Returning to KSP and a question about experience

[LN400]

Hey all. As I found myself revisiting KSP for the first time in ages, I was wondering: For Kerbal experience, would there be any reason other than for role playing to do the leap into space in stages like suborbital -> orbit -> Mun flyby - > Mun orbit and so on and so forth, or will the Kerbals get the same experience from doing a full Kerbin/Mun/Minmus exploration in one go?

[miklkit]

I am in the process of upgrading new hires and I just send them to Mun. plant flag, Minmus, and plant flag, and so on.  Landing and planting a flag is all it takes.

[Vanamonde]

One flight will earn you all the experience levels you pass on the way. 

[LN400]

Awesome! Thanks, guys  Still, I kind of like to have a little rpg with these little green fellows. Have them earn the badge so to speak.

[miklkit]

Forgot to mention that they have to return before they get any XP gains.

[Vanamonde]

4 hours ago, miklkit said:

Forgot to mention that they have to return before they get any XP gains.

That's a setting, actually. You can choose to have them level up as soon as they're eligible, though I don't remember where the option is. 

[Lt_Duckweed]

Even aside from that setting, you can level up a Kerbal via the mobile processing lab.

[Superfluous J]

Also note for every body the experience levels are exclusive.

Planting a flag is worth X points, Orbiting is worth Y points (with all other states having different points as well, this is just an example)

When you plant a flag your Kerbal has X points of XP for that world, not X+Y.

So really, if you're going to land and plant a flag, the rest doesn't matter.

[Robin Patenall]

Kerbal's can get their stars from new experiences without returning to the KSC by visiting a vessel with a Mobile Processing Laboratory on it and using the Level Up Crew option from the MPL Paw menu. 

[Gargamel]

Moved to Gameplay Questions. 
 

I happen to like using the Final Frontier mod to help my greenies level up.    gives them more to look forward to beyond a couple stars. 

[adsii1970]

2 hours ago, Gargamel said:

I happen to like using the Final Frontier mod to help my greenies level up.    gives them more to look forward to beyond a couple stars. 

@LN400 and Outer Planet Mods has some stuff in it that works with Final Frontier. So, if you have OPM installed, your Kerbals can earn even more ribbons.