How Do You Advance?

[NASAFanboy]

I have a question for KSP'ers.

Do you advance slowly when starting a new profile, or do you come out charging with a Duna mission on your first launch?

Do you put Kerbals first, or probes?

Do you have preresequites for bigger goals?

Do you prefer to go a certain career path (Spaceplanes, anyone), or do you like to go on paths that were successful in the past?

Do you (like me) prefer to scrape up the science around KSC and perform supersonic flight research around the center before even thinking about a serious venture in space?

[The Destroyer]

If it's Sandbox, I do whatever I like, Duna, Jool, Mun, whatever.

Career I go something like this

Kerbin>Minmus>Mun>Eve>Duna>Whatever

[FenrirWolf]

If it's Sandbox, I do whatever I like, Duna, Jool, Mun, whatever.

Career I go something like this

Kerbin>Minmus>Mun>Eve>Duna>Whatever

Pretty much this. Only on my most recent save I decided to skip going to Duna and went to Dres for the first time instead XD

[TicTacToe!]

Precisely the same, I think it's a bit weird if on Day 1 of the space program I send a flotilla to Jool. I've been doing supersonic flight at the moment and got a nice polar base infrastructure going on Kerbin, really enjoying it since this is the first time I've been successful (after countless tries) at planes.

[Klingon Admiral]

My current career save went something like this:

Kerbin - Orbit - Munar Flyby&Return - Munar Orbit&Return - Minmus Landing&Return (Probe) - Duna Flyby (Probe) - Kerbol Orbit&Return - Minmus Flyby&Return - Minmus Landing&Return

[Mischief]

I launch some near-orbital ships for science. Then I go for a Minmus orbit and Mun orbit for more science.

By that time I have the science for more complex stuff. I started a new Career game with the ARM update.

After I did my Minmus/Mun orbits and returns I built two probe motherships; the Huckleberry Finn took 12 probes to Minmus, each with Science JR and goo, plus some spare fuel to each biome, plus one each for high and low orbit, plus one spare. The Tom Sawyer took 15 probes to The Mun with a Science Jr and Goo on each plus a bunch of extra fuel, the Tom Sawyer as well got into Mun orbit with several hundred L of extra fuel. Then I launched two manned recovery landers, the Duke and the Dauphin. They landed at each probe, recovered the science, took thermometer readings, EVAs and samples, then used KAS to move the spare fuel from the probes to the lander. This let me do one trip to each moon (the Mun and Minmus respectively) and effectively strip-mine all their science.

Doing a 'probe mothership science and single lander recovery' approach like that let me do two missions, the Mun mission netted me about 6K science, the Minmus mission about 7K.

That gives me enough science to effectively unlock about everything, including the new stuff from my mods (KAS, Kethane, SCANSat) and then start planning a far more complex set of mission. Project Appleseed will launch a single massive, comprehensive probe mothership (the Johnny Appleseed) that will cross the whole system and drop probes into each planet and moon in the Kerbin system before settling into orbit around Jool. The Mark Twain Colony Seed ship will take about 20 Kerbals to Duna to set up science and Kethane mining colonies on Duna and Ike and start laying the foundation for an orbital base there from which to more easily launch regular missions to Laythe, where some day I plan on setting up a more established colony.

So, yeah. I like the 'strip mine science, then plan massive projects' approach.

[regex]

To start, I launch a Kerbin polar orbital craft to gather all the EVA and some other random science. Maybe I'll do another Kerbin launch in-between along with gathering the launchpad and runway science. Then, using the unlocked nodes, I send a mission to Minmus which goes into a polar orbit, again for all the EVA science, then lands in four places (with four mat bays and goo containers). Once that's done I've usually unlocked nuclear engines and go elsewhere. In my current save my first landing outside of Kerbin SOI was Moho, last night, and while waiting for the return window I'll set up a few more interplanetary launches. I'll probably put a station around Eeloo, I've always wanted to do that.

Most of my craft are manned; I try not to use probes unless it's designed to be expendable (orbital tugs, Eve probe landers, etc...)

Basically, screw progression, I know what I'm doing by now and I'm not about to go through a bunch of rote crap (again) before I start making interplanetary flights.

[Superfluous J]

In my last save (that I'm still playing since 0.22 came out) I forced myself to complete a mission before unlocking *one* tech node. It made for a very slow advancement schedule and I loved it.

