KSP Challenge Mode

[Clinton]

I've played KSP career mod a bit, but I generally find it just a bit grindy,

What I would really like is just a series of missions (we could even call them "levels") with a challenge that has the following factors:

1. Some objectives

2. A maximum craft cost (or perhaps weight).

3. A completion deadline. 

Earlier levels would only challenge beginner KSP players whilst latter missions would challenge even very experienced players.

I've noticed a few forum posts with these challenges but I was wondering if there was a mod that had a structured series of challenges. It is important that the challenges are restricted by craft cost and ideally time also, with the default KSP career mode money is essentially limitless with enough grinding so almost anything can be solved my moar boasters. This is more grindy than challenging. 

Lots of games historically have had this approach of increasingly difficult challenges with increasingly tight constraints so it seems like a sensible gamemode option for KSP aslo.

[jost]

The Strategia mod together with an probe before manned techtree is an option. I use the SimplexTechTree

[Streetwind]

7 hours ago, Clinton said:

I was wondering if there was a mod that had a structured series of challenges.

The Making History DLC is all about this. It includes a fully featured mission design tool that anyone can use. There's also an entire subforum here, dedicated to people uploading their missions and people trying them out.

[Jodo42]

I strongly recommend going with custom difficulty settings for career mode. "Hard" adds a few new challenges but really, primarily is just a bigger grind, as you said. The progression is balanced around Normal currency settings and it shows. I usually go with Normal with the exception of unticking "No entry purchase required," and ticking most of the "advanced" options like plasma blackout, kerbal/part g-force limits, etc. I find it's just about right for allowing you to focus on exploration missions rather than grinding sat/tourist contracts, while still putting reasonable constraints on the size and cost of your missions, through available funding and building upgrades. Don't forget the admin building, too. It can be extremely useful and in my experience most people just ignore it.

Mind you, I'm playing Stock+DLCs; your results will be different with mods. I also have a self-imposed limitation of only landing on a planet/moon once unless I have a good reason to go back, usually related to ISRU. It helps push you to explore more and keeps the scenery from getting old.

[Vanamonde]

This suggestion for the game's development has been moved to Development & Suggestions. 

[DoctorDavinci]

On 11/12/2019 at 2:37 AM, Clinton said:

I've noticed a few forum posts with these challenges but I was wondering if there was a mod that had a structured series of challenges. 
 

How about a mod that allows you to create your own challenges and share them with other players

 

[Klapaucius]

On 11/12/2019 at 8:37 PM, Clinton said:

I've played KSP career mod a bit, but I generally find it just a bit grindy,

What I would really like is just a series of missions (we could even call them "levels") with a challenge that has the following factors:

1. Some objectives

2. A maximum craft cost (or perhaps weight).

3. A completion deadline. 

Earlier levels would only challenge beginner KSP players whilst latter missions would challenge even very experienced players.

I've noticed a few forum posts with these challenges but I was wondering if there was a mod that had a structured series of challenges. It is important that the challenges are restricted by craft cost and ideally time also, with the default KSP career mode money is essentially limitless with enough grinding so almost anything can be solved my moar boasters. This is more grindy than challenging. 

Lots of games historically have had this approach of increasingly difficult challenges with increasingly tight constraints so it seems like a sensible gamemode option for KSP aslo.

That is essentially what the Making History Missions are (or can be).  Unfortunately, it never took off.

Edited December 30, 2019 by Klapaucius