Early Career Mode, what tech node to target next.

[Starchaser]

I am flying pretty early in career mode, trying to grind out some tech, but the contracts are spamming me with tourist contracts and not much else. For every 3 tourist missions I will get a 'test this part' mission. My tourist launcher is a cobbled together PoS, that I'm actually getting decent at flying now, even though it flops around like a shake-weight when I'm trying to do my gravity turn.

Here it is. Don't laugh.

I lucked out (after 23 launches) and got a mission I could throw a couple tests on the touristy mission and have 64 science available. It's enough for me to get a step towards heavy rocketry and getting rid of some of that gobbledy-gook. However I suspect a lot of the flex is because of those undersized reaction wheels I need to use, and bigger lifting bodies will just make the issue worse. 64 points puts me within shouting distance of advanced flight control, which will give me the proper sized reaction wheels.

Which of those should I shoot for, or should I say screw it, go for orbit and hope that opens up a better mission blend?

[Garius]

My first priorities are always getting to advanced rocketry to get the Terrier (and picking up the Swivel on the way). Gimbaled engines make reaction wheels less important at this stage in the game. Should easily be able to make orbit with these, even orbit the Mun or Minmus (landing and returning is possible as well but requires careful planning and piloting until you upgrade the VAB)

[Starchaser]

The rocket shown has 32 parts. I already had to upgrade the VAB.

Maybe I should try trading 25% reward cash for sci instead of 25% rep....

Also, with that rocket, I'm up around 20km before getting to the liquid engine. Without the reaction wheels it would suck to wait that long before making a gravity turn.

Twice, while trying to do a 'fly this high' record, I wound up dropping an SRB and having it land on my VAB. Definitely want to start to turn before dropping any of them.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Starchaser
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[Garius]

Yeah and I see launchpad upgraded as well. I'd definitely grab the Swivel and Terrier and use those to try to get to orbit. Have you upgraded the Astro complex for space EVAs? Can get a fair bit of science from those. Once you can consistently get to orbit you can try to orbit the Mun and get a ton more science there.

[Starchaser]

The Astro complex is my next upgrade target. The rocket shown can get me to orbit if I drop the 2 extra CM's. It's probably overkill for that task.

I'm something of a completionist though. Don't like moving on while the game is still feeding me sub-orbital missions. I can force myself to do it though..

[MarkusF]

I'm something of a completionist though. Don't like moving on while the game is still feeding me sub-orbital missions. I can force myself to do it though..

I think you got a problem there, as the game won't stop giving you those kind of contracts, until you go on :-D Best is to always fulfill the "World's First" contracts, like "Fly By the Mun", "Orbit the Mun", "Rendezvouz two vessels", as those contracts progress like a storyline.

Anyway, I think the next research target should be the one giving you the LV-909. I guess you don't have that already, as you orbiter rocket should use one in the upper stage if so.

Get the LV-909 (I think it's named "Terrier") and construct an orbiting rocket based on it. Then do science experiments in low orbit. Then go for high orbit and do science up there (>250km) and so on.

If you need some ideas, I have a thread about my career in which you can see the vessels I created for orbit, Mun etc, just in case you need some inspiration.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/120031-Diary-of-a-hard-career?p=1916310&viewfull=1#post1916310

Oh and btw, you can actually decline contracts instead of accepting them and they will be replaced by new ones.

[Starchaser]

I think you got a problem there, as the game won't stop giving you those kind of contracts, until you go on :-D Best is to always fulfill the "World's First" contracts, like "Fly By the Mun", "Orbit the Mun", "Rendezvouz two vessels", as those contracts progress like a storyline.

Hmm. 0.9 seemed to. There was a lull where the contracts seemed to dry up and I moved on. Maybe it was my imagination, but it got me all the way to Duna before I got distracted by a new 'shiny' (Elite:Dangerous)

Oh and btw, you can actually decline contracts instead of accepting them and they will be replaced by new ones.

That I didn't know. Most useful information!

[MarvinKitFox]

Here it is. Don't laugh.

Wow.

When I tried that approach, my slinky rocket danced the Samba.

But as for tech progression:

The *only* reason to do the tourist trips is to gather funds, if you are in danger of bankruptcy.

a Dedicated science mission is likely to garner much more science, at *much* less cost.

[FancyMouse]

From the dV I assume that was for a sub-orbital tourism? That doesn't need gravity turn. Just shoot the altitude

>because of those undersized reaction wheels I need to use

One reason not to go SRB - LFO engines with gimbals provide you the control, and you'll only need wheels for your payload. Of course, you're still in early career, so you'll need reaction wheels to take the control when using SRB, but this should go away soon. And one more thing - you probably want some fins at your bottom of your rocket if you only use reaction wheels to fight stability.

