How far are you in career?

[Odo]

I finished my tech tree a few weeks ago but still play and gather science.

[AlamoVampire]

until they add something new to career mode, I am done, full tree unlocked.

[AndrewBCrisp]

Got all of the 4th tier nodes unlocked (those were 90 science apiece, IIRC) and 2 5th tier nodes (Precision Engineering and Advanced Exploration). I'm debating whether I should unlock Specialized Control (better command pod), Specialized Construction (space station parts and docking ports!), Advanced Electrics or Heavier Rocketry next.

As far as where I've gone so far, I've put probe landers down on the Mun and Minmus, as well as various science lab/goo missions into Kerbin, Mun, and Minmus orbit and back (basic writeup on missions can be found in my signature). I'm considering a "sample return mission" to either the Mun or Minmus (Lander with 2 goo canisters to make round trip), as well as a basic one-way probe (temp sensor only) for either flyby or orbit of Duna (would need to timewarp. I'm only on day 25 of year 1, and the first launch window opens on Day 58). Won't attempt Kerballed landings on the Mun until I get the Mk 1-2 Command Pod and a suitable lander pod.

On a personal note, I've noticed that, in Kerbal time, I've gone from suborbital rockets to Surveyor/Pioneer class missions in 25 days. That feels a little weird.

[allmhuran]

I'm still on tier 0, trying to optimize my first mission design.

The proof of concept for the lifter design got 250-ish.

The first attempt at ramping up from the proof of concept got 1662.

The current mission has just returned to Kerbin's SOI and, by my calculations, should have about 3500 at this point. May well push over 4000 after a few orbits of the Mun.

[Arcadiax]

Probably about 60%, have a satellite and lander on the Mun and Minmus, just took a rover to the mun to get different data from all the biomes, which became a heap of junk when I rolled on the solar panels... did an orbit to Eve too, but didn't manage to get close.

[Hodo]

I haven't bothered yet.. may do something with it seeing I have done everything I want to in sandbox for now.

[FlamedSteak]

I'm probably about 70% of the way through, I've got pretty well much all the parts I need to get a manned mission to Duna and back, bar the NV-1.

[Plaka]

Well, I'm a newbie around here. I've been to the Mun and Minmus, placed flags on both, and now I'm just thinking about my next steps; colonize a planet? Establish a space station? I've got an entire journey ahead of me.

[Merinsan]

I've finished the tech tree (within about 3 days).

I've got a small colony on Eve. A station in orbit around Kerbin, and just set up a station around the Mun.

The station at the Mun has a ship called Mun Hopper, which is intended to hit multiple sites on the Mun, to drain the science. Currently I have about 7000 science points.

Near term goals:

- Revise my "Fuel Pod" design so it can deliver the payload (2 orange tanks) full. The recent delivery to the Mun used some of the fuel.

- Establish a Station in orbit around Eve to support the colony, and expand the colony with more hab modules.

- Establish a base on Duna.

After that I'm heading to the outer planets.

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

Finished

3 times

I used a similar method as Merinsan but I called my station 'science around the mun' and my lander 'science on the mun'

Funny story actually.

The lander was launching to orbit and the launch stage blew up. Being a mun lander. I didn't expect it to make the required 2000m/s to make orbit.

It did, it's currently parked in a 94x91 orbit with about 5.8' inclination waiting to be re-fueled.

Edited October 30, 2013 by SpaceSphereOfDeath

[katateochi]

On my first attempt I made the mistake of unlocking plane parts early on cos I like planes, but planes don't really help you get that much sci done.

So I started again and now I'm about 5500 points short of having it all unlocked (playing pure stock). I've done 3 missions so far, I'd like to get most of it unlocked after my 4th.

I'm trying to do it in the shortest time possible from the Kerbals point of view, this is what I've done so far.

Mission 1 - 80 points - 40 mins (kerbin orbit)

Mission 2 - 1033 points - 7 days (Mun and Minmus manned landings)

Mission 3 - 3589 points - 2 days (8 sci probes deployed to different biomes on Mun + 1 manned landing)

Mission 4 - ?

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

On my first attempt I made the mistake of unlocking plane parts early on cos I like planes, but planes don't really help you get that much sci done.

So I started again and now I'm about 5500 points short of having it all unlocked (playing pure stock). I've done 3 missions so far, I'd like to get most of it unlocked after my 4th.

I'm trying to do it in the shortest time possible from the Kerbals point of view, this is what I've done so far.

Mission 1 - 80 points - 40 mins (kerbin orbit)

Mission 2 - 1033 points - 7 days (Mun and Minmus manned landings)

Mission 3 - 3589 points - 2 days (8 sci probes deployed to different biomes on Mun + 1 manned landing)

Mission 4 - ?

