EVA Rescue Calamity!!

[soranno]

Oh it`s you! Thank the shiny patch of grass you`re here. We have an emergency.

Bill was out flying around, for reasons no one can quite remember, when he suddenly forgot he was in space and opened the door of his command module.

He`s been sucked out of the pod, and wouldn`t you know it, he never took the time to refuel his EVA pack.. it`s at 0.0% fuel!

Bill reports he`s tried shouting at the ship to stop moving away but it hasn`t worked. He was quite certain it was because of his helmet, but we managed to talk him out of taking it off to try again (someone really needs to check that Bill actually knows what space is..)

Anyway.. the pictures from Bill`s helmet cam show a bleak situation.. he and the ship are drifting apart and... you`ll love this..

they`re already beyond the Mun, and set to escape Kerbin`s SOI in just over 2 days!

No, there`s no one else to do it. It`s Sunday and everyone went to a picnic, so it`s up to you. Go get our boy!

The bones of the challenge are simple enough. Build a ship, and get out to where Bill is hurtling through space, get him on board, and bring him home!

This element of the challenge will be scored based on BILL`S MET at the moment (albeit fractionally before) you get him onboard your rescue ship.

this is an example video of the moment I got him while creating this challenge, at 13:33:07 http://www.twitch.tv/hoshizora/c/2273305

This much may prove very difficult for some.. but perhaps not so much for others, and therefore the additionals all points represent minutes deducted from your Bill MET rescue timer!

Bill didn`t asked to be rescued! He had plans today damnit, and insists on visiting both Minmus and the Mun on the way home! (try to resist kicking him back out into space)

Where Minmus is first - 10 for orbiting Minmus, and -30 for landing and returning to orbit.

another -30 for orbiting the Mun, and -60 for landing and returning to orbit.

and, where Minmus is done second! -30 for orbiting, and -60 for landing and returning to orbit.

Bill liked his ship.. after you pick him up, bring him back to his ship and have him continue on his own from there.

Please note.. Bill`s ship is not capable of landings..

All time bonuses for orbits and landings are doubled if you`ve allowed Bill to travel in his own ship!

To rules. Goes without saying that debug menu options are out. For simplicities sake it would be easy to say no mods, but we all know it is rarely that simple. Mods that affect parts and ship functions are right out. You might note that in my vid above I have alarm clock and haystack installed. Having such mods active as those that have no direct effect on ship parts and functions is not a concern. Mechjeb, I`m not sure anymore how much help he`s going to be in getting rendezvous and such, so would have to declare it illegal, but I suppose people like to use it for information, much as I like to use engineer. Therefore, although I suggest otherwise, you can use mechjeb or engineer for their information elements only** at a cost of a 3 hour handicap to your time (that means plus 3 hours), and noted on your entry that it was assisted.

Go ahead, switch them off this one time

For any and all claims you make for your entry, please submit at least one image. The most important of these will be the one showing Bill`s met as you get him on board the first time. After that simple images of your journey will be fine. Will need to see METs if you intend to claim the `Minmus second` bonus.

Video entries most welcome!

Comments and suggestions on the nature of the challenge, bonuses and rules are very welcome, and I`m open to making changes if it seems reasonable to do so!

Without further ado, and thanks to sal_vager, EVA Rescue Challenge Scenario

The file should be placed into your saves/scenarios folder, and accessed from the scenarios menu ingame!

original persistence file

Bill`s waiting, and you are his only hope!!

Leaderboard:

sewerbird - 7:10:16

Edited May 14, 2013 by soranno
new linky

[sal_vager]

Very nice challenge, well thought out, good writing and a decent level of difficulty, well done

I suggest people pop the persistence file in their scenario's folder as it makes it easy to restart, in fact I have changed it's name and added the title and description, you can get it here, and you can even add it to your thread if you want soranno

It should go in saves\scenarios

[soranno]

OP updated with a new link! Many thanks sal, the friendly neighbourhood mod!

[SollyK]

This is really cool looking. I promise as soon as I take my last final tonight I will start working on it. Can't wait.

[bulletrhli]

I will definitely be doing this challenge! I will record it as well so it may take a while

[sewerbird]

This'll be this evening's diversion... will update this post once done

[uPDATE]

Woot! Did it!

1. Rendezvous'd with Bill (Yikes!)

2. Brought him to his Ship (Easier)

3. Killed exit trajectory and came down for a flyby Kerbin and encounter with the Mun (Tricky)

4. Orbit Mun! (Easy!)

5. Transfer to Minmus! (Hrm...)

6. Orbit Minmus successful!

7. Got Salty.... you said your lander couldn't land on Minmus. I proved you wrong!

8. Returned to Kerbin for re-entry.

9. Safely dumped in the ocean: Mission Successful!

Starting Bill MET: 11 hours, 35 minutes~

Successful Mun Orbit: -10 * 2 (Bill's ship) = -20 Hours

Successful Minmus Orbit: -30 * 2 (Bill's ship) = -60 Hours

Successful Minmus Landing/Launch: -60 * 2 (Bill's Ship) = -120 Hours

Successful Kerbin Landing!

Score: 11.5 - 200 = -188.5

Actual, Correct Score = 7h10m16s

Complete IMGUR proof:CLICK HERE FOR ALBUM

This was tons of fun!

(Lemme know if I calc'd wrong)

Comments:

The intercept with Bill was easily the hardest bit to do, by far. After that, the main enemy was the lack of ASAS on Bill's ship: capslock and twitchy fingers was the order of the day. I tried a Mun landing in a quicksave, but the nuke engines are incredibly brittle, so I passed it by. I have some mods installed, but none affect this challenge/were unused, such as Kerbal LiveFeed chat and Kerbal Alarm Clock. I had to uninstall Improved Maneuver Nodes to comply.

Edited May 14, 2013 by sewerbird
Extra comments

[soranno]

Indeed, perhaps I ought to have said, Bill`s ship isn`t (necessarily) designed for landings

very happy to see some interest in the challenge! superb effort sewerbird, thank you for taking part, and I enjoyed your library thoroughly.

I`ll recalculate your score, as the intention was to deduct minutes rather than hours

so for taking Bill`s ship (well done on persevering with no asas), -1 hour, orbit followed by a landing at minmus (second) is 3 hours deducted, and from what I can tell the starting time ought to be 11:10:16, so a final time of 7 hours 10 minutes 16 seconds! nicely done

Edited May 14, 2013 by soranno

[sewerbird]

Ah, thanks for clearing me up! I'll edit my post to reflect ;-)

[Lechimp89]

Nice challenge, doing it now and will put up results later