What are the most important things you've learned about playing KSP to pass on?

[Red Iron Crown]

One thing- always strut inwards from a booster. This allows you to copy the booster using alt, should you need another, without having to to all the strutting again.

I use this trick too. Another strutting one:

If you want perfectly aligned struts, place a small part (linear RSC ports are good) on the opposite side of the core using the symmetry/angle snap you intend to use for duplication. When placing the strut, attach it to the booster then rotate the camera around until you see your small part, then attempt to connect the strut to it. Your strut will be perfectly radial.

Works for fuel lines, too.

[ArmchairGravy]

Don't be stingy with your reaction wheels on larger craft. The maneuverability gains more than offset the extra mass.

[Zephram Cochrane]

Baby steps. That is, approach your missions scientifically. Try a small mission with easy goals first, then slowly increase the difficulty. For example. Learn what it takes to JUST reach space without stable orbit. Then on the next mission, tweak your vessel a bit to increase the distance slightly. Trial and Error is the road to success.

[ThinkOutsideTheHangar]

You can never have enough parachutes when landing on Duna. And you always have enough parachutes when landing on Eve. Also Laythe was made for vacation.

[grockstar124]

Use struts. Bad things happen if you don't use struts.

[Moss]

Never try and guess when the next update will be out and then wait for it.

[zekes]

Never stop being creative.

[PaladinFoster]

When in doubt, put struts all over it.

[The Fleet Master]

Always have a notepad and duct tape on hand (Even on a date)

[No one]

Always test the return stage.

Testing may be boring and lame, but nothing is worse than having an otherwise perfect mission fail because you splashed down a bit too hard, or even worse because you splashed down perfectly but then it was too tall and the top part fell over and exploded.

[Idrryl]

There's one thing that goes beyond KSP: -Observe, experiment, test until you get satisfiable results, then improve upon them.

[davidpsummers]

If you have a space station, _shutdown_all_ the_engines on the station and ships attached. (Left double click and hit the shutdown button). You will be using the station a while and you _will_ hit the shift key by accident.

[zekes]

Have more fuel than you plan on needing

[Mohax]

ALWAYS have more struts...

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and more RCS ports

[SuspectTax]

When trying to dock with something, make sure the indicator above your navball is set to target, and whenever you come to a close encounter with the ship your trying to dock with you can burn retrograde to stabilize your orbit until your relative velocity is 0

[Zablonski]

I have learned that .24 makes KSP a completely new game. The difference between .235 and .24 is like the difference between working in academia and working in corporate. I have found I design differently now every whack of the space-bar costs me money.

[livefree75]

1. If you're in a hyperbolic or parabolic orbit, the purple orbit path is the one you will take if you don't get into a stable orbit.

2. Learn from MechJeb, then try accomplishing those maneuvers on your own.

3. Cut down on your part count. It is a sure-fire way to reduce lag.

4. Try to get to the Mun and Minmus and back before attempting interplanetary missions.

5. The higher an apsis is, the less fuel/delta-v it takes to change that apsis's height.

[Tahib]

Docking is bad. Better launch 1500 part rockets before trying to assemble in space.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Tahib

[TK421d]

maybe not the most important, but the most interesting thing i learned from KSP: that "Its the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs" actually DOES make sense.

faster engines = more direct course = faster transit & less distance traveled.

[Red Iron Crown]

maybe not the most important, but the most interesting thing i learned from KSP: that "Its the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs" actually DOES make sense.

How so? Parsecs are a measure of distance. It hasn't made any more sense to me since learning to play KSP.

[Russoft]

I have learned that .24 makes KSP a completely new game. The difference between .235 and .24 is like the difference between working in academia and working in corporate. I have found I design differently now every whack of the space-bar costs me money.

Bahahaha, so true. Though, academics do have to work for their grant money. The difference is that once they have it, they can sink it into whatever they want as long as they get nice looking results. Who cares if it's profitable or practical for industry. Just as long as it means they can write a better grant application next year.

[TK421d]

How so? Parsecs are a measure of distance. It hasn't made any more sense to me since learning to play KSP.

faster engines mean more efficient course plotting, means less distance traveled.

[Russoft]

faster engines mean more efficient course plotting, means less distance traveled.

Not necessarily more efficient. Can also be less efficient but more direct (and therefore faster and shorter) path.

[cantab]

For an interplanetary trip it would indeed make some sense to give the distance taken. If you have excess delta-V you can take a shorter and quicker route than the fuel-optimal Hohmann transfer. Though I'd still favour the time.

For interstellar travel, though, maybe not so much.

[Red Iron Crown]

Given Star Wars' lack of anything resembling scientific accuracy, I'm going with "the writers didn't know that a parsec wasn't a time measurement" rather than "the writers meant that the Millenium Falcon was able to use faster non-optimal Hohmann transfers because of its excess delta-V". If it can be shown that Star Wars writers knew about delta-V I'll eat my pointy metal hat.