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[Facekillz058]

Okay, so I have about 20 - 40% better specs than recommended on the site, so I should be good.
I think the only problem I had when I tried this before was a crappy processer, because that was way back when I used a laptop.
Now, it is desktop time.

[Facekillz058]

Okay, so, I've managed to land crash a ship on the Mun in the Demo due to a lack of fuel and the fact that parachutes don't work in space.

Are there any tips to minimizing fuel consumption from take off to Kerbin orbit?

[Graknorke]

Okay, so, I've managed to land crash a ship on the Mun in the Demo due to a lack of fuel and the fact that parachutes don't work in space.

Are there any tips to minimizing fuel consumption from take off to Kerbin orbit?

Use only the shorter fuel tanks, put your engines at the front of your craft, and jettison the empty tanks as they are used up.

[Aseaheru]

Or doing the above but from the sides.

[Graknorke]

Or doing the above but from the sides.

Requires more engines. Wait no it doesn't, please disregard.

[LoSboccacc]

Okay, so, I've managed to land crash a ship on the Mun in the Demo due to a lack of fuel and the fact that parachutes don't work in space.

Are there any tips to minimizing fuel consumption from take off to Kerbin orbit?

Gravity turns.

Also speed limits.
http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Kerbin#Atmosphere

Some say that a TWR of 1.5 to 2 is optimal.

[Krevsin]

The most economic T/W ratio is around 4. But that's for orbit-only ships. The biggest I could do as far as liftoff goes is around 2.5 to 3. More than that and the thing usually falls apart on launch.


Anywho, I was going to crash the Joollama into the Mun, but I decided to give it a much more deserving burial and crash it into another planet. I chose Jool. after a long burn and transfer, I saw a most peculiar thing. My predicted orbit was higher. A lot higher. Then I realized that I had just accidentally made an Oberth Effect happen. So, I decided not to crash the ship into jool and see where the new orbit would take me.
The answer is: Dres. I had minimum amount of fuel left, so I decided to crash into that. I didn't catch any photos of the crash because FRAPS and PrintScreen decided to be dicks. I did, however catch a screenshot of the Joolama after its burn to Jool. (Sean, the kerbal piloting is the stupidest and least corageous of the bunch)

Spoiler: Joollama (click to show/hide)

Also, when looking through my KSP screenshots folder, I found a thing from a previous mission, when the entire mission was put to jeopardy by Bill Kerman who had destroyed the craft's power supply by crashing into the solar panels. He has been dealt with accordingly.

Spoiler: Billybob Kerman in orbit (click to show/hide)

[ank]

Then I realized that I had just accidentally made an Oberth Effect happen

What do you mean?(I know what Oberth is, just not how it applies to this)

[Krevsin]

Then I realized that I had just accidentally made an Oberth Effect happen

What do you mean?(I know what Oberth is, just not how it applies to this)

I was starting off from Kerbin after I finished my burn towards Jool, I took a look at the map screen and saw the predicted orbit. its periapsis was higher (lower? closer to Dres in any case) than the one I was riding to the Jool subsistem on. Its apoapsis also went further out than Jool.

Basically, somewhere along the line, I got some free delta V. It's either a bug or Oberth Effect.

[ank]

It is most certainly not the Oberth effect. It is more likely bad predictions about the flight path. Or maybe a gravity boost by the moon.

The Oberth effect does not give magical D-v, rather it means a more efficient burn, when burning in a lower orbit.
Nature was being silly when it made thrust work over distance and gravity works per second.

[Krevsin]

It is most certainly not the Oberth effect. It is more likely bad predictions about the flight path. Or maybe a gravity boost by the moon.

The Oberth effect does not give magical D-v, rather it means a more efficient burn, when burning in a lower orbit.
Nature was being silly when it made thrust work over distance and gravity works per second.

Aw, but it sounds so much cooler than a "gravity boost". 

Still, I think it's more likely to be a bug in the predictions than me actually achieving something other than crashing.

[Facekillz058]

I finally managed to get a ship into Munar orbit with a decent amount of fuel left. I think I'll go for the landing.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

EDIT: Note to self, start slowing down a little earlier than 10,000 meters.

DOUBLE EDIT:
I did it!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Krevsin]

Congrats!

Now all you have to do is crash the rocket to make the mission a resounding success! 

[Facekillz058]

Okay, I've done pretty much everything the Demo has to offer.
What does the full version have that the demo doesn't?

[My Name is Immaterial]

Okay, I've done pretty much everything the Demo has to offer.
What does the full version have that the demo doesn't?

More parts, more planets, more features, and modding capability.