Nothing works. Please help a noob.

[EDintheclouds]

I can't seem to get anywhere in this game. especially in construction. I am in sandbox mode and there isn't even a parachute available to me. When I try to build a new rocket and I move one piece out of line I can't get anything to line up with it and click in place. I can generally fly the stock ships to orbit, but of course they aren't enough to complete any real missions. I can't research stuff to earn more science points because I can't get anything off the pad.

Is anyone willing to skype with me or something to try to help get me going?

IM me or whatever.

[Vanamonde]

There should be a parachute in the first set of parts. If there isn't either a mod is causing your problems, or your game didn't download and install correctly. Try downloading it again?

Not sure what you mean about parts not lining up. Are you trying to attach things to the ghosted green parts you've set aside? You can only keep attaching parts as long as there is a continous path of connected parts all the way to the original, root piece, though.

Meanwhile, I made some stock ships that should help you get started in career mode. They're in the first post of this thread.

[Jeff Bird]

I can't research stuff to earn more science points because I can't get anything off the pad.

Doesn't sound like you're in sandbox ED. In sandbox you should have all the parts and not need to do any research. Like Van said, I'd try downloading again.

[Broax]

I agree with both previous comments... On sandbox the R&D facility is closed so you can't even access the science tree.. When you go to the VAB and the SPH all parts should be unlocked by default...

If this isn't the case either you're on science/career mode or something went wrong during the installation...

I'd recommend starting a new game and making sure you pick sandbox and if that doesn't work uninstall the game, delete any remaining folders/files (just to be surr) and make a clean installation of the game.

If, for any reason, you installed mods make sure to try a vanilla install just to make sure it's not mod incorectly installed. But since you're very new to the game I wouldn't recomend using mods until you're used to the base game. Except maybe kerbal engineer...

Hope this helps! :-)

[Starman4308]

Except maybe kerbal engineer...

Or MechJeb. I see why people think it's cheating, but I think it's beneficial for new players to watch how MechJeb does things, so they can learn from that, and figure out how they can do it on their own, possibly even better than how MechJeb does it. In any case, both of them display TWR/delta-V, which is amazingly useful.

In any case, OP: re-install KSP, make sure it is a sandbox game you start (it defaults to starting a career game), and hopefully things will work. There are also numerous guides available: most of the forum swears by Scott Manley videos*.

*Don't try what he does in some of his videos, and don't be depressed that you find it hard to do what he does. You'll get there eventually.

[Taki117]

I'd be more than happy to skypw tih you but I agree with Vanamonde try downloading and reinstalling, or start a new game and verify which game mode you are in.

[zekes]

Step 1: ignore career mode

Step 2: mess around with sandbox untill you can get to the mun w/o cheats (and back)

Step 3: you've just mastered the basics of the game. from here, you can go anwhere.

[Pecan]

Tutorial all about vehicle and mission design - link in signature.

Make sure you're in sandbox mode though, as everyone else has said.

[MockKnizzle]

Are you starting with a command pod?

[EDintheclouds]

Yes, I made sure I was in sandbox, and used the stock command pod. When I separated it at the last stage, it would not deploy a chute. Poor Kerbals plummeted to their deaths. When I try to build rockets, and I move one just slightly laterally, i can't connect another piece under it. It won't turn green. Then when I restart, it will work sometimes. When I first installed KSP I played for a bit and then closed it. when I went back and restarted it I couldn't find it anywhere on my computer, only the demo version. I have the full install now with no mods, ( I don't even know what mods are). Let me try again, then I will re-install.

[EDintheclouds]

Nope. I built a nice rocket, launched it and the stages would not seperate as I had them set up. The SRBs would not fall away, and when I hit the next stage, the capsule started rocketing up like it had thrust!? The I hit space again to pop the chute and nothin. Reboot?

[sal_vager]

We're trying to fly blind here EDintheclouds, can we see your craft please?

You can take screenshots with F1 and upload them to imgur.com

[DrD]

Staging can be tricky. One tip is that in VAB if you hover mouse pointer over symbol in staging list the corresponding part on rocket will highlight. This is important especially for radial decouplers as it may not be otherwise clear which one is which.

It's a longshot but do you have your stages locked? There's an indicator light in right lower corner of screen, if it's flashing stages are locked, alt-L locks/unlocks next stage.

Assembly can be a pain but you'll get better. Trick is that rockets are assembled from top down, so you can join a part to command pod, then another part to that part. But if you have a "floating" part not attached to a command pod you can't attach any other parts to it. In other words you can't "skip" a part, they all have to be continous starting with command pod.

[Starman4308]

Nope. I built a nice rocket, launched it and the stages would not seperate as I had them set up. The SRBs would not fall away, and when I hit the next stage, the capsule started rocketing up like it had thrust!? The I hit space again to pop the chute and nothin. Reboot?

Just to check, you do have the physical parts, right? If you don't have decouplers, nothing's going to decouple, and if you don't have parachutes, you're going to crash.

An image would help greatly.

[Pecan]

...it would not deploy a chute...

Again, with the others we need to see a screenshot or something.

This quote is a big advance on what you first said though - so you DO have a 'chute now? What changed?

[technion]

Step 1: ignore career mode

Step 2: mess around with sandbox untill you can get to the mun w/o cheats (and back)

Step 3: you've just mastered the basics of the game. from here, you can go anwhere.

I'm not convinced that's the way to start. The hardest thing I had with this game when I started was the bewildering array of choices. I kept putting mainsails on the top stage and those terrible white radials around the bottom.

The early career mode actually makes it really obvious what your first rocket should be made of. You do have a parachute available right away though.