Anyone ever play 1.2's Hard Career Mode?

[JoeYoung]

Honestly, this mode strikes me as almost impossible given the sheer amount of contract grinding and the expensive base upgrades. I can't get to orbit on the default launch pad and I'm just not used to not having maneuvers to work with. I always seem short on money and science.

Does anyone have any choice advice or suggestions on how to have a successful run at it? is there something extra I need to do re: Management Strategies or am I just not good enough for hard mode? The only career mode tutorials I've seen are either not hard mode or don't have the 1.2 science trees.

I find some of the surveying contracts to be extremely aggravating, especially the ones that happen BELOW a certain altitude, because it feels almost impossible to point a rocket there and reach it. I don't even get the sightseeing ones, am I expected to put a civvie in the cockpit? Some of those contract rewards don't even seem to be worth the money cost in putting them into action.

[fourfa]

I can't play on less than Hard now (though personally I add back save/revert).  I saw someone post a Caveman Challenge with every slider on the max hardest - that seems fun!

Funds are very tight on Hard mode, particularly around building upgrades as you note.  You do have to be strategic about what upgrades when, and what contracts to choose.  I wouldn't bother with any Admin building strategies.

You can get a lot of initial science from little Flea-powered pods to the nearby biomes (five easy ones, plus all the microbiomes inside KSC).  Personally I like to go for plane techs early, and vacuum up the local science with a science plane.  Then straight to polar orbit - you can consider leaving the polar orbiter in place until you earn enough cash to unlock EVA, then get all the EVA reports too before bringing it back.

Tourists are free easy money and will likely be a continual, long-term source of income - in the beginning you can just stack Mk1 pods (looks funny, flies great), then Mk1 crew cabins.  And yes, just stick the tourists in the spare seats (look carefully at ones that have G-force requirements - some are very tricky).  Survey contracts under X altitude are plane missions (I just avoid them unless they're pretty near the KSC); surveys above X altitude are most cheaply done from a ship that just lives in polar orbit with whatever instruments you have unlocked.  Part tests "landed" or "splashed down" are free money - landed doesn't even have to launch, just run the test from the pad and recover for 100%.  If none of the contracts look good to you, just timewarp a day or two and they'll change.

You can still build a liquid-fueled SSTO rocket to orbit on the second launch, with level 0 VAB and pad.  Just stack 13 (?) small fuel tanks and a swivel under a Mk1 capsule and chute.  No decoupler, just save a little fuel to slow down right before splashdown.  Orbit and deorbit at this level of complexity is good practice for flying without nodes - it is not too hard to fly by the Mun without them (it helps to have done it so many times with nodes that you can set up an intercept with your eyes closed); even Minmus is possible with some coaching.

Try to recover as much of the expensive gear as possible - I get a ton of mileage out of an early package of Mk1 pod, small chute, small service bay, and all the batteries and expensive small instruments in the bay.  Then try to target KSC when returning from orbit for better recovery percentage.  For local science expeditions, take the time to fly your plane back to the runway to recover 100% - your only cost is fuel (which is practically free).

Good luck, and hope I'm not spoiling the fun of discovery with too much detail

Edited January 22, 2017 by fourfa

[ForScience6686]

Airplanes become much more important so you can do more kerbin based science for money.

[bewing]

Well, I only play hard career mode. It sounds like you have not glommed onto the importance of airplanes for early career mode. And maybe your rockets are a bit bigger than they need to be.

Choice advice may be a bit difficult, as there are multiple ways to play career mode at normal difficulty -- and I pretty much always do it the same old way each time in hard mode. Maybe you would like to be gifted with a lovely little plane I just made for hard career mode using fairly low tech?

In any case, if a play-by-play would help you:
take the first 2 contracts, put bob in a pod+flea+chute+2 goos with 14 fuel
take lots of science on the pad, launch, take lots of science in the air, land, eva bob to the ground, and get the "in flight over launchpad EVA" report. -- That covers both initial contracts.
Use that science to get barometers and thermometers, take readings on the runway and launchpad, and gather a few more "in flight over stuff" EVA reports by walking around a bit.
Then do parachute testing contracts, and any contracts tested on the launchpad. By this time night has fallen.
As soon as you have enough science, take Aviation. Spend an hour driving around KSC and gather enough science to get SciJr's and drive all around KSC gathering every science report. (do you know where they all are?)

