[New Player} What should I take in the tech tree next?

[Anrui]

I am completely stumped on what part of the tree would be the best to take at this point. R&D costs are getting pretty expensive and I feel like making a wrong decision here would be bad.

Here's a pic showing my tree thus fat: http://i.imgur.com/ifXjtJg.png

Also, any tips on generating science at this point in the game? I've just recently gotten into orbit and did various experiments there (you know the usual host of stuff). I guess next is to do some contracts and plan a trip to the Mun?

[3ntropy]

If you are after more science it makes sense to concentrate on the bottom of the tree first. You unlock more science experiments as well as power generation and storage which help when you transmit science or take longer trips to like the Mun or Minmus. The more experiments you perform in a given situation the more science you get.

[The Yellow Dart]

I'd say solar panels. They let you get a satellite to the Mun or Minmus for tons more science.

[Gaarst]

Buy the science parts to get more science.

You should then be able to make enough science staying around Kerbin to unlock bigger parts to explore Mun and Minmus and from then, you can complete the science tree without ever going out of the Kerbin system.

[fairytalefox]

Solar panels. They make unmanned interplanetary missions possible. Interplanetary means all the science you want.

[Anrui]

Ok gotcha. Solar panels it is. Thanks for the help guys!

[Ulzgoroth]

After Electrics, I'd suggest getting the Control tech for RCS. Once you have that, you can pretty easily build a Mun or Minmus landing mission. (Probably an unmanned one until you get bigger rockets.)

[davidpsummers]

I might consider holding off an saving your science until later. I don't by technologies until I need them.

I do my missions. As I have problems with them, I will look back now and then and see if any technologies will help me.

For example, I just can't build a rocket with enough power that doesn't wobble all over the place? Time to look at new motors/tanks. I'm building my first unmanned probes but have gotten to the point where manual control of the pointing is too much? By the technology for the probe bodies that have SAS.

[McNugget]

I'd say solar panels. They let you get a satellite to the Mun or Minmus for tons more science.

What exactly can we do in orbit around the Mun at that point? You can only take a barometer / thermometer reading for science like once...

[The Yellow Dart]

What exactly can we do in orbit around the Mun at that point? You can only take a barometer / thermometer reading for science like once...

He can get thermometer, mystery goo, and materials study, including returning it for full value if he so chooses, for high and low space around the Mun, Minmus, and high for the Sun without even mentioning interplanetary. I guarantee you that is more science than using the barometer around Kerbin and maybe a couple transmissions per craft from Mun space with a lot of batteries.

[Snark]

+1 for solar panels. Mun and Minmus will give you tons of science, and you need solar panels to get there. You already have enough tech to build a successful (if inelegant) Mun or Minmus lander, as long as you can maintain electrical power. Go, land, get your 4 instruments + EVA, come back, tons of science. Repeat on different biomes for more science. Mmmm, science.

Also, don't forget that in munar (or Minmus) low orbit, you can repeatedly EVA over the various biomes, of which there are a lot.

[Geschosskopf]

Also, any tips on generating science at this point in the game? I've just recently gotten into orbit and did various experiments there (you know the usual host of stuff). I guess next is to do some contracts and plan a trip to the Mun?

In general, it's still best to concentrate on getting the rocket parts you need to move what you want where you want, along with a few things from the lower branches of the tree to acquire more types of science, provide electric power, etc. In general, airplanes and rovers do little or nothing to increase your science-gathering power because they can only reach new biomes on Kerbin (or at KSC itself) and by the time you've got the parts to make working planes and rovers, Kerbin biomes don't pay enough to be worth your time.

HOWEVER, the revised tech tree in 1.x has changed this slightly. Nowadays we need fairings and heatshields and they're inconveniently located in the airplane section of the tree instead of with the other rocket parts. This means you could well end up with the parts needed to make a simple airplane whether you really want them or not, perhaps even early enough in the game where Kerbin biomes are still worth doing a few of. So you can then make a wingless airplane (aka jet rover) and get alll the biomes at KSC (there are nearly 30 of them, for each building, antenna, tank farm, monument, flagpole, etc.) And maybe make a bit of money on low-altitude survey contracts close to KSC. But that's about the limit of their usefulness in the early-mid game.

