Ryu Gemini

I've seen bigger, but that is definitely one of the largest planes I have seen. And its probably the biggest one I've seen that looks decent and doesn't bend all weird.

As is common courtesy for challenge makers, I have a couple videos here to demonstrate the concept. They are from series I recently started doing. With any luck, I'll eventually become good at making these videos decently funny in addition to just having neat things. First: A bipedal walker. Followed by a rollerskating robot. Yes, you read that right. Next: A basic attempt at using infernal robotics on the water, and proving that the KSP physics engine does indeed manage to act logical! To a degree that can be used for a challenge at least!

The way this challenge works is simple. You design and build something which moves. However, it must be powered by infernal robotics parts. Rotatrons, hinges, sliding rails, pistons, whatever you want. Otherwise, you may use any mod you want for parts, even if you may not be allowed to use the engines those mods have. You may also just post particularly cool stuff you have done with infernal robotics too, if you like. Mention whether you use FAR or not, particularly for the siege division and theoretical division. So basically, you cannot use the vast majority of propulsion, except to get where you want to test the thing (in the event you are going for a boat, for instance). In this case, you must prove you didn't use it during the trial run, or must simple detach it when you get there. Use of hyperedit, or gravity hack, or infinite fuel to GET to another location is fine too, but all such things must be disabled for the run. Any location used must be on a planet's surface, whether solid or liquid (its alright if your infernal contraption is somehow capable of leaving the surface afterwards). So as far as the trial run goes, its basically: No rockets. Liquid, nukes, plasma, impulse drives, whatever. No jets. No translational RCS. No ions. No propellers. (I say this because all sorts of mods are allowed) No POWERED wheels. Unpowered wheels are fine, and you MAY use a powered wheel if you can prove that it was locked in brake mode the whole time (wheels sometimes seem to have better traction then non-landing-gear parts). No simply using SAS to roll around for easy velocity. Feel free to abuse it to stay upright though, or to change your heading. No warp drives or other stuff. Do I really need to say that? Its generally not advisable to use something like that on the ground. No infiniglide, and no Kraken Drive. Also, no kerbal-on-ladder magic. No decoupler force abuse (you may use decouplers so long as its not for their "thrust" though). You MAY use infernal robotics parts in an attempt to replicate a banned propulsion method, with the exception of infiniglide or kraken drives. For instance, you could make some attempt to make a helicopter with it. Or you can quite literally reinvent the wheel. You are NOT limited to just building walkers. Hell, if you can get a flappy winged ornithopter working, that would be incredible. You MAY use balloons for things like stability assistance, but only if you are not trying for a flight-capable craft. No balloons for In other words, infernal robotics is what powers you. Infernal robotics compels you. If you have some ideas for bonuses I can add, feel free to speak up. That done, lets get to business. Land Division: This division is about vehicles that move on the land. Score is based on how fast you can go, then multiplied by bonuses you earn. There may be some debate here for unstable walkers or similar things, admittedly. If its a problem, then take a measure of how quickly you can move the distance of one of the dashed line segments on the spaceplane runway. Bonuses: Look mah, no hands: +25% score for each leg you have less then 6. So a two-legged robot would get 100% boost. MUST use legs for both support and movement to qualify, and any rigid object (i.e. the foot) that comes into contact with the ground counts as a leg. Note that a FOOT may have multiple contact points. A foot by definition here is entirely rigid though (that is, the entire "foot" has no infernal robotics parts in it"). Reinventing the wheel: +25% score for each wheel less then 3. Must be using only some form of wheel or another as your transportation. This includes wheels made out of structural parts, which rotate around a robotic part. Bladerunner: +25% if you use rollerblades for your walker. yes, that is possible. See the second post. Put simply, this means your feet have free-spinning wheels on them. Jumper: +25% if your mecha uses its legs to jump forward like a frog or something. Better Turning: +50% if your contraption can easily and safely change its direction, and the mechanism isn't based on large quantities of SAS. Scoreboard: 1. m1sz: (Mr. Roboto) 5ish (2.5ish, 2 legs) 2. Darren9: (caterpillar) 2.25 (1.5, better turning) Sea division: This is about making boats, naturally. Oars, paddlewheels, use your imagination! You are allowed to use mods that have boat parts for better floating (such as firespitter's seaplane bits). Score is your velocity. Amphibious: +50% if you are capable of reaching the sea from the launchpad/runway without relying on a water launch system, cheats, or a challenge-banned form of propulsion (and you never throw the responsible parts away). Scoreboard: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Siege Division: This division is about building a stationary siege weapon that uses good old physics to flings something into the air. The projectile must survive for distance verification sake (your score in this division), so you may want to pack a small control unit and parachute on the thing if you have a fragile one. Projectile may NOT use wings or other sources of lift. You may use decouplers, but only if the projectile's mass or orientation is such that decoupler force alone provides negligable boost (i.e. make it big, have the decoupler face sideways from the path of fire, or decouple it prior to activating the physics engine). Trebuception: +100% if you do the truly kerbal thing, and use your siege weapon to fling... a smaller siege weapon. Which then flings its own projectile mid-flight. The secondary siege weapon does not need to survive, just the final projectil. Score is based simply on distance for the time being. Scoreboard: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Flying/theoretical division: This is for the possibility of a flying craft, if one is possible. And it may well be somewhere, even if that somewhere isn't Kerbin. Score is your horizontal speed. If you use a physics launcher to get airborne, you must wait 1 minute, then prove you are capable of climbing before recording. Due to the nature of moving wings around in stock, it may actually be quite difficult to eliminate infiniglide potential from an aircraft, so I put some bonuses that relate to having FAR installed. If you are using stock aerodynamics and your craft does enter an infiniglide death spiral at some point, provide your proof from before this happens. You may remove parts before starting the flight, such as to jettison a command capsule you used purely to supply the kerbal for a command chair. Just be at a complete stop with your "final" aircraft before taking off. Launchless: +25% if your craft does not get thrown out of a launcher (i.e. just putting wings on the projectile from a Siege Division submission). Functional (non-helicopters): You are able to control the plane. Well enough at least to land it back at KSP again safely (or you provide evidence you could). +25% Washboard: Don't use any wing parts that steer for you easily (i.e. canards, parts with aelerons, or big clip-on maneuvering flaps). You MAY "make" flaps with robotics parts. You must show you can still control the craft however. +25%. No Donuts: Don't use any reaction wheels, or any cockpit that adds more then a couple points worth of SAS torque. You must show you can control the craft still, however. +25% Fullmetal: Achieve both Washboard and No Donuts. You are using only infernal robotics parts to alter your direction. +50% on top of them. Ferram Aerospace Robotics: Your craft functions in FAR. +50% Flappy Planes: Achieve an Ornithopter in FAR. +50% Scoreboard: Planes: 1. Genius Evil: (flapper) 132, (88, launchless, no donuts, +50%) 2. Parallax: (flapper) 101 (67, launchless, no donuts) Helicopters: 1. Darren9: (helicopter) 22.5 (15, launchless, washboard) Oh, and if anyone is able to build a functional pinball machine with flippers and everything (presumably kerbals are the balls), then they are awesome enough that they don't NEED a score to rate them.

