How to (or not to) SCIENCE!

[SanderB]

its pretty easy to send 30 transmissions of material bay observations in a few minutes. Just put it on a hotkey (lets say nr 1) and push the 1 button 6 times and then 6 experiments of the material observation bay will show up (even though the bay actually opened only once) and you can click transmit 6 times. Now repeat that process 4 more times and you have 30 transmissions that will be transmitted electricity permitting for 4500 electricity in total. This will net you about more than 90% of the available science any day. Transmissions in the que will be transmitted eventually provided that you dont save and load, I think. I usually speed up time to whatever speed I need to cover the time it takes to regenerate power fast enough while the antenna is transmitting

[Strategia]

<Additional Edit> - I did another run to a Mun crater and discovered what I think might be a major loss of data... if you tell an science device or the capsule to transmit another experiment home before the transmission antenna has completely finished it's "close" animation (and 1 suspect for at least a second after it stops obviously moving), it seems to me like your stored data goes away and there doesn't seem to be a report of data sent. And I've tried it a couple of times, so I'm sure this is happening to me. Anyone else?

What I've noticed here is that the data gets "stored" in the transmitter invisibly. I've had situations like that, running an experiment while the comms unit was closing, but if I then ran another experiment after it had properly closed, and clicked "transmit", it transmitted the result of both experiments. It's not lost, but it's no longer accessible directly unless you transmit something else too. Just one of the many parts of the science system that isn't immediately obvious.

[DerekL1963]

There is only one right way to play KSP and that is my way! Kidding... but there really is only one way and that is the way that you find fun. I'm not trying to force my choices on anyone, I am trying to provoke a positive and meaningful discussion in the hopes that if many people agree with me, then someone from Squad will see that there is a general opinion that things should change and they will take note. And if this discussion causes a different consensus of what is fun or what the community would like to see, they may convince me, but whether or not I agree, perhaps the game will improve as far as the larger community wants it to.

The game already works in such a way that the community can choose, as individuals, how they wish to play. Thus there is no need to seek to change the game to force only one play style. There's no need to change at all.

If you don't like an idea, don't just nay say it or attack the originator, suggest a better one.

If I don't like an idea, I have every right to point out it's flaws - if the poster takes a neutral statement about the idea that didn't mention him at all as an 'attack', that's his problem, not mine.

[rottielover]

I'm extremely happy that this thread has helped so many people, and has generated some much needed discussion on how the science system works.

Going back on my word a bit, I've decided to leave the original post as is for now, as I've received a lot of feedback that it should be left alone. If anyone feels differently please let me know.

[JebIsMyHero]

For those concerned about early exploits with a bunch of science instruments, don't forget that factoring in cost will eventually make it hard to send a lot of science up at once.

[Strategia]

For those concerned about early exploits with a bunch of science instruments, don't forget that factoring in cost will eventually make it hard to send a lot of science up at once.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too. Right now, Career mode is basically sandbox+research, but eventually you'll actually have to earn money, likely by following pre-set objectives. Sure, you COULD strap a whole bunch of SRBs and fuel tanks together for a one-way tour of half the solar system, but all that science isn't going to do you much good if you can't afford to even build a second rocket, or unlock a single part (note that parts now also have unlock costs in credits, much higher than their individual purchase costs). You're likely much better off sticking to whatever objectives you get, building up your cash reserves to when you CAN do basically anything you want.

[ProfessorJeb]

The cost of parts and the cost to unlock new parts is the reason why I try to play the career mode so that I can safely return most of the fueltanks/engines/etc. Later it would be much easier to handle the cash system if (actually when) it is implemented.

[phuzz]

I actually built a plane before I noticed them missing, and even tried launching it using girders as skids! Finally got it into the air using JATO (seperatrons for lack of a better small rocket).

I managed to build a working plane using small winglets as skids. That combined with a parachute on the capsule enabled me to parachute onto different biomes and do an EVA on each for easy science. Of course there was no taking off again, but if you hold the mouse over the altimeter at the top of the screen then you'll find a handy new "Recover Vehicle" button to click.

To get to the further away biomes (eg the poles or the badlands) I ended up attaching enough rockets to my basic plane to almost get into orbit, so I could drop down near my area of interest.

[quietsamurai98]

You can semi-easily calculate the maximum science that a planet has. For instance, you can get a maximum of 6442 science points from the Mun. The tech tree takes a total of 10.5k science points to max out.

[sal_vager]

Congrats on making How-to/Tutorial forum thread of the month of December rottielover

[rottielover]

Congrats on making How-to/Tutorial forum thread of the month of December rottielover

Thank you. I'm flattered.

Hopefully I'll have some time over the next week to gather up some intel on .23 changes to science and subdivide the OP for .23 and .22.

[rottielover]

The first whispers of Kerbalcon information have been updated into the main post. Please feel free to post more info as it becomes availible, as I do have to get some work accomplished and cannot watch all of Kerbalcon

[Exel]

The science lab should be made more useful in the future. As it is, it makes little sense to go through the effort of parking a space station on Mun or Minmus orbit for the lab, since you can only transmit only a fraction of the science you'd get from returning to Kerbin. It's far more convenient and less time consuming to just fly back and forth between Kerbin and Minmus to get all of the science than tinkering with a lab, given its low science return on transmissions.

I'd be okay if took two lab-processed science experiments for every one returned to Kerbin to produce the same amount of science, but as it is there's very little incentive to actually use the lab at all. At least when you're not flying to very distant bodies - but even then, I'm not so sure if hauling an entire space station would be less of an effort than flying back and forth several times.

The science lab is a fantastic idea, but it needs to be more useful than just a 10% boost on transmitted science returns to be a viable alternative to bringing every sample back to Kerbin.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Exel

[Exel]

It's not like you can't earn your first advance or two by just walking around the space centre reporting and sampling anyway, so those who want a capsule could get one quickly.

That's just really counter-intuitive for new players. I mean, if you're playing a new space exploration game for the first time, your first instinct isn't to start collecting soil samples from your own planet right next to the launch pad just to get your first manned space craft. That just doesn't make any sense.

KSP already has a steep learning curve, and to appeal to a broader audience it has to hook new players from the first minutes they get into the game. Otherwise people won't bother with learning the more advanced tricks. Hooking players into the game requires giving them a fun experience right off the bat before the serious learning part kicks in - and in this game the fun means rockets. Exploding rockets, yes, but still rockets.

[rottielover]

and through the magic of timewarp technology we can see that Exel's prediction ("The science lab should be made more useful in the future. ") is about to come true....

I was feeling very nostalgic today and had to come back to this thread... I can't believe where the journey has taken KSP, thank you SQUAD.