My next save (which I'll start when 0.24 comes out. I want to restart to fully explore the new feature: contracts) I'll have a rule: I can only land on each planet/moon in a single mission. After that mission returns to Kerbin I'll never be able to land on that planet again. And I can't start a new mission until that one's done (Of course, Kerbin itself is an exception to this rule). So, I'll be avoiding Mun and Minmus and trying to go directly to places like Gilly, Pol, and Bop first after I do my initial "Polar Orbit Around Kerbin for tons of EVA reports" mission.

So I guess to answer your question, I do a weird mix of both going out quickly and holding myself back.

[R0cketC0der]

I recently started playing with realism overhaul and it's like completely relearning the game. A craft that can get barely into orbit with it could go to Jool and back without any problems in stock. I'm currently building a rocket that is supposed to go to the moon, but that's way harder in the real world than in ksp.

Usually I test any craft I make unmanned first and try to not accelerate over 3.5g at any point in my flight. This isn't as easy as it sounds with RO, because most first stage engines only feature very limited throttling.

Edited April 9, 2014 by R0cketC0der

[Rainbow-Dashie]

In career (the mode i actually "play" in, Sandbox is for building cool ships and vehicles that I dont really intend to fly ) I go Mun > Minmus > Duna.

To be honest... I never actually landed a kerbal on another planet... I've landed unmanned probes on both Eve and Duna, but didnt return them. So my progress is at a stall until I get a manned Duna mission there and back But I like it like this, gives me a clear goal to aim for constantly.

[Spartwo]

Do whatever I feel like.Sometimes that's a return mission to Lathe,sometimes it's a space station.

[Jouni]

In my last career mode game, I ignored science experiments and got most of my science points from crew reports. The progress of technology was quite nice, and I was forced to build reasonable low-tech ships for interplanetary missions.

The missions were something like the following:

1. A short hop with a rocket with just one fuel tank.
   
2. A bigger rocket that could reach upper atmosphere.
   
3. A staged rocket that could not reach space.
   
4. A bigger staged rocket that went suborbital.
   
5. An orbital mission that reached high orbit.
   
6. An orbital mission that did Mun flyby.
   
7. An orbital mission that did Minmus flyby.
   
8. Mun landing.
   
9. Minmus landing.
   
10. Mun landing with a crew of three. The design was a bit funny, as I still had only the initial command pod unlocked.
    
11. Gilly landing.
    
12. A mission to Duna and Ike.
    
13. A mission to Dres with a ship identical to the Duna ship.
    
14. A close flyby of the Sun.
    

The last three missions were ready for departure when 0.23.5 was released. I still haven't returned to that save to complete the missions. All four interplanetary missions required two launches: one for the ship and one for the transfer stage. I also launched a fourth transfer stage for the last three missions to refuel their transfer stages before departure. The Gilly and Sun missions did not have parachutes onboard, so they needed a final launch for retrieving the crew.

When 0.24 comes, I'll probably start a similar career mode game, but with FAR and DRE installed.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Jouni

[Aragosnat]

KSP, Runway, Launch pad, low & high air, sub-orbit, orbit, then Mün then Kerbin ground and low and high orbit new science parts, then Mün if need be Then Minmus As most of the time I got all the points needed to basicly wipe out the tech tree by hitting Minmus as I hit it all usually in one go.. If I don't have gravity scanner then I do Minmus one or twice or at least get two soil samples plus other science I can do.

[ArmchairGravy]

1. Launch pad, landing strip & KSC samples.

2. Orbit Kerbin and get biome EVAs.

3. Orbit Mun & Minmus.

4. Land on Minmus and hit multiple biomes ( science lab lander).

5. Land on Mun and hit multiple biomes. (Send a tanker to refuel lander.)

6. Duna & Ike landings with return.

The tree is unlocked at this point so I then do whatever.

[alacrity]

My pattern since carreer has changed a little from the old days

used to be, get something in orbit of Kerbin to see any obvious changes in Dv and thrust actions. Then start to design my install mission profile. Each one is different and depends on the Hardmode mod I am using.

Career mode added a day of messing about in suborbital and extended LKO missioning as I build up my science to a point I can make grander plans.

Next comes my station. I do just enough science work at Mun and Minmus to get docking clamps worked up then a multi launch construction mission to get the station around Kerbin up. This becomes my platform for my Munar and Minmus missionning.

