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VelocityPolaris

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  1. VelocityPolaris
    Brief announcement: I've thrown together a special pilot modification of the ENCCC medal on GIMP, which will be rewarded to those who have the 3 furthest distance scores.
  2. VelocityPolaris
    Oh, the praetorian guard's here, hooray! I'm trying to throw together some crappy art, AKA meep morp, in google slides ('cuz I'm cheap) for the title page right now, but I've had it up to here with the lag. So I've been saving monies throughout last year, and I think I've got enough to buy myself a gaming computer. Astronomer's visual pack, here we come! Although there will be a fair few delays, represented below: 1. A family vacation really soon. We'll be cramming several weeks of touristness into one, so computer stuff is probably not happening. 2. Picking and ordering the parts, since I don't know anything about computers and have no idea what to get. 3. Making the meep morp while waiting for the parts to arrive. 4. Computer assembly, getting software to do whatever it does. 5. KSP activity and screenshots for the story. 6. Putting together the title page, finally writing the first chapter. A big obstacle but a strange one is the new story's name - it's a rule that engineers, or prospective engineers, are generally crap at naming things. Every title I can think of is either a cliché title or a dead meme. If anybody's feeling creative I can TG you a brief overview of what the new story is going to be like, and maybe you can help with the naming.
  3. VelocityPolaris
    Well Crap If anybody reads this, I'm really sorry. Unfortunately, the final nail has been driven into the coffin at orbital velocities. So I tried to update KSP to 1.4, then added making history. When I opened the Past The Haze save, the ships were almost all gone. Oculus station, gone (and the crew labeled as MIA), the KSS Rubber Ducky, gone, the Inquirer probe, gone. The only ships that were still there, on the tracking station screen, was the network of GPS satellites I had launched just last week. I thought that I had properly reinstalled every single mod that was on there previously, but the only possibility I can think of is that I missed some part which was on almost all of the ships, and with those few modded parts missing, the ships that had them were all deleted. Usually it gives some kind of notification when that happens, though. While it's possible to launch everything again and put them all back where they were (for the second time), this is really the Armour Piercing Composite Rigid straw that broke the camel's back. I've been dealing with a potato computer, loads of glitches, real life, a lack of computer knowledge, and having to explain my stupid past self's careless kudzu plot. I'm just not motivated to fix everything again and continue. But I think I have an option. I can restart the story. A different thread, a different name - it would be in many ways a sequel/continuation of this one, though it would shed some of the confusing kudzu-y bits, like the light-absorbent water (and might embrace some of the other kudzu leaves that I think I have explanations for). So I'd make a new story. I just don't know what to name it. EDIT: Again, sorry.
  4. VelocityPolaris
    Uh, sure, I dunno, mate. I'm in emotional turmoil after season 2, episode 5 of The Expanse, so I'm in no state to make rational decisions.
  5. VelocityPolaris
    Ok, word of god (AKA @alpha360) is that challenge rankings are to cease and desist immediately. The whole idea of these challenges are things that anyone can do, not feats that require wizard-level skills for good self-esteem, so I kinda understand where he's coming from. Sorry. EDIT: Also, I feel the need to again remark upon how amazing these glider builds have been. Nice going, folks, and way to stick the water landings!
  6. VelocityPolaris
    Well, I 'spose this challenge could be considered sort of like a car race. Y'know, if your time wasn't good enough in the first lap then you might go faster the next time around, and pass the competition. EDIT: In non-analogy form, the above two sentences mean that multiple tries of this challenge to improve your distance are completely allowed.
  7. VelocityPolaris
    Congratulation! I think this is the first time a glider was actually lost so far, but that's an issue for whoever's crazy enough to insure the space programme, not something for me to worry about. [redacted due to cease and desist order from alpha 360] Fun Fact: Insular Island is about 32 KM from the KSC.
  8. VelocityPolaris
    Well, rule 2 was sepratrons only, but I deleted that rule for unfairness. And now, among other issues, I can't go back and correct typos.
  9. VelocityPolaris
    What should we do - light some candles, do some ritualistic chanting, maybe set out milk and cookies?
  10. VelocityPolaris
    What a magnificent feat of engineering! I'd add you to the ranking chart, but somehow I still can't edit that post.
  11. VelocityPolaris
    Ehhhhh, that's cutting it close but I'll take it. You've definitely earned a medal, anyway.
  12. VelocityPolaris
    Know what's impressive? Everybody so far has made a proper water landing, nothing broken or anything! I know for a fact that whoever does insurance for the KSP is definitely impressed. If anybody's wondering why there's nothing on that challenge leaderboard yet, it's because I've encountered some technical difficulties. When I try to edit that post, it refuses, and says "This challenge can no longer be edited. It may have been moved or deleted, or too much time may have passed since it was posted for it to be edited." Anyone know what the deal-io is with that? I checked and I can edit posts of mine older that that, so it's not the time issue.
  13. VelocityPolaris
    1. 200 KN per 10t of aircraft+launchcart combined 2. Yes.
  14. VelocityPolaris
    Excellent work, m8. If there were bonus points, you'd get them for flying tailless (innovation!). Also, good 'ol visual mods. EDIT: Ah, yes, you've certainly earned your ENCCC medal. I'll put you down for one on the challenge main page. Well, I'll take it. Excellent work on the long wings and 0.625 m tail (more innovation!), I.O.U. one medal.
  15. VelocityPolaris
    Yeah... I'm sorry, I have to agree with scarecrow. I would have overlooked it if it were just the residual thrust from throttled-down jets or props, but that burned a bit too long past the intended 5 seconds after all wheels leave the runway. Hoioh, you've made an elegant sailplane, which is why I hope you don't mind too much if I ask you to redo that.