That will get you about 200 science points to spend on stuff. A small amount of flying around taking all possible science reports will give you enough to mostly fill the tech tree up to the 90 point level.
If you get lucky, you will be offered a panther engine on a contract, which will get you all those survey contracts in a snap in 1 flight. If not, you need a cute little plane like the one I just made.

Yes, not having maneuver nodes makes things a little trickier. But it does help to teach you how to fly by eye. Maneuver nodes are a bit of a crutch, you know.
And the tiny contract rewards are there to force you to learn to be really economical.
For tourists, you have to add a MK1 crew cabin to your ship -- unless you want to unlock the OKTO and put them in the cockpit, yes.

After that, yes, there is a lot of grinding for money. You definitely need $100k to upgrade your pad to do a good job of getting to Minmus. Upgrading Mission Control is vital to be able to perform as many contracts on a single mission as possible (I just did 7 high altitude survey contracts in 1 flight). Tracking Station for nodes. VAB for bigger rockets. Astronaut Complex for EVA. R&D for surface samples, fuel xfers, and all that tech. If you want to turn up the funds rewards back closer to 100%, that would probably ease a lot of the grindiness. Doing 3 or 4 contracts per launch whenever possible makes it more interesting and makes it go faster.

[WanderingKid]

I've basically played Hard only since it was introduced, as Normal was just too simplistic and non-restrictive.  I also re-enable save/load though, because KSP can be silly sometimes, like blowing up planes on the runway. I'll do easy occasionally for showcase videos, but then I'm playing with things just to make it easier for a recording.

So, Hard.

First, and foremost, you must get your money's worth out of the world's first contracts.  Don't do anything new until you've either gotten a world's first for it, or you've moved on to Mun for the world's first.  This includes EVAs, returning science from orbit to KSC, etc.  Milk those puppies.

I don't do surveying contracts, and I don't do parts contracts (unless they're on the Launchpad).  They aren't worth my time.  You can really get into shortening your number of launches, but that's a moot concern really.  I also don't typically worry about recovering booster components, except at the very beginning when I'm doing 'hop and pops' off the Launchpad to clear the first few world's first contracts and get some goo/mat bay science in.

Your first ship to orbit shouldn't cost you more than 10-12k, and you can legitimately get up there with a T-45 and a stack of FLT-100s (the half ton tanks) if you're careful about it and leave yourself some fuel for final deceleration under chute.  Without upgrading the pad or tracking center you can do a Munar flyby if you wait for moonrise, burn prograde until your Apoapsis is ~14 million, and wait.  You'll be close to a free return and can adjust from there once you return to Kerbin's SOI.

The final verdict, though, is hard mode forces you to do more with less.  Less upgrades, less power, more finesse.  Chase into the science branch deeply to get to the Mat Bay Jr.  That's a lot of science for the rest of the tree.  Abuse low/high altitude tests, and low/high orbit tests.  You don't need to orbit to get to high space, just need to go up.  Use SRBs, they're cheap for the power and part count, particularly once you open the BACC Thumper.  Once you open up OKTO, along with solar panels, you have satellites to bring in funds with.  You don't have to go that far to get that going, and as an extra point you start setting up your commnet for their cash.

I was working on a reasonable walkthrough of Hard Mode (at least till leaving Kerbin's SOI) but I managed to get myself distracted building a Minmus Science base and then playing with recordings... I'll need to get back on that.  However, you HAVE the funds, I assure you.  They're there.  Rescuing LKO Kerbals and sending up satellites gets you a bucketload of funds for the early upgrades.

Start small, work small. Don't over-engineer. Learn to Rendezvous.  You can't transfer resources between units until you upgrade some buildings, but you CAN dock and transport a craft with an already full tank somewhere else.  Learn the Delta-V equation (or use KER/MJ) to figure out your Delta-V on your craft.  Aerodynamic rockets take ~3,500 dV to circularize in LKO.  Abuse EVA's over biomes by going into a polar orbit instead of east/west.

