How Important is Kerbal Safety to You?

[InterCity]

I try my best to save them, but if one sacrifices his life for the kerbalkind, aside from preventing repetition, I do nothing about it. Right now I have about 10% fatality rate (and one awaiting death in space stranded :/), and most of them have in spaceplane tests.

[Starhawk]

For me, the choice to greatly value the Kerbals adds significant enjoyment to the game.

In my first career, it was one of the things that made me try so hard to finally complete a rescue mission for a Kerbal who was stranded on the Mun.

Because I value them, it was very dismaying to find my elation at a successful landing destroyed when I realized I couldn't make orbit again, stranding a poor Kerbal.

Because I value them, it was extemely pleasing to successfully complete the rescue mission that brought him home.

[NecroBones]

Lost a Kerbal in space? Not on my watch!

[Coam]

I always try and return kerbals to Kerbin alive. More than one ship has saved itself by de-orbiting using RCS thrusters when fuel ran out and my Mun lander module had two parachutes and an external seat so it could be used to return to Kerbin in an emergency, although there are few situations in which this could be done. (the CM would be needed to return to Kerbin Orbit.)

I could probably justify missions to other planets without any immediate plans for return to Kerbin if the craft they were sent in was designed for long term habitation.

For the losses I had in sandbox, I planted commemorative flags at KSC with the names of the crew and information about the mission they were performing at the time. I have not yet lost any kerbals in science mode and will try and ensure things stay that way.

Generally I am less safety concious with aeroplane designs since there's no prospect of being stuck in space, though I still like to fit parachutes to the cockpit so that can be saved if things get out of control.

[JDCollie]

I'm playing a hardcore career mode playthrough right now (TAC Life Support, Deadly Re-entry, FAR, Kerbal Construction Time, etc) and no respawning. Keeping my Kerbals alive is part of the challenge for me, especially now that they gain experience. So far my only fatalities have been in the aviation department (which is why only Rookies are allowed to fly atmospheric craft)

[Greenfire32]

Kerbalkind is very important to me. So important, in fact, that since version .14 I've never lost a Kerbal.

[Myslius]

I'm always testing manned ships before any flight. Playing on hard atm. So far no losses. If i loose any kerbal i plant a flag in KSC to honor the dead. Very important.

[Bigbootie]

This sounds bad.

I try to keep the original three alive, but the rest I don't care about as much. I try to keep them alive as best I can, but everyone makes mistakes.

I tend to agree.

[KerBlam]

Never lost a Kerbal, .. Have gone to insane lengths to bring them back from places. On the day when I can't save one, I imagine I will probably have some bizarre ceremony, planting a flag sounds good.

[ShadowZone]

I am really trying to keep my guys alive. You will not believe how often I reloaded on my first real Tylo attempt.

I am very cross when the Kraken strikes. Which happened a little while ago, killing 27 flights in progress with almost twice the amount of Kerbals.

[Yukon0009]

Kerbalkind is very important to me. So important, in fact, that since version .14 I've never lost a Kerbal.

howwwwwwww

[Majorjim!]

It may be well known but a good trick to saving Kerbals is, if you are falling to Kerbin over land simply activate your EVA suit and you will harmlessly bounce when you hit the ground.

[Yukon0009]

It may be well known but a good trick to saving Kerbals is, if you are falling to Kerbin over land simply activate your EVA suit and you will harmlessly bounce when you hit the ground.

I know, i always do that.

[Big Kerbie]

I value the lives of each of my Kerbalnauts. So far in my career mode, I've lost one due to a crash on takeoff of an experimental aircraft. With no ejection seat, he rode it in. Now that most of my Kerbals have leveled up, I'm even more cautious. I'll be a wreck if I ever get to the tech level where they can leave Kerbin's SOI. We will be overly cautious in designing escape mechanisms of that "oh crap!" moment way out there.

[Delrey]

I crashed a plane on a tset flight and Jeb died. The game crashed and kept the crash; my previous save was too far back to justify. My first manned craft to Duna was named Jebediah's Will in his honor.

[ShadowZone]

One of my methods to ensure Kerbal safety is launching complicated craft unmanned and sending up the crew at a later time with a proven and reliable vehicle. Anything to keep the little buggers secure.

[Crafty]

I even go as far as to design launch escape systems for every Kerbal. I check it off as one of the first things I have to do when I build a new ship.

I tend not to use the stock LES because of some bad memories I had concerning a still-burning rocket smashing into a falling capsule.... RIP Crafty Kerman

[StrandedonEarth]

Kerbal say-what?

[Warduk]

Apollo-like ship for a Muun mission, Jebediah in the "Eagle" landing ship, turning-on the engine for controled landing, the ship starts to spin due bad design, Jeb died. You will be missed J .

Idea for an Add-on/mod/whatever: "Kerbals' Killed In Action Memorial Wall"

Edited January 17, 2015 by Warduk

[Sufficient Anonymity]

No debris in orbit, no deaths - it's only responsible, right?

[Kethevin]

They're letting me play in their world. The least I can do is keep them safe. :-)

[klesh]

No one dies in my space program. They're all heroes.

[Denks]

I only care about the safety of Jebediah.

Just kidding, I keep all of my Kerbals safe, but it is true I protect Jebediah more.

[Sanguine-Fiend]

Very important to me, everything is often tested first unmanned and then depending on the mission the big three will take it, or farmed out to the reserve crew.

Final frontier is a great mod for kerbals

[Sully805]

I try to keep every Kerbal that I assign to KSP alive and well. But I do tend to hit that revert button pretty damn often.