New campaign

[Scarredclown]

I've started a new campaign and its been a while since i have played. Any hint of what to do first ? which building to upgrade ? I've played a bit and try some mission. Some mission are not doable with the stuff i have unlocked.

[legoclone09]

Astronaut Complex is good, but VAB/Launchpad are important. If it were me it would be Launchpad and Astronaut, I could get to orbit and do EVA reports for lots of science.

[Norcalplanner]

Mission control, so you can have more than 2 missions active at the same time. Then launch pad, then astronaut complex.

[Xyphos]

1. Mission Control - more contracts
   
2. VAB - level 2 and no more. the 255 part hard-cap is actually a useful restriction, level 3 is just a waste of Kredits IMHO.
   
3. Astronaut Complex - Freash meat for the Krakken.
   
4. Launchpad - That big thing you just built is gonna need a bigger thing to launch from
   
5. Tracking Station - Maxed, the patched conics helps with orbital maneuvers.
   
6. Research Facility - all that science will eventually halt until you upgrade this.
   

Eventually, you will work your way towards SPH and Runway, when you get the parts to build a decent SSTO.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Xyphos

[Alshain]

1. Mission Control - more contracts
   
2. VAB - level 2 and no more. the 255 part hard-cap is actually a useful restriction, level 3 is just a waste of Kredits IMHO.
   
3. Astronaut Complex - Freash meat for the Krakken.
   
4. Launchpad - That big thing you just built is gonna need a bigger thing to launch from
   
5. Tracking Station - Maxed, the patched conics helps with orbital maneuvers.
   
6. Research Facility - all that science will eventually halt until you upgrade this.
   

Eventually, you will work your way towards SPH and Runway, when you get the parts to build a decent SSTO.

This is about what I do, maybe not quite that order but close. One other thing though,

9. Administration building: Don't bother even one upgrade till you finish the tech tree or you just have money to throw around.

[Streetwind]

I generally follow this order:

Mission Control -> Astronaut Complex -> Tracking Station -> Launchpad -> VAB -> R&D

Rationale:

- You want to get extra missions as soon as you can, so you can start flying rockets that routinely do multple contracts at once. This accelerates your money earnings to such a degree that I consider it mandatory to be first.

- You can easily orbit Mun and Minmus, and also dip into solar orbit, within the constraints of the tier 1 VAB and launchpad. Therefore, you want the ability to go on EVA, and the ability to see patched conics, before you bother upgrading your launch infrastructure. The extra science from EVA reports lets you unlock bigger fuel tanks, which keeps the part count down, making the VAB upgrade unnecessary. And patched conics gets you to Minmus much, much easier than more launch mass ever will.

- Once you actually want to land on another body, then it's time to upgrade your launch infrastructure in order to support that. Out of the two buildings to choose from, the launchpad tends to run into its mass limit sooner than the VAB runs into its part count limit, so that one comes first. You'll probably need both for a really sophisticated manned Mun surface science return mission, but you may be able to get a basic touchdown and return on Minmus, or some one-way probe landers, within 30 parts.

- Once landing missions start returning science home with regularity, you'll be running out of interesting tech nodes to research, so you upgrade R&D next. Not to mention you want the ability to take surface samples with your landing missions.

After that, the order ceases to be important. Though I like to upgrade mission control again quickly, because moar contracts = moar money = faster upgrading everything else. The tier 3 R&D building is very important and absurdly expensive, so even if you're a long way out from needing it, you might as well start saving as soon as possible. If you then discover that you absolutely need a different upgrade first, such as wanting to get into serious spaceplanes, you'll have a big pillow of cash to draw from.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Streetwind

[KerikBalm]

I actually prefer to upgrade the SPH and runway over the VAB and launchpad... they get you the same limits, and you can launch vertical rockets from the runway by just rotating them in the SPH.

Also, its a bit easier to get 100% recovery of stuff that separates early... I like to use radially mounted small SRBs with parachutes that deploy right simultaneously with decoupling - they land back on the runway with their decouplers for 100% recovery (I use small SRBs so that they burn out fast, and and before leaving physics range).