[Starchaser]

Wow.

When I tried that approach, my slinky rocket danced the Samba.

But as for tech progression:

The *only* reason to do the tourist trips is to gather funds, if you are in danger of bankruptcy.

a Dedicated science mission is likely to garner much more science, at *much* less cost.

I've launched that thing, um...let me check my launch spreadsheet...12 times. As I've said, I'm getting quite good at launching it. Part of the trick is to start tapping D almost immediately, and once every 2-3 seconds. As I said, it flexes like a shake-weight, but if you let it stop springing after each tap, you can keep control.

Also, refer to my first post. About 25% of my offered contracts are NOT tourist contracts. I'd LOVE to be able to ignore them, but with the contract blend I'm getting it's impossible. Above I was informed that you can decline missions, and I started doing that, but it almost never replaces a tourist contract with a science contract. It happened once. The other times I've tried it it offers me tourist contract after tourist contract, until it just stops offering a new contract.

And, to FancyMouse

From the dV I assume that was for a sub-orbital tourism? That doesn't need gravity turn. Just shoot the altitude

That's how I've done the 'fly this high' contracts in the past. I was cured of it when twice in a row, I had an SRB land on my VAB after dropping that stage. It costs 18 mil to repair..

Fins are a good idea. I didn't see much effect from them in 0.90 but I've read that they work better now. I'm reluctant to tweak that design since I can fly it. I am about ready to go for orbit, and once I do that, I'll never need to fly that monstrosity again.

This whole tourist issue is almost enough to make me want to jettison the new career and go back to my 0.90 career.

[Andrewx21]

I usually aim for aircraft node, so i can grind visual survey contracts untill i have the terrier, and upgraded the vab and launchpad

[MarvinKitFox]

About 25% of my offered contracts are NOT tourist contracts. I'd LOVE to be able to ignore them, but with the contract blend I'm getting it's impossible.

ummm.

You ARE aware that you are allowed to launch a rocket *without* using it to complete any contracts?

Just use the contracts to accumulate sufficient funds, then design build & launch a science-only vessel to get to those juicy science points.

Here is a VERY cost effective (but effort-intensive) science mission for you..

1) Build a capsule. Attach absolutely nothing to it

2) Launch.

3) EVA, climb off.

4) Report your EVA. right-click the capsule, place the report in there.

5) Walk off the launchpad to crawlerway. get another report. Walk back to capsule. Place report in there

6) Walk off the launchpad to the VAB. get another report. Walk back to capsule. Place report in there

7) Walk off the launchpad to the runway. get another report. Walk back to capsule. Place report in there

8) - 13) ditto, for each of the KSC biomes.

14) - 18) ditto, for shore, water, tundra,grassland.

19) climb back in capsule. recover mission.

Total cost spent: ZERO

Total science acquired: about 180

That gives you enough tech tree to get to a Mun Landing.

ok, having you walk around for 4 hours is a bit absurd, but it shows you what can be done, if you think far enough.

[Garius]

You are getting mostly tourist contracts right now because you haven't achieved orbit. Each contract type has a minimum progress to appear and a maximum number that can be available (usually 3 offered, up to 6 doable at once, but part tests have effectively no limit, they're limited instead by testable parts) I believe pre orbit only visual surveys, part tests, and tourists are available. Once you achieve orbit you will get rescue missions and science from space missions, and when you unlock solar panels you'll get satellite contracts as well. Until then you'll just get more parts and tourist contracts. If you decline enough you'll eventually get all part contracts (though I don't think two contracts for the same part can exist, so there is that limit)

My careers ignore contracts for the first few flights, taking only the world first contracts. I take one rescue mission just to spawn something in orbit to rendezvous with for that world first.

[mrklaw]

I have no idea what reaction wheels even do, and I just finished orbiting the mun and coming back. And that was under the 30 part limit. Just used a bunch of T400 tanks, Terrier and T45 engines, a few SRBs and some fins. Even had space for some science on it.

fins and steerable engines have been fine for me so far.

i,ve now unlocked all the 45 science tiers and not sure where to go next

[Garius]

You can do pretty much whatever you want now. Try to land on the Mun, go check out Minmus. Do some satellite contracts (need Electrics), some rescue missions, build a space station (need Minaturization and Advanced Flight Control), build some planes. You'll want to accumulate funds for at least level 2 on the science complex, launchpad, VAB, tracking station and Astro complex. There is plenty of science to be had on the Mun and Minmus with no need for more tech, so just take what looks fun and play with it.

Eventually you'll want to go interplanetary, the bigger Rockomax engines and working towards Nuclear Propulsion are very helpful for this as medium term goals.