Useful tips for getting through the early stages of your career
A guide to the Kerbal Space Program for young space corporations
Career mode You will start with a small cosmodrome, a very small amount of money, with inexperienced kerbonauts, no science points and any wide range of parts. The available resources will only be enough for you to build a rocket that will barely reach the border of outer space.
First, take a close look. By clicking on any building with the right mouse button, you will see brief information about the selected building and the cost of its improvement to the next level. At first, it makes no sense to even think about the construction of large and complex rockets and the development of the cosmodrome. Every improvement, every detail and every launch costs significant money for the initial stage of the game.
To make a profit, learn a few rules:
- your vehicles must consist of so many components to complete the mission, and nothing more (every extra part is an additional cost)
- combine missions and take a passing load (if you choose contracts wisely, then you can easily complete several missions in one flight)
- take the time to check and double-check
- save in time
Start your first flights with the simplest rockets: capsule, tank, engine, parachute systems. Check the position of each action in the lower right corner. Pay special attention to the parachute. His deployment on the launch pad and his absence can have approximately the same consequences for the mission. Perform the most undemanding tasks from the category: get to a certain mark, develop such and such a speed, or collect data under such conditions. Remember that during manned flights, the capsule must be occupied by a kerbonaut with the specialization “pilot” and that each failed mission negatively affects the reputation of your space company.
After receiving your first serious money, upgrade the spaceport administration building. Calculate your budget to be able to make two unsuccessful launches. With the improvement of the building, you will have access to a choice of three company strategies at once, and not one as before. It is better to choose those strategies that allow you to convert earned reputation points into science or money and reduce the cost of parts. Calculate the amount spent on the implementation of the strategy so as not to go into negative territory, but rather to increase it by 25% from each successful mission. Remember that the chosen strategies will only bear fruit after the first completed contracts.
Now turn your attention to the contracting department.
Useful tips when choosing contracts:
- among the tasks for testing missile parts there are those that can be completed without taking off from the launch pad (do not forget to return the rocket for analysis later)
- a suborbital mission with a space tourist is feasible even with a single capsule. To do this, put one capsule on top of another, place the parachute on the upper one and monitor the speed of entry into the atmosphere (it is recommended to conduct flight tests with a pilot, but without a tourist)
- with the growth of your reputation, contracts become more complicated and require more material support, use the earned money wisely
Once you’ve earned enough, start upgrading your starting table (launch pad). At the entry level, you can launch vehicles weighing up to 20 tons, consisting of only 30 parts. Very soon you will miss it. You will feel the need to improve the rest of the space center buildings over time. Remember, every dollar spent must be used wisely, and failed contracts and lost tourists are bad for your space corporation’s reputation.
These were just basic tips that will be useful to you at the initial stage. Good luck!
