Newbie enjoying the game immensely - reaching frustration point

[Cheesehead64]

Been learning the game by following Scott Manley's YouTube series - Kerbal Space Program - Career Mode Guide for beginners.

I'm at Part IV, basically replicating the series as much as I can to learn the system.

So far so good - I can launch a guy 100K into space and get him home safely. And I've been completing a few basic contracts.

I'm having trouble earning many science points any more though, as I'm trying to open up more items on the tech tree.

And I can't seem to fly an EVA without having my Kerbal fly off into space.

The tutorial series seems good, but maybe I'm not starting in the right place? Suggestions? I'm enjoying the game but it's frustrating to compete a mission and earn hardly any science points. (Or not complete the contract - I took up a space tourist and didn't get credit for it...)

[falloutaddict]

Make sure you are not attaching parts too close to the exit hatch, sometimes when you send them to eva if they clip another part it will send them FLYING.

Also, you can get a different EVA report from space above each different biome (water, desert, grasslands, etc).

Dont forget about all the science around KSP. It is not a whole heck of a lot, but it should help give you a push if you are close to unlocking a node.

Once you have a probe cores you can send scientists instead of pilots into space and reset your material bay and goo pods for more science (instead of just using them once)

Make sure you are bringing back your science bays and goo pods too rather than transmitting them.

Once you can get into orbit your next step should be to get to mun or minmus and get EVA reports from space for each biome, this will net you quite a bit of science.

[Fearless Son]

What falloutaddict said. Each building around the Kerbal Space Center gives a different result when you do scientific experiments next to it. Granted, it is not much science, but it is very low risk and easily accessible. It makes a good method of testing various new scientific apparatus as you unlock them, returning a bit of your investment to get them in the process.

Remember that for most instruments, you can take multiple readings if you have a Kerbal go EVA, float up the the meter, right click on it and select the option to take the data. Then you return the Kerbal to the command module, the data gets stored in there, and you can take more readings again. The big exceptions to this are the Mystery Goo Container and the Science 9000 Jr, which will be rendered inoperative if you remove their data, unless you have a scientist on your crew who can clean the units out after removing data to let them perform additional experiments.

Some kinds of experiments can only get new data in very general conditions, others in very specific conditions. The EVA reports, for example, are different both on the surface of and just above every different biome. You will probably quickly exhaust your possible EVA reports in low Kerbin orbit, but your next goal should be EVA reports in low orbit of the Mun and Minmus. The nice thing is you can keep going in and out of the command pod and gathering new reports as your orbit carries you across different biomes. Use some small inclination adjustments to put yourself on a course over different biomes. In fact, I would recommend you avoid landing on your first orbit over Mun and Minmus. Just try to orbit and observe for a while, then return with the data. Once you get back, you will have a lot of science to unlock with and more options when you go back for your landing, making those future missions easier.

[Cheesehead64]

Make sure you are not attaching parts too close to the exit hatch, sometimes when you send them to eva if they clip another part it will send them FLYING.

Also, you can get a different EVA report from space above each different biome (water, desert, grasslands, etc).

Dont forget about all the science around KSP. It is not a whole heck of a lot, but it should help give you a push if you are close to unlocking a node.

Once you have a probe cores you can send scientists instead of pilots into space and reset your material bay and goo pods for more science (instead of just using them once)

Make sure you are bringing back your science bays and goo pods too rather than transmitting them.

Once you can get into orbit your next step should be to get to mun or minmus and get EVA reports from space for each biome, this will net you quite a bit of science.

Thanks much. I understood about half of this (KSP? Mun? Minmus?) LOL! Which means I need to dig deeper into a Wiki or tutorial... Any recommendations?

[Red Iron Crown]

Check out the Drawing Board, a compendium of user-made tutorials on just about everything KSP.

[Cheesehead64]

Awesome. Thanks all.

Any recommendations on the best YouTube tutorial series? Seems like a lot of them.

[Red Iron Crown]

Scott Manley's are very highly regarded.

[Cheesehead64]

Scott Manley's are very highly regarded.

I'm really enjoying it. I found a couple of tutorials on the Drawing Board too that look great. Thanks again! Game is way too addicting!

[capi3101]

Thanks much. I understood about half of this (KSP? Mun? Minmus?) LOL! Which means I need to dig deeper into a Wiki or tutorial... Any recommendations?

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com has a fair amount of information on it. Some of it's out of date at this point (like the tutorials on the wiki), though much of the data is still good for the game's current version.

[Hagen von Tronje]

Just wanted to mention, if you get frustrated with career mode, there's nothing wrong with starting a science or sandbox file too. Sometimes it's a valuable learning experience to simply find out "ok, so if I had all the money and no need to haul tourists, how could I get to Minmus?" then find out how you can make that economical for career. This is especially so if you fly blind, i.e. aren't using MechJeb or otherwise simplifying things with dV tables and mods/tools. After all, learning by trial and error requires both trial and error, there's no reason to penalize yourself when your goal is to learn.