The problem is that there isn't just one trick, there's a few dozen of them, each one small, each one making an impact until you get where you need to be.

If you're curious about upgrade order, my usual is: Astronaut Center (EVAs), Mission Control (more simultaneous contracts), Tracking Center (finally getting conics and nodes), and then the Launchpad to launch 30-40t rockets for Mun/Minmus landings.  Inside Kerbin's SOI these are the only upgrades you should need.  The rest are gravy.

[JoeYoung]

Ok so I wasn't 100% sure about KSC's sub biomes but now that I do I went back and check, and chalked up lots of science in my little science car. I was able to hit up almost all of KSC, the shore, the grasslands, the highlands, and the mountains in one trip (I didn't think it'd make it to the top of the mountain, but it did!).

Spoiler

I'm ready to start farming some contracts and eventually think about going into orbit, but I'd like to make a usable plane first. I've unlocked 4 tiers of science (the default plus 3 more). Do any of you have plane suggestions I can try and maybe some tips on how to take off without becoming an explody mess with just those parts? I mean Darn it the runway is bumpier than the terrain everywhere else! Also, what branch of tech should I focus first? I was thinking maybe the bottom-most electronics one because if I'm going to have consistent presence in space, I need solar panels.

 

Anyone have tips for achieving a stable LKO from liftoff and maybe some craft ideas?

UPDATE: I got to the point where I can lift off and (barely) land safely with a tiny droid plane, but I think my design leaves a lot to be desired. I've only got one jet engine and one intake and spindly little wheels, so maybe I need to advance a little further on the tech tree before doing surveys? I am really tempted to grind for a better runway too. Or maybe I should do a rocket focused plane instead?

Edited January 23, 2017 by JoeYoung
update

[fourfa]

How to survive the level 0 runway: don't use it.  Immediately roll left on launch, and take off from the glass-flat grass.  Or in SPH, turn the craft to point at the back of the building, then launch aimed 270 instead of 90.  Then at landing time, land on the grass nearby and taxi onto the runway for 100% recovery.

You don't NEED to upgrade the runway until you need the weight limit.  OTOH one strategy is to build whatever you like in VAB and SPH, then load craft from VAB to SPH, reorient them vertically, and launch from the runway.  No need to pay upgrades for both pad and runway, just use the runway for everything.

[Enceos]

In pure stock hard mode is a time waster. But if you have MKS or Pathfinder you can start earning money through mining pretty soon. Just need to devise some space freighters and a technology to bring exotic minerals back to KSC. If you have the Strategia mod and the Contract Configurator with GAP and Tourism contract packs the money earned by pilots is boosted. The Bon Voyage mod will help you rove your rovers and earn science while you're busy with other missions. You will need to empty Moho and Duna science before I get the R.A.P.I.E.R. engines though. But it's very fun, random monoliths you find will give you a random unresearched tech from the tech tree. That's how I play the hard career mode.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Enceos

[JoeYoung]

37 minutes ago, fourfa said:

How to survive the level 0 runway: don't use it.  Immediately roll left on launch, and take off from the glass-flat grass.  Or in SPH, turn the craft to point at the back of the building, then launch aimed 270 instead of 90.  Then at landing time, land on the grass nearby and taxi onto the runway for 100% recovery.

You don't NEED to upgrade the runway until you need the weight limit.  OTOH one strategy is to build whatever you like in VAB and SPH, then load craft from VAB to SPH, reorient them vertically, and launch from the runway.  No need to pay upgrades for both pad and runway, just use the runway for everything.

This is good, but I could use a few plane design ideas..... I seem to have a problem with craft stability using the available parts.

[WanderingKid]

15 minutes ago, JoeYoung said:

This is good, but I could use a few plane design ideas..... I seem to have a problem with craft stability using the available parts.

Where's your science tree up to?  That'll help inform us of what's available to build.

[JoeYoung]

Just now, WanderingKid said:

Where's your science tree up to?  That'll help inform us of what's available to build.

