[INDEV] Clever Sats Developement Thread [KSP v1.4.4 ] [CS v.1.5.0]

[Mark Kerbin]

Welcome To The Clever Sats Development Thread

(Marketing)

Clever Sats is a contract pack for Contract Configurator aimed at improving the stock satellite contracts.

Contracts added by the pack are intended to improve the realism replayabilty and depth of satellite contracts. 

 

^Clever Sats's New Logo^

Tired of satellite contracts asking for the same thing over and over again with no end insight? Finding that launching satellites feels pointless? Unrealistic orbits annoying the space nerd in you? Try Clever Sats for some realism replayabilty and depth in your satellite contracts!  

[Clever Sats Github]

 

Development "Continued" by @Mark Kerbin and @VaPaL with permission from @severedsolo

 

Future Development Plans;

This "Roadmap/ Changelog Is Pulled From The Github, If You Want More Upto Date News & Info Use That. =)  

Less colorful tho. 

[Roadmap On Github] 

 

Info/Key; 

• (P) This is planned but not necessarily going to happen
• (T) This is in testing 
• (D) This is ready for next release
• (R) Planned And Required For Release
• (TBD) Planned Feature But Not Currently Worked On
• Rewards are marked based on the "level" of funds and rep. This is for comparisons sake.  

Plans;

• Contract Types (R)
  • Generic (T)
    • Rewards: 1 fund : 1 reputation
    •  Launch generic satellite into a generic orbit - very common
  • Weather (T)
    • Rewards: 3 fund : 3 reputation
    • Launch a weather satellite into keostationary orbit
      • Mass Cap = 3t
      • Uncommon
    • Launch a weather satellite into polar orbit 
      • Mass Cap = 3t
      • Rare
    • Satellites must be above a certain region
  • Spy (T)
    • Rewards: 4 fund : 2 reputation
    • Launch a spy satellite into keostationary/tundra/kolniya orbit
      • Mass Cap = 5t
      • Very Rare
  • Communication (T)
    • Rewards: 3 fund : 3 reputation
    • Launch a communication satellite (3-5t) into keostationary orbit 
      • Mass Cap = 3-5t
      • Common
    • Launch a communication satellite (3-5t) into tundra orbit 
      • Mass Cap = 3-5t
      • Uncommon - Rare
    • Satellites must be above a certain region and have a relay antenna
  • Observation (R)
    • Rewards: 2 fund : 3 reputation : 2 science
    • Launch a Kerbin observation satellite into polar orbit
      • Common
  • Miniaturized (T)
    • Rewards: 1 fund : 2 reputation
    • Launch a cub/mini/micro satellite (500-100kg) into generic orbit 
      • Mass Cap = 500-1000kg
      • Common
    • Multiple satellites per launch per launch (could be a bonus parameter)
  • Science (T)
    • Rewards: 3 fund : 3 reputation : 3 science (body dependent)
    • Launch a science probe to another body (Mun, Duna...)
      • Uncommon
    • The idea is to give science points even when there are no more to be collected
  • Survey (R)
    • Rewards: 2 fund : 1 reputation 
    • Launch satellite equipped with scanner into a LKO generic orbit 
      • Uncommon
  • Navigational (T)
    • Rewards: 5 fund : 4 reputation 
    • Launch a navigational constellation
      • Size = 24-27 Satellites
      • Max Completed = 2
      • Rare
    • Multiple contracts, one for each orbit inclination in the constellation
  • Move (R)
    • Rewards: (?) fund : (?) reputation : (?) science
    • Move a satellite to a new orbit (within reason if possible)
      • Uncommon
      • Only launched by this pack contracts
      • Excluding 
        • Weather
        • Spy 
        • Communication 
        • Navigational
  • Investigate (R)
    • Rewards: 2 fund : 1 reputation
    • Investigate a malfunctioning satellite (only manned?)
      • Uncommon
  • Decommission (R)
    • Rewards: 1 fund : 1 reputation
    • Decommission a science probe outside Kerbin system by crashing it into a sterile body
      • Mission Time = 5+ Years
      • Rare
    •  Decommission a science probe inside Kerin system by deorbiting it
      • Rare
    •  Decommission a satellite (in LKO/MKO) by deorbiting it 
      • Common
    •  Decommission a satellite (in HKO) by moving it to a graveyard orbit 
      • Common

Licensing

Clever Sats 1.5(?) + licensed under MIT @Mark Kerbin & @VaPaL

Clever Sats 1.4  & prior versions licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 @severedsolo

Acknowlegments

"Continued" (But not actually) by @Mark Kerbin and @VaPaL with permission from @severedsolo

@nightingale as ever for his tireless work on Contract Configurator (you rock!)

