Career mode suggestions

[Broco]

Well, I tried the career mode so far and have a few suggestions:

Instead of gaining science points by just gathering data (which can be repeated a lot of times with just a little decrease of science points gained) the game should provide the player with tasks to fulfill, like start a rocket and land it safely, put a satellite into orbit, establish space stations, land on planets AND gather information and samples. And the points should be awarded just once for each accomplishment. Maybe some extra points to earn aside from the main tasks in case the player isn't able to fulfill a task.

But in total there should be 150% of points needed for the tech tree available through missions/tasks.

The starting equipment is too hard for beginners. I managed to get to mun and back but I guess for a new player it's easier to use decouplers instead of using controlled overheating to get rid of empty fuel tanks/solid boosters or ladders instead of jetpacks. I felt reminded of Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy... A race that invents jetpacks before ladders. Seriously? :-D

excuse my writing, mobile..

[Sirrobert]

The starting equipment is too hard for beginners. I managed to get to mun and back but I guess for a new player it's easier to use decouplers instead of using controlled overheating to get rid of empty fuel tanks/solid boosters or ladders instead of jetpacks. I felt reminded of Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy... A race that invents jetpacks before ladders. Seriously? :-D

excuse my writing, mobile..

Why the blody hell would a new player want to go to the Mun with tier 1 equipment?

[Eric S]

There will probably eventually be optional missions for those that need/want guidance or something to focus on, the devs have discussed it. But they'll be just that, optional.

[tobjv]

The Dev team is probably looking into using missions in Career mode for stuff like you suggested. If it gets added or not is up to them. There was a mod out some time ago that did add a few mission like things to the game.

[Nobody]

Why the blody hell would a new player want to go to the Mun with tier 1 equipment?

I agree with this statement. By the time newbies are ready to go to Mun they should have De-couplers unlocked from their attempts at getting into orbit.

The only people trying to get to other bodies that early are high end players doing it for the challenge.

[Lexar]

The starting equipment is too hard for beginners. I managed to get to mun and back but I guess for a new player it's easier to use decouplers instead of using controlled overheating to get rid of empty fuel tanks/solid boosters or ladders instead of jetpacks. I felt reminded of Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy... A race that invents jetpacks before ladders. Seriously? :-D

excuse my writing, mobile..

The whole reason you don't get decouplers at the start is to make you do science around kerbin, and not the mun for your first flight. It makes it a little more realistic for the new players. You have to make a few sub orbit missions before you go to the mun. Just wait till you have to be strapped to a budget. (If Squad does it right.) You won't make it to the mun before you get a decoupler.

When I play the science mode I play it like a new player would. I didn't start out with 5 pods, and a huge ship that blows itself apart to get into orbit. I built a small rocket that i thought a new player would make to test the game. At the moment for more expereanced players yes it is easy. For new players on the other hand... It takes them a little more time.

Personally to solve the science issue you should only get to use the science modules 1 time. Once they are used they are done. The science you send back to kerbin gets sent back and the science you didn't get to send back stays with the ship until you recover it back on kerbin.

Example:

I take a goo reading. I then send 40% back to Kerbin via transmission. The 60% I could not send stays on the ship to be recovered later once i return to Kerbin. If you trash the report the science not used returns to the pool, but you have to send another ship up because the goo pod can not be reset.

Edited October 23, 2013 by Lexar

[Kruleworld]

It makes it a little more realistic for the new players.

speaking of realistic, i"d like to see Kerbals follow a similar mission flow to that of NASA, ie start out with reaching space height, then a full orbit, etc. But as it is now, you have to send up a MANNED mission first, because you don't get any remote guidance devices at the first tier. you know, to test your rockets are safe enough for a Kerbal.

Also, we get a transmitter, but no power modules (solar or nuclear). therefore i've never had enough power to transmit the data back.

[Roderik]

Just ask for missions to be implemented. (Sorry if someone already said it, i don't read all the replies)

[raygundan]

I'd like to second the request for ladders earlier, even if it's just the heavy, simple rungs-on-the-side version. There's no way to re-enter a lander on Kerbin without building some really absurd capsule-on-bottom arrangements. At the very least, it would be nice to have a ladder available at the same point that landing legs become available.