Engine test contract won't complete?

[Zeiss Ikon]

I'm still pretty early in my first career game (been playing KSP for around 9 months, mostly in a science game, never done a career before).

I just sent Jeb up for three orbits (a little challenge there, going to orbit with fewer than 30 parts), and after he landed, I accepted a contract to test a "Swivel" engine in flight above Kerbin -- 61-65 km altitude, 410-590 m/s, if I recall correctly.  Okay, built a rocket (Thumper booster w/ fins, decoupler, "Swivel" engine, 400 tank, decoupler, Mk. 1 pod, Mk. 16 parachute) -- pretty basic stuff.

Launched Val almost vertical, staged away the booster at burnout, waited.

Apoapsis was going to be a little short, so I kicked a little with the Swivel.  Made altitude going too fast, so turned tail first and burned to slow down, passed through the velocity range while well within the altitude range, had both parameters ticked green in the contract display before I shut down the engine and staged.

Got back to splashdown, contract unfulfilled.

What'd I miss?

[Geonovast]

On some of those, you have to right click on the engine itself, and hit the "test" button while within the testing parameters.  Hitting test should activate the engine... but I don't remember if it has to be in shutdown when you hit test or not.

[Cunjo Carl]

*cough cough* Sometimes KSP can have trouble with these things. If you did the contract but didn't get awarded, the best recourse is to go alt+f12 and on the left menu bar, click contracts then active. Find your contract and click complete! These things happen, and sometimes even legitimate playthroughs need the debug menu.

There's jokes about Kerbals being the best Lawyers- their skills at wiggling out of contracts are legendary!

I'll readily admit I don't know if this is the issue in your case, but it may have bean because the swivel was _activated_ early even though it was _used_ in the right conditions. Deactivating and reactivating the engine in the right conditions may do the trick, but I suspect others could say for certain.

Best of luck in your career, @Zeiss Ikon!

 

[bewing]

There are two kinds of part test contracts. "Haul" contracts and "Test" contracts.

To fulfill a haul contract all you need to do is have the part on your rocket when all the tickmarks turn green. At that moment, the contract will complete.

For Test contracts, you need to either A) stage the part, or B) click the "Run Test" button in the part's context menu. Some parts can only be tested by staging them. Some parts can only be tested with the "Run Test" button. Engines can always be tested both by staging and through the Run Test button. So as Geonovast said -- the problem was that you didn't click the button when the tickmarks were green.

 

Edited September 16, 2017 by bewing

[Spricigo]

2 hours ago, Zeiss Ikon said:

passed through the velocity range while well within the altitude range, had both parameters ticked green in the contract display before I shut down the engine and staged.

Got back to splashdown, contract unfulfilled.

What'd I miss?

A player mistake is not implausible,  unfortunately.   If I had to guess, I'd bet you either  waited to long to activate the engines or didn't shut it down.  

In any case you may use the debug menu to set the contract as completed.  Either you are sure that was game's fault or because it's necessary to penalize yourself because a honest mistake.

 

For future reference: some combinations of required equipment,  altitude and speed can easily make test contract more trouble that's worth. Consider to avoid contracts you are unsure it's worth the time and effort. 

1 hour ago, Geonovast said:

On some of those, you have to right click on the engine itself, and hit the "test" button while within the testing parameters.

The contract may ask for test or activation. Either way, activation, by any mean, of the engine within the parameters is supposed to fulfil the contract. 

 

Edited September 16, 2017 by Spricigo
Ninjas!! Run for your life!

[Geonovast]

Just now, Spricigo said:

The contract may ask for test or activation. Either way, activation, by any mean, of the engine within the parameters is supposed to fulfil the contract.

I agree that's the way it's supposed to be,  but I did have the exact same problem as the OP.  Did the launch 3-4 times while activating the engine before and inside the parameters.  Contract would only complete with clicking on the "Test" Button.  Would not pop with staging the engine.

[Spricigo]

2 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

I agree that's the way it's supposed to be,  but I did have the exact same problem as the OP.  Did the launch 3-4 times while activating the engine before and inside the parameters.  Contract would only complete with clicking on the "Test" Button.  Would not pop with staging the engine.

Supposed is the keyword.

Without evidence  that something else happened, I tend to assume player mistake because often we can't be sure and that assumption seems to be usefull (we become more careful) even if wrong.

