Kerpollo - A Complete Science Mode Run In 9 Acts

[Popestar]

I may or may not try this, but before I decide, I gotta know one thing.

How the heck did @ManEatingApe unlock the whole tech tree in the first two launches?  I'm assuming a lot of non-launch science gathering from the KSC before launching into orbit, right?

[ManEatingApe]

5 hours ago, Popestar said:

I may or may not try this, but before I decide, I gotta know one thing.

How the heck did @ManEatingApe unlock the whole tech tree in the first two launches?  I'm assuming a lot of non-launch science gathering from the KSC before launching into orbit, right?

MOAR Boosters...

2nd mission (first part of six):

Checkout the original posts here and here, and the entire Kerpollo sequence of videos at my Vimeo account, set to some crackin' tunes.

Edited January 5, 2021 by ManEatingApe

[Superfluous J]

12 hours ago, Majk said:

My run with 30 parts restriction. I still have Eve to do.

Just to let you know I'm aware of this entry and looking forward to reading it, it's just a bit busy around here right now.

[Superfluous J]

19 hours ago, Majk said:

My run with 30 parts restriction.

...and welcome to the participants list! I don't recognize those mods in your toolbar, any I should know about?

Very impressive entry so far!

[Majk]

2 hours ago, Superfluous J said:

I don't recognize those mods in your toolbar, any I should know about?

I use Chaterrer, Space Age and BetterBurnTime. Nothing adding any parts, affecting physics or science. 

[Superfluous J]

@Majk welcome to the winner's list, and thanks for the great entry! It was as impressive as it was fun to read, and it was very fun to read!

[Majk]

@Superfluous JThank you! I really enjoyed the challenge!

[JessShadowheart]

I have a question about the landers can not contain a probe core rule... I'm thinking about doing the chalenge with KOs as the only major mod influencing flight. Would a KOs computer count as a probe core for this chalenge?

[Superfluous J]

15 hours ago, JessShadowheart said:

I have a question about the landers can not contain a probe core rule... I'm thinking about doing the chalenge with KOs as the only major mod influencing flight. Would a KOs computer count as a probe core for this chalenge?

I hate to say it but yes.  It allows you to not need SAS, the entire point of the rule.

However if all other rules are followed that sounds like a perfect addition to the Rogue's List.

[JessShadowheart]

Then a Rogue's entry it shall be.

If everything goes to plan the first mission posts should come in this weekend .

[JessShadowheart]

I finally managed to upload the first video for my entry to this challenge... Unfortunately it only contains the initial science grind for now. I will add more stuff as it gets ready. 

https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/201421-challenge-entry-kerpollo/

[BeanThruster]

@Superfluous J 

Ehm, hi. Here’s my last entry for this challenge, Joolollo. It took me a while. The point is that after evollo I wanted to take a break, and then the virus came and the lockdown, and I was not that willing to play the game. I dunno, I guess it's kinda like captive animals losing their sexual appetites. Then, KSP 1.10 came with a lot of new features, started a new career, and now I’m back to finish my job. I played this mission on ver 1.8, consistently with the other ones.

I kept an eye also on the Ultimate Jool 5 Challenge rules, as I’d like this mission to be a valid entry for that challenge as well.

Since the OP changed his nick, he may as well have forgotten my previous missions. So, I'm posting here a recap.

Kerbollo

Munpollo

Minpollo

Drespollo

Eelollo

Mohollo

Dunpollo

Evepollo

and finally:

Joolollo

 

Edited June 29, 2021 by BeanThruster

[Superfluous J]

4 hours ago, BeanThruster said:

Joolollo

This is quite a long read so I'm not sure how long it will take, so I'll say it now: Well done! I've made it through Tylo and I'm loving it, "rendez-vous" and all

[BeanThruster]

3 hours ago, Superfluous J said:

This is quite a long read so I'm not sure how long it will take, so I'll say it now: Well done! I've made it through Tylo and I'm loving it, "rendez-vous" and all

Thank you! I guess I’ve been a little bit on the verbose side, so I hope reviewing the mission won’t be too much of a drag on you.

Anyway, I can wait

[Superfluous J]

25 minutes ago, BeanThruster said:

I hope reviewing the mission won’t be too much of a drag on you.

Not at all! I'm really enjoying it so far I just can't do it all in one bite

[rockhopper]

Hi @Superfluous J, I'd like to take a shot at this challenge as well.

KSP ver. 1.12

Mods:

- Kerbal Alarm Clock

 - Transfer Window Planner

 - Parallax textures

 - Kerbal Engineer Redux

 

First Part - Kerbin

http://imgur.com/a/wa1dYCJ

 

The Mun

http://imgur.com/a/bNNWjU5

 

Minmus
http://imgur.com/a/hUUYBYc

 

Dres is already completed, just need to sort the screenshots.