Jool, definitely jool

[AmpsterMan]

I keep getting to the point of having batteries and restarting because I haven't yet found what limitations to impose on myself and have fun with.

[cannedcreamcorn]

I got to the last tier but it took something like 15 missions before I started to get the hang of collecting big science. My overbuilt Duna probe had enough delta-v to orbit and land on both Duna and Ike, then go sailing out to a Kerbol orbit. Something like 2300 science on that one mission. I was returning my first Duna manned landing and sending a multipart Jool probe that should have unlocked the rest of the tree when the Kraken struck, and some how the Duna lander was in it's escape orbit with the transfer stage reattached and no stored science. The Jool probe and the Duna probe disappeared entirely. With no backups of my save files, I started again. Now that I know the science system better I broke the into 4th tier in 4 missions (with the 1st one being EVA science on the pad )

[Jacob01]

Not very, I had to download KSP .22 again after I accidently messed up the files while installing a mod again. So I am not really that far down the tech tree, although I was quite a bit down it before I had to re-download it.

[boomerdog2000]

I keep getting to the point of having batteries and restarting because I haven't yet found what limitations to impose on myself and have fun with.

Try only transmitting crew reports, and data-type science(thermometer, gravioli detector, etc.). It made it necessary for me to go to Duna to keep going, but that's mainly because I only did about 5 munar landings, and 1 minmus landing.

[krona14]

i love career all i want now is more planets mining and a hole lot more stuff!

[Godot]

Well, I restarted my first run through of the career mode when I had only the last layer left ...

my second (=current) run through at the moment has 3 or 4 items of the last layer left.

I have done a lot of manned missions to Mun and minmus, landed unmanned rovers on Duna (+Flyby on Ike) and Eve (+orbiting satellites) as well as a probe on Moho

and currently are aditional probes underway to Jool and Dres (which very probably will give me enough science to complete the tech tree).

Next step will probably be a manned mission to Duna and maybe multiple probes/rovers to Jools moons and maybe an additional manned mission to Jools Moons, Dres and/or Moho

[NASAFanboy]

I feel like cheering.

Jebediah came back from the spacestation after 1000 days of service.

Now, why is this significant?

The station was launched (With him in it) when we still where sending probes to Duna and Eve, and where still extremely primitive in technology.

Now, when he splashes down in the ocean, I have bases on Duna, spacestations around Ike and Duna, preparations to send Kerbals to Eve, along with NERVAs and giant solar panels.

He's going to be in for one heck of a case of "future-shocK" once we pick him up.

[Xyd]

I keep getting to the point of having batteries and restarting because I haven't yet found what limitations to impose on myself and have fun with.

Try the mission controller extended edition if your looking for a challenge. I'm playing a game with it installed and it makes it more challenging plus having to manage finances makes it all the more interesting.

[Jacob01]

Well, I had a bit of success after my last post. I put a small probe into Kerbin orbit, which gained some science. I then decided to put a probe in to Kerbol orbit, but when I realized I had plenty of fuel left when I reached Kerbol orbit, I decided to head off to Duna. I then got a surprise encounter with Ike, which was good. Over 1000 Science earned, pretty good and I got a lot further down the tech tree.

[katateochi]

I keep getting to the point of having batteries and restarting because I haven't yet found what limitations to impose on myself and have fun with.

Try doing it with a focus on aircraft first, or at least things that take of vertically. I've been having a go in another career save, my rules; only build in SPH, must take off horizontally except for the first mission can launch vertically but it can use no more than two of each initial part. After that it must be a horizontal, plane like take off (and optionally a horizontal plane like landing). So far its been very slow going, but quite funny.

This is the SSthiswontlandwell coming in for a surprisingly good (as in nothing broke) touchdown.

Jool, definitely jool

I would, but my aim is to unlock everything in as few kerbal days as possible, so far I've got most bar the highest tier unlocked in under two kerbal weeks. Jool missions would add too much time.

[Xacktar]

I finished it a few days ago with an epic trip to Laythe, contemplating a restart, though.

[DonLorenzo]

I'm a good way through the tree, but in a bit of trouble now. I'm combining career mode with the mission controller plugin, and the mission pack I've chosen now requires the full sensor package (pressure, acceleration, temperature and graviolies). I don't have enough science to unlock those and am running low on funds. Additionally I've decided (by rolling a dice) that Vall is the holy grail for this playthrough. I'm considering sending a barebones (cheap!) probe there to get the science for the sensor package, so I can start earning money again.

I'm finding it quite fun to combine the tech tree with economic and mission restraints, it sort of rules out the big massive projects in favor of specialized, cost-aware missions.

My latest mission is up here

A new one every day at 6!

[TheBladeRoden]

I have about 4 techs left, if only I hadn't run out of RCS fuel on the way to Jool!