[The Elcano Challenge: Ground-Based Circumnavigation (Continued)]

Thanks Claw, and thanks everyone 

 

It took me longer than I originally anticipated, because of all the pauses.. but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless, and as I was reaching the starting point of my journey I felt really good, I felt like something was coming full circle    I remembered all the hills and mountains I climbed, all the valleys and "lakes" I traversed, all the flags planted, the accident and the rover change, all the sunrises and sunsets, the view of Kerbin and the Mun from the surface of that little, frosty ball..

 

I really liked it. Now, I'd prefer to have a stronger PC before attempting any other Elcano challenges, we've come to the point where KSP rises my computer's temperature to almost unsafe levels (I'm playing on a laptop, this is no gaming rig..). But who knows, maybe I'll get tired of waiting and I'll just attempt a Mun Elcano on this old fella.. we'll see.

[The Elcano Challenge: Ground-Based Circumnavigation (Continued)]

7 hours ago, damerell said:

Well done! You seem to have taken quite a circuitous route in places...

Before sending the rovers to Minmus, I launched a small "scout" spacecraft with infinite fuel on, to check for cool places I could visit during my on-land journey. Even though, by Minmus's standards, even a steeper-than-average hill qualifies as a cool place  still better than travelling in a straight line, though.

And then, all I did was connecting the dots. Sure, at times I had to, say, move west, then east then west again, but I was enjoying the trip so the extra long route did not feel like a chore, not at all 

[The Elcano Challenge: Ground-Based Circumnavigation (Continued)]

Alright folks, my journey around Minmus has come to an end.

 

 

The big arrow was my START/FINISH point, the little stars were my checkpoints, I travelled westwards (from right to left in the picture). I had an accident near Checkpoint #11 and had to use my spare rover to continue the trip.

Here's the main thread: 

I intend to continue with the Elcano challenges, but not right now, I'm afraid my PC isn't up to the task. But I will be back, sooner or later, as long as you guys will still be sticking around here 

 

EDIT: forgot to say, I'm playing on a stock install, no mods whatsoever.

[Elcano Challenge - Entry #1 - Minmus]

Last part of the trip:

 

 

[Elcano Challenge - Entry #1 - Minmus]

And one more part..

 

 

[The Elcano Challenge: Ground-Based Circumnavigation (Continued)]

Did some more travellin'. Next bit will be the final part of my journey 

[Elcano Challenge - Entry #1 - Minmus]

Here's the next part, we don't have many left 

 

 

[The Elcano Challenge: Ground-Based Circumnavigation (Continued)]

Gonna post the next bit in a few minutes, we're.. 2 flags away from completion, I think.

[The Elcano Challenge: Ground-Based Circumnavigation (Continued)]

Posted the next part of my trip. Yep, I should finish the journey in a few days if I keep this pace.

[Elcano Challenge - Entry #1 - Minmus]

And next bit too, we moved the second rover to our location and then drove to the next checkpoint, all in one sitting 

 

 

[Elcano Challenge - Entry #1 - Minmus]

Next bit, here it is:

 

 

As you may have guessed, next time I'll have to take rover #2, which is still attached to the transport ship, and move it over to Checkpoint #11.

[The Elcano Challenge: Ground-Based Circumnavigation (Continued)]

Thanks Claw. Posting the next part right now.

 

I should be done in a few days.

[The Elcano Challenge: Ground-Based Circumnavigation (Continued)]

Uff, posted another bit o' trip on my mission report. I'd better finish this soon, I think I'll just play KSP once a day during this week and.. hopefully I'll complete the circumnavigation.

Also, this game fries my poor pc. Had to change the cooling fan a few weeks ago, it started malfunctioning. I think I'll take a long break after completing Minmus, then I'll resume with the challenge once I get a new, more powerful pc.

[Elcano Challenge - Entry #1 - Minmus]

Ok, completed another journey segment, here's the album:

 

 

[The Elcano Challenge : Ground-based circumnavigation]

Just update my thread back at mission reports, linked the imgur album.

 

I didn't know that in the last update brakes got buffed, a really welcome change! Slowing down on Minmus was a real pain before, but now it's so much easier 

[Elcano Challenge - Entry #1 - Minmus]

Finally uploaded the next bit to imgur, here's the album:

 

 

 

Nothing very exciting happened, except for a funny bit when I went off of a hilltop too fast and landed hard on its side, and one of the wheels broke 

[The Elcano Challenge : Ground-based circumnavigation]

Oh man..

I come back from my hiatus. Only to find out Fengist has gone on one of his own.. 

Yeah, it's been a few weeks pause, sorry everyone. I was busy first, then got distracted with other things, and other games.. and now I'm back to finish my Minmus trip. I'll be done in a few days, I guess. Made some progress today, will update my thread tomorrow.

Also, new forum, looks a lot better now. Neat.

[The Elcano Challenge : Ground-based circumnavigation]

Thanks Claw, I think I'll head over to kerbalmaps too when the time comes.

Anyway, planted two more flags on Minmus today, and we've travelled half the way around the satellite already just updated my thread in the Mission Reports section.

[Elcano Challenge - Entry #1 - Minmus]

And indeed, we did travel during the night this time, and I liked the experience

Except for.. one thing. See, my rover only has solar panels and batteries as means of generating and accumulating electric charge. And driving without the Sun shining above me.. well, it was fine when coming down slopes and travelling across the flats without changes in velocity, since brakes don't consume electricity and moving on level ground does not make you lose speed at all (on Minmus at least).

But when going up slopes.. oh boy. As you'll see, at one point I had to park my rover when nearing 0 electric charge, open my solar panels and wait for the Sun to rise, hehe.

Here's the album:

 

 

[The Elcano Challenge : Ground-based circumnavigation]

@Claw

Can I ask you a question? Where do you find those maps of celestial bodies that you use in your albums? I'd like to use them too.

[The Elcano Challenge : Ground-based circumnavigation]

Next bit of my Minmus journey has been uploaded, check it out in the Mission Reports sub-forum

I think I'll try roving during night time in my next trip, just to change things up a little. And maybe make the ride more interesting.

[Elcano Challenge - Entry #1 - Minmus]

Next bit up! Only planted one flag this time, but we still travelled over 40 kilometers.

 

 

 

I think I'll try driving during the night next time..

[The Elcano Challenge : Ground-based circumnavigation]

Another part of my trip posted in the Mission Reports section. Feel free to check it out

[Elcano Challenge - Entry #1 - Minmus]

Placed 3 more checkpoint flags during this trip. I went south-west for a while but then travelled the second half of the journey practically going straight north. So there, I'm not taking the shortest route at all, hehe.

 

 

[Elcano Challenge - Entry #1 - Minmus]

I just read Claw's report, and the timewarp difficulties reminded me of something I've been pondering for a while.

I used timewarp (via Better Timewarp) only to get up to real time when I had too many parts on the rover for it to run in real time at 1x warp. Am I alone in doing real-time circumnavigations?

Well, I think I only used timewarp while I was travelling on the seas, since those are the most easy and "boring" (featureless) bits. Going through hills and valleys, I drove in real time. I had to be careful, my rover started flipping in mid-air a couple of times and I had to quickly close the solar panels and enable the reaction wheels to make it land safely.

I'd not like to do the same under the effects of time-warp, I might not even be able to regain control in time..