My Community Contribution: Career Advice

[Brian444444]

Not that anyone asked... Recently with the 1.1.x upgrade I started using the forum to try and get a handle on what some of the issues were with the new code. This seems like a decent community with some helpful folks so I thought I would give back a little with my experiences with the game.

That being said, I have been playing this game for about 6 months now and in the beginning I struggled with various aspects of the game early on. Not so much with flight dynamics but getting science, leveling Kerbals and generally advancing the career. I have learned though much trial and error and many, many new careers a reasonable strategy for career progression and thought I would share for anyone else out there that might be struggling like I was.

This isn't going to be a precise how-to guide regarding builds but rather a loose set of tips to get consistent career advancement. Discovering how to fly, dock and build properly is where the true enjoyment and sense of satisfaction from the game will come. These tips will be to keep you advancing with ample money and science with reputation coming along for the ride. I will note that I have run this strategy successfully on "normal" and "moderate" careers. I assume this strategy would work in higher difficulties but I can't say that with 100% certainty.

So let's get started...

1- Always get contracts from the mission control building. And to start only focus flying with one pilot. If you are going to fly, might as well get science, rep and $$ for doing it. I start with the get science from Kerbal contract and launch our first vessel. Be sure to equip and observe goo, take crew report and upon landing do an  EVA report as well. This allows you to to get engineering 101, basic flight and survivability on the tech tree after your first flight.

2- I then move on to orbit Kerbin and escape the atmosphere. It is worth noting that I avoid ALL test, recover, observe and ferry contracts in the beginning. My focus is 100% on flight. Again, not going to tell you how to build a ship capable of achieving those goals but it can be done at this point if you upgrade your launch pad. Build your ship and be sure to include a science jr, goo container and a heat shield for reentry. Additionally, you will want to use two MK2-R's to land successfully without exploding your science jr. on impact with Kerbin. This will provide a fair amount of science (assuming you take science while in orbit) that will allow another couple choices from the tech tree. Advanced rocketry is a must for the next step. Additionally it will level Jeb or Valentina assuming you are focued on one pilot to level one. This unlocks prograde and retrograde controls for that pilot.

3- The next contract I accept is fly by the mun. (It is noteworthy here to mention you may have to advance time a day or two before the contract becomes available) This can absolutely be done at this point. You may struggle finding the right vessel setup to do it but it can be done. Be sure to add any and all science gadgets you can to your craft and wait to record them once you enter mun's sphere of influence. Return to Kerbin with a lot of science and spend wherever you feel necessary. I tend to focus on advanced rocketry, basic science and general construction next.

4- For this step you should have enough $$ to upgrade your vehicle assembly building which will be a necessity to complete your next contract "orbit the mun". You  should have enough to upgrade your astronaut complex as well. This unlocks EVA's while in flight. This can be a little tricky to achieve this and return a Kerbal safely back to Kerbin but it can be done. Since you have already "scienced" out the Mun's sphere of influence try grabbing science in flight above 17k meters above the launch pad but do your EVA in the Mun's sphere of influence. If you have added basic science go ahead and take temp readings around the Mun for maximum science.

5- Next, land on the Mun and return safely. At this point it is hard to achieve this but it can be done. Grab all science from the surface of the Mun. Upon return, focusing on getting advanced flight controls and space exploration is necessary for this next step.

6- This step I go to the astronaut complex and hire one additional scientist. After hiring him/her I build a craft that contains a PPD-10 hitchhiker. I pile in every single Kerbal on staff and either return to the Mun or accept Minmus contracts (whichever is available) and land the entire crew. I cannot over emphasize the need for advanced flight controls here to survive reentry. Grab science again. (By this point you should know where to maximize your science return.) If you go to the Mun then upon return every crew member will be level 1. If you go to Minmus instead then your go to pilot will be level 2 and the rest of your crew will be level one.

7- Rinse and repeat step 6 by going to wherever you didn't go in step 6. Now your entire staff will be level 2 and you should have enough $$ to upgrade the research and development building and enough science to focus on obtaining advance exploration, advanced electrics and heavy rocketry which will be necessary for the next step.

8- Build a ship with a mobile processing lab. The crew should contain a pilot in the capsule and 2 scientists (lvl2 now) and fly it to the Mun or Minmus for an extended stay. (You should really understand at this point how to get science data into the lab and start research) Its fairly intuitive but if you are struggling with this then Google how it works. I have some pointers regarding this. I use the "actions" option in the vehicle assembly building to do all data collection from devices (including the capsule) with a single push of the "b" key. Bind all the science devices data collect options to the "brakes". Then choose the lab processing option as they all pop up at once. If you have goo and a science jr on your craft (which you should) remember to clean those experiments immediately after use by right clicking the mobile processing lab. The MOMENT you launch your craft hit you "b" key and accept all the data into your lab as fast as you can click them. Then immediately clean experiments. As soon as your craft gets above 17k meters hit the "b" key again and do it all over again. When the craft gets to 70k meters do it again. Once you reach orbit of your target (Mun or Minmus) do it all over again. As you descend to the surface of your target and are about 1-2k meters above the surface do it again. Then upon landing, do it again. You will likely be in a position where your lab is full at this point but as the science gets processed then put the surface data in the lab when you have room. This will get your lab full of science and with 2 level 2 scientists you will be puking out science at an alarming rate.

9- It is at this point science is no longer an issue for you. You can just sit back and warp the game to completely fill out your tech tree up to the next research and development building upgrade. But in order to achieve the funds necessary you will need to start shotgunning probes around the solar system. 

10- You will start with Duna and Ike. For two reasons...(although Gilly and Eve may pop up too.) one they are closest and fit into your tech capabilities and two they become available as contracts before anything else. My goal is to always land a probe on these bodies (although anything with an atmosphere is an exception (e.g. Eve, Duna, Laythe)) that has the ability to take back off the surface. Why? Well this gets into a little "gameyness". Contracts will periodically appear that ask for surface data OR "science data from space around..." If you have a probe with some extra fuel on the non-atmospheric body then a simple throttle bump and data capture and transmit will satisfy the contract and keep the $$ flowing to your operation. IDK how others feel about doing that but the game doesn't prevent it so I take advantage of it.

11- After a Duna and Ike exploration/probe landing then your lab is about exhausted wherever you landed it. Return home and immediately suit back up for another trip to Minmus or the Mun to keep the science flowing and ultimately filling out the tech tree. Once that second lab has landed I literally put a landed semi-fueled probe on EVERY body that you can in the solar system. I wait for the explore contracts then head out. One you get a probe on each body the money is never an issue again. You can really cash in by accepting a strategy in the admin building to convert science to $$ or even rep if you prefer.

12- Its at this point I start doing any and all missions. Captures, flag plants, rescues, ferrys or whatever you heart desires since you have locked in a steady money stream and maxed your science tree.

 

Hope this helps someone who is struggling and happy launching!

 

 

Edited May 4, 2016 by Brian444444