Why is my science officer not getting any XP?

[boolybooly]

Can anyone explain why this is?

I completed a few mission flights with Jeb and he got a star.

Then I tried a mission with Bob (which is tricky because of no SAS) and he succeeded in completing a view mission which had some science in the crew report and got 1 XP and half his bar filled up. I tried another mission in which he got me a crew report, some landed EVA science, which is his job, landed safely and was recovered from Kerbin but missed the view target so no XP. Then I completed a third flight in which he achieved the view mission objective earning money and rep and science but again he got no XP and his bar stayed the same.

Why is the game not responding to my efforts?

Am I doing something wrong? Is it because the mission profiles are all ballistic sub orbital so he gets no further XP because he hasnt been out of the atmopshere? How can I find out what I need to do to advance my Kerbals?

[Rook116]

I think you need to have him have a successful launch return mission to get the first xp point. Orbit for next xp point (and level up). Haven't gotten much farther than that. I have Jeb and Bob at Level 1 and both of them have orbited Kerbin

[RexKramer]

You gain experience by doing something you haven't done yet with that Kerbal.

Around Kerbin, you get experience for Flight, Fly By, and Orbit. If Bill has already gained experience for Flight on Kerbin, he next will need to either Fly By or Orbit to gain more experience. So, take him on an orbital flight, that should get him some more experience.

[RexKramer]

On Kerbin, the highest experience is awarded for Orbit.

Flight = 1

Fly By = 1.5

Orbit = 2

On bodies other than Kerbin, the highest exp return is for Flag Planting.

Note that these are base values, a multiplier is applied depending on the body:

Fly By = 1

Orbit = 1.5

Flight = 2

Land = 2.3

Plant Flag = 2.5

[xcorps]

So if a rookie astronaut does an orbit on his first flight then he should get 4.5 xp, then the next rookie should get 4.5?

Or you have to do a separate flight for each xp gain?

[RexKramer]

No, I don't think you get the XP for each category, you only get the XP for the highest category completed.

So, Jeb completes a flight, his XP is 1.

Jeb then orbits next. His XP is now 2. (Not 3)

At that point, Jeb has collected all the XP he is ever going to get from Kerbin.

For Jeb to get additional XP, he now needs to orbit another body, plant a flag there, etc.

[sal_vager]

I think you need to have him have a successful launch return mission to get the first xp point. Orbit for next xp point (and level up). Haven't gotten much farther than that. I have Jeb and Bob at Level 1 and both of them have orbited Kerbin

Rook is right, Bob needs to achieve milestones, not just do contracts

[Aragosnat]

It is a once per Kerbal thing. Took a 0 exp Kerbal pilot. Got an orbit and did a return. Gained 2 exp. Did it again. None. So in short. They need to do a lot of repeat the missions you did before just to get their experiance up.

[Pecan]

:-( Hmmm, I don't think science experience from milestones makes much sense. Pilots getting experience from longer flights & new destinations because they're flying. Similarly scientists should get experience from doing science, with a new component for example. As an example, I'd rather a scientist who'd used all the equipment in orbit than one that has only ever done 'crew reports', wherever they were from. Hopes for beat polishing ...

[Kelderek]

So it sounds like to get the most XP you need to do each step and not skip any. So don't take a new pilot recruit straight to orbit of Kerbin, just do a small flight first and then do an orbit later, right? If only the highest one counts, then you need to do multiple incremental steps to accumulate maximum XP.

EDIT: For a trip to the Mun you would want to do multiple launches:

1. Free-return trajectory for a flyby and return to Kerbin

2. Orbit the Mun and return to Kerbin

3. Fly over the Mun surface, don't land, return to Kerbin

4. Land on the Mun and don't plant a flag, return to Kerbin

5. Land on the Mun and plant the flag, return to Kerbin

That would be an expensive way to do it, but would that give the maximum XP per Kerbal?

Edited December 16, 2014 by Kelderek

[RexKramer]

No, experience is not awarded that way. You get the experience for the highest category you have completed on each body, per Kerbal. It is not cumulative.

If you fly over Kermit, you get the flight experience, which is 1.

If you then orbit Kerbin with the same Kerbal, you get the orbit experience, 2.

That Kerbals total experience is now 2. Not 3. So regarding experience, there is no benefit to doing missions in small steps to get each experience credit.

Once you have orbited Kerbin, your experience from Kerbin has reached a maximum of 2. If you want more exp for that Kerbal, you now need to visit other bodies, such as Mun, Minmus, etc..

So it sounds like to get the most XP you need to do each step and not skip any. So don't take a new pilot recruit straight to orbit of Kerbin, just do a small flight first and then do an orbit later, right? If only the highest one counts, then you need to do multiple incremental steps to accumulate maximum XP.

EDIT: For a trip to the Mun you would want to do multiple launches:

1. Free-return trajectory for a flyby and return to Kerbin

2. Orbit the Mun and return to Kerbin

3. Fly over the Mun surface, don't land, return to Kerbin

4. Land on the Mun and don't plant a flag, return to Kerbin

5. Land on the Mun and plant the flag, return to Kerbin

That would be an expensive way to do it, but would that give the maximum XP per Kerbal?

[Kelderek]

Wow, ok that seems a bit odd and confusing to have it show that way. Most XP systems in games are cumulative, that's why this seems odd to me. But the good news is it will not be so expensive to maximize Kerbal XP.

[Lunaran]

So, if I land three Kerbals on the Mun, all three of them should plant flags? And then I take two down again?

So, is flag farming the new science spamming?

[Pecan]

Welcome to astronaut training.

Class - sit in the school bus while we will fly you all to Mun, where you will each plant a flag. Snacks will be provided, you'll be back in time for dinner...

No talking and no playing with any of the equipment - Pilots, there is no need for you to fly to gain experience. Engineers, it ain't broke so don't fix it. Scientists, no experiments!

Welcome back, that completes your pilot, engineering and science training ^^

... years later someone invented the wheel.

[TriggerAu]

So, if I land three Kerbals on the Mun, all three of them should plant flags? And then I take two down again?

So, is flag farming the new science spamming?

No, each Kerbal has their own history, so if all three of them plant flags then they will each record that.

Took me a while to get my head around it too, but in general think of it as getting X values for passing a milestone. ie the same kerbal orbiting the same planet gives you no extra XP as they have already done that, but if two kerbals orbit the planet they both get that milesetone marked in their log and associated XP awarded.

I think the term XP can be a little misleading here due to the way its used in many other places as an incremental counter

[razark]

Welcome to astronaut training.

...

Pilots, there is no need for you to fly to gain experience.

KSC: Billy-bob, we need you to turn your ship normal.

Billy-bob: Uh, KSC, I don't know quite how to do that.

KSC: Just point at the marker on the navball.

Billy-bob: Negative, KSC. There's a purple triangle in the way.

KSC: Uhm...

5 minutes later:

KSC: Ok, Billy-bob. We have a new procedure.

Billy-bob: Go ahead.

KSC: We want you to get out of the craft, and stick a flag in something.

Billy-bob: Roger, KSC.

2 minutes later:

Billy-bob: KSC, I've planted a flag, and now I've found that I can point at an arbitrary point on the navball.

KSC: Copy that. You are go for pointing at the thing you couldn't find a moment ago.