Secondary to that is developing a Mun launch system and mining effort. Once I get Kethane and Shipbuilding set up on Mun I orbit a construction shack and fueling depot at the Mun. Most of the science I really need is done now and I have nuclear engines.

At this point I do my first big mission. I build a mother ship in space are the Moon. Most parts from Kerbin but some coming up from the moon along with Fuel Loads. This could be an Eve exploration or a Jool mission.

With all that under my belt I am ready to decide what the long term look of my save will be. Where to place station and bases, communication relays etc.

In the mix is also challenges and the like of course.

Alacrity

[TerLoki]

I tend to go straight to manned orbital flights in career once I have the tech (i.e.: Immediately after a couple ground tests for science), then start sending out flyby probes to the Mun while I work the bugs out of my manned program. Then, once I get to about Gemini level, I always do at least one test-dock in orbit, and then focus on getting the tech for a launch vehicle big enough to send manned missions out to Minmus and the Mun. After that it's typically one or two manned landings straight from Kerbin, then I build a refueling and research station around each and start biome hopping.

[Dooz]

1 Typical career mode beginning

2 Do a sub orbital flight and do science

3 orbital flight and getting science from most of the biomes.

4 minmus landing before mun landing and bring back loads o science its not that hard even with low tech.

5 mun landing do science and come home.

6 do science in the kerbin system until NERVA tech is unlocked

7 manned duna orbiter and return to kerbin

8 continue until the whole tech tree is unlocked

Yep.

[notfruit]

I recently started a save and did two missions. The first was a SSTO which reached a polar orbit (with just the beginner parts), and the second was a munar flyby with a free return trajectory (and a slight correction burn at munar periapsis, which led to a 32 G reentry).

I'm planning on landing on minmus, but unfortunately I went on a science spending spree and went for bigger engines instead of actual landing gear.

[NecroBones]

My career went something like this:

* A bunch of suborbital flights,

* A handful of orbital flights,

* 2 or 3 Mun/Minmus flybys,

* 3-5 probe landings on Mun/Minmus

* 13 or so manned landings on Mun/Minmus in different biomes (lots of science here, 500+ per landing, forgetting to do low orbit science)

* Duna

* Then everywhere. (except manned landings on Eve/Tylo, still working on that)

[Pecan]

I prefer to create a complete 'programme structure' in sandbox that follows a particular story-path. Career-mode 'Science' would be one of those, 'Kethane exploitation' would be another. My current is an easter-egg hunt built around SCANSat and starting with a rover (around KSC), trainer-aircraft and sub-orbital rocket. Progression is then orbital mapping satellites, manned orbital and lunar/low-deltaV-planetary satellites, manned lunar landings, high-deltaV-planetary satellites. Finale is manned interplanetary and 'permanent' stations. Spaceplanes really only get a look-in for LKO.

So probes go first (BTSM although I don't use it or career mode), starting from the lowest deltaV requirements and building-up. Manned only happens once probes are in place.

I have loads of information/management mods which are not a requirement for the missions (SCANSat can be faked just by looking at Kerbalmaps) but the only part-specific mod I use is Procedural Fairings, just because I want things to look plausible (and I definitely use asparagus staging). Just now I'm re-visiting the later, heavier launches and redesigning for the ARM parts, although they're so over-powered they make separate designs for low- and high- deltaV requirements look a bit redundant.

Incidentally, as I have commented elsewhere, one of the things that stops me completing is that I lose patience waiting for transfer windows and am more likely to start again for a new version/programme structure!

[LethalDose]

My mission progress usually goes:

1. Pad testing
   
2. Equatorial Kerbin orbit
   
3. Polar Kerbin orbit
   
4. Polar Mun flyby
   
5. Polar Minmus flyby
   
6. Minmus landings & Orbital science station
   
7. Mun landing
   
8. Manned missions to fly by Duna or Eve and land on Ike/Gilly
   
9. Whatever I feel like
   

[SkyRender]

Since I like finding ways to break game systems, I pretty much try to find ways to (reasonably!) get the tech tree unlocked as fast as possible. Minmus having biomes now made that much simpler. Mission 1: low polar Minmus orbit, 9 EVAs (1 per biome) to get reports and surface samples. Mission 2: massive Mun expedition with a combination lander and science lab with spare fuel on board, milking all 15 Mun biomes dry of every bit of science they have to offer. It works surprisingly well.