Edited July 26, 2021 by rockhopper

[Superfluous J]

16 hours ago, rockhopper said:

I'd like to take a shot at this challenge as well.

Looks good so far! I've put you on the participants' list. Are there any settings outside of "normal" and your mods that you changed?

[rockhopper]

13 hours ago, Superfluous J said:

Are there any settings outside of "normal" and your mods that you changed?

Just default normal difficulty.

Dres:

https://imgur.com/a/uvsp89H

[BeanThruster]

On 6/29/2021 at 10:09 PM, Superfluous J said:

This is quite a long read so I'm not sure how long it will take, so I'll say it now: Well done! I've made it through Tylo and I'm loving it, "rendez-vous" and all

@Superfluous J Uhm, any update about my Joolollo mission review? I hate to say, but I'm growing curious to know whether I won the challenge or not

[Superfluous J]

On 9/9/2021 at 6:29 AM, BeanThruster said:

@Superfluous J Uhm, any update about my Joolollo mission review? I hate to say, but I'm growing curious to know whether I won the challenge or not

Oh man I'm so sorry! I went on a vacation right after posting that and then it slipped my mind. I've kind of fallen off the KSP bandwagon of late.

I'm leaving the tab open until I finish it, and putting it in my daily bookmarks just in case it gets closed. Give me a day or two.

 

[Superfluous J]

Everybody (I'm putting this in the first page too) @ ping me when you post a new entry and on every update. I do check the forums still but not every thread, and most of the time just check my updates. Sadly, the "follow thread" option in the forums doesn't actually notify me in any way when a thread is updated, so it's useless to me.

@BeanThruster in particular, Congrats! You not only fulfilled each step of the mission as required, you also did it in style and with great commentary! Thanks for participating and welcome to the winners' circle!

[BeanThruster]

On 9/11/2021 at 2:38 PM, Superfluous J said:

@BeanThruster in particular, Congrats! You not only fulfilled each step of the mission as required, you also did it in style and with great commentary! Thanks for participating and welcome to the winners' circle!

So proud to be in winner's list. I enjoyed this challenge a lot, it gave me the reason to travel to every single body in ksp. I mostly play ksp in career mode and I have to admit that after years and years there were still some places I didn't visit.

[Scarecrow71]

@Superfluous J

EDITED:  I created a Mission Report thread for this, and I will link back to that here so as to not unnecessarily clog up this thread.  I know, nobody cares if I do or not.  I care.    Anyhow, the link to the LKO launch:

 

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by Scarecrow71

[Superfluous J]

9 hours ago, Scarecrow71 said:

even though I’ve never gotten any farther than Minmus

That's what Kerpollo exists for

Welcome to the challenge!

9 hours ago, Scarecrow71 said:

Swivel, so no laughing

Hey the Swivel is a fine early-game engine, especially in Science mode.

[Scarecrow71]

@Superfluous J

So, I've got a question on this challenge.  This literally states that you need to do this in 9 launches, with each launch representing a different body to be landed on.  However, some of the later stages of this are you landing on multiple objects in one launch (Duna and Ike, for example).  Which leads me to believe that one could, in theory, take some of the challenges and combine them into a single mission.  Say, for example, Mun and Minmus, assuming you have the wherewithal to craft and launch a ship in the early stages to do that.  But that got me to thinking:

Are we truly bound to landing on a body in each stage?  Would this still count as completing the challenge as long as we did this in a total of 9 or less launches?

Why am I thinking this?  Primarily because I have a personal problem with landing manually.  And by "personal problem", I mean "I can't do it".  I am almost 100% reliant upon MechJeb to land for me...and that cannot be done until you pick up Advanced Flight Control in the 4th tier.  According to the rules of the challenge, you have to purchase everything in a given tier before you move on to buying stuff in the next tier, and I am fine with that.  Except that I have yet to pick up both Flight Control and Aviation in the current tier, and that's 90 science points.  Add in Advanced Flight Control, and that's 180 total.  Getting that much science is easily do-able in 1 launch...but can I (personally) do this with having to land manually on the Mun first?

Ok, so it's time to bring this all together and head for home with the meat of the issue.  Is it against the spirit of the challenge to do a launch that takes you to Mun orbit, collect a bunch of science from both high and low Mun orbit, and then return to Kerbin without landing on the Mun first, spend that science, and then undertake one larger mission to land on both Mun and Minmus in the same launch?  I get that one of the launches would not be landing on an object, but the second launch would be landing on 2 objects, thus "balancing" the total of 9.  I am guessing this might fall under the gate-crashers category, but I want to ask before doing anything, including having to go through the landing tutorial again.

Whatever the answer/ruling is, I shall respect it!