Getting started - after the Tutorials

[Horman]

Hey there,

I now have completed the 4 tutorials (is there a part 2 or later of the flight to mun tut?)

So, how do I carry on? Are there "mission" to fullfill? Set my own goals and development?

What about "playing together"?

Stupid questions, okay, but I just opened the door and don't have the idea, where to turn next

Thx and keep your Kerbals alive

[Vanamonde]

There will be more tutorials as development of the game continues, but for now you must/are free to set your own goals. If by "playing together" you mean multiplayer, there is no stock method, and Squad have said that they do not intend to implement one. (Multiplayer is, by the way, a topic that leads to fruitless arguments and so is a subject the moderators would like us to avoid.)

[iBeej]

Multiplayer.. Or more like social with chat and sharing screenshots, plus seeing others on your map, check out the addon "Kerbal Live Feed". I love it.

[Sirine]

Well, some personal sharing here.

1) Do it all "stock" original before going to any mod (Add-on) to prolong your gaming experience.

2) Set some target to yourself. Like going to the Mun, land on it, plant flag, return to Kerbin.

3) And before you sending the Kerbal, maybe you just need to test the water by sending Remote Control Unit 1st. So, your man will not get stranded on other place rather than the Kerbin.

4) Once you start building rocket, you will find some 'problem' and you might want to 'solve' it before you go to ask it 'HERE'. Solving the problem using "Your-Version" 1st before referring to other also give you sense of achievement and comparison.

5) Build categories:

Lifter : To lift your "payload" to standard Kerbin Orbit.

Lander: To land your "payload" on planet(s).

Transporter: To carry your "payload" to other planet, muns etc.

Rover: To play around with 4 wheels. or 3, or maybe 2 wheels. On any planet surface.

Air-Plane: Air-means atmosphere. So, flying in atmosphere.

SSTO: Single Stage to Orbit. Mostly refer to Air-Plane that able to fly so high, so fast, and finally able to achieve orbit around Kerbin, (With some rocket engine help).

SSTM: Single Stage to Mun. Mostly refer to Air-Plane that have capability to fly out to other planet(s).

KSC: Kerbin Space Center.

LKO: Lower Kerbin Orbit. (About 70km).

[Horman]

Thx for your answers!

@Vanamonde - thats the reason, why I avoided to use the term "multiplayer"

@iBeej - thanks, that seems to be something I was looking for. I will give it a try!

@Sirine - This looks like a good way to go ahead. So, I guess it might be the best way, to start to follow the "historic spaceflight path"

[Apollo13]

There are a few mods that can enhance your experience without effecting base play:

- Kerbal Alarm Clock. Needed when warping.

- Editor Extension. Helps in the VAB/SPH

- SelectRoot. More help in the VAB/SPH.

- Docking Port Alignment Indicator. Helps when docking. This is NOT auto-pilot. You do the work.

- Mechanical Jebediah 2 (MechJeb). Helps with planning maneuver nodes. You execute.

Just for fun:

- Kerbal Attachment System

- MagicSmokeIndustries pivots and hinges

- StarVisions Flags. Add your own flag to your spacecraft.

If you're a real geek:

- KOS Scriptable Autopilot System. A programing language to automate launching. This is an up-and-coming mod. I anticipate it to become a standard.

And don't worry about stranding your Kerbalnauts. That's what rescue missions are for. I just recently had a challenge of rescuing a Mun mission that went awry. The Command module, with one kerbalnaut, was stranded in an elliptical orbit about Mun (700km+ x 170km+). Two Kerbalnauts were stranded on Mun. This required pinpoint accuracy with the rescue vehicle to get them out. Good times!!

Edited September 5, 2013 by Apollo13

[Evrion]

Right now, the game is pure sandbox. So there are no defined missions, other than what you define for yourself.

Come up with your own ideas!

In the future there will be a career mode which will likely be more structured.

[Moonfrog]

I'm currently doing the Plant a flag on nearly all rocks in the cosmos plan. Not much of a plan, but its let me produce other plans as well. First I did orbit. Then I went to Mun, I tried to do Mun and return with planning flag. Minmus. Currently building a space station as a refuelling point for interplanetary missions. Most of the time I just mess about, like lately I made a cute robot

[capi3101]

I think playing through the Historical Missions on the wiki is worthwhile; they'll teach you many of the additional skills you need to play the game successfully. Start with Sputnik and go through them in order. ISS is incomplete but reconstructing Mir in the Salyut Programme tutorial is worthwhile.

Probably your next big milestone will be to design your own rocket that first a) achieves orbit, then successfully completes a round-trip mission to one of Kerbin's moons.

After that, c) docking is usually the next milestone, and then d) successfully completing a round-trip interplanetary mission.

You will botch landing on Mun the first dozen times; accept that fact and have fun with it. For that matter, just have fun with the game - watching rockets crumple and explode on the pad, then fixing them so they won't do it as much the next time is part of the game's fun.

[Tank Buddy]

I would recommend reading up on the wiki and watching KSP youtubers, their missions (start within the Kerbin system{Mun, Minmus, within the SOI}), and tutorials. As of this point, there is no campaign to guide you, so you are responsible for making decisions on what you want to do. I would recommend Landing on both Moons, making a space station in orbit, and then space stations in orbit around both moons, as well as ground bases. While you are doing these things and you feel you are ready to do something more advanced, try making standardized lifting stages and making less overpowered ships, as this will prepare you for the campaign's money management. (when it comes out)

[Jestem]

As has been said before, there is nothing structured yet, beyond what you decide for yourself.

On saying that, looking through the forums is usually a really good source of ideas, at least I have found. The Grand Tour Idea is an intriguing one.

[ArmchairGravy]

As mentioned the historical missions on the wiki are really nice to try to do. I'm working on my geosynchronous satellites now. The first 2-stage rocket they have you try to orbit? I wasn't paying attention during launch and ended up escaping Kerbal and going into a solar orbit. This made me rethink my booster design a bit. Bigger barrels do not necessarily make a better rocket!

So yeah, check out the historical missions on the wiki. Lots of goodness there.

[Dispatcher]

The above is good advice. Also, make rovers and rocket cars in the SPH. Maybe planes. Of course make rockets in the VAB. Try different stages, tanks and engines. Try different throttle settings. Have fun and get a feel for what the parts can do. Get into orbit. Go up and then return from orbit. Then you will be ready to try other places; moons, planets.