New Player Attempting Campaign: Questions

[zlacelle]

Hey all! First let me say that this game is awesome. Now...

...I'm trying to build up my space program in the campaign. It seems more exciting than building rockets in the sandbox (to me). I'm a bit stuck, however. My questions:

1) I'm trying to do basic things, like make it to the polar ice cap. However, I can't seem to get there (I keep falling short). Sub-questions:

a) It seems that the new fuel tanks have the same mass/fuel ratio (duh) for bigger sizes. What's the advantage to upgrading?

How do I figure out the ideal mass amount for my spacecraft? Making a huge stack of boom doesn't seem to get me farther.

2) Is it possible to do EVA reports when in the upper atmosphere? How do I prevent my command module from just floating away from my Kerbal?

3) Any other suggestions for getting science (I'm trying to just go through all the biomes and collect data)?

I've skimmed through the forums, but it seems to me much more of advanced people asking more specific questions (e.g. correct launch angles for orbit, how to land on other planets, etc).

Thanks!

[OptimusNog]

*Please delete*

Edited January 23, 2014 by OptimusNog

[OptimusNog]

I am also brand new to the game, just started a few days ago and I have already learned a ton from this guide:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/62814-Tutorial-Beginner-Science

Also Scott Manley on youtube has lots of informative tutorials.

[cathasatail]

Hello!

Welcome to KSP!

1.Well make it into orbit first and then if you have fuel or anything left try and de-orbit it then but i guess you could try and build a rocket to do it in one "hop" as it were.

1a.Yes they do! Bigger tanks as in wider means that aesthetically the engine and tank look more natural when joined (mainsail), if your talking about height then it is mainly for structural stability, it also reduces part count and therefore increases frame rate!

1b.Not sure, for me it just trial and error (For the past year and a bit)

2.Yes it is but as you found out Kerbals experience a higher air resistance than the rocket and so fall behind the rocket, to stop this from happening you can A-cut the engines off or at least throttle them down if your doing it this way B-apply a reverse, braking, thruster or C-make a frame of panels to encapsulate the kerbal as he exits the capsule

3.Use the science equipment that you unlock later and of course, go to minimus as soon as possible! That way you can select soil samples and other fascinating research to carry out on the surface of the orbital body and take home or transmit for LOTS and i mean LOTS of science!

Most importantly don't give up. If at first you don't succeed 1. try again 2. and again 3. then repeat the previous steps

Enjoy the Kolar system in KSP and have fun!

Over and out!

Sam

[MajorThomas]

Howdy, welcome!

a) The fuel tanks do increase in size 2x, 4x, etc. The larger tanks are stronger than two attached together in series. During the stress of launches, often rockets will break at the attachment points. Having fewer attachment points (larger tanks) helps. Also, as so many say, you can use struts to hold the parts together, but struts aren't available early on in the career mode science tree.

I would make my first stage large, second stage smaller (say, 1/2) and the payload as small as possible. Adding more boosters also adds weight, and it does take some finesse and testing to get a good booster/payload combo.

2) Yes, you can do EVA reports while "flying" over Kerbin. But, if it is "windy" (moving through the atmosphere at 100s of meters per second) the Kerbal will blow away. So I don't usually do that.

3) Are you able to Orbit? Because you can do your EVA reports ABOVE the atmosphere and get lots of science.

Also, try to follow the science tree to get solar panels as quickly as you can. Doing so will allow you to build probes and other long-distance ships. Batteries without solar panels just don't last very long. I built a probe positively stuffed with batteries for my first Mun probe. I had to turn off most of the batteries and turn them on one by one, and let each run out. I barely made it to the Mun before I was out of Juice.

EDIT: And, if you turn off all your batteries you have a dead ship, can't turn it on again because there is no power. Be careful!

Edited January 22, 2014 by MajorThomas

[Taki117]

Hey all! First let me say that this game is awesome. Now...

...I'm trying to build up my space program in the campaign. It seems more exciting than building rockets in the sandbox (to me). I'm a bit stuck, however. My questions:

1) I'm trying to do basic things, like make it to the polar ice cap. However, I can't seem to get there (I keep falling short). Sub-questions:

a) It seems that the new fuel tanks have the same mass/fuel ratio (duh) for bigger sizes. What's the advantage to upgrading? Fewer places things can go wrong. While two FL-T400's have the same mass and amount of fuel as an FL-T800 the 800 is going to be more stable because it doesn't have that joint in the middle. Also lower part count.

How do I figure out the ideal mass amount for my spacecraft? Making a huge stack of boom doesn't seem to get me farther. You want the Rocket Equation Sometimes Bigger isn't always better.

2) Is it possible to do EVA reports when in the upper atmosphere?Yes, very possible, but very difficutl How do I prevent my command module from just floating away from my Kerbal?Short answer: You don't. Long Answer: If you are fast enough (or have Action Group Manager) you can EVA your kerbal, get an EVA report, and get him back in quick enough that he doesn't have time to let go.

