Question about XP and Leveling Up?

[FleetAdmiralJ]

I couldn't really find an old thread talking about XP Level up levels and all the information I could find was on the wiki so I have a question:

What does it take to get kerbals to level up? Getting to level 1 is easy: Fly and get into orbit to get 2 XP, which gets any Kerbal up to level 1.

However, the (unofficial) wiki says that to get to Level 2, you need 8 XP. It also says that landing on Minmus will give you 6 XP.

So I had a great idea: Start sending level 1 Kerbals with 2 XP each to minmus, land them there, bring them back, and they'll all be Level 2 kerbals right? Well, apparently not so. The astronaut complex says they have 2 XP from Kerbin and 6 from Minmus, and the XP bar is FULL but...no level up.

Is there something else that needs to happen? Do I need 9 XP instead of 8, and thus at least a swing through Mun's SOI?

[OhioBob]

There's a really good thread about this somewhere but I can't find it. As of now a Kerbal only needs to gain 3 levels to acquire full abilities. I think the minimum requirements to earn the necessary XP went something like this: (1) go to orbit, (3) plant a flag on Minmus, (3) enter Mun's sphere-of-influence orbit Mun, and (4) exit Kerbin's sphere of influence.

Edited January 21, 2015 by OhioBob

[FleetAdmiralJ]

Hmm, so planting a flag on Minmus actually grants more than just landing? (the wiki suggested it didn't matter, which is why I didn't bother). I guess I can try that and see if it makes a difference.

[Treldon]

I believe you might refer to this thread: Leveling Up Kerbals - The Training Program

[OhioBob]

I believe you might refer to this thread: Leveling Up Kerbals - The Training Program

Yep, that's the one. It looks like I didn't quite remember it right - the Kerbals must orbit Mun, not just pass through its SOI.

- - - Updated - - -

Hmm, so planting a flag on Minmus actually grants more than just landing?

Yes, apparently. It's my understand that each individual crewmember must plant a flag to get the points.

[Superfluous J]

Nothing I've seen addresses the fact that the OP had 8 xp but didn't get to level 2. Is that a bug, something weird just with that save, or do you actually truly need 9 xp to get to level 8?

[OhioBob]

Nothing I've seen addresses the fact that the OP had 8 xp but didn't get to level 2. Is that a bug, something weird just with that save, or do you actually truly need 9 xp to get to level 8?

I think the Kerbal must plant a flag on Minmus to get the 6 points. If the OP only landed then he probably didn't get the full 6 points that he thought he was getting. The Wiki may need to be edited if it says 6 points for "landing on Minmus" rather than "planting a flag on Minmus".

(ETA)

This might need some testing to verify. We can send two new Kerbals with no current experience to Minmus, have one plant a flag and the other not. When they get back we can see if the one leveled up and the other didn't. I'll test this when I get chance, unless somebody wants to beat me to it.

Edited January 21, 2015 by OhioBob

[Superfluous J]

I think the Kerbal must plant a flag on Minmus to get the 6 points. If the OP only landed then he probably didn't get the full 6 points that he thought he was getting.

I'd accept that but I'm stuck on this (From the OP):

The astronaut complex says they have 2 XP from Kerbin and 6 from Minmus, and the XP bar is FULL but...no level up.

That right there sounds like a bug.

[OhioBob]

That right there sounds like a bug.

It sure does.

I just looked at the Wiki and I agree with the OP that it very clearly says 6 points for landing. It implies that, for Mun and Minmus, there is no difference between "land" and "plant flag".

[monophonic]

I can't find the thread now, but IIRC someone found out by examining the persistence file that landing on Minmus was actually more like 5.75 KXP while planting a flag there was 6.25 or thereabouts. The fact that the numbers are shown rounded everywhere, apparently including the XP bar, is of course a recipe for big time confusion.

[OhioBob]

I can't find the thread now, but IIRC someone found out by examining the persistence file that landing on Minmus was actually more like 5.75 KXP while planting a flag there was 6.25 or thereabouts. The fact that the numbers are shown rounded everywhere, apparently including the XP bar, is of course a recipe for big time confusion.

