What tech paths do you take?

[ArcticStorm]

Hi, I'm new to ksp and have had some success in the science mode, but I'm not sure what tech to unlock because the descriptions seem like lore or filler text. So I'm wondering what techs people go for.

[Bill]

I just started playing and have gone more science/tech/electricity to allow me to get more science for more parts later.

[.]

Top and bottom of the tree are good, the middle stuff is more for planes and ssto vessels which aren't very useful for getting science from new places and are far more difficult to build usable crafts. The top will help with better rockets and the bottom gives better electronics and science gathering stuff, so ya can choose which one you feel you need the most!

[andylaugel]

Unlocking nodes with science parts makes it easier to unlock more of the tree. But I also like pushing to unlock the Terrier engine early too, as it is one of the more efficient vacuum engines you can get early in the game.

[Chibbity]

Originally posted by andylaugel:

Unlocking nodes with science parts makes it easier to unlock more of the tree. But I also like pushing to unlock the Terrier engine early too, as it is one of the more efficient vacuum engines you can get early in the game.

Wut he said.

Terrier is a must have.

More science parts can make you more science, so they are always a good investment.

[XLjedi]

Whatever route gets me to the science lab the fastest... then onto the spaceplane parts.

[maculator]

Science is priority number 1!!!!
And then its whatever lets you build the simplest of the simple rovers to haul your science stuff around the ksc and farm it for everything it got to offer.
The new launchsites and the island airfield are also farmable.
that should enable you go get into a polar orbit and do evas all over kerbin.
After that you should have enough for the gravity meter wich you then can bring to a low and polar mun orbit.

[maculator]

I don't know about science mode but in career the science of the ksc + kerbin + contracts (+ the right strategies to get more science out of contracts) lets you unlock the whole tech tree without even leaving the atmosphere...

[.]

Originally posted by maculator:

I don't know about science mode but in career the science of the ksc + kerbin + contracts (+ the right strategies to get more science out of contracts) lets you unlock the whole tech tree without even leaving the atmosphere...

I wanna say thats not true, but ♥♥♥♥, it might be lol

[Lucky-E]

Originally posted by maculator:

I don't know about science mode but in career the science of the ksc + kerbin + contracts (+ the right strategies to get more science out of contracts) lets you unlock the whole tech tree without even leaving the atmosphere...

the way the tree is set up , you kind of need to be balanced, but i generally play to stock my kerbals with rescued pilots... so i run to the grappler fast using that way Maculator sorta illustrated - mostly i run to it before I even leave orbit- it does leave me short on science late game ... which means i make lots of small craft for long missions for single BIG rewards rather than steadily seeping in science from probes and labs .

that now leaves me today with alack of imagination to build large ships... i really struggle with the late end tech and enormous payloads. I need to learn how to make space planes and not just capsules , and it takes me days to make an outpost with a bunch of ships launching modules.

but thats another discussion lol

[Who Dat]

Originally posted by AweBab:

Originally posted by maculator:

I don't know about science mode but in career the science of the ksc + kerbin + contracts (+ the right strategies to get more science out of contracts) lets you unlock the whole tech tree without even leaving the atmosphere...

I wanna say thats not true, but ♥♥♥♥, it might be lol

its not lmfao, maybe in science mode but not career.

Can't research past 100 science without a funding upgrade of 451000, and to spend that and even have enough to launch stable flights that will complete a contract is laughable. at the early stages with the science junior,the goo canister, the temperature, and barometer, crew reports, and if you manage things right EVA's and possibly surface samples(i have all tech under the 100 science cap but surface samples from EVA is locked behind another upgrade) you are getting 20 science per flight from the science modules and roughly 8 science per flight from the crew reports and EVA's around the KSC alone this includes both going to the various different buildings yards AND the main buildings themselves, this also includes the other optional launch sites woomerang, and desert, which also allows science collection from the highlands,mountains, and desert right off the hop.

extending the reach of the meager science you can get from the main KSC buildings the science you get from the deserts mountains highlands grasslands on the shores and splashed down are significantly greater then from the launch sites and buildings, than you have flying at kerbin science milestones and for crew reports and temperature logs you can get readings from certain areas your flying over such as grasslands and highlands will give both different science readings, whereas in a goo canister its the same because your just flying at kerbin those are worth roughly 40 science per flight and you can really only get the full 40 once and then your just filling the crew reports and temperature scans over certain areas.

once you get to upper atomosphere the full science recovery grant roughly 60-80 science and again like above can only be performed once with exception to the two temperature and crew reports, all that science wont even get you close to completing the tech tree to a point where everything under 100 science is researched, i did all this and launched a flight with a scientist to reset experiments collected all aformentioned science experiments in near space to kerbin far space from kerbin close space to the mun high space from the mun and i then landed on the mun planted a flag for my objective gathered the science from the surface of the mun, and returned it. doing so granted me 600 science on return to kerbin with the experiment container.

