Give New Players Simpler Parts

[tuckjohn]

I have recently started to play a in-alpha game called "From the Depths"(fromthedepthsgame.com/). In a gist, it is a extremely complex voxel-based sandbox in which you build submarines, planes, ships, spaceships, etc. When I started playing in the creative mode, there was one feature that I had never seen before- in the inventory screen where it allowed you to choose what block to place, about 3/4 of them are grayed out. The only blocks/parts that I had access to were the ones that I needed to make the most basic ship. Then, when I wanted to play with more advanced blocks/parts, all I had to do was click the "more" button on the top of the inventory GUI and several parts were appear out of the greyness. Clicking it again made even more parts appear(If at any time I felt like that was too complex, I could hit the "less" button to grey out the more advanced blocks that had appeared when I pressed the "more" button).

Basically, Adding a mechanic such as this into the game would really help new players not get discouraged by the wall of parts.

[pincushionman]

…this is what Science Mode is?

[Slam_Jones]

Or career mode.

Personally, when I first got KSP I went immediately into Sandbox mode and encountered the problem you described. I had no idea what anything did, or even what part to start with. I stared at the structural panels and girders for a while before deciding to take a different approach: career mode.

After playing career for a little bit, it all makes a lot more sense. Or, as stated above, Science mode (though personally I've never played Science mode)

Edited September 2, 2015 by Slam_Jones

[sumghai]

As others have said, the existing Career and Science mode already serves this purpose - you start with the most basic rocket parts, and as you earn science points, you can unlock more complex or superior parts.

It might not be the exact same "click here for more parts" that From The Depths uses, but it's suited to the context and vision of KSP.