Then, once I ave turboramjets, I'm all set for 100% reusable launch vehicles.

[Sharpy]

1. Mission Control - more contracts
   

This. Not that you need more than two actual contracts all the time, but all these "experimental" parts you are going to test some day... once you finally research their nodes.

> 2. Launchpad - That big thing you just built is gonna need a bigger thing to launch from

You will hit the tonnage limit before you hit the 30 parts limit. BACCs are sufficient for "test on escape trajectory" and bringing tourists into orbit, but the craft will exceed the launchpad tonnage quite fast.

> 3. VAB - level 2 and no more. the 255 part hard-cap is actually a useful restriction, level 3 is just a waste of Kredits IMHO.

Level 3 is Custom Action Groups. It's useful once you start doing really complex stuff, much later into the game. Until then you can still assign unfolding all the solar panels to "Abort" or toggle the braking engine with "brakes".

> 4. Astronaut Complex - Freash meat for the Krakken.

You won't need more astronauts soon, but EVA equals EVA reports and ground samples, some of more bountiful science sources (plus the scientist can reset experiments, so you need only one materials bay and one Mystery Goo to the Mun for "in space high", "in space low" and "Landed". Plus a bunch of EVA reports from over all the biomes in LKO and all the "biomes" of KSC.

> 5. Tracking Station - Maxed, the patched conics helps with orbital maneuvers.

Not essential early on, but going to Minmus without it is tricky.

> 6 Research Facility - all that science will eventually halt until you upgrade this.

Then SPH, the runway and in the end the administration center.

[KerikBalm]

> 5. Tracking Station - Maxed, the patched conics helps with orbital maneuvers.

Not essential early on, but going to Minmus without it is tricky.

You don't need to max the tracking station at all until you want to start tracking asteroids. The 2nd level is plenty for a long time.

>1. Mission Control - more contracts

This. Not that you need more than two actual contracts all the time, but all these "experimental" parts you are going to test some day... once you finally research their nodes.

A big thing that is overlooked, is that you need to upgrade mission control to get maneuver nodes (in tandem with an upgraded tracking station).

Patched conics is nice, but I'd like to be able to see if my trajectory after a burn will intersect the SOI of minmus, before I actually make that burn.

A mission control upgrade is definitely needed relatively soon (you can eyeball Mun flybys, but beyond that....)

[Superfluous J]

1. Mission Control first, as more contracts = more money, rep, and science.
   
2. Astronaut Complex, usually on my first orbit or suborbital hop, so the Kerbal can magically gain the ability to EVA.
   
3. Launchpad, as it's a pain to go anywhere past LKO without upgrading it.
   
4. VAB, for the same reason as above.
   
5. Tracking Station, for the same reason as above.
   

--- I usually have all those upgraded before going to Mun, and always before going to Minmus. I've never found it difficult to find the cash to do the upgrades ---

After that the order doesn't matter to me, but here are ones that eventually happen:

• R&D, as soon as I want to research a node > 90. Again when I want to research the next tier's stuff.
  
• Mission Control again, for more contracts.
  
• Runway and SPH once I start wanting to fly planes.
  
• Admin Building, if I want the swimming pool.
  
• VAB and launch pad, eventually when my rockets get big enough.
  
• Astronaut Complex again. Doesn't Tier 3 give you surface samples? I think so. If so it probably deserves to be in the top list. Also, for my YouTube series I tend to have a lot of astronauts so I upgrade it when I need to for that.
  

