Science around KSC

[NielsBohr]

Greetings.

I remember back in one of the older versions that a great way to accumulate science in early-game, is by examining each of the different buildings in KSC, as they each have their own biome. 

After the update where buildings have different stages of upgrades, I wonder if the biomes are still available for examination in early game, or does one have to upgrade to level X before a new biome will be available?  

I ask as I, unfortunately, have not played for a while, however I did play yesterday but failed to recover any science from the different buildings, hence the above question. 

I thank you for your time. 

 

[Signo]

Based on my experience biomes should be available from scratch.

It might be harder to gather science from the "weird" ones like the flagpole but I think you will have plenty anyway.

Enjoy your walk

[GoSlash27]

The wiki is current on which biomes are available when during your facility upgrades. 

Some biomes require physical contact with the building.

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Kerbal_Space_Center

Go to the main articles for each to see the biomes.

Best,
-Slashy

[Kerbart]

3 minutes ago, GoSlash27 said:

The wiki is current on which biomes are available when during your facility upgrades. (...)

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Kerbal_Space_Center

I didn't know the water tower and coolant tanks were biomes! But it's not listing the crawlway as a biome.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Kerbart

[NielsBohr]

I thank both of you, Sir @Signo and Sir @GoSlash27.

I genuinely appreciate your replies and I'll check the article out for sure. 

All the best,

//NB

 

[GoSlash27]

15 minutes ago, Kerbart said:

I didn't know the water tower and coolant tanks were biomes! But it's not listing the crawlway as a biome.

Good point! 

The crawlerway is a biome. That's the only one I can think of that's not mentioned in the wiki.

 

[GoSlash27]

5 hours ago, Signo said:

Enjoy your walk

 It doesn't take much science to unlock the first aircraft node. Once you have that, you have everything you need to make the "jet powered rover of science!" (da-dada-daaa!)

Some folks go more hardcore with reaction wheel rollers. That gets access to KSC sooner, but is kind of a PITA.

Best,
-Slashy

Edited August 30, 2016 by GoSlash27

[Alshain]

@GoSlash27 and @Kerbart

A more appropriate list of biomes is here, including all the KSC ones.

Quote

• KSC
  • Administration
  • Astronaut Complex^{[Note 1]}
  • Crawlerway
  • Flag Pole
  • LaunchPad
  • Mission Control
  • R&D
    • R&D Central Building
    • R&D Corner Lab
    • R&D Main Building
    • R&D Observatory
    • R&D Side Lab
    • R&D Small Lab
    • R&D Tanks
    • R&D Wind Tunnel
  • Runway
  • SPH
    • SPH Main Building
    • SPH Round Tank
    • SPH Tanks
    • SPH Water Tower
  • Tracking Station
    • Tracking Station Dish East
    • Tracking Station Dish North
    • Tracking Station Dish South
    • Tracking Station Hub
  • VAB
    • VAB Main Building
    • VAB Pod Memorial
    • VAB Round Tank
    • VAB South Complex^{[Note 2]}
    • VAB Tanks

 

  It also answers the question in the OP

Quote

Notes: While the per-area biomes are available from the start of a new career game, the per-structure biomes will not be found until each facility is upgraded once or twice. To access each per-structure biome, your craft needs to be touching each new building.

 

Edited August 30, 2016 by Alshain

[Sharpy]

Don't forget the biome of KSC, which is everything outside the KSC biomes (just ride off the raised ground.

A short way west there are Shores. A short way east there are Grasslands. And right at the border between KSC and grasslands, there's literally a 10 meters wide strip of Tundra.

[Signo]

Well then, at the end of the landing strip there are some "seapools" - there you can gather reports for "splashed at kerbin shores" instead of landed.

On Kerbin you can find both versions of reports for all the available biomes. (yes, mountains too - there are a few lakes there)

Not sure about Eve but it might be the same case.

[capi3101]

Myself, I follow Streetwind's advice for early sci here, then go into Geschosskopf's strategy here on the same thread. The advice is from 1.0.4 but it still applies in 1.1.3, and I know from experience that you can get the tech tree knocked out in rapid order if you follow it.

But that was not the OP's question - yes, there are all of these buildings available to gather science from around KSC; I usually farm them when I'm a point or two short of unlocking a node after a mission. For many of the specific biomes listed in the list that @Alshain posted above (for example, the multiple entries under R&D, or the VAB pod memorial), you will need to have the building in question fully upgraded first.