The latest "For Science" update fixed a LOT of game-breaking bugs, fixed wobbly rockets, and improved performance drastically.

There are still some pretty major issues but it's comparable to KSP1 now in both content and performance in a lot of ways.

...for those interested

I need to update my MechJeb in Gen 1 and attempt an actual Mun landing rather than cobbling together a working comms relay from shit I crashed on the surface.

Seems like the planes work well! Still seeing a lot of game ruining bugs on Reddit for spacecraft at the moment. I'll probably buy it again when they add joystick inputs to make the plans a little more tolerable... Seems like modders have figured it out but I'm not really interested in hotrodding a $50 game to make basic functionality work

I'm really glad they didn't abandon the game. The launch was definitely a shit sandwich and they knew it but it's nice to see progress getting made!

Are you playing with an unlocked-from-the-start MechJeb or have you earned those features?

One part I love about early KSP 1 career games before MechJeb features are unlocked is the seat-of-the-pants Mun trips you can pull off to catapult you dramatically ahead on the tech tree (and contracts if you remember to jump out and accept contracts at precisely the right time, or use a mod to make the contracts window visible while in flight). I have so many life support and colonization mods loaded that I just fart around going to/from Mun and Minmus, I've never landed on any other planets even with Steam saying I have 990 hours in game (plus I'm sure a bunch more via CKAN).

Kharn

Career mode never interested me.  The game is hard enough just maintaining a space station in orbit and trying to land on the Mun.  I'm not a pilot - I'm more interested in designing.

The thing I love about career mode is making things happen within the confines of the unlocks and your budget.

A slingshot around Mun with 30 parts and 30 tons (and no mission planner) brings huge rewards, if you can keep comms/juice or are willing to risk one of your dudes (as they don't need electricity or comms).

Other times, when you screw up your first Mun landing and Jeb is very cranky on the surface or in Mun orbit (even better, with dwindling food via life support mods), successfully launching a better ship to rescue him is another big ego boost.

I play extremely conservatively because I have the self-imposed rule that if I lose one of the original four, I delete the game and restart. I'll lose recruits or rescued kerbals and keep playing, but Jeb & co are my boys (and girl). The worst was when I had a gigantic ore refinery (and food production base) on Minmus and 3-star Bill running it for the efficiency boost, sending fuel tankers to Kerbal orbit in preparation to refuel a ship for Duna. And the damn thing went bang when I jumped to it, killing Bill.

Kharn

I'll probably wait for now until it's a bit more mature.

I like to run jet engines as boosters, then kick em off when  they run outta air.  Makes launches sound amazing.

Absolutely.  I like playing modded careers that adjust the tech tree like Unmanned before Manned.  And full life support mods with no quicksave/quickload.  Make it hard lol.  

Loving KSP2 now with the science update.  You can see they will make this one a great game by the time its done.  Some bugs but its still early access so not at all unexpected.

I always thought KSP should have a "Space Race" gameplay mode, where your KSA competes against some totally-not-Soviet-Kerbals rival, trying to one-up each other in Space achievements...