3) Any other suggestions for getting science (I'm trying to just go through all the biomes and collect data)?Minmus has Biomes, each time I've landed there I've come back with well over 1k science. Also, bring every experiment you can with you.

I've skimmed through the forums, but it seems to me much more of advanced people asking more specific questions (e.g. correct launch angles for orbit, how to land on other planets, etc).

Thanks!

My answers are in blue, hope it helps.

[Leveller]

1) I'm trying to do basic things, like make it to the polar ice cap. However, I can't seem to get there (I keep falling short). Sub-questions:

Staging is your friend here, use at most 2-3 fueltanks at a time, when they are empty you ditch them and ignite next engine-set.

a) It seems that the new fuel tanks have the same mass/fuel ratio (duh) for bigger sizes. What's the advantage to upgrading?

Upgrading is that engines are also weight. Dead weight. Not beeing used. You always have to consider their power to the output the give. A little thing to watch is the ISP at sealevel (power near ground) and ISP in vacuum. ( Power in space ) to see whats more fitting for your purpose.

How do I figure out the ideal mass amount for my spacecraft? Making a huge stack of boom doesn't seem to get me farther.

Nothing is ideal unless you have a purpose. There is a thing called Delta-V. Google it for a more detailed explanation or youtube it.

2) Is it possible to do EVA reports when in the upper atmosphere? How do I prevent my command module from just floating away from my Kerbal?

Press R button to activate the kerbals jetpack. Controls is: WSAD for forwards, backwards, left and right. You "steer" with holding Right mouse button like a FPSgame. SHIFT make you fly upwards, and Control downwards. It takes a little time to getting used to so be sure to quicksave with F5 (Hold F9 to reload) And have multiple tried. Take your good time for this.

3) Any other suggestions for getting science (I'm trying to just go through all the biomes and collect data)?

My suggestion here is also with all the explainations... Slow down. Look around and learn the game. If i could rewind my memory i would empty it just to have the awesome experience of re-learning it allover again. It's IMHO the most fun part of the game.

Hope this was atleast a bit helpful.

[capi3101]

1) I'm trying to do basic things, like make it to the polar ice cap. However, I can't seem to get there (I keep falling short). Sub-questions:

a) It seems that the new fuel tanks have the same mass/fuel ratio (duh) for bigger sizes. What's the advantage to upgrading?

How do I figure out the ideal mass amount for my spacecraft? Making a huge stack of boom doesn't seem to get me farther.

2) Is it possible to do EVA reports when in the upper atmosphere? How do I prevent my command module from just floating away from my Kerbal?

3) Any other suggestions for getting science (I'm trying to just go through all the biomes and collect data)?

1a: Using the larger tanks lowers the overall part count and reduces the number of connection points, which is where the game has a tendency to break things. Fuel wise, there's not much difference; you're right in that all the liquid fuel tanks except for the Round-8 and Oscar-B have a 9:1 full-to-dry mass ratio.

1b: Ideal mass for your spacecraft, huh? Well, for that you use the Rocket Equation: delta-V = Isp * Go * ln(M/Mo), where Isp is the specific impulse of your engine/stage, Go is standard gravity (9.81 m/s^2; ALWAYS), LN is the natural logarithm function, M is the total mass of your rocket and Mo is its dry mass (how much it weighs after the fuel's gone). To make orbit, you want ~4,550 m/s worth of delta-V.

This is a very general answer to your question; "ideal mass" is a concept you should probably forget about. The better question to ask is 1) what do you want to do and 2) what's the smallest craft I can build that will do that job. What you can measure is how much your payload weighs, and then figure out how much fuel and how much thrust it's going to need to get it where you're planning to send it. Learn the rocket equation: that's the best thing you can do. Learn how to run it backwards (i.e. start with how much delta-V you want) to figure out how much fuel you need for the job.

2: Yes it's possible. Just don't let go of the ladder (i.e. don't hit the space bar) once you're outside until you learn how to go jetpacking; there's a tutorial for that.

3: You'll want to get to as many of the science instruments as you can as quickly as you can. The direct route is Starting Tech -> Basic Rocketry -> Survivability -> Science Tech -> Electrics / Space Exploration -> Advanced Electrics / Advanced Exploration -> Electronics -> Advanced Science Tech, but realistically you'll want some of the other technologies (Fuel Systems and General Contruction come to mind) to make your life easier.

Here's what I'd do to start. Build a rocket consisting of a small parachute and Mk1 Command Pod, 10-12 FL-T200 fuel tanks and an LV-T30. Launch that with SAS on (T-key) and put it into a polar orbit (steer north or south instead of east after 10,000 m). Once you're in orbit, start doing EVA reports over the various biomes. Do a crew report while you're at it. Bring that back down and don't fret when parts of your ship start exploding when it gets back to the ground; you'll be fine once you're down to five tanks left. Recover and profit.