Doing all this and i am sitting at everything under 100 researched, am waiting for funds to safely upgrade the R&D to be able to spend the remaining science i have (which is roughly 550) and even if i spent that its only enough to unlock 3 or 4 of the next tier science tree, and thats WAAAAAAY far past just staying in kerbins atmosphere in career mode

[maculator]

Well you can say what you want, but my statement is true. It would be tedious af but its definitly doable. I prefer to unlock all the stuff while using mun and minmus as science farms too, but it can be done without them.

[Who Dat]

Originally posted by maculator:

Well you can say what you want, but my statement is true. It would be tedious af but its definitly doable. I prefer to unlock all the stuff while using mun and minmus as science farms too, but it can be done without them.

no dude, just no, you clearly said you can unlock the ENTIRE science tree i ncareer mode just using the science from around kerbin in its atomosphere, i msorry but its not possible you wont have acess to all the science modules due to pricing limitations and you wont be able to fund any worth while missions because your limiting yourself to kerbins atmo

if you want to be a pompus ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ and insist that something completly wrong is correct i will debate you on this all ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ night long, i wil lnot however let you make theese people think they can unlock the entiriety of the tech tree while limiting themselves to the atmosphere of kerbin, you are a big ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ doofus if your going to argue a point just because you dont like to be wrong

your honestly better off saying something like "okay maybe i was over exxagerating a bit and you need to go a bit farther than kerbins atomosphere to unlock all the tech in career mode but no.

you quite clearly only play in science or sandbox mode because you lack the comprehension that you are only able to have 4 science modules a crew report an EVA and a surface sample before you have to spend a rediculous ammount of funds on the upgrade to EVEN BE ALLOWED TO UPGRADE THE FULL TECH TREE and if you did that then you dont have any more funds to launch a mission because you upgraded R&D rediculously early on

please for the love of all that is good in the world do not listen to this guy, you wil lnot, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES be able to fill out your tech tree in career mode while confining yourself to the atmosphere in kerbin, PERIOD, END OF STORY, i listen all the values and all the locations you can get to (even more than this loser did) i tried to be polite but if he wants to be assinine than thats on him.

[Who Dat]

and like i said, ive near finished kerbins surface, got everything in low and high atomosphere did the KSC and the option launchsites, did science from Low space and high space from both kerbi nand mun landed on the mum did surface science and recovered it on kerbin for the full data value and im still not done my tech tree and EVEN IF i had enough science to finish the tech tree i simply cant because i lack the funds to upgrade it without not being able to complete any of my veteran contracts because they require a vessel that costs a decent ammount of funds so if i upgraded my R&D i wouldnt be able to progress any further (hence the entire point of career mode to begin with) even if i had the upgrade i would still need roughly 1.3k science data MORE

i can almost garentee you are playing witrh mods that enchance the data values of your science experiments because you lack the ability to play vanilla, but thats okay, just for future refrance dont provide help based on the mods you run, because thats inaccurate information.

[Azunai]

go for terrier engine first, imo. that pretty much allows you to get anywhere in the kerbin SOI. unlock more science experiements along the way to solar panels and probecores afterwards.

once you have that stuff, you're can do whatever you want. satellite contracts generate the wealth to afford whatever you want with minimal effort and the ability to get to the 2 moons means that you can farm any number of science points to unlock whatever technology you want.

[Far-Seeker]

Originally posted by andylaugel:

Unlocking nodes with science parts makes it easier to unlock more of the tree. But I also like pushing to unlock the Terrier engine early too, as it is one of the more efficient vacuum engines you can get early in the game.

Terriers, they are my favorite breed uh engine... ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5bIW882OR8