Any tips for tourist contracts?

[Jadis]

I'm struggling so much with these. This is about the first tourism contracts you get on Kerbin. Do you have to reach a certain altitude? Do you have to reach a certain distance? What does the green "ECG heartbeat" symbol even mean? I wish the game would explain it more (not bashing, I love the game!). Is there a certain place I have to reach with the passengers at a certain altitude? It doesn't give enough info or maybe I'm just missing it?

[Reddeyfish]

sub-orbital = min altitude 70k (be out of the atmosphere). Anything else doesn't matter.

(Technically, you also have to have a periapsis below the atmosphere for it to count, but there isn't any way to reach 70k without achieving that as well)

orbit of kerbin: any orbit of kerbin. (periapsis above 70k). Anything else doesn't matter. If you achieve orbit, then you automatically achieved sub-orbital because there is no way to reach orbit without first passing through a sub-orbital path.

The green \F (your 'ECG hearbeat') is the symbol for the amount of funds.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Reddeyfish

[Skorpychan]

They just want to go out of Kerbin's atmosphere, and back down without making a full orbit. Basically, pack a bunch of inline cockpits onto a rocket and loft it up with Jeb on board for a pilot. Doesn't even have to go that far up.

[Tex_NL]

In early career mode the best advice on tourists is: DON'T! Tourists can't pilot or do science. All they do is occupy a valuable seat and the money often isn't worth it.

Later on, once you've unlocked the Mk1-2 Command Pod and/or Mk2 Cockpit and have a spare seat, their monetary value starts to become interesting.

[MisterFister]

In early career mode the best advice on tourists is: DON'T! Tourists can't pilot or do science. All they do is occupy a valuable seat and the money often isn't worth it.

Later on, once you've unlocked the Mk1-2 Command Pod and/or Mk2 Cockpit and have a spare seat, their monetary value starts to become interesting.

Mehhhh, I see what you're saying, but I'm not certain this is universally true. I play on hardcore mode, with a few delay-tactic mods (RemoteTech, Kerbal Construction Time, etc.) Even without mods, the Sci and Fund awards for contracts and accomplishments are nerfed, and penalties and costs are higher. These suborbital tourism contracts are the only things that can reliably get me past a few key humps.

Some tips, though -- test all craft designs, even small changes, before loading tourists (even at normal difficulty, reputation penalties for losing one are substantial). Also, multi-tourist contracts help a lot too. Even with Mk1 pods, the upside is that you have benefit of all that torque, often before SAS modules, RCS, or steering fins get unlocked.

Once you make your first orbit, however, most of the tourists start asking to go to orbit with you, and incorporating detours to Mun and Minmus. Without docking ports or RCS yet, those are generally not yet feasible for me on T3 tech, so it does pay to read the contracts before accepting them.

[Jadis]

Thanks everyone! I was getting mixed up because I was seeing location markers on my map, and I didn't know what those were.

So you lose reputation gains if you fail? Oops... I failed each one at least 5 times

Another question... is there a list of what to do to gain science? Or is it kind of just go wherever and do whatever scientist-like stuff you can do? Haha! Thanks.

[Skorpychan]

You go to new places, and run new experiments there. Minimus lets you practically mine science with a jetpack, surface samples, and EVA reports.

[Jadis]

Thanks everyone!

[FancyMouse]

location marks are most probably coming from available visual survey contracts.