His specialty is heavy stuff, yes? Well, ok, he probably COULD do this challenge. Aw, who am I kidding. The only reason he isn't doing with immense WTFBBQ sauce is because he is kind enough to let someone else have the spotlight from time to time. .

Personally, I've just been busy getting off my arse to finally take, edit, and upload some videos I've been meaning to do (including a bipedal robot). Infernal robotics is fun.

Just an update. I finally got around to making a video of the Science Train (flying edition), in which I make some iffy attempts at humor but otherwise showcase some of its capabilities, including its freakish stability. Edit: On a side note, I am contemplating building a one-legged pogo-bot with infernal robotics to submit for the Pogo Stick award. And maybe the take-award-names-too-literally award. Well, actually, I am just contemplating building one, period. The realization that there is a pogo stick award in this challenge topic is an add-on joke. I mean, how hard can it be to make a pogo stick in KSP?

I find great humor in the fact that you just happened to post that in the thread I for some reason or another had made into a sort of blog-base for my efforts at making walking robots. Edit: Well, here's my pile of bots. The first and bleh one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhqvYBH9a4 The second and better one, along with the rollerblader.

Well, I made and recorded another, better walker. And the old one as well. And, if you can believe it, a bipedal ROLLER BLADING ROBOT. Just need to find some good free domain music for them and I'll probably upload them soon. Seeing as its definitely possible to make things faster then 1 m/s, I may just be able to create an actual challenge thread for infernal robotics-powered craft. ...I wonder if its possible to build a pinball machine. It would, of course, use kerbals. .

Of course, the only good "PVP" will ALSO be on servers with Infernal Robotics (unless stock gets something like it by then). It will, of course, be a kerbin equivalent to Battle Bots. People will make rovers with things like hammers and shields and stuff, and drive around whacking each other over the head with them. It would basically be in the same concept as actual Battle Bots, where the goal is to build and design the best battle bot you can and operate it the best you can. You could even see rule sets, such as ones forbidding "ranged weapons" (i.e. attaching rockets to I beams or other structural pieces and firing them at each other). Which is just as well because lets face it, anything outside a dedicated weapons mod's parts is questionable to aim and use properly in that regard, and true weapons tend to be against the ideals of the game's designers and many players. That said, I am sure that kerbals would LOVE to bash remote controller rovers against each other as a past time (some likely would even enjoy bashing manned- er, Kerbaled, rovers against each other). In fact, I could even see it as being a sport of sorts that the Kerbal Space Center hosts and broadcasts, using the revenue for funding their missions. Infernal Robotics is pretty much necessary though, unless stock parts like theirs get added by the time multiplayer is launched (remember, they are only putting in the foundations right now, so they can add it at a later time).

