Scarecrow71

5th post in Mission Reports

Time to start collecting some science. Got a contract to collect science data from the surface of the Mun, so I picked that up and went to the East Crater with this little beauty: I earned enough science to unlock: Miniaturization Propulsion Systems Space Exploration Only 1 more component on tier V to go! A check of Mission Control shows not 1 but 2 contracts to position a satellite in a synchronous orbit of Minmus. It’s not the cash I’m after with these, but the 15 science each upon completion. Not to mention that this will give me 3 satellites in orbit of Minmus, which will make landing there much easier. So I picked up the contracts and put these 2 satellites in orbit: With that out of the way, I realized that I upgraded R&D recently, so I can collect soil samples at the KSC. Which I did at the launchpad and VAB. I also pulled the trick to jump at the launchpad and collect the EVA report for flying over Kerbin’s Shores. There aren’t any contracts right now that are worth it, so I’m going to get some science from Minmus. I did High in Space, which netted me enough science to unlock the following: Precision Engineering Better probe, better antenna. And after this launch, I checked Mission Control and got this lovely contract: I was going to land there next anyhow, but to have to rendezvous as well? I’ve got 3 satellites in orbit of the body, so I can absolutely do that. Which I did, then landed, then came home: That netted me enough science to unlock the following: Advanced Electrics Aerodynamics Specialized Control I also had enough cash to upgrade the following: Administration Building (Level 3) Tracking Station (Level 3) And I learned something during this last flight. When you use Kerbals, you can collect the science from gadgets and store it in the command module, allowing you to collect the same science type (temp, pressure, etc.) multiple times on a flight. You can't do that with probes, right? Wrong. I finally found a use for the Experiment Storage Unit! It didn't help with wanting to get multiple rounds of data from Mystery Goo (you still need a scientist to reset that), but it gets me thinking about how to do some interplanetary stuff (take readings, store the data, jettison the expended gadget to save on weight and fuel). Shots of the Tech Tree and the KSC at this point: I am finished with Tier V, starting on Tier VI. And it gets expensive from here on out, so I'll have to really start stretching my space legs. As I mentioned before, cash is not an issue, and you can see that I've almost got the entire KSC upgraded at this point.

Well, that doesn't seem very fair. What is the point of finding a spot on a Kerbin we think is awesome when we have no idea what that spot looks like on YOUR install?

4th post in Mission Reports.

Mun Landing It’s time to start really focusing on science, primarily because I’ll need a ton of it to get through this challenge. Without being able to get crew reports, eva reports, soil samples, mun rocks, etc., I have to get as much science as possible in the other ways I have available to me. Checking Mission Control shows that I have a contract to Explore the Mun (Land and Return), which is perfect right now. So I built this little thing and sent it on its way: I earned enough science on that trip to unlock the following: Advanced Construction Fuel Systems Landing Yay for fairings! No more having to hide the probe core inside other stuff! And I had enough cash to upgrade the following: Space Plane Hangar (Level 2) Administration Building (Level 2) Satellite Positioning After the Mun landing, I check Mission Control and I’ve got contracts for the following: Position Satellite in a specific orbit of Kerbin Position Satellite in a polar orbit of The Mun Position Satellite in a specific orbit of Minmus Position Satellite in a specific orbit of The Mun Now, I don’t really have the greatest satellite technology yet; my antenna are a bit lacking. But I will absolutely need a satellite network in order to go interstellar, and any amount of relays will help. So I sent the following 4 satellites into their specific orbits: After those 4 satellites went up, I had enough cash to upgrade the following: Mission Control (Level 3) R&D (Level 2) I've been focusing on cash, but I'm going to switch up and start really focusing on science. I can pretty much land on and clear out the biomes on The Mun at this point, and then I can focus on Minmus. But, of course, the best laid plans of mice and Kerbals!

3rd post in Mission Report.

