Your path through the tech tree?

[TealSpark]

What kind of path did you take through the tech tree? Did you equal out each column before moving onto the next? Did you aim for certain components to build a specific thing?

Im just curious.

[ray]

I went straight through the middle
until 0.24

[morph113]

I usually do them pretty evenly, unlocking every tier after another. I tried it different ways before but to unlock everything evenly just feels better to me.

Edit: But i sometimes leave out nodes a bit longer in the middle of the tree, because I usually never really build any planes, only rockets.

[Manwith Noname]

Previously I took a lower path to unlike a lot of science experiments early on. This time I've kind of evened it out because you can get science from contracts too.

[Synavix]

I usually try to go for struts and fuel lines first, then fill out the science modules as much as I can. If I don't have enough for the next science upgrade I spend what remaining points I have in new rocket parts. I more or less ignore plane techs until the end. As much as I love trying to fly planes, I'm terrible at it and really can't do much until I have the whole tree filled out.

[Manwith Noname]

Originally posted by Synavix:

I usually try to go for struts and fuel lines first, then fill out the science modules as much as I can. If I don't have enough for the next science upgrade I spend what remaining points I have in new rocket parts. I more or less ignore plane techs until the end. As much as I love trying to fly planes, I'm terrible at it and really can't do much until I have the whole tree filled out.

Ditto, Earth girls are easy, space planes are hard. ;)

[goatgas]

I go for fuel lines for better power and science for mech jeb(makes life a whole lot easier now). everything else falls into place then. avoid aircraft stuff pretty much, too much hassle for me atm.

[daniel]

Sort of a mix. I went mainly towards the Aeronautics and science + special thrust mix. The only reason I'm taking the top path at all is to get those sweet nuclears.

[lagrangewei]

it depend on what mode as new career mode has very different priorities.

I used to go for science(bottom) than spaceplane(middle). so I can rush for science on kerbin. that is how 0.23.5/science mode is played.

however with 0.24/career, the mission gives money and science, so it now makes sense to go for the largest rocket(top), and aim for early access to high science value "escape" mission than doing "actual" science mining which is now a secondary objective for my game.

the new career which add cost also makes fuel line less practical as setting up booster(which had to be build in pairs) will cost more than stacking ala Saturn V.

[Noteak]

I never played a lot of career before .24 but now am getting quite into it and completely avoiding the middle (spaceplanes) and am doing bottom, for the science experiments, and top, for the heavy duty space ship parts.

[Howerdlhaufa]

Lower tree. More science, more batteries, more solar panels.

[[Linux] unbridledExüberance]

Science is ridiculously easy to get right now (you don't even need to leave Kerbin's SOI to research everything), so I would research large groups of stuff at a time.

I focused primarily on the science path to get science even quicker. Once you get the gravity measurer, you're pretty much set for science.

[AttentiveColon]

The fastest way through the tree is the go through the bottom section unlocking all of the science equipment first. I can easily finish the tech tree in just 3 or 4 flights that way. And if you are really efficiant I have seen some people finish the entire tech tree in just two flights. Scott manley is actually attempting a two flight finish with the current 0.24 build right now. He put up part 1 today. Abyssal something (can't remember his full youtube name) has a video completing the whole tech tree (with a lot of science left over) with two flights in an earlier build up on youtube.

[[Linux] unbridledExüberance]

It's actually possible (albeit with a hilariously cheesy ship design) to fill out the tech tree in a single flight

[AttentiveColon]

Originally posted by Linux unbridledExüberance:

It's actually possible (albeit with a hilariously cheesy ship design) to fill out the tech tree in a single flight

From what I have heard and my personal experience messing with 0.24 I don't think it is possible with one flight anymore because of the funds system. With only the basic science tools in the beginning you need to go beyond minmus to be able to get enough science. And since you need to go beyond Kerbins SOI you simply cannot afford to build a ship capable of planetary travel. It doesn't matter that you can accept missions mid flight because its not like you can add parts to the ship mid flight with the additional funds. I simply don't think it will be possible anymore.


As a side note: That user who posted the reddit article has been called into question on his legitimacy. And convieniently enough, he lost all of his video of the launch or something. So he claims he is going to try to do it again and put video up next time. So we will see. I'm frankly a bit skeptical.

[[Linux] unbridledExüberance]

Ah, that's true. You could still technically do it without launching a craft, but you'd at least have to have multiple ships go onto the launchpad to complete contracts for funds.

The video of his launch is there- it's just the second half that hasn't been uploaded. Basically he does pseudo-staging by overheating empty boosters (which destroys them and detaches everything connected to them) by firing boosters above them whose flames burn the boosters beneath.