So......career mode

[Swoop]

Either there's a bug in 0.22 whereby dialog boxes dont launch or.....I don't get career mode.

I start a new career, launch into the game and I've got all the cool new research buildings and whatnot......and research I can't do cos I don't have 5 research points.......and a VAB with just enough parts to launch a rocket straight up (no control parts or aerodynamic parts available).......and no indication of what I'm supposed to do about it.

I was expecting some sort of dialog box to appear with a "this is your first mission" kinda thing going on but......nothing happens. I've tried going to the tracking station, astronaut complex, SPH.....even that new building that's appeared but isn't clickable. Naff all happens to give me any indication I'm in career mode.

I don't get it.

[KasperVld]

Don't forget that career mode is still very much a work in progress. When you're at level 0 you're relying on crew reports and EVA reports: rightclick your pod to do some science, or EVA your Kerbal and let him see the surroundings and tell you what he's learned

[GoBucks1313]

When I launched a kerbal up and safely returned him to kerbin, when I recovered the vehicle a dialogue popped up saying something like "launch kerbal into space and safely recover" and I got +8 research points. I had also attached antennas and was periodically transmitting data but I don't think it did anything because I didn't collect any data while I was up through crew reports.

[Alguien]

For actual tutorials instead of Squad failed try with career mode:

Main menu->Start Game->Training

IMO Career mode simply fails in all aspects, as a tutorial fails because it doesnt explain anything, and as a historical tech tree fails because it doesnt make any sense

[Swoop]

Well I've discovered experiments and started making progress.....however, I've gotta say, some sort of "This is what your objectives are" text box would go a long way to improving the whole career mode experience.

[Fiddlestyx]

I launched a capsule into the ocean beside KSC and after it splashed down, I clicked on the pod and did a crew report and transmitted it. When I went back to the research center I believe I had two science points (still trying to figure out that interface, so I could be wrong). Then I had to get off the game so I can't test it more right now.

Edit: I also did some other stuff before this so some points may be from that.

[sgt_flyer]

for 'starting out' easily on the first points, simply EVA your kerbal from a command pod, make him take samples of the launch pad and do an EVA report, then board back and make a crew report, then recover

note : it seems you can have multiple EVA reports / soil samples aboard you command pod - regarding multiple eva reports, you can have a report from each location your kerbal has been EVA'ed (i had 5 or 6 eva reports - like in LKO, HKO, High Mün orbit, close mün flyby (on several locations, i could make eva report of 3 different locations as i made a low pass on mün (PE at 5 km) - mün midlands, 1 crater, and mün highlands. (each time after hitting eva report, boarding back the capsule to store it, and eva a new time for making a new report (without counting the mystery goo and science capsule experiments) - this single mün low pass mission gave me nearly 300 science points alone (ex, high mün orbit science capsule was giving me 75 science - after i brought it back safely to kerbin)

Edited October 16, 2013 by sgt_flyer

[Leberschnitzel]

as far as I understand it right now:

You can do Crew Reports with kerbals in the capsul

You can do EVA Reports when your kerbals are outside of the capsul

You can get soil parts when outside of the capsul and on ground

You can do Experiments (with the blob canister or other things later on)

If you transfer it, you get less science points, but you can do the science again.

So best seems to be:

Do everything in flight, transfer.

Do everything in orbit, transfer.

do everything after landing, recover the lander.

Then do it over again and land in a different area (ice, snow, sand, water, mountains,...) to get different results from experiments.

It's a bit too grindy imho. But nice

[J.Random]

I agree that in current condition it's quite... simplistic, but it provides ready-to-use framework to build upon it.

[SpaceAce]

I agree that in current condition it's quite... simplistic, but it provides ready-to-use framework to build upon it.

But thank you for realizing its true purpose/potential and not simply calling it a fail ... things like this that are being actively developed always need slight tweaking and I think they did a pretty good job at a solid starting point.

[Swoop]

A thought: It would be very handy if those little messages that flash past when you 'do science' would also be added to the F3 flight log to review later.

[Reddragon]

If I do an experiment with one of the science modules and decide to keep the data it doesn't close like when I transmit it back. So, if I keep the data instead of transmitting it will it be stored in the pod or do I have to keep the module itself as well?

[Specialist290]

I believe you have to recover whatever part the data is "stored" in in order to get full credit for it. The pod only holds the Crew Report and other crew-related activities, from what I've gathered so far.

[Reddragon]

I believe you have to recover whatever part the data is "stored" in in order to get full credit for it. The pod only holds the Crew Report and other crew-related activities, from what I've gathered so far.

That seems to be right. Thanks!

[Stankleberry]

Isn't it more fun when it isn't all spelled out for you? Who doesn't enjoy discovery.

[Person012345]

Well I've discovered experiments and started making progress.....however, I've gotta say, some sort of "This is what your objectives are" text box would go a long way to improving the whole career mode experience.

As has been said it's a work in progress. Missions, money and so on will come later.

[BostLabs]

IMO Career mode simply fails in all aspects, as a tutorial fails because it doesnt explain anything, and as a historical tech tree fails because it doesnt make any sense

Hmm... I don't recall anyone from Squad or the Media team ever saying anything about the tech tree being historical. It's your space program, you are the one making history. Why would you want to be lead down someone else's history?

I'm looking forward to blazing my own path into space. For SCIENCE, ya know.

From what I've seen so far (videos) I think they are starting in the correct place. Who wants to start with fireworks strapped to a chair? Although... That does sound like fun to try... At least once.

let's see... Separations, command chair, Jeb... Yeah that could work...

Edited October 16, 2013 by BostLabs

[J.Random]

But thank you for realizing its true purpose/potential and not simply calling it a fail ... things like this that are being actively developed always need slight tweaking and I think they did a pretty good job at a solid starting point.

Hey, whoever calls it a fail is an idiot. Introduction of tech tree and biomes are two MAJOR improvements.

Also, about tech tree being "historical": I've seen devs' comment that tech tree is mostly a history of KSP development, not US/Soviet/whichever space program.

[Mitchz95]

So how do you unlock new parts? I've got 15 science so far ... what do I do with it?

[sacafe]

I know I am going to get shot for this but is there any way to integrate mechjeb into career mode?

[Vlk]

When i was a child, games were so difficult to understand, but i loved them! I kept playing even if i failed a lot. Now that i'm an adult (and i can speak english), games just tell you what to do, and they are so simple that they are only good for one playthrough, then i uninstall the game.

But i love that there are still games like KSP, minecraft, dwarf fortress, where you have to experiment, try and fail, or even research on the web.

[J.Random]

I know I am going to get shot for this but is there any way to integrate mechjeb into career mode?

Just add something like

TechRequired = start

entryCost = 0

into part.cfg. I didn't try that, but brief look at configs tells me it should work.

[BostLabs]

I know I am going to get shot for this but is there any way to integrate mechjeb into career mode?

Not sure. It may take the mod makers of MJ to find a way to get it into the tech tree. Should work in sandbox ok though.

I'm a big MJ user, but I plan to go through career for a while before I want to use it.

EEEE!!!! Download is done! Time for SCIENCE!

Yes, I just screamed like a little girl... what of it?

[Mitchz95]

So how do you unlock new parts? I've got 76 science so far ... what do I do with it?

[K^2]

Man, you guys are too picky. You know how often I wished real research came with instructions? I'd have finished my Ph.D. long time ago. But it doesn't. You try stuff out and see what works. KSP got a more realistic approach to research than any other game I've ever seen.