[FancyMouse]

He can get thermometer, mystery goo, and materials study, including returning it for full value if he so chooses, for high and low space around the Mun, Minmus, and high for the Sun without even mentioning interplanetary. I guarantee you that is more science than using the barometer around Kerbin and maybe a couple transmissions per craft from Mun space with a lot of batteries.

Nah... the biggest contributors are Science Jr and surface samples. Either one is like 90~100 per biome (so add up to ~200 per biome) on Mun. Other science instruments are like 15~30 each, and from what I have Atmosphere scan seems a little higher (40+) but still - having a landing mission is going to be much moar efficient than orbit science, even you squeeze in more instruments. It's like you shoot lander to Mun, land on a new biome, do science, come back, and boom sci+400 or something.

And it's a recovery-based mission so you don't worry too much about solar or transmission loss or anything. Surface sample needs a manned ship anyway. I just find it way moar efficient.

EDIT: actually my numbers are all for landed situation. On orbit it's going to be smaller, which means landing is even more efficient.

[mrklaw]

Are there any items which allow for unmanned surface sample collection?

[Janos1986]

I'd go for solar panels, so you can rack up money from satellite contracts more easily, like using the same one to complete 2 or more, just accept all the contracts right away and then launch the ship.

Just yesterday I got 3 contracts at once (2 equatorial orbits on kerbin and one polar orbit on the Mun) with the same probe.

Easy money.

[archnem]

Solar panels are probably the best/popular choice, but magic yellow hoses should be soon as well. Especially if you have the VAB/pad upgraded.

[The Yellow Dart]

Nah... the biggest contributors are Science Jr and surface samples. Either one is like 90~100 per biome (so add up to ~200 per biome) on Mun. Other science instruments are like 15~30 each, and from what I have Atmosphere scan seems a little higher (40+) but still - having a landing mission is going to be much moar efficient than orbit science, even you squeeze in more instruments. It's like you shoot lander to Mun, land on a new biome, do science, come back, and boom sci+400 or something.

And it's a recovery-based mission so you don't worry too much about solar or transmission loss or anything. Surface sample needs a manned ship anyway. I just find it way moar efficient.

EDIT: actually my numbers are all for landed situation. On orbit it's going to be smaller, which means landing is even more efficient.

The question was about a new player (who just got into orbit for the first time) and what his next tech unlock should be. I said science junior (aka materials study) in my post and surface sample requires Mun landing (he hasn't gotten there yet) and EVA (not a tech tree unlock). I was responding to people who were saying he should unlock the barometer next to get more science, but getting solar powered probes to the Mun and Minmus with thermometer, goo, and materials study gets more science than getting barometer readings just around Kerbin.

[mrklaw]

The question was about a new player (who just got into orbit for the first time) and what his next tech unlock should be. I said science junior (aka materials study) in my post and surface sample requires Mun landing (he hasn't gotten there yet) and EVA (not a tech tree unlock). I was responding to people who were saying he should unlock the barometer next to get more science, but getting solar powered probes to the Mun and Minmus with thermometer, goo, and materials study gets more science than getting barometer readings just around Kerbin.

Fair enough, but then he'll have to redo all those and the kerbin missions when he does eventually get the barometer. Although just looking at it now, the electrics node also gets you an SAS capable probe pod thing which is really handy.

Edited May 22, 2015 by mrklaw

[Snark]

Although just looking at it now, the electrics node also gets you an SAS capable probe pod thing which is really handy.

Especially in the early game, when you get a lot of your science from materials bay + goo and are making those Mun landings. It's really nice to be able to send a little 1-kerbal craft crewed by a scientist, since 1.0.2 added the ability for scientists to reset those instruments (no more need to lug around that heavy lab with you). But if you have a scientist flying the craft, it's nigh impossible to steer right unless you have an SAS-capable command module to stabilize it for you.

Having a scientist fly the thing is a major win. You can get 3 takes on those instruments on a single mission (high orbit, low orbit, surface). 4, if you're clever about it and land close to a biome boundary so you can do a little hop to 2nd biome before heading home.

But you gotta have that OKTO to do it.