving my fuel depot around:

As always, though, you can do this a lot cheaper if you do it with spaceplanes instead of rockets. Like so:

Edited January 13, 2015 by Wanderfound

[WanderingKid]

In my signature, you'll also see a burgeoning YouTube video series, this is more a Let's Play with heavy editing style so it's slower paced though. Also, 5thHorseman is usually better than I am at designing stuff. If you want to see a bunch of failures as well as successes, though, feel free to drop in.

So far I've covered 18t/30 part Mun landings, cheap multi-contract satellites, Kerbin/Mun/Minmus surveys (success and failures), rescue ships... many... rescue ships... and other things. In two episodes I'll be dealing with space stations, at least the beginnings of them and launching them. While I like Wanderfound's plans, I don't have the resources for all that yet in Hard mode.