Now, to fly that thing, it's straight up to 10k, then north at 45 degrees. Re-aim at the prograde marker once you're at or above 35 seconds to Apoapsis. Burn along the horizon once the time to Apoapsis exceeds one minute and keep burning until the apoapsis is up to about 125,000. Stop your burn but be ready to burn a little more if the Apoapsis falls below 70,000. While you're burning and after you've turned at 10k, keep your gee meter right there at the top; don't let it get too far above the top of the meter and throttle back as necessary. Circularize at the Apoapsis. You should have enough fuel with the setup I suggested to do all of that and have a little left over to de-orbit at the end of the flight.

[Streetwind]

Something to add to the already plentiful answers to the question of "why should I use part X over parts Y and Z if the end result is identical?":

Keep in mind that, while you are playing career mode, that is actually a very new thing that was only just added and isn't nearly complete. For the longest time, KSP only had sandbox mode. And in a sandbox where you always have access to everything, you do not need redundant parts. If there was something that's clearly worse than all other options, why bother implementing it? For this reason, all the parts that exist do so not because they are upgrades, but because they fill a different niche that no other part can fill. Small tanks exist because sometimes a large tabk is too much. Large tanks exist so you don't have to stack dozens of small ones.

As a result, in career mode you will find that 95% of what you research actually won't be an upgrade to anything, but either a sidegrade (something that is just as good, but looks different/fills a different niche) or an aesthetic option (some of the highest tech nodes contain freeform building toys like structural beams and panels). You can and will still use much of what you had right at the start in your rockets even after completing the tech tree - because sometimes, those things are just the thing you happen to need at the moment. Nose-mounted parachutes, radial and inline decouplers and the excellent LV-T30 never get old.

[SRV Ron]

Just a sample tutorial for those doing their first Career Mode missions;

Your first Career Mode missions;

In Career Mode, your objective is to build rockets with the limited resources you have available and conduct missions to earn Science Points. With those Science Points, you can then spend them to unlock better parts which will allow you to build better rockets for earning more Science Points. Those Science Points are used to unlock your Tech Tree which will allow you some flexibility of where to spend your Science Points to further your space program.

Tier Zero starts you out with some very basic parts. Because the decoupler has not been invented yet, you will be very limited on what you can build to land safely. Therefore, I recommend the following mission, Place a MK-1 Command Pod on the launch pad.

With only the command pod on the launch pad, do the following;

1. Conduct a Crew Report.

2. EVA Jeb and do an EVA report.

3. Take a soil sample on the launch pad.

4. Return to the capsule and enter it.

5. Recover the capsule.

This simple mission should net you some 12 Science Points which will enable you to unlock Tier 1 Parts so you can build a proper suborbital rocket for your next mission.

Now, go to the Research Lab and spend some Science Points to unlock Tier one parts. This will give you a decoupler to separate the capsule from the spent rocket, Goo canisters for some simple research, and a bigger fuel tank.

Your second mission; build a suborbital rocket;

Using the MK-1 capsule, add the following;

1. Place a parachute on the top

2. Using symmetry mode, place 2 Goo canisters on the side of the capsule. Be sure that the crew hatch is clear or Jeb won't be able to exit to do an EVA.

3. Place a decoupler under the capsule.

4. Place a stack of three FL-T400 fuel cans under the decoupler

5. place the LV-30 engine under that.

Do the mission as follows;

1. Press T to activate automatic stabilization for launch.

2. Hold the shift key down until the throttle indicator reads full.

3. When ready, press the Space key to launch.

4. Start a sub orbital turn at about 10,000 meters by pressing the D key and releasing it several times. It may help to press the F key to temporary turn off stabilization while making the turn. Practice will prefect what would be called a Gravity Turn.

5. If you find that the G meter is getting out of the green throttle back with the Ctrl key until it comes back. Too much acceleration in the lower atmosphere causes excessive drag and waste fuel.

6. Stage the rocket when it runs out of fuel and shuts down.

7. Now, activate one of the Goo canisters and save the report.

8. When you are in space, you will hear the music playing, do a Crew Report, activate and save the data on the second Goo canister, do an EVA but don't let go, do an EVA report, and return to the capsule.

9. Turn off the stabilization by pressing the T key before reentering the atmosphere. The capsule will stabilize bottom down for reentry.

10. When reentry heating and shock wave effect has completed and your speed has dropped below 500m/sec, hit the spacebar to deploy the parachute. It will deploy into drogue mode, then at 500 meters from the surface, deploy fully.

11. When you land, either in the water or on land, do an EVA, take a soil sample, and return to the capsule. If you are unable to reenter, don't worry.

12. Recover the capsule or Jeb.

13. If the capsule couldn't be recovered because Jeb was outside, go to the Flight Center and recover the capsule from there.

Go to the Research center with the 50 Science Points you have just earned and unlock all the Tier 2 parts. You can now build a multistage rocket to place you into orbit, go to Mun or Minmus, return, and get enough Science Points to start unlocking Tier 3 Parts. Do multiple missions in different biomes of those three places to unlock a ton of Science Points. Enjoy.

Don't be afraid to experiment with different designs. That way, you will find out what works, and what doesn't.

Edited January 23, 2014 by SRV Ron

[zlacelle]

Thanks everyone, this was quite helpful!