4 tiers, including the beginning. Anything that costed less than 90. I have 30 science on hand at the moment, but I haven't been looking for science at the moment, I've been doing these sightseeing contracts that are fantastic. Once I get my funds back up I was going to look into science and orbits.

What's the requirement to no longer need approval for posts? I get it's an important anti-spam tool, and the mods have been EXTREMELY responsive (thanks guys!), but it would be nice to move past it.

[MonsterBenny]

I play KSP since Dec 2016. The first two weeks I played on normal to learn a little about the basics of the game.
Then I began a new carreer with the hard preset and some personal settings: save/load enabled, extra groundstations disabled, require signal for control on, plasma blackout on, g-force limits on etc.
With that little more harder settings (than the hard preset suggests), personally I enjoy the game even more. For example I love to build relay networks that would be otherwise not required..

[WuphonsReach]

4 hours ago, MonsterBenny said:

I play KSP since Dec 2016. The first two weeks I played on normal to learn a little about the basics of the game.
Then I began a new carreer with the hard preset and some personal settings: save/load enabled, extra groundstations disabled, require signal for control on, plasma blackout on, g-force limits on etc.
With that little more harder settings (than the hard preset suggests), personally I enjoy the game even more. For example I love to build relay networks that would be otherwise not required..

This mod might be for you.  It makes relay networks much more important because the direct-connect antennas just won't do it.

My issue with hard-mode is the grind.  It's just too much when you're doing the same thing over and over and over, or spending an hour of play time to earn just 10-20k funds.  I do, however, turn on things like Kerbals not respawning, G-force limits, etc.

[MonsterBenny]

4 hours ago, WuphonsReach said:

This mod might be for you.  It makes relay networks much more important because the direct-connect antennas just won't do it.

My issue with hard-mode is the grind.  It's just too much when you're doing the same thing over and over and over, or spending an hour of play time to earn just 10-20k funds.  I do, however, turn on things like Kerbals not respawning, G-force limits, etc.

Thanks for your suggestion, looks very interesting.But I try to keep my game mostly vanilla -  except for some helping mods like KER, KAC...

[fourfa]

13 hours ago, JoeYoung said:

This is good, but I could use a few plane design ideas..... I seem to have a problem with craft stability using the available parts.

Try this one.  Very stable, easy to fly, low takeoff and landing speed.  There's room in the service bay for more experiments as you get them, or batteries, or science containers.  Or add a Science Jr between the cockpits - just keep an eye on the center of mass and center of lift.

Edited January 23, 2017 by fourfa

[bewing]

Or search the forums for "basic planes" -- there have been a lot of threads with pix and craft files.

[JoeYoung]

Thanks for all the great tips! My current run has been the most successful so far as my piloting skills improved and I became better able to fulfill contracts. After doing loads of suborbital sightseeing tours, I realized that I could get fairly close to an orbit with the rocket I had built, if I replaced the extra crew cabin with a tiny fuel tank and a poodle engine. I did so and achieved orbit easily! Then I upgrade the launch pad so I can use heavier boosters so I am now capable of ferrying science equipment and tourists into orbit (since some very profitable contracts appeared).

Aside from upgrading the launch pad, I upgraded mission control too so I could do more contracts simultaneously. I'm intending to upgrade the Astronaut complex next, for EVAs, and then the tracking station, so I can get maneuvers. After that will probably be R&D or VAB depending on which suits my needs more at the moment.

I made a working plane that was similar to the one you've got and have been able to do lower-atmosphere surveys as I went, it was a great source of income though I'm not getting much science out of it anymore. My range is still a tad limited, I think. I am getting better at landing it properly on a flat surface or even the runway.

I think I've temporarily plateaued when it comes to science. I get some point from contracts, but the other biomes on Kerbin seem to yield increasingly insignificant rewards, which I guess means I need to start looking towards something higher than LKO. I have unlocked Electrics to get solar panels, but I can't see any reason to make satellites or probes right now except maybe for testing.

[Benjamin Kerman]

I just started a 1.2.2 hard mode, and it is very enjoyable.