Early Career Science Lull - What Next?

[Some Kerbal]

On 12/13/2015 at 1:33 PM, Plusck said:

The 90s bit of the science tree is a difficult one. There are three or four really vital things to unlock: (a) OKTO core + photovoltaeic panel, (b) barometer, (c) radial decouplers, and (d) fuel lines.

Each of these things brings massive advantages, but it is a conundrum to work out which one to do first. I think I ended up taking the barometer, then running though all the same missions again, then OKTO, but it might have been the opposite.

It's nice if you get a contract to "test" decouplers, for example, as long as you negligently miss the contract parameters on each launch until you can actually afford the science points to get non-experimental access to them.

When I started my career for the first time I unlocked the solar panels first. That opened up satellite contracts for Kerbin then Mun and Minmus. Those contracts brought in a good amount of funds and gave me practice on launching and more efficient craft design. Putting a thermometer on each satellite gives instant ability to complete those 'science from space around' contracts when they pop up - free money. Once you can get a satellite around one of the moons you will get the 'land a probe' contracts where you can start getting the science from the moons. 

A big help to me was watching some of the 'let's play lap' tutorial videos, watching what they did in the early career stages. There are some valuable tips in them.

[Snark]

2 hours ago, twright439042 said:

This was pretty helpful in general but wow, I don't know how you get these altitude marks with this DeltaV in this version of the game. Was the game a bit nerfed when this was written? I find I need much more fuel per stage to hit these marks (though, of course, there are a hundred things I might be doing wrong...)

Well, the aero rules have changed slightly since then (blunt things have gotten a bit more draggy, pointy things a bit less draggy), but overall it still holds, the ship works just fine.  Did you try flying this exact ship?  What's your speed, altitude, and angle when each stage burns out?

2 hours ago, twright439042 said:

Specific question: you say "2-ton LFO tank" and "4-ton LFO tank"... which tanks are you using, specifically? I find none of the stock tanks are exactly 2- or 4-ton carriers.

Sure they are.  By "2-ton LFO tank", I mean the FL-T400, which does in fact hold exactly two tons of LFO.  By "4-ton LFO tank", I mean the FL-T800, which does in fact hold exactly four tons of LFO.

(The full tanks themselves weigh slightly more than that, of course-- 2.25 tons and 4.5 tons, respectively-- but that's because there's some dead weight there; the tanks have some "dry weight" even when completely empty.)

Sorry for the confusion; I say "2-ton LFO tanks" because, first, "how much fuel does it hold" is generally a much more important number than "what's the total mass of the full tank"; and, second, if I called it by its proper name "FL-T400", most folks would have no idea what I mean and would have to go look it up.

[DD_bwest]

early and mid science is much easier than it seems, its just most dont know all the tricks yet.

its even easier since moving the thermo and baro up and the materials bay back.  

one of the things most few new players dont know/realize, that in a standard orbit you can hit 6 low space eva biomes.   also one you realize you can pull results to keep doing  more, you can get a crap ton more science then you would otherwise be getting.  take material bays up, pull results and bringem back lol they are Well worth it.

people also get scared of mun trips thinking its a major task, but it really doesnt take much, and with a polar orbit you can hit 15+ eva biomes lol  

[twright439042]

On 12/14/2016 at 2:16 PM, Snark said:

Well, the aero rules have changed slightly since then (blunt things have gotten a bit more draggy, pointy things a bit less draggy), but overall it still holds, the ship works just fine.  Did you try flying this exact ship?  What's your speed, altitude, and angle when each stage burns out?

Sure they are.  By "2-ton LFO tank", I mean the FL-T400, which does in fact hold exactly two tons of LFO.  By "4-ton LFO tank", I mean the FL-T800, which does in fact hold exactly four tons of LFO.

(The full tanks themselves weigh slightly more than that, of course-- 2.25 tons and 4.5 tons, respectively-- but that's because there's some dead weight there; the tanks have some "dry weight" even when completely empty.)

Sorry for the confusion; I say "2-ton LFO tanks" because, first, "how much fuel does it hold" is generally a much more important number than "what's the total mass of the full tank"; and, second, if I called it by its proper name "FL-T400", most folks would have no idea what I mean and would have to go look it up.

Don't recall the exact stats.... I'll do a test run this evening with that set-up again and let you know.

And yeh, big DUH on the fuel tanks' mass, i figured that out not long after I asked.