This looks like the post you are referring to...

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/104239-Leveling-Up-Kerbals-The-Training-Program?p=1630130&viewfull=1#post1630130

This would explain FleetAdmiralJ's problem, while it looks like he has 8 points he really only has 7.75. The chart in the Wiki really should show the actually fractional points awarded.

[AbacusWizard]

I can't find the thread now, but IIRC someone found out by examining the persistence file that landing on Minmus was actually more like 5.75 KXP while planting a flag there was 6.25 or thereabouts. The fact that the numbers are shown rounded everywhere, apparently including the XP bar, is of course a recipe for big time confusion.

That's troubling. Good thing I had everybody plant a flag anyway just in case.

[Snarfster]

My three star recipe:

1. Orbit the mun

2. Land on Minmus

3. Leave Kerbin SOI (at minimum speed so you can easily encounter again).

That gets me 17 XP. (16 wasn't enough, first I did a fly-by of the mun but that just gave me a full exp bar).

[eddiew]

I can't find the thread now, but IIRC someone found out by examining the persistence file that landing on Minmus was actually more like 5.75 KXP while planting a flag there was 6.25 or thereabouts. The fact that the numbers are shown rounded everywhere, apparently including the XP bar, is of course a recipe for big time confusion.

That's not good :S If there's a need for 0.25's in the XP system, the whole lot needs multiplying by four... Really does need to be an integer scale, please Squad!

[NecroBones]

My three star recipe:

1. Orbit the mun

2. Land on Minmus

3. Leave Kerbin SOI (at minimum speed so you can easily encounter again).

That gets me 17 XP. (16 wasn't enough, first I did a fly-by of the mun but that just gave me a full exp bar).

That's good to know. I may have to start up a "training cruise" loaded with hitchhiker cans and a lot of fuel.

[FleetAdmiralJ]

I can't find the thread now, but IIRC someone found out by examining the persistence file that landing on Minmus was actually more like 5.75 KXP while planting a flag there was 6.25 or thereabouts. The fact that the numbers are shown rounded everywhere, apparently including the XP bar, is of course a recipe for big time confusion.

Ah, that would help explain things if that is the case. I was going to try an experiment to try landing Kerbals and have some plant flags and some not to see if it makes a difference. If it does, that might help explain why.

[monophonic]

This looks like the post you are referring to...

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/104239-Leveling-Up-Kerbals-The-Training-Program?p=1630130&viewfull=1#post1630130

This would explain FleetAdmiralJ's problem, while it looks like he has 8 points he really only has 7.75. The chart in the Wiki really should show the actually fractional points awarded.

Yes, that's the one - and in the thread that was linked to before and I did check through! Guess I need to go get my eyesight checked... Thanks OhioBob!

[OrtwinS]

If there's a need for 0.25's in the XP system, the whole lot needs multiplying by four...

This.

And ofcourse there should be additional perks for 4- and 5-star Kerbals, though I can imagine those are reserved for not-yet-finished features, or perhaps for modders (5-star pilot = mechjeb-like abilities, for example)

[politas]

It seems odd to me that a kerbal who is part of a large space station crew once and only ever travels to and from the surface in Hitch-hiker storage containers gets the same experience as a kerbal who single-handedly pilots 50 orbital missions.

[Snarfster]

It seems odd to me that a kerbal who is part of a large space station crew once and only ever travels to and from the surface in Hitch-hiker storage containers gets the same experience as a kerbal who single-handedly pilots 50 orbital missions.

I suppose it's about doing and seeing different things. A bit like learning to drive a car.

[AbacusWizard]

"Experience" is really a misnomer. The kerbalnauts are really getting irradiated. Different planets/moons yield different levels of radiation, and the kerbalnauts get more irradiated the closer they get. Planting a flag is really just an excuse to dig up a bit of topsoil to release even more radiation.

And as we all know from comic books, radiation gives people superpowers... like the superpower to re-pack a parachute, for instance.