I am too busy to partake in this for real this week, but I will submit my idea for someone else to potentially realize. Launch two rockets with satelites shaped like kerbals. For lack of a proper idea of what a female kerbal looks like, just make the female one have long "hair" or something. Put a docking port on each one, on their hand (have each one with a hand outstretched). Once they are both in similar orbits, have them reach each other and dock hands. Turn SAS off and have the paired craft rotate slowly as they dance upon an imaginary dance floor set against the Kerbin and stars. Since these are, of course, kerbals, each of the two should have a solid rocket booster strapped on their back, which they can then ignite simultaneously while they dance (if they dock using the same hand, the two boosters will even be symmetrical thrust-wise!).

I did have a walker that moved a bit faster by "semi-cheating" its walking. Which is to say, it used two opposing rotatrons so as to have a stationary foot (that is, it always faced the ground) move around in a circle. Unfortunately, I screwed up by not saving itterations, and ended up not keeping the stable variant as a result. I'll need to redo that sometime this week. .

Technically, the kraken drive is an abuse of kerbal physics just like infiniglide, so yeah. In its current state though, it is rather wonky though (particularly during in-atmosphere use), and I would be rather impressed if you could create a kraken-drive aircraft capable of operating to the standards of this thread. Even the best of them aren't the most reliable or easy to use things. .

Well, while I have invented the tentacle, some people are learning how to build its power source. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/68369-Harnessing-the-Kraken-Eeloo-in-11-hours! We may be closer then we think. .

I wonder if infernal robotics could be integrated into a design somehow.

On a side note, some people mention the inevitable use of multiplayer for "PvP" sorts of things. But I for one am looking forward to a different possibility, even if its slim: Several people with the Infernal Robotics mod piloting vehicles that transform and combine into a single and possibly even functional giant robot mecha. You know, power rangers/voltron/etc style.

Getting multi's mechanics worked out a little is good. Means that later when they want to add it for real, they already have a base part to build it on and don't have to take apart the whole rocket just to put it in. As far as currency/budgets go, I feel the way they should work is a NOT a total amount, but instead a per-vehicle amount. As in, you can only use so much currency or budget on any single rocket or spaceplane. So if you have 20k, you can build a ship with up to 20k worth of parts. And then you can do so again. And again. Once you complete contracts or do something that otherwise increases this cap, you can build and launch more expensive ships (i.e. ships that are either bigger, or which have better and more efficient/advanced parts). I don't want to have to worry about running out of money. However, there could be modifiers to your current cash availability based on various events. For instance, if a rocket with a nuclear part crashes or if some kerbals die, you might suffer a temporary penalty for some time as a form of PR backlash. If Kerbals have newspapers, you could even have one appear to denounce dangerous rockets. Likewise, temporary boosts may be gained through certain events too. There could also be randomized events for this too that aren't directly related to your performance. Plus, just think of all the fun Squad could have making those newspaper covers, and the fun we'd eventually have reading them. A great way to add more enjoyment and even flesh out the Kerbals and their world a bit to boot. I also think it would be cool if you could actually purchase/upgrade the buildings at the space center in some way (using either science, or some third currency apart from the science and budget stuff). For instance, there could be two or three "levels" of runway, and upgrading it would improve length and material a bit. Upgrading a construction building could increase the dimensions of what you build there. Getting certain structures may allow for special parts to be used. For instance, a large power station could allow for special propulsion parts to be used like vessels where ground-based lasers supply heat ablate the bottom of the vessel for propulsion (this is a bit out there, mind you, but mods could easily add their own buildings and structures to build). For the sake of mods AND just making KSP that much more interesting, it would be nice if you could physically choose where the building or facility is placed when you get it, within the boundaries of the KSC (its also for the sake of mods because you won't need to worry about physical location conflicts that way for different mods that add a special building of some sort). .

The way for infernal robotics... Maybe a giant forklift rover? .

Heh, if Squad won't give us warp drives, we'll just steal the Kraken's. Edit: So how does changing the delta-T option affect it? .