[Johnny Wishbone]

My career games usually progress along this track (stock game, standard/normal difficulty):

- grab first 2 contracts from mission control (launch new vessel, gather science from kerbin)

Mission 1 - launch manned capsule into Booster Bay, apogee about 7,500m. 3 goo canisters plus various crew and EVA reports generate about 53 science

- spend science and funds unlocking tech tree nodes. upgrade launch pad. grab last 2 contracts in mission control (leave atmosphere and orbit kerbin)

Mission 2 - launch manned capsule into high kerbin orbit. should have goo canisters and materials bays for science in low and high kerbin orbits. gather crew reports, etc

- spend science and funds unlocking tech tree nodes. should have enough funds to upgrade mission control, tracking station, astronaut complex and VAB. grab new contracts, especially flyby mun and explore mun contracts along with any "test x on launchpad" and "gather science data from around kerbin" contracts

Mission 3 - launch manned capsule into elipitical Mun orbit so I can get both high and low Mun data. Also remember to do EVA reports from high and low kerbin biomes along the way. Return safely from Mun with goo canisters and materials bays.

- at this point, it gets a little grindy because I have the tech to land on the Mun, but don't have research facility upgraded yet to allow for sample collecting. Why bother landing if you can't return with samples? Usually I'm still a bit short on funds to upgrade that facility, so I do a few rescue or satellite missions to save up the money needed to upgrade research facility. I call those missions 3A, 3B, etc

Mission 4 - launch a 3 kerbal lander to the Mun. Land on Mun at Armstrong memorial, then do a quick hop to another nearby biome to gather science from 2 biomes. return to kerbin.

- spend funds and science unlocking tech tree nodes. grab new contracts as appropriate

Mission 5 - launch same 3 kerbal lander to Minmus. Land in multiple biomes to get science and return to kerbin.

- spend funds and science unlocking tech tree nodes. By now, should have unlocked the lab. grab new contracts as appropriate

Mission 6 - launch a space station containing a lab into Minmus orbit and launch upgraded lander to Minmus to grab science and fill up lab. Toss a couple scientists into lab and let them crank out science for me.

- from this point forward, I can pretty much do whatever i want. I still have upgrades to do and tech tree nodes to unlock, but the funds and science to do those tasks should be easily generated. I can start sending missions to Duna, probes to Eve and Jool, etc. Ironically, this is usually the point where I start getting bored and just start a new career game.

[Streetwind]

Astronaut Complex again. Doesn't Tier 3 give you surface samples? I think so. If so it probably deserves to be in the top list. Also, for my YouTube series I tend to have a lot of astronauts so I upgrade it when I need to for that.

Fairly sure surface samples are tier 2 R&D. Because unless I'm going crazy, I was collecting surface samples just fine last month with a tier 2 astronaut complex. I never upgraded that building to tier 3 before accidentally wrecking the save because the game decided to autosave 2 seconds after loading an age-old quicksave where I just wanted to check what the heck it was from out of idle curiosity. (God, I was so angry at KSP that day. I still am.)

[Pecan]

Surface samples and resource transfer are indeed the R&D tier-2 extras

[Guest]

The very first thing I upgrade is the VAB to Level 2, so I can build rockets bigger than toys. Then Launchpad to Level 2, that will enable you to build and launch anything for LKO.

After that I get Astronaut Complex, Mission Control, and Tracking Station to Level 2. This makes it easy to get more Science and launch probes for the Mun and Minmus.

Then I'll bump the Admin Building to level 2 and start trading Rep for Funds.

When all of that is done, upgrade your Launchpad to Level 3, and you're basically set to go anywhere.

[Korizan]

I only upgrade when I need too and hold off as long as possible.

But in the end ...

Mission - Contracts

Launch Pad - Liquid fueled rockets don't like the dirt pad.

Tracking Station - Maneuver Nodes

After that it really is as needed and funds allow.

[Superfluous J]

Fairly sure surface samples are tier 2 R&D. Because unless I'm going crazy, I was collecting surface samples just fine last month with a tier 2 astronaut complex. I never upgraded that building to tier 3 before accidentally wrecking the save because the game decided to autosave 2 seconds after loading an age-old quicksave where I just wanted to check what the heck it was from out of idle curiosity. (God, I was so angry at KSP that day. I still am.)

Surface samples and resource transfer are indeed the R&D tier-2 extras

Thanks for the confirmations/corrections. As I said, I generally have it fully upgraded for the astronaut count, so didn't remember. So the only benefit is more astronauts? Yeah, unless you're me I wouldn't ever bother upgrading for that.