  16. VelocityPolaris
    Let me provide a piece of advice: If at first you don't succeed, don't try try try again. That's the definition of insanity, I think. What I mean is that if you keep frustratingly tweaking the same design that shows little promise, you'll waste a lot of time, but if you branch out and try a few different approaches, you can find one that works well enough to improve upon. In school, we had this challenge to build a tower out of spaghetti, string, and tape, and to put a marshmallow at the top of our tower. Whichever group had the tallest tower won. Before the challenge, the teacher explained to us how kindergarteners, on average, build taller towers than middle or high school students. It's because the regular students will keep putting effort into a design fated to fall over, while the kindergarteners try a bunch of things.
  17. VelocityPolaris
    Well, I daresay I think it's getting better.
  18. VelocityPolaris
    It looks like you've been reading the rules and trying to find a weasel-like way to not technically break them, but just skirt around them for an advantage. I wholeheartedly approve! This is how cool new stuff gets made in real life, so go for it!
  19. VelocityPolaris
    Challenge III: Glider Top 10 scariest photos taken moments before disaster The Kipper, my only rocket glider with no crashes on its record. Currently piloted by Jeb. Space is exciting and all, but now it's time for a more down-to-Kerbin sort of challenge. Now, I know what you're actually probably not thinking, that just flapping your wings about a small area of Kerbin is way too boring. And it might be a little boring, but making aircraft is an important skill in KSP - SSTO (single-stage-to-orbit) spaceplanes are pretty goshdarn popular (I think there might be a cult centred around them), and maybe you should try to make some less ambitious aircraft first. Just keep in mind that possibly boring doesn't mean easy - making an airworthy airplane is usually harder than a spaceworthy rocket. So without further ado, here are the specifics of your assignment. Le Challenge: Make a glider. Obviously, things without engines can't take off, so you'll probably have to stick some sepratrons on it. The acronym for this is RATO, or Rocket Assisted Take Off. The trick to making an aircraft that flies, besides it having a tail, is for the centre of lift icon to be slightly behind the centre off mass icon. Rule 1: You should put a separate "reference object" on or next to the runway prior to takeoff, as a way of measuring roughly how far you've flown. This can be a Kerbal, a strut, a command pod, a rover, whatevs. Measure how far you fly. Rule 2: There is no such rule. Rule 3: Your source of propulsion must shut down 5 seconds or less after take-off, and no more engines may be activated in-flight. Rule 4: After takeoff, pick a direction and fly in a generally straight line. Rule 5: There must be at least one Kerbal aboard. Rule 6: You are limited to a maximum TWR of 200 KN takeoff thrust per 10 tonnes of craft mass. Rule 7: The pilot must survive the entire flight, even if he/she is a nameless extra, and even if they are wearing a red shirt. Rule 8: To actually complete the challenge, your glider must fly at least 4.2 km away from your reference object. As stated above, you only need to travel 4.2 kilometres to complete the challenge and earn your ENCCC medal, but the more distance, the merrier. I was going to rank everyone by distance, but Alpha360 says no. Still, the top 3 scorers for distance get a special pilot edition medal that I threw together. Current Top 3: People who've earned a medal via this challenge: Comic Sans MS best font
  20. VelocityPolaris
    Heads up: I plan to upload the next challenge before the day is out.
  21. VelocityPolaris
    TA bit of criticism, if I may. I love the images, I love the great lengths you've gone to do everything in game - the Kaurora is especially amazing. Obviously, the grammar is a big issue, but obviously, that's completely justified. My first issue is a minor one, namely that there were a hundred-something passengers mentioned to be on the Kaurora, but we hardly hear a peep out of 'em, then they're implied to be dead without much acknowledgement from the main characters. The society for the protection of nameless extras, redshirts and mooks objects strongly, but that's just a personal pet peeve, it's not much of an actual problem with the story. Still, I think we should have a moment of silence to remember those probably-dead passengers. ... Ok, moment of silence is over, now for my actual concern. Namely, that it feels just a bit too derivative of Subnautica. Obviously, it's based on subnautica, that's fine and all, but the plot seems to follow the exact story of the game a bit too much, and that, in my opinion, is kinda boring, but that's just one person's opinion and I'm sure that it has it's merits and all and sorry. Another bit of this "story derivative of subnautica" is Val being trapped on an alien planet. For the most part, we're seeing her do the sort of grinding that good ol' Non-essential Maintenance Chief Ryley Robinson did in-game. There's nothing wrong with that by itself, but in my arrogant opinion (and it is a very arrogant opinion), we're just seeing her do the sort of mindless "craft stuff" slog that you would do in the video game, instead of seeing what she thinks of every aspect of what's going on. You know, screaming "WHYYYY" to the stars, punching the water filter when it doesn't work, creating an imaginary friend or talking to oneself, naming different items after fellow passengers, that sorta stuff. Character things.
  22. VelocityPolaris
    I'm actually against that, cuz' doing rendezvous stuff is what space stations are all about.
  23. VelocityPolaris
    Ack, notification! Er, I say no mechjeb, 'cuz flying the rocket is half the battle.
  24. VelocityPolaris
    First thought that shows up is to not waste resources, maybe something along the line of treating technology with great respect, like, I dunno, bowing and removing your hat in the presence of your great-great-grandfather's carbon extractor?
  25. VelocityPolaris
    Well, those videos look pretty goshdarn interesting, and as soon as I get back from school, I'll be sure to check 'em out. I happen to be in need of an Eve SSTO right now.
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