Don't support Kerbal mills, only recruit 'rescue Kerbals'

[nadreck]

So in .25 I had decided that playing in my Hard Mode (standard Hard Mode with rewards reduced from 60% to 50%) that I should also only allow the use of "rescue Kerbals". Now in .90 I am doing that again and it is even more interesting than in 0.25 since I have know idea what the next rescued Kerbal's role is going to be. So far I haven't had to pink slip any Kerbonauts because I had too many rescue ones, I hit 5 just before I was ready to upgrade the Astronaut complex, so as long as I don't get more than 9 rescue Kerbals before I am ready for the next upgrade all is good.

I am curious how many other players have any self imposed recruitment rules for Kerbals? Or maybe retirement rules?

[numerobis]

I briefly did this, then got impatient in my career mode.

[Scotius]

Curiously, despite going to LKO and starting with completing 'put-a-sat-in-orbit' contracts i did not get a rescue mission so far.

[Mr_Brain]

I refuse to put any other than the ones I have to in danger! Well, as soon as I have them. In the career I started for 0.90.0, I recruited Billy-Bobcous because I wanted a scientist on a mission and I didn't want Bob to be sent out just after he had landed the last mission, so you see, I don't impose recruitment limitations upon myself, but kerbal employment limits: give them rest and don't put them in too much danger when a probe core can do the job as well.

[problemecium]

Until now I've only hired Kerbals with cool names like "Bilbo" or "Luke", but I may have to rethink that with the new Kerbal stats.

As far as rescues go, I take advantage of the fact that the rescue contract lasts four years - I grab the Kerbal and keep him aboard a space station or something so I don't get any more Kerbals needing rescue.

[Bill Phil]

Oh. Just pick out kerbals with cool or funny names:

Dodon

Burdan

Rayny

Raynand

...and so on.

[Streetlamp]

I hire to make a somewhat balanced roster. Some are full courage-no stupidity / vice versa, others are full courage-full stupidity / vice versa and a few others are no courage-no stupidity and vice versa. This literally doesn't matter to the game but it makes me feel like I'm being useful.

[WanderingKid]

I treat most Kerbals like Lemmings. They are the same color, and roughly the same life expectancy. Jeb, Bill, and Bob are the only ones who get special treatment.

[Superfluous J]

If I need another pilot I hire another pilot.

If I need another engineer or scientist oh wait I don't need those.

[monophonic]

Jeb, Bill and Bob get special treatment from me too. They get the pink slip. Other than that I haven't really thought about it so far, but just may restrict myself to only hiring the cowardly idiots for some time. Just so I could imagine myself as a bad boss.

[Aragosnat]

I try to go for rescued Kerbals. Just for the simple reason. Getting paid for something easy to do. Also you get them with free experanice from returning. So a double win. Triple if you can send a no star Kerbal up there to get the rescue-e back.

[UmbralRaptor]

Career: Fired the orange suits and have been using custom names for the recruited ones. (My rep is still deeply negative so no rescue contracts)

Sandbox: Kerbals are fully expendable. New ones will be procured on an as-needed basis.

[Renegrade]

So far I haven't had to pink slip any Kerbonauts because I had too many rescue ones, I hit 5 just before I was ready to upgrade the Astronaut complex, so as long as I don't get more than 9 rescue Kerbals before I am ready for the next upgrade all is good.

I currently have 13 of 12 kerbals due to a rescue with a full roster... I'm actively looking for more rescues now to stuff the roster

I don't really have any recruitment rules, but I DO like to send them on "training missions" before putting 'em on serious missions. Early missions are done by Jeb without training, but after my space agency is up and running, I send 'em up for orbital flights around Kerbin and return prior to putting them on any 'real' missions (ex. stations around other bodies, re-usable science landers, interplanetary anything, etc).

[Xacktar]

I go through kerbals faster than the common cold through a kindergarten class.

[ArmchairGravy]

I use the science lab, so I've got 3 pilots, 3 engineers and 6 scientists. One engineer was a rescue. I don't see a need for that final upgrade on the astronaut complex, but will probably get it anyway. Just like the engineers.

[Nuke]

last version i played through the tech tree without hiring additional kerbals at all. all of the extra ones i had were rescues. i didnt kill any of them.

[Andersenman]

Disliking the micro-management of jobs in .90. It's hard for me to stay interested in the game past Minmus due to long transit times and I find it unsatisfactory to send Kerbin into a >>>>>>>>> stasis just to do the Hohmann dance for that one mission to another planet. Sending Kerbals off in an exploration plane just to find that my science boffin cannot change a bloody wheel will certainly not make me jump with joy.

[montyben101]

Recruit them. Never really play career so I never rescue them