Colonizing Minimus or Duna first

[Vinhero100]

I'm ripped between the two. Which one should I go to first? 

[Clockwork13]

If you are playing in a career save, go to Minmus and set up a base that you can use to refuel your crafts on. Then getting to Duna will be easier and potentially cheaper. If you are in sandbox mode, just go straight to Duna.

Btw wrong subforum

[Deddly]

Hi @Vinhero100! I took the liberty of moving your thread to KSP Discussion because it seems to fit better in here. Hope you don't mind!

I've not used those mods, but I like the idea of going to Minmus first because it somehow feels to me more like a realistic progression. You know, one step at a time :).

[ZentroCatson]

Well, the difference in fuel requirements is minimal, the main differences are time and ascent/descent vehicles.

Getting to Minmus and back from Kebin is easy and Minmus' low gravity allows you to use less fuel for landing. Duna on the other hand has an atmosphere and higher gravity, meaning you'll have more trouble doing precision landings and ascending from the surface. Though Duna is better suited for rovers, so you could always drive your colony modules to their destination. Another good thing about Duna is that you can do an aerocapture, saving 1/3 of the required Dv. You can also use planes on Duna for scouting out the perfect location for a base, which is more difficult on Minmus. 

Now, to the time issues. When you're having an emergency and you need to send supplies to the colony, Minmus is more forgiving. The travel time to Minmus is only about 8 Kerbin days, but you'll have to travel 260 Kerbin days to Duna with the most efficient transfer window. So a Duna colony has to be more self-sufficient, possibly including emergency protocols.

So, I think it's better to go to Minmus first to find out what you need for a self-sufficient colony. You won't have to do as much planning and transfer window managing, and you can always rely on a rescue mission from Kerbin if something goes wrong.

Edited October 23, 2016 by ZentroCatson

[OrbitalBuzzsaw]

I'd go to Minmus first, as it allows you to launch your Duna vehicles fuel-light, and fuel them up using a mining operation on Minmus. Actually, I'd colonize Mun first, but that's beside the point.

[Vinhero100]

oh wwwoooowwww ok. MINIMUS FIRST!!!!! 

 

1 hour ago, OrbitalBuzzsaw said:

I'd go to Minmus first, as it allows you to launch your Duna vehicles fuel-light, and fuel them up using a mining operation on Minmus. Actually, I'd colonize Mun first, but that's beside the point.

I would colonize the mun first, but here are some reasons why not

1- Hard to find resoucources in one spot

2- Kind of boring, and you normally never see kerbin if you land wrong

3- Not as flat as minimus, so i cant set up many refueling/ mining bases (I have planetary logistic systems)

[Vinhero100]

3 hours ago, ZentroCatson said:

Well, the difference in fuel requirements is minimal, the main differences are time and ascent/descent vehicles.

Getting to Minmus and back from Kebin is easy and Minmus' low gravity allows you to use less fuel for landing. Duna on the other hand has an atmosphere and higher gravity, meaning you'll have more trouble doing precision landings and ascending from the surface. Though Duna is better suited for rovers, so you could always drive your colony modules to their destination. Another good thing about Duna is that you can do an aerocapture, saving 1/3 of the required Dv. You can also use planes on Duna for scouting out the perfect location for a base, which is more difficult on Minmus. 

Now, to the time issues. When you're having an emergency and you need to send supplies to the colony, Minmus is more forgiving. The travel time to Minmus is only about 8 Kerbin days, but you'll have to travel 260 Kerbin days to Duna with the most efficient transfer window. So a Duna colony has to be more self-sufficient, possibly including emergency protocols.

So, I think it's better to go to Minmus first to find out what you need for a self-sufficient colony. You won't have to do as much planning and transfer window managing, and you can always rely on a rescue mission from Kerbin if something goes wrong.

I see what you mean about the life support with minimus vs. duna, but im not planning on sending many kerbals until it's totally finshed. Plus, I usually overdo the life support. On my old save (which I deleted) I was so affraid that I was going to run out of food for 4 kerbals, I ended up sending about 2 years of life support to minimus. LOL

[Vinhero100]

Ok. Virtually %99.99999999999 of everyone here voted o go to minimus first. I am in sandbox, but I cant do a mass launch to duna becuase I am not that skilled.So if I do small launches to duna, it will "eat away"  at my life support. I will probably be able to send supplies from minimus-duna easier, so im colonizning minimus first. I will add karbonite, karbonite+ etc, (all of the mods I said up top) Thanks to everyone who voted! I will be putting up another disscusion in a few weeks to decide where to go next.

[pandaman]

I'd go for Minmus first, not only us it a natural feeling progression, and possibly a refuelling stop for Duna, it'll give you a chance to test some kit and practice your precision landings etc before committing to the long Duna trips.