[Zeiss Ikon]

Okay, we'll see for sure when I can repeat the launch (fortunately, my agency isn't down to its last fund, even after upgrading the VAB -- orbiting Jeb brought in a bunch o' dough).  I suspect it was a case of not knowing I needed to find the "test" button in the right-click menu for the engine.  I easily could have done; conditions were stable enough there was time to click a couple times (even with a J-mouse) and still be in parameters.  I just didn't know I needed to do that.  Previous contracts had been "haul" type -- 1.25 m decoupler, Mk. 16 parachute -- or the Hammer booster which was "test at launch site", and completed when I started the engine to launch.

I already knew to avoid contracts with too-specific conditions, which includes most of the "explore Kerbin" family.  Low payouts, low prestige, and a PITA to complete because they have to be a particular height and velocity over a specific biome.

[Spricigo]

56 minutes ago, Zeiss Ikon said:

I already knew to avoid contracts with too-specific conditions, which includes most of the "explore Kerbin" family.  Low payouts, low prestige, and a PITA to complete because they have to be a particular height and velocity over a specific biome

My warning is more about the "test kickback engine below 5000m and between 1100m/s abe 1300m/s" type. Test contracts in general are fairly easy but the parameters are randomly assigned and sometimes we get that crazy combination. 

They also pay so little.. .as soon you start to get tourists, rescues and satellites you kay as well ignore test/haul. But that is up to you to decide.

[bewing]

On the other hand, completing every contract on the list (that looks like it can be completed -- even the tricky ones) is a really good way to learn the game.

 

[Spricigo]

1 hour ago, bewing said:

On the other hand, completing every contract on the list (that looks like it can be completed -- even the tricky ones) is a really good way to learn the game.

 

Problems is that often the contract is not tricky but rather no as profitable as others.

If you already learned how to get more bucks from your bangs use that skill. 

[Zeiss Ikon]

Okay, I found the problem.  First, as noted above, I hadn't discovered the "test" button on the engine's right-click menu.  Second, examining the auto-save craft from the test flight, it appears I hadn't switched the Reliant to the required Swivel when I rebuilt Val's suborbital Explorer I to give the right performance.    Reflight resulted in a successful test, between 61-65 km altitude, and between 410-510 m/s velocity.  Modest payout, but enough to be worth doing.

 

[bewing]

Part test contracts can get quite profitable when you figure out how to do 2 or 3 of them in the same flight.

[Zeiss Ikon]

Oh, I agree, bewing.  I did manage to combine Thumper engine testing (at launch site) with my "go to orbit" contract.  Or was it the spacewalk in orbit?  One of those, anyway.  Now, since I've been flying tourists, I seem to have nothing but more tourism contracts.  Might have to go find that "Flea booster in orbit" test to get the parts testing going again.

[Spricigo]

On 17/09/2017 at 2:15 PM, bewing said:

Part test contracts can get quite profitable when you figure out how to do 2 or 3 of them in the same flight.

Well, pilling up contracts of whatever type tend to increase profitability. But I still think there are better contract types for this.

Personally I don't like how much design time those can take in the long run. Let alone the trajectory adjustments. 

[Zeiss Ikon]

12 hours ago, Spricigo said:

Personally I don't like how much design time those can take in the long run. Let alone the trajectory adjustments. 

Design time is a lot of the fun, at least for me.  I could spend hours just trying to optimize stuff in VAB -- but then I have to fly the vessel to see how well I did.

At present, I've taken on contracts to test a Flea SRB in orbit between 160 and 170 km, then test the Hydraulic Separation Manifold in orbit between (IIRC) 220 and 230 km.  Guess how the Flea(s) will be mounted to the core?  And I've also accepted the first "explore the Mun" contract, along with one to send or bring back scientific data from Kerbin orbit (and I've added an instrument I didn't have on previous orbital flights, so I should get usable data even if the goo, thermometer, and barometer readings are no longer of interest to anybody).  I'm certain that with the right vessel, I can do all four of those on a single flight, as well as getting a bunch of donations for "world's firsts".  Hopefully, I'll be able to afford to upgrade R&D and/or Tracking.  There was another contract I was reminding myself to get, too (now that I've upgraded Mission Control, and can have up to seven active at once) -- I'll have to look when I'm back in game to remember which it was.

Once Val is back from the Mun, there'll probably be more tourists to fly.  A rocket that can fly around the Mun ought to be able to lift a Crew Cabin into orbit, right?

[ray.foss]

After 10+ tries, finally figured out what's going on. While trying to haul the LV-909 Terrier, I get all the check marks, but unlike the "test" contracts, the contracts panel doesn't remove the requirements automatically once the contract is complete. They just disappear once you go to the Space Center.

 

This is a UI inconsistency/bug.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2018 by ray.foss
Typo