A Few Contracts Well, look at that. Explore the Mun. Gotta pick that one up and go for it. I’m still at 30 parts, but the launchpad is upgraded so I’m not worried about tonnage. Normally I’d be looking at upgrading the Astronaut Complex right now, but as I’m not using any Kerbals on these flights, I have no need. Like, if I can’t go EVA anyhow, what’s the point, right? So, I built this puppy and went to do a fly-by of the Mun: That little run netted me enough science to unlock Advanced Flight Control, and enough cash to upgrade the VAB. A basic contract popped up that I decided to take full advantage of (Test 48-7S “Spark” Liquid Fuel Engine at the Launch Site), and then I got a two-fer: Position Satellite in a Keosynchronous Orbit of Kerbin Science Data From Space Around Kerbin I’ll pick up both of those and send a satellite into orbit, even though I have no fairings. I’ve been sticking the probe core inside a service bay, and the satellite contract I have states it only needs a Thermometer (in addition to the standard “has an antenna and can generate power”). Which means I don’t need all the fancy gadgets on it. So, I put this thing into the requested orbit: Once that was done, I got a contract to get science data from space around the Mun. I’ve also got a contract to do temperature surveys over several sites at the Mun, all in spaceflight ABOVE 9000m. Now, during my initial Munar fly-by, I took and sent home temperature readings, which means I can’t get science for taking them again. But I can satisfy both contracts, get the science from the completion of both, and I’ll leave the satellite in orbit because, well, I’ll need one up there for relays and such anyhow. Here’s the rocket, with a few shots of flying. I normally don’t do the survey contracts, but as I had to put a satellite in orbit around the Mun at some point, this worked. That gave me enough science to unlock the following: Heavy Rocketry It also gave me enough funds to upgrade the following: Launchpad (Level 3) Runway (Level 2) Astronaut Complex (Level 2) A shot of the KSC: I accidentally warped a couple weeks too many; I hit the wrong button! Anyhow, things are coming along nicely here. I've got half of tier 5 completed in the tech tree, and I'm about halfway done with upgrading the KSC.

Yeah they do. I should be able to finish upgrading all the buildings in the KSC in short order. Filling the tech tree will be a bit more difficult without EVA, ground sample, mun rocks, etc. That's a ton of science you can't get with just probe cores.

2nd post in Mission Report. I've got all of Tier IV and part of Tier 5, as well as first upgrades on the Launchpad, Tracking Station, and Mission Control. Tomorrow I tackle a VAB upgrade. @18Watt, I noticed that you didn't mention anything about tourist contracts. Are we allowed to take those, or due to not launching any Kerbals are they off the table?

First Flights I’ve got contracts for: Launch our first vessel Escape the atmosphere Orbit Kerbin I’m going to do Launch Our First Vessel separately, primarily because I want to do 2 launches with launching the first vessel. I want to get science in the air, and then a second one to launch into the water to get science in the water. This allows me to unlock Flight Control. Which is sorely needed so I can actually fly straight and turn and such considering the Stayputnik does not have SAS. I’ve got enough cash, so I spent 50k to upgrade the launchpad. I’m not so concerned about part count as I am tonnage. So yeah, upgraded that. I’m now picking up the contracts to Escape the Atmosphere and Orbit Kerbin. Unfortunately, it’s really hard to launch and get into space with the Stayputnik, what with it sucking aerodynamically AND not having a SAS module on board. So I’m going to launch in a few different directions and farm some science from a few different biomes (Shores, Grasslands). I’m still short of what I really want (90 science to unlock the OKTO), but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen at any time in the near future. So I unlocked the following: Aviation This gives me wheels so I can create a different type of science roller to get the Barometer and Science Junior readings at the KSC: That thing corners like a dead whale on roller skates. And man did that take some time. But, I gained enough science to unlock the following: Electrics My tech tree looks like the following: I’ve got 2 nodes to go on tier 4, and I’ve unlocked the first node on tier 5. That node on tier 5 is absolutely necessary as it contains the OKTO (yay for SAS!), solar panels, and larger batteries. Now I can attempt to get into orbit with the following monstrosity: Man, that took far longer than I thought it would. I thought Caveman was hard, but this was downright difficult. I keep forgetting that no SAS means no flight control. Damn. Anyhow, I have now earned enough science to unlock the following: Advanced Rocketry General Construction I also have enough cash to upgrade both Mission Control and the Tracking Station. Yes, the VAB is still at 30 parts, but I need the control nodes. Plus, I can always pick up some easy contracts to earn the cash. Yeah, I could have cheated my way to the 65 science...but why? I feel that cheating, even if explicitly allowed in the rules, just doesn't feel right. Not in the spirit of the challenge and all. I mean, it's supposed to be hard!

First entry to the Mission Report, proving you can get to the Stayputnik simply by farming the KSC. No Kerbals were harmed during this leg of the challenge, I swear!

The mission report will be to (somewhat) detail my participation in @18Watt's Safety First Challenge. I hope. Settings No need to respawn crews when we aren’t using them. Also, I’m only using the KSC; I don’t need to use the other 2 launch sites for this as I’m pretty sure I can get to the requisite science needed (65) to get the first probe core. KSC Farming Well, look at that, a contract to gather science from Kerbin. I’ll pick that up and start some simple, beginning-of-a-new-game farming on the runway and launchpad; this, with the contract, earns me enough science to unlock several nodes. Basic Rocketry Engineering 101 More simple farming now that I’ve got the Thermometer. Not enough to actually unlock anything, so now I have to craft a simple science roller…thing…to roll around the KSC and pick up some science. I can put a pilot in one side and the scientist in the other, which allowed me to hit multiple areas of the KSC (I did NOT roll off the launchpad down to the shores) and pick up enough science to unlock the following: General Rocketry Survivability Basic Science So, yeah, I now have access to the Stayputnik. Just a bit more farming now that I have access to the Barometer and the Science Junior, which allows me to unlock the following: Stability I only farmed the launchpad and the runway with the Barometer and Science Junior; I may want to go back and farm the rest of the KSC with these at some point when I get actual wheels. But yeah, without even launching a rocket, I’ve unlocked tiers 2 and 3, and started on tier 4. Time to go do some flights.

