The Needless Complexity Challenge!

[Red Dwarf]

Turn down your graphics settings and pump steroids into your processors, folks, cause things are gonna get big.

The idea of this challenge is fairly simple. All you have to do is get a 10 ton payload into orbit. The catch is, you have to do it with as many stages as possible! Your score is based on how many stages you manage to cram into your design, so don't be afraid to go inefficient! Ideally, empty Flea boosters will litter the KSC when your done.

Boring rules and stuff: Again, your score is based on the number of stages on your rocket. The bigger the rocket, the higher your score. As for parts, anything in stock is fair game. The idea is to go excessive, so really go nuts! Beauty and info mods are fine, and in this case using part mods would actually be a disadvantage. Most mods make it easier to get to space, and the idea hear is to make it as difficult as possible. Also, side note, don't cheat by having 50 empty stages, or ships covered in decouplers and nothing else. Try and have your stages actually do something.

Scoreboard!

1: MaporGamer made it to orbit with 24 stages, and spun the whole way up!

2: Falcon Coupe built a tower of Fleas, a 14-stage monster!

- - - Updated - - -

Also, since I don't have access to my gaming computer, I can't get the challenge rolling with my own entry. Sorry about that. I know that's one of the rules of challenge posting, but I figured this one would be pretty self explanatory

Have fun guys!

Edited September 27, 2015 by Red Dwarf

[Lord DC]

Someone call Whackjob...

[SpaceplaneAddict]

We need Danny, he can make with Kraken powered, the most complex propulsion yet.

[MoparGamer]

So... I heard about this thing called spin stabilization from Scott Manley, I may be doing it wrong.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Note(s): There's an RTG hidden in the nosecone you can't see in the album, I've also got multiple part mods installed but they're not used for the craft.

[Falcon Coupe]

I thought I'd give this a try to take a break from my career save.

I followed your advice with littering the place with Fleas!

14 powered stages, all of them used to get to orbit!

In the VAB.

First stage, all 8 seconds of it.

Second, again, 8 seconds of.

Third.

Fourth.

Fifth.

Sixth.

Seventh.

Eighth.

Ninth.

Tenth.

Eleventh. A liquid stage for something different.

Twelfth.

Thirteenth.

Fourteenth. Monoprop, just for variety, you know...

Annnnd orbit!

Fewh... What a ride to orbit! I think I single-handedly kept the manufacturer of the Fleas in business, and may have annoyed a few downrange residents...

[Robet.G]

What actually counts as a stage? If I add a bunch of empty decouplers does that count? This just looks like one of those see who's got the fastest CPU challenges.

[Red Dwarf]

What actually counts as a stage? If I add a bunch of empty decouplers does that count? This just looks like one of those see who's got the fastest CPU challenges.

Yeah, I guess it's true that this is kinda limited to people who's rigs can handle large craft. But about the staging question, the OP says your stages have to actually help you get to orbit, with tons of empty decouplers being specifically not allowed. Each stage doesn't necessarily have to have engines in it, as I can imagine someone using a drop tank design, but empty/useless stages don't count. Payload and rocket, that's it.

Edit:

Yaknow, I just remembered that there used to be a bug involving the stack seperator, where if you piled 20 or 30 of them on top of eachother, the ejection force could get you to the moon in seconds. If you can get a design like that to work, I'll consider including you on the scoreboard

Edited September 27, 2015 by Red Dwarf