Probably. I did just now anyway. Presenting the Great Serpent! Launched with a pair of partial-asparagus setups and a lot of KW's heavier-and-stronger struts (as well as some KW tanks, they just look better then the orange ones to me). That mass of structural stuff in the middle is all a single piece, folded up using hinges. It is unfolded after jetisoning the last of the rockets, as they keep it tied together till then. A better name for this ship would perhaps have been: The Kraken's Tentacle Because this thing doesn't just invoke the kraken's wrath after it unfolds. No, it is far more intimate then that. This thing and the kraken are clearly in league with one another. It whips around uncontrollably, and is generally just plain weird, yet it doesn't break. You can't accelerate, open the map and the orbit oscilates all over the place, but it stays in one piece. Its evil! It wants to kill us all! I had to just revert the flight. No way am I leaving that... thing, in orbit. It would probably hunt down any other thing I ever launched and slash it to pieces like it did to one of its booster rockets despite said rocket being like 50 meters away when I unfolded (the snake/kraken tentacle was of course completely unphazed and undamaged. In fact, this only seemed to encourage its bad behavior). ...I have created an actual component of the Kraken. This design must be purged, never again to be allowed to see the light of day, for the sake of all Kerbin.

From what I gather, the gist of the video is "Phooey to rockets magically appearing on the pad! I'll build it there with parts that aren't already on the pad! Using a cargo VTOL!" So basically, the challenge is to put together a rocket manually using another vehicle. It honestly sounds kind of fun in a way. If I were allowed to use Infernal Robotics in it for instance, I might give it a go (I would use a rover rather then a VTOL to build it, and infernal robotics hinges and extending parts would be necessary to do so with a ground vehicle without redesigning the thing for each added rocket part). Maybe I'll give it a shot sometime. I could always use more practice with inferal robotics anyway, as I eventually want to make a bipedal walker that moves faster then 2 meters a second. And eventually-eventually, a functional aircraft that transforms into a mecha. .

Well, aside from Hooligans balloons, the large tanks on the sides are from Firespitters (they are the bomber fuel tanks). I think that electric fuselage is also from that (the massive line of oblong batteries just above the large round things, that give me way more power then I ever need on the thing). I have KW rocketry, and that may be in play, since I used a "medium connector strut" that is stronger and heavier then the vanilla one, and I believe it may be from KW. If not, then its from the Near Future pack. But since bomber fuel tanks are light compared with tanks that have oxydizer (similar to how the plane fuselages tend to be light compared with rocket tanks in general), I wonder if normal struts would have worked anyway. Oh right, and those half-SAS clip-on rings are from KW. And of course, the hinges and the elevator are made possible by infernal robotics. Aside from the mods mentioned so far, I also have kethane and mechjeb, though neither were used on that thing. If you want to make one, my general tip would be to make the internal hangar twice the size of what you initially think will be enough. And maybe find a mod if there is one that adds some larger structural elements to make a deck with. Edit: On a side note, a line of large rotating VTOL props would have been capable of getting it airborne, but I didn't feel like working out balance for the thing at the time. Also, I wanted to have a chance of actually landing on it without having to train for 10 hours, and I wanted to give the big balloons a proper test run anyway. .

Well, here is another VTOL. Its small and nimble, but not too special otherwise. Unless you count where it is landed at. Balloons are probably against the "proper spirit" of this VTOL thread, but at least I had a proper VTOL take off from it. For as large as it looked though, it can only fit the tiniest of planes inside it. This was also my very first attempt at doing some very basic video editing (throwing on some music and text). Speaking of which, does anyone know a good place for some more old timey free domain music? .

It is worth noting that the Kethane pack includes a part that can convert an exterior kerbal into a packet of kethane fuel. Which is a somewhat grimmer way of interpretting this challenge. Hey, technically, if the ladder was right next to the waitnonostop converter part, the craft would become powered (that is, fueled) by kerbals on a ladder. In fact, that could be an interesting challenge. What can you accomplish with a plane using one kerbal's worth of kethane? .

Well, I messed around a little and... Bipedal walkers are possible! It moved (very) slowly and the computer controls aren't quite perfect at keeping the thing level, but the first thing I whipped together did barely work. Oh, on a side note, it is GREAT at just doing forward summersaults, and in fact moves about 100 times faster while doing them. But that is beside the point. Its supposed to be a walker, not a roller. But seriously, I threw that thing together in about half an hour. The center of gravity is a bit too high I think, or maybe it needs a bunch of reaction wheels up really high, or something. But it can walk! Almost as fast as a Kerbal with 4 broken limbs! How do I know? Well, um... the walker may have stepped on him. By accident, we swear! Or at least we at the Kerbal Space Program do. Jebediah was piloting the thing though... .

Yeah, I'm not doing much this weekend with KSP, but I've managed to get the bridge right so far. When it enters tacked-on-for-ending-plane-mode, the bridge actually retracts upwards into the main body. Getting infernal robotics to cooperate with that was a bit of a chore, since its parts start out in retracted form by default (and I refused to go with that). The wings will be comparitively easy. I'll just need to use hinges for them. .