Learning this game just simply isn't a quick process, so don't get discouraged. I'd guess most people spend 50-100 hours just figuring out how not to bumble around and make a mess, I know that's true of me and I had some minor background in the science to get me started. But once things start to click this is one of the most rewarding games you can play.

[Cheesehead64]

Just wanted to mention, if you get frustrated with career mode, there's nothing wrong with starting a science or sandbox file too. Sometimes it's a valuable learning experience to simply find out "ok, so if I had all the money and no need to haul tourists, how could I get to Minmus?" then find out how you can make that economical for career. This is especially so if you fly blind, i.e. aren't using MechJeb or otherwise simplifying things with dV tables and mods/tools. After all, learning by trial and error requires both trial and error, there's no reason to penalize yourself when your goal is to learn.

Learning this game just simply isn't a quick process, so don't get discouraged. I'd guess most people spend 50-100 hours just figuring out how not to bumble around and make a mess, I know that's true of me and I had some minor background in the science to get me started. But once things start to click this is one of the most rewarding games you can play.

Great suggestion!

[A_name]

Thanks much. I understood about half of this (KSP? Mun? Minmus?) LOL! Which means I need to dig deeper into a Wiki or tutorial... Any recommendations?

KSP was a typo, he means KSC which means Kerbal Space Center, i.e. where you launch your rockets.

Mun and Minmus are the moons of Kerbin, the planet where the Kerbals live.

As for quick science at the beginning of the game, you need to make the most of biome-specific experiments. A biome is an area or zone on a planet or moon. If an experiment is biome-specific it means it will give you unique results when performed on different biomes. KSC is its own biome and has several "sub-biomes" as already mentioned, such as the launchpad and the runway as well as each of the buildings (including the flag-post!). Of course the science to be had at KSC is pretty low, but since there's a lot of biomes it adds up. You can use 2 capsules attached to the bottom of each other as an impromptu rover by laying it on its side and using the roll controls (Q and E on the keyboard) to move around. Attach whatever science experiments you have or you can just do Crew Reports, EVA Reports and Surface Samples at each place.

Next, launch a manned craft into a polar orbit (i.e. launch north or south instead of east). As you orbit, you will pass over different biomes. The polar orbit means that as the planet rotates you will pass over different areas. You can effectively cover the entire planet this way if you spend enough time up there. Whenever you pass over a new biome, go on EVA and get an EVA report. You can easily gets TONS of science this way in a single flight. You will need a mod (I recommend Kerbal Engineer) to know which biome you're at at a glance. But you can kind of tell easily because the biomes correspond to changes in geographical features. Examples of biomes on Kerbin are grasslands, shores, water, mountains, deserts. If in doubt, perform an EVA report and see where it says the report was performed.

Another trick is to make small suborbital research rockets. Strap your science experiments on top of an SRB with a probe core and a parachute and launch in different directions. If you don't have the control surfaces unlocked yet you can vary which way you launch by rotating your craft in the VAB (where you build rockets); to do this select the entire rocket by Shift+Clicking it and then pressing Shift+WASD to rotate it in small increments. You will likely land on a different biome each time you launch and can get more science like that.

If you already unlocked the Science Jr., use it as much as you can. It yields lots of science compered to the other experiments.

This should be enough to get you on your way to the moons, where experiments start to yield more substantial amounts of science.

Let us know if you have other questions.

Edited August 11, 2015 by A_name

[sebbemann]

I've been there too. The game has a STEEP learning curve, and in the beginning it can be a little overwhelming. I only play science mode, that way i don't have to worry about money or reputation.

When EVA, press "r" to enable your kerbals jet pack, and use WASD to move around + shift and ctrl to move up and down.

To get sceince points, visit different biomes, or different areas on kerbin/space/planets and collect. Create a small rocket with science jr and a couple of mystery goo to the north pole, the mountains and so on. When you have more powerfull rockets, do the same thing in space during a stable, circular orbit. After a while of grinding this way, you'll have better and bigger rockets so you can travel to other planets, where the science reward is much greater.

[Fearless Son]

As others have said, the game has a steep learning curve. It is one of those "earn your fun" kind of games, where it takes a while to get the hang of, but opens up a universe (well, solar system anyway) of possibilities for enjoyment as you start to master it.

[Phil deCube]

Have a look at this tutorial series. It might help.

http://imgur.com/a/85cpa

[Wemb]

As everyone else says - you just have to keep putting the Kerbal-hours in - As for science - yes, you'll need to scrape it tootling arround the KSC - but also grab all the test-on-the-pad missions you can get. The science pay-offs really come when you manage your first Munar or Minmus landing. Happily this will occur at the same time as a moment you probably will never forget when you play KSP. Your first successful landing on another world.

Almost certainly followed by a firery death and/or a series of rescue missions.

As for KSP having a steep learning curve - just go try Dwart Fortress. :-)

Wemb

[Reactordrone]

You can also pick up science from EVA reports and crew reports while your ship is descending on its parachute and after you've landed. In the early game it can pay to land all over the place to get the different biomes on Kerbin rather than trying to land back at the space centre.