Which Period Of A Career Game To You Enjoy The Most?

[Adelaar]

I enjoy two parts of the career the most; some hours after the start where the basic aviation and space components are unlocked and it's time to fly around Kerbin to explore it and do tourism missions. And building up the comm relays and performing basic Kerbin/Mun/Minmus missions.

And then there is the second part after unlocking the Rapier engine, where I can get to fly my SSTO's for more intricate missions like modular construction of space stations/space infrastructure.

[OrbitalBuzzsaw]

I think that the midgame is the most fun - once you have 2.5m parts you can really get going.

[GoSlash27]

I find the early career the most fun because I find it the most challenging. By the time I hit the first transfer windows to Eve and Duna, I pretty much consider the game beaten.

Best,
-Slashy

[Vanamonde]

I don't know why, but I only send Kerbals on some of the earliest flights and then switch over to robotic probes as soon as I have useful cores. So about half-way through the tech tree I have the parts I need to send probes to other worlds and there's still a reason to do so because they beam back science I use to clear the rest of the tech tree. That's my favorite part. I only resume sending Kerbals once I have the whole tech tree cleared and all the parts needed for comfortable, crewed cruisers. 

[Freshmeat]

I find career fun in all its aspects, from the early wonder and struggle to the late base construction and interplanetary tugs. The point in not going sandbox is that I get the additional complication of watching my funds instead of just throwing bigger boosters at the problem. It makes for another challenge. The contract system itself is a so-so thing, and I tend to end up doing routine stuff to get the money, but the boredom of these missions makes me sharper on my fun projects, in order to get as efficient as possible while still getting decent living standards for my multiyear missions.

[Adstri]

I enjoy the phase where I start to send probes to other planets. (I usually never do manned missions to other planets until MUCH later in the game.)

[panarchist]

On 5/18/2017 at 9:35 AM, regex said:

After everything is done and it plays like sandbox mode.

Which is why I just play sandbox.

Or science mode. That's fun because I can direct my own missions and don't ever have to worry about grinding cash while still enjoying reasonable progression.

I agree with @regex - I almost exclusively play Sandbox, because the "grindy" gets on my nerves.  I usually play heavily modded, and add Kerbal Construction Time, because I use a life support mod and like the challenge of planning missions that have logistical requirements. I am currently playing a career game, because I wanted to try the challenge of actually doing a full on career game, and so far I am enjoying (mostly) the early stages because my Parts Catalog doesn't have 8,000,000,000 parts in it like normal.

What I do really like about the early stages is as was mentioned up-thread, the creativity that arises when you have limited parts.  Especially because you eventually end up with "historic" space stations that you can tell have been up there forever because they're missing things all the newer stations have, etc. My biggest frustration is that no one has an alternative tech tree that I like, and the stock tech tree has never made sense to me.  Why can't I start with all the airplane stuff already in place? (or at least enough to build prop planes and helicopters)

[helaeon]

Endgame. At that point I'm using Science & Funds as a score. I find the tech tree an annoyance but I like the contracts for direction, and the need to watch funds as a pressure to not build things super silly. It also incentivises setting up forms of income like bases and science labs (to convert science to funds). Also continuing to do more science for the same reason... plus I like reading the science reports especially with community science installed. It's a reason to go places like Dres too as those are likely reports I haven't seen before.

[StupidAndy]

the beginning, its the only part I get to

[CaptainTrebor]

Beginning. Middle is too grindy, and I haven't reached the endgame yet.

[HighFructose]

I dislike the earliest parts of the game, when you struggle to get to orbit, and grinding all the science everywhere. Once you get to the Mun, then it gets fun. Once you go to another planet it's really fun, but then it becomes sandbox after landing everywhere. So I normally play sandbox-career, where I can do contracts and stuff, but still be able to fool around.