[obi_juan]

Ok.

I play a similar mod game as you.

At this moment I am starting my colony on Minmus. 

First, forget to find all the resources on the same spot. The great addition on MKS is the "planetary Logistics", you can make and autonomous drill for one resource in the spot that have higher concentration (Abobe 5%) and fill the storage of Minmus. And make the colony in a flat place near of ecuador of Minmus.

Also, instal Extraplanetary Launchpads (you don't need the parts only the dll) to construct the ships on that colony, takes time to make all the rocket parts, and construct the ships... But are free.

Thats why I make the colony on Minmus, to construct all my interplanetary ships to make new colonies. 

[septemberWaves]

Start with Minmus because of the life support. A trip to Minmus and back takes so much less life support supplies than to Duna that it's the best place to start with. It will also give you an opportunity to test out life support systems whilst not being too far from Kerbin to send a rescue mission in an emergency.

[Wjolcz]

Go big, go Laythe. That's what I always do.

[Clipperride]

Not only is the transit time to Duna much longer, you also need to wait for a suitable launch window.  If you match your orbital inclination to Minmus in LKO, you can send a resupply ship at anytime and be there in a little over a week.  Going to Duna, you may have to wait a year before you can even start your journey.

Another big advantage to Minmus, is the large flat plains that make setting up a base much easier.  Although, you can get a bit "spoilt" if you are planning to attach several modules on the ground.  It doesn't take much of a height difference between those modules to make joining them very tricky indeed.

I would vote for setting up an experimental base on Minmus, to make sure that you have everything covered, and then head off to Duna (or even further!). 

[samstarman5]

I like Minmus because it is easy to get to, even easier than the Mun, but it also sits on the proverbial ski ramp. With more stable additional navigation nodes, it is easier to plan out a gravity assist using Kerbin to get into interplanetary orbit with even a boost to Duna or Eve to boot.  That makes sending tanker craft to other planets cheaper as well.

It may just be time to get a sign made, "Minmus Truck Stop- The best greasy spoon in the system. Ask about our Mint Sorbet"

Edited October 23, 2016 by samstarman5

[Curveball Anders]

I always explore "locally" before hitting Duna.

Mainly because I feel it's the natural development.

[suicidejunkie]

If you're scouting out territory on Minmus, you don't need a vehicle at all.  Just a low orbit and a jetpack for taking surface samples.

[panzer1b]

Minmus is almost exclusively the best spot in career to set up a fuel depot because of the low gravity and relative ease of dragging anything that was mined back into orbit to fuel ships.  Technically you can go straight to duna, but it makes more sense to set up in minmus, refuel your craft when it gets to minmus, and then do the fairly low energy transfer to duna (from minmus orbit its is like barely any dV).  The only time where direct to duna is better if if you have no interest in minmus and do not care about funds or efficiency (since IRSU is cheaper and best choice if you want to do alot of travel to and from somewhere)...

[flatbear]

[Deadpangod3]

i always wanted to colonize the Mun first, but since theres like zero properly flat terrain my bases tip over and explode because KAS pipes dont like slopes, but my latest base used the Konstruction mod and MKS and is set on Minmus, making bases on the frozen flats is nice.

Just gotta not put the Konstruction ports on upside down...

Edited October 25, 2016 by Deadpangod3

[adsii1970]

I'm playing a sandbox game but I set a base on the Mum first, then Minimus.

[Jonfliesgoats]

I would do whatever is more enjoyable.  In career mode the limitations of your tech marginally affect you during the first, good Duna transfer window.  I usually wind up developing labs and bases on all three bodies simultaneously.

In my experience The moon is more challenging with regard to terrain (I drive many rovers off cliffs because I have lead thumbs.).  Minmus is easy.  Duna is more challenging with regard to logistics.

[KAL 9000]

With the emergency problem, why not try DeepFreeze? If an emergency pops up on Duna, you can just put your Kerbals in cryosleep until supplies arrive.

[Curveball Anders]

1 hour ago, Jonfliesgoats said:

I would do whatever is more enjoyable.  In career mode the limitations of your tech marginally affect you during the first, good Duna transfer window.  I usually wind up developing labs and bases on all three bodies simultaneously.

In my experience The moon is more challenging with regard to terrain (I drive many rovers off cliffs because I have lead thumbs.).  Minmus is easy.  Duna is more challenging with regard to logistics.

Oh yes, fun always is first.

I tend to miss/ignore the first Duna window and build in the Kerbin system (and some Kerbol excursions) before I hit Duna with all I have at the second window

Minmus is easier than Mun for several reasons, and 6 deg inclination isn't directly challenging.