@severedsolo For the original Clever Sats pack.

Edited July 16, 2018 by Mark Kerbin

[Beetlecat]

I Totally appreciate you bringing this one back -- Looking forward to the new updates!

[VaPaL]

@Mark Kerbin can you add a poll asking:

1. What Navigation System you would like to be in this pack?
   • GPS: 6 circular, 55° inclined, semi-synchronous and equally spaced orbits, 3-4 sats per orbit
   • GLONASS: 3 circular, 63,4° inclined, a bit lower than semi-synchonous and equally spaced orbits, 5 sats per orbit
   • Galileo: 3 circular, 56° inclined, a bit higher than semi-synchronous and equally spaced orbits, 5 sats per obrit
   • QZSS: 3 tundra (63,4° inclined, synchronous, high elliptic) equally space orbits, 1 sat per orbit
   • IRNSS (NAVIC): 1 stationay orbit with 2 sats with 50° of separation and 2 synchronous 30° inclined 180° of separation orbits with 1 sat each (scale down of this)
2. How hard/realistic you want this pack to be?
   • Hard, asking for sats in precise orbits and locations (where the sat should be above or should be at a specific time)
   • Normal, standard orbit precision and general locations (where the sat should be above or should be at a specific time)
   • Easy, don't ask for locations, only orbits

BDS (BeiDou-2) would also be o good Navigation System to add, since in a global one with different types of orbits, but I haven't found much about it yet (may look more if people are interested)

Exemples for the second question would be (for a comm/weather):
HARD: precise stationary orbit with a waypoint that the sat must be in (above a certain region) with 1° of precision (very hard to do)
NORMAL: stationary orbit with a waypoint that the sat must be in (above a certain region) with 10° of precision (takes some time but it's doable)
EASY: stationary orbit (could not be simplier)

I created this wiki page explaining why I made some decision in the contracts, would be good to know what you guys think, I need some feedback as my play style might not match the majority of players:
https://github.com/Mark-Kerbin/clever-sats/wiki/Research-Background

[Mark Kerbin]

Poll Added @VaPaL

Everyone please vote and ask if you have questions

[VaPaL]

Tutorials wiki page: https://github.com/Mark-Kerbin/clever-sats/wiki/Tutorials

My communication skill is not the best, so can you guys tell me if it's understandable? Of course the contracts may help it's understandig, they will be playable shortly. I plan to release the Comm, Weather and Spy until the end of the week (if everything goes well).

[VaPaL]

I uploaded the first batch of contracts. The Navigational and the Move/Investigate/decomission contracts are not ready yet

https://github.com/Mark-Kerbin/clever-sats/tree/master/PRE-RELEASE

Download the PRE-RELEASE folder and put it insed the contract pack folder (...\Kerbal Space Program\GameData\ContractPacks) as it was a contract pack

[Mark Kerbin]

Version 1.5.0 Beta 1

This is a beta version of the coming 1.5.0.
All configs included are "test ready" meaning they work most of the time and can be playtested.

Navigational and Move/Investigate/decomission contracts are currently still indev.

Please understand that this is a pre-release.
As such it is going to be buggy.
-Please report any issues involving contract generation, contract information (titles for parameters, parameters etc.) , play-ability (too difficulty, weird parameters, confusing requirements) and anything else you think needs to be done or changed. Thank you.

Do not forget to install CONTRACT CONFIGURATOR! It is required to run this!

 

Edited July 26, 2018 by Mark Kerbin

[doudou]

This mod is dead ?

[VaPaL]

@doudou I have a lot going on rigth now, and I've not been in touch with @Mark Kerbin for a while now. But I intend to resume development some time this year, hopefully sooner than latter. Just need to get back playing again to get motivated.