This has a pseudo-Caveman feel, especially at the start where you can't do much other than farm the KSC. I might have to get in on this goodness, even if only to flesh out the latest challenge I've got rolling around in my brain.

Ever have one of those days when even Jeb looks at you cross-eyed? I started today by sending a crew capsule and lander to Mun as I had a contract to do science on the surface. I get there, undock, land, collect science. All in record time (for me; I'm slowness!). I get the lander back up into Munar orbit, get an encounter with the crew module...and realize I have no RCS thrusters to control docking. Revert to VAB, add the thrusters, and try again. Got all the things done, docked, got the science into the crew module, undocked, and headed back to Kerbin. Realized I lef the scientist in the lander. Figured I would just send a rescue mission later and entered Kerbins upper atmosphere...and realized I had no chutes. Revert to VAB, add chutes, and try again. Nope, staging on the chutes is wrong. Revert to launch and try again, only to have the solar panels get eaten by the kraken. Revert to launch and try again. Finally, after all these attempts, I get to the Mun and back with my science...and the contract isn't completed? Checked it...and it's for Minmus. Well, tomorrow is another day.

Unpopular opinion? Apart from transfer windows, the internal game clock is pointless. And if you aren't playing with life support mods, there is zero penalty for launching whenever and then time warping to the next window.

So, I've been absent from the forum now for several months for multiple reasons. Not the least of which is that real life kicked me in the shins, which kept me from enjoying some stuff that I really enjoy. Like KSP, for example. But, I've been able to play every now and then, and now that RL is done whupping up on me, I've been able to get into a new career. Several days ago, for the first time ever, I was able to not only land a rover on Eve, but it survived AND I was able to drive that bad boy around and send science back home. It helped me complete a contract where I had to splash down into the oceans of Eve, and thanks to somehow landing close enough, I drove that thing deep enough into the water to get credit for it and then drive it out. So I have a probe core on Eve with a bunch of antennae on it (used for flying to Eve and then the controlled landing), as well as a drivable rover with an antenna and a bunch of science gadgets on it (it's a drone). I still haven't landed any Kerbals on the planet, but now that I've been able to land something drivable, it's a matter of time before I can scratch this off my list. When I get some time this weekend, I'll throw up some images of the lander I used for this; it's ugly...but it worked! After dropping the rover on Eve, I decided to focus elsewhere in the cosmos for a bit as I don't have the necessary parts to land and liftoff from Eve yet. So I sent a couple of Kerbals to Dres, upon which they landed and discovered that yes, the planet does exist. They then got back into orbit, made their way back to Kerbin and were able to get into orbit there (with 10 m/s to spare after setting Pe to ~70k and Ap to ~1000k)...and then they all realized that the parachutes were never installed on the pod. So I sent up a rescue mission and brought the stranded Kerbals home, along with all of that sweet, sweet science from Dres.

Considering all the things I still have yet to do in KSP1, the delay doesn't impact me all that much. I mean, do I want to give the devs my money? Yes. Am I going to be upset that I can't until next year? Nope.

The devs posted on Facebook yesterday that Dres is no longer going to be part of KSP2. This should, effectively, end the discussion about whether or not the planet is real.

@Streetwind You were correct; it was a power issue. I brought a few more panels up there, and once they were deployed I started to very slowly collect ground science. And I mean SLOWLY. Like, is there any actual point to doing this? I think not; from this point on, I just won't collect ground science as I cannot see how this is worth the effort. I love the inventory system, but the ground science just isn't worth the effort, you know? Anyhow, thanks!

@jinnantonix Am I missing something, or did you skip Venera I? Or did you do the entire thing earlier? I thought I saw it, but just want to confirm before giving you credit for the 4 Vostok's!

@Streetwind I'm not sure why the image is so small; I used the same technique to get this here that I've done for every other image I've ever posted. Weird. Anyhow, I'll do some more testing with picking up the science experiment itself and see what happens. If it is a power issue, then, well, duh on me. But I'll let you know!

Upload the image to your hosting site of choice (Imgur is a good